With my original plans thwarted by the wet weather, I eventually took my chances and headed to Hyde Park in North Perth for a bit of fresh air and exercise. It was also the perfect excuse to take my camera and turn the outing into a blog post.
Hyde Park was not always the perfectly landscaped garden that it is today. Before Western Australia was settled by the British, the area (known as Boodjamooling) was used by Aborigines for camping. Surrounded by paperbark trees, bullrushes and reeds, the waters were also home to a number of fish, crustaceans, turtles and birds.
After settlement, the settlers named the area ‘Third Swamp’ and it continued to be used as a camp where travellers would stop to rest and water their horses. It wasn’t until the late 1890’s that the Government officially gazetted the land as a reserve for gardens and public recreation and changed the name to Hyde Park.
A fence was built around the perimeter of the park (this was later removed in the late 1940s) and pathways around the lake were established. In the early 1900s, plane trees were planted around the edge of the lake.
The grounds continued to be developed and further trees including Moreton Bay Figs were planted. These trees have had many years to grow in peace and as such are an immense size with equally impressive root systems.
Continual landscaping and the appointment of gardeners has seen Hyde Park transform into a beautiful shaded oasis; the perfect escape from busy city life. Today, it’s still an extremely popular park for relaxing, socialising and revelling in the beauty of nature.
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