Los Angeles herald., 1892-07-17
The Landscape Parterres of the
South Continent.
Something Worth Initiating by the
City of Los Angeles.
Brisbane's Avenue of PaIms--The Arti-
fetal Lake of Ballarst-sydney
and Her Collection of
Wild Animals.

uetnous IN vogue at Sutter creek ana
Grass valley in 1858. In scores of other
things they are behind US, yet there are
matters in which they show us big
lead. One Of these is horse-racing, as
any one will agree with the writer who
has seen Melbourne Cup or even Met
ropolitan at Randwick. And another
thing in which they are far ahead of US
is the matter of their parks, which they
designate by the title of botanical gar
dens. OF course their warm climate
and freedom from any great degree OF
frost, enables them to grow with great
success many things that would not be
permanently established at Golden Gate
park or even in the beautiful grounds
of the Del Monte hotel at the ancient
capital of this state. Sydney, the old
est of Australians cities and capital of
SUNNY NEW SOUTH WALES
Has the oldest established and largest
of all these bowers of beauty. 1t lies
in the government reserve, just between
the old portion of the city and the
pretty little harbor of Wooloomooloo,
whence the American steamers take
their departure for Yankeedom. It
cannot be far short of 1900 acres, and at
its further END has also Hzoo,' where
one is apt to recall that ancient Abys-
sinian pentette:
''Twas at the animals fair
The birds and beasts were there
The gay baboOn
By the light of the moon,
He combed his auburn hair"
AS he watches the animals and hears
the innocent prattle of the children en-
joying their occasional primary lessons
in animated nature. A statue of Sir
Richard Bourke, who has been called
''THE WASHINGTON OF AUSTRALIA
Confronts the visitor as he enters
these lovely shrines of nature. At first
the aspect is bewildering, for, side by
side with the palms of Africa, NAV be
seen the oak of the Sacramento valley.
cypress OF MonJerey. It has been
claimed (and never contradicted within
my memory that the Sydney botanical
gardens have the largest and most COM
plete assortment of trees in any one en-
closure in the known world. I spent
days and weeks there in 1890, and al
ways was stumbling across some curious
plant or tree that was revelation to
me. The lawns are kept in beautiful
order, sloping down to the picturesque
bay of Port jackson, whose blue waters
and evergreen cliffs lead up to that
never-ending conundrum "What do
you think OF our beautiful harbor ?"
MELBoURNE's BOTANICAL GARDENS
are situated in the suburb of South
Yarra, about two miles from the center
of the greatest city in the world of its
age, for you must remember it is three
years the junior of San Francisco and
has 60, 900 more population. The grounds
are series of rolling hills, lying directly
east OF the governors mansion and slop-
ing gracefully to the sluggish and crook
ed Yarra river. A slough or "billy-
bong" of the river runs through the
garden, affording shelter to thousands of
wildfowl, which come in with roar of
their powerful wings as the sunset grows
purple and the great clock on the exhibi-
ton building flashes out it's light
through the cleaning. These gardens
were laid off under the supervision of
Professor Mueller, government botanist
OF the colony OF Victoria, and while they
are remarkable as specimen of
EXQUISITE LANDSCAPE GARDENING,
they do not compare with those of
Sydney in the variety OF trees and plants
that are displayed. for popular admira-
ton. There is no Exhibition of wild
beasts there either, the geological gar
dens being at Royal park, which lies
about two miles north of the city proper.
The drives through the Melbourne gar
dens are beautifully graveled, and no
pains have been spared to please the
eye. Some parts of these gardens, too,
have been left in state of primitive
wildness for the very purpose of show
ing the visitor. how close together the
wilderness ofpioneer days can be brought
to the civilization of the current era.
The Melbourne gardens are smaller than
those OF Sydney, covering less than HOO
acres, but Melbourne has a great many
smaller parks beside. f. :.
THE CITY OF BALLARAT.
By long odds the greatest quartz min
ing town in the world, having a popula-
ton of over $4,000 souls, lies about
ninety miles from Melbourne by air.
line, and 124 by the old railroad via Gee.
long. 1t is built on gravelly soil, sim
liar to that on which Red Bluff lies al
the head of the Sacramento valley. Some
OF the old-timers who amassed fortunes
there concluded that it was good place
to stay with, and accordingly set about
adorning and beautifying the town. OBJ
tanning a grant of 820 acres OF peat
swamp in the west end of the place
they went down to Melbourne and
bought an old condemned dredger from
the harbor commission. The machinery
was taken out and carried up to Bal.
larat, where scow to float it was built
and launched at one end Of this
swamp, which was called Wendouree.
With this beginning they dredged out
A MOST LOVELY LAKE,
OF about three miles, in circumference
on which they have three as pretty lit
tie excursion steamboats, as ever turned
wheel. The latest one is built like
the .'swallow-tail', ferryboats op the
Mississippi, with two wheels between
the twin hulls. The engine turns the
forward wheel, on the shafts Of which
there is pulley and a belt to turn the