Birrarung Marr, Melbourne

Birrarung Marr
Pedestrian bridge in Birrarung Marr
Location	Melbourne, Australia
Coordinates	37°49′6″S 144°58′21″E / 37.81833°S 144.97250°E / -37.81833; 144.97250Coordinates: 37°49′6″S 144°58′21″E / 37.81833°S 144.97250°E / -37.81833; 144.97250
Area	8 hectares (20 acres)
Opened	2002
Operated by	City of Melbourne
Paths	Pedestrian and bicycle access throughout
Terrain	Floodplain with built-up terraces
Water	Yarra River
Vegetation	Contemporary formal gardening featuring Australian native plants
Connecting transport	Trains: Flinders Street station Trams: 3, 5, 6, 48, 64, 67, 70, 72, 75 Buses: 340 and 479
Landmarks	Speaker's Corner, William Barak Bridge, ArtPlay, Federation Bells, Angel sculpture
Facilities	Toilets, barbecues, playground

Birrarung Marr is an inner-city park between the central business district in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia and the Yarra River. It was opened in 2002. The name means 'river of mists' and 'river bank' in the Woiwurrung language of the Wurundjeri people, the Indigenous inhabitants at the time of European settlement of the Melbourne area.

The 8 hectare (20 acre) park lies immediately to the south-east of the central business district, between Flinders Street and the north bank of the Yarra River, east of Flinders Street station, and west of Exhibition Street, Batman Avenue and the Rod Laver Arena.

In 1856 the colonial government indicated that the marshy site of Birrarung Marr was intended for park or ornamental purposes. However, several institutions including a morgue had already been established there, more still were developed, and facilities including the old State Swimming Centre remained until the late 20th century. The first rail line crossed the area in 1859 and railways eventually occupied most of the parkland between Melbourne's central business district (CBD) and the Yarra River. At the 19th century’s end, these impacts were outstripped by reconstruction of the Yarra River itself, which was straightened, widened and deepened, with tree-lined avenues formed along the built-up banks.

In 1992 the new Victorian Government under Premier Jeff Kennett initiated a development program focused on central Melbourne. For the centrepiece of this program, the State and City of Melbourne jointly sponsored an architectural design competition for Federation Square. The creation of Birrarung Marr resulted from the reorganisation of infrastructure and land uses near Federation Square, including clearance of the Jolimont railyards, and diversion of Batman Avenue away from the river bank to connect to Exhibition Street. These works enabled reclamation of land from the former rail yards and roadway to create Melbourne’s first significant new inner city park in one hundred years.