Historical information

The original postcards in this series (2013.002 to 2013.018) were generously loaned to Williamstown Botanic Gardens by a private collector for copying.

Significance

The postcards are evidence of the interest the gardens held as a subject for postcard publishers. The text and images provide a snapshot into fashions, social interests and concerns of the time. The professionally produced images provide a pictorial history of Gardens including changing planting styles, various structures and features of the Gardens eg the aviary, cannons, the fountain, the second Curator’s Lodge and gates. The images offer an opportunity to compare garden vistas with the present day.
This postcard shows the main east-west axial path with a typical Victorian/Edwardian mown grass strip which in turn borders formal shrub beds with herbaceous plantings. The Cordylines which line and avenue in this image were replaced by Mexican Fan Palms (Washingtonia robusta) planted in 1915. They were replaced with the same species in 1987.

Physical description

Black and white postcard of Gardens main path, looking towards a white statue on a plinth. The statue is of Williamstown MLA, A T Clark. There are for people walking towards the camera – two women, a small girl and two men. The women and child are on the right of the path and the men on the left. One woman is pushing a pram. The path is edged with grass and the beds are full of flowers. There are no palms lining the path as there are today in 2013.

Inscriptions & markings

On front of postcard ‘IN THE GARDENS, WILLIAMSTOWN’.