A - Z of Australia - Q is for Queen's Gardens

Within the city of Perth´s boundaries there are 18 parks, covering a total of 140 hectares of land.
On the eastern end of  of the city of Perth, right in the middle of the city´s hustle and bustle is a lovely park - Queen's Gardens - opened and named in 1899 in honour of Queen Victoria, by the then Mayor of Perth, Alexander Forrest.
Situated near the WA cricket arena (WACA), the park is easily reached with the Red Cat (free bus).
The park is modeled on a London park, with a lake with ducks and a copy of Peter Pan´s statue.

Queens Gardens grounds of 3,3 hectares, were first a common area used as a venue for horse racing, then a brick factory and clay pit site until 1890, later a botanic garden. From the 1900´s new improvements were made, such as new entrance gates, new bridges, installation of electric lighting, so that the garden could be used in the evenings...
Although almost in the centre of town, the gardens are a quiet haven where you can lie down on the grass with a good book, have a picnic, watch the ducks and black swans in the lily filled lakes (the old clay pits), wander to the herb garden in one corner, admire the flowers, watch the bird life...The park has also become a very popular venue for garden weddings and wedding photos.

Queens Gardens - the white towers are the lights of the WACA stadium

Colourful flowers all over the park

To mark the Western Australian State Centenary in 1929, the Rotary club of Perth presented the city with a statue of Peter Pan, a replica of the one found in Kensington gardens in London. 
Another famous, but this time genuine article, is the bench used in the film "Notting Hill" where Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant are sitting at the end of the movie. It was anonymously donated to the city of Perth by a local resident, and it bears a beautiful inscription "For June who loved this garden, from Joseph who always sat beside her" and "June Wetherby 1917-1992".
The park is enclosed by a wrought iron fence, and the facilities include plenty of wooden seats, a gazebo, public toilets, and a drinking fountain.

My daughter sitting on that famous bench of the "Notting hill" movie

Julia Roberts & Hugh Grant on the bench that is now in Queen's gardens (photo from net)

The friendly ducks by the famous bench