Yarra Park

Yarra Park is a significant part of Melbourne's Sports and Entertainment Precinct, covering an area of 35.469 hectares. It is home to various sporting fields and ovals, including the famous Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) and the Olympic and Melbourne Park sporting complexes.

Yarra Park has a rich history dating back to the 1850s when it was known as the Richmond Paddock.

The park features walking and cycling paths that run parallel to Swan Street and Punt Road, providing easy access to the different sporting venues and the popular Yarra River Trail. During sporting events, the lawns are sometimes used for parking, and pedestrians and cyclists can cross the railway lines via three footbridges.

Around the MCG, visitors can find sculptures of Australian sporting heroes, such as Ron Barassi, Dick Reynolds, Donald Bradman, Keith Miller, and Betty Cuthbert. Additionally, there is an ancient eucalyptus scar tree displaying a significant scar caused by the Wurundjeri people when harvesting bark for a canoe.

Yarra Park's history dates back to 1856 when it was declared a parkland by Victorian Governor Charles La Trobe. It was initially used as police paddocks for agistment of police horses and became a historical site for the first games of Australian rules football played at the Richmond Paddock in 1858.

In the 1860s, several recreational ovals were marked out in Yarra Park, including the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Richmond Cricket Ground, and ovals for the East Melbourne Cricket Club and Gosch's Paddock. Over time, the park underwent redevelopment, with cuts made for rail lines, Rod Laver Arena, and the Olympic Park Sporting Complex. However