Arcade Way Reserve, Avondale Heights 2011

Yesterday I visited two of the many internal reserves designed by Walter Burley and Marion Mahony Griffin at Avondale Heights, in Melbourne's west. In many respects I would suggest that this is an example of best practice approach to internal reserves, and Moonee Valley Council is to be commended on its proactive work here. Firstly, the reserve is labelled, and a path through it is clearly visible. I suspect that the Council or its predecessor at some time in the last 83 years has purchased a house lot-sized block at the two extant entrances (there were originally intended to be, and perhaps were, more) so as to create greater visibility to the Arcade Way Reserve.


Even more impressive, an explanatory notice has been provided to give information on local indigenous plants. Many IRs have contributed to the retention of local plant species (this was often the intention of the Griffins). Pity about the graffiti:

Active recreation is encouraged in the form of a basketball hoop and concreted area, and there is playground equipment with a seat nearby. The purpose of the mound behind the hoop is not immediately apparent but perhaps it was envisaged participants-spectators might use it as seating?

I realise I might give the impression here that I like to go to secluded areas and take photographs of women passing by, which is not the case. In the short time that I was in the reserve (a warm Saturday afternoon) with my two dogs, I observed three other users: a young man whose dog ran into the reserve and then ran out (I later saw them walking the streets); the woman below, who was walking a dog as well: both just walked right through the reserve; and another woman who had, I think, come out of her house when her dog was barking at mine going past, and then decided her dog needed a quick walk. If this is what happened I suppose it's a classic case of the impossibility of 'fly on the wall' research. Incidentally all dogs (except mine!) were 'off lead'.

At sporadic points around the edge of the reserve, residents have sectioned off small areas for agricultural purposes. It would appear many of these people are already doing extensive vegetable growing in their own backyards, and have taken the opportunity to spread out a little way. I believe this is actively encouraged by Moonee Valley council. The state of the planting areas are very varied, ranging from neglected to well-maintained. Ditto the occasional fruit trees.


There are a number of gateways from backyards into the reserve (I didn't do a systematic count, but I would guess about half of the yards have these gates). In some instances gates are well disguised: this one would barely be recognisable as a gate, except that for some strange reason there is a perspex shelter above it:
This is also a gate:

I will post about the second reserve visited (or, rather, revisited) - to the immediate north of this one, shortly. View them both on Google Maps here.