King's Domain
draws its name from the celebration of Melbourne's centenary in
1935, when 17 hectares of land within the grounds of Government
House were transferred to public parklands of the Domain. The King's
Domain is situated off St Kilda Road (south of Hamer Hall and Arts Centre) and shares a common border with
the Royal Botanic Gardens, the Observatory
and Government House Reserves.
It comprises mature trees set in
extensive lawns. Situated within the parklands is La
Trobe Cottage, the Pioneer Women's Memorial Garden and the Stapley
Pavillion. Also within the King's Domain is the Sidney Myer Music
Bowl, an amphitheatre that is the venue for popular and classical
musical events. In the autumn and winter months, it is sometimes
converted into a public ice-skating rink. A
nice feature of King's Domain is a fern gully with steps leading
down to a small pool. The fernery was originally a quarry, with
the ferns planted last century.
