The Pioneer Women's Memorial Garden is located in Kings Domain,

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

, Australia and honours the contribution of women settlers to the development of the state of

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

In 1933, plans for the celebrations for the 1934 Centenary of Melbourne began to be made, and a Women's Centenary Council was formed to ensure women's opinions were included. At the first meeting, it was agreed that a memorial garden of remembrance would be created in Kings Domain. A variety of fundraising ventures followed, including producing and selling a commemorative book, and receiving public subscriptions to have a particular woman's name inscribed on a "sheet of remembrance". These sheets were later buried underneath the sundial in the garden. The garden was designed by

Hugh Linaker Hugh Linaker (1872–1938) was a gardener and landscape gardener, who worked on various local and state government projects in the State of Victoria, Australia. Originally hailing from Ballarat, he was appointed as the Curator of Parks and Gardens ...

and is a formal, symmetrical garden traversed by a watercourse. This flows into a grotto which contains a bronze statue of a woman by the sculptor

Charles Web Gilbert Charles Marsh Webb (Nash) Gilbert (18 March 1867 – 3 October 1925), known professionally as C. Web Gilbert, was a self-taught Australian sculptor renowned both within Australia and abroad. Gilbert was born at Cockatoo in Victoria, between Talb ...

. Two plaques in the garden were unveiled at a ceremony on Saturday 8 June 1935 by Lady Huntingfield, the wife of the

Governor of Victoria The governor of Victoria is the representative of the monarch, King Charles III, in the Australian state of Victoria. The governor is one of seven viceregal representatives in the country, analogous to the governors of the other states, and th ...

, and Mrs I.H. Moss, the president of the Women's Centenary Council. In 1960, the Quota Club of Melbourne planted a tree in the garden. The garden is today a popular venue for outdoor weddings.

References

{{coord, -37.82512, 144.97608, format=dms, type:landmark_region:AU-VIC, display=title Gardens in Victoria (Australia) Landmarks in Melbourne Monuments and memorials to pioneer women Monuments and memorials in Melbourne Women in Australia History of women in Australia Women in Melbourne Buildings and structures in the City of Melbourne (LGA)