30 July 2025
The fountain in the Malvern Public Garden looked fabulous in the winter sun yesterday. It’s also known as the Spring Road Gardens, and the fountain is a memory of the spring that once sprang here.
The gardens were opened in 1890, and the lake and fountain were built by Charles Robintte, a self taught landscaper who was known for his skill with rockeries, which he took to the next level with gravity defying platforms, planting and water features, all channelling the style of ‘grotesque’ grottos.
He also did the huge one on Alexandra Ave where it meets Linlithgow (pic 8), which ex-Lord Mayor thought was an eyesore, and another in the Darling Gardens in Clifton Hill, long gone (pic 9). There’s a similar but not as exciting rockery just using volcanic rocks in the Fitzroy Gardens at Grey Street, probably others around too.
Storey of Melbourne 