beeson reserve

location edithvale design andrew brophy - urban initiatives

A sequence of various trees and plants illustrating their growth stages, from small to larger trees, including a stone pathway, a metal pole, and shrubbery.

In the 1920s Beeson Reserve was a pretty gardenesque coastal park with a modest WWI memorial as its centrepiece. By the late twentieth century the park and memorial had been remade in depressingly municipal fashion. In 2010 the City of Kingston commissioned Andrew Brophy at Urban Initiatives to design a new monument and refashion the park.

The figured basalt and sandstone memorial and the underlying plinth honour the three services of the Australian military and the names and dates of the principal theatres of war in which Australian service personnel have seen action.

The street edge of the park features a loose oasis of Washingtonia palms. From this street terrace the centrally arranged plan projects south towards Edithvale Beach on Port Phillip Bay. Subtle terracing steps from the memorial plaza to a long, meadow-like lawn and the park terminates in a secondary palm terrace at its southern end. An avenue planting of Coastal Bankias frame the lawn while new lighting and furniture improve the amenity of the park and adjacent streets.

A detailed landscape plan of a backyard garden with pathways, trees, and landscaped areas, including a central pathway leading to a fire pit at the top and a fountain at the bottom entrance.
  • Drawing of a park with tall trees lining a pathway leading to a monument or sculpture, with a large shrub or bush and smaller trees in the background.

    sketch view

  • A memorial monument with plaques, situated in a park with benches, trees, and a view of the ocean in the background.

    drew echberg

  • Park with a large tree, green grass, benches, and a flagpole with the Australian flag, across from a building with bushes and palm trees.

    drew echberg

  • A park with green grass, a brown bench, greenery, and a modern monument with two vertical tiles, with a building and palm trees in the background.

  • Graffiti of pink flowers with black stems and leaves drawn on the corner of a concrete and brick structure, with a carved inscription reading 'Vietnam 1962 - 1975' on the ground nearby.

    drew echberg

  • A row of palm trees on a wet tiled surface outside a building with cloudy sky.

    drew echberg

  • Green palm bushes and small purple flowers in a planted median on a city sidewalk near a busy street with cars and trees in the background.

  • A row of potted palm trees placed on a polished concrete floor outdoors, with metallic tree grates around each base.

    drew echberg

  • A memorial monument with three plaques, illuminated by ground lights, set in a park during evening, with trees and buildings in the background.

    drew echberg

A detailed black and white drawing of the esplanade at Edithvale with trees, benches, and street lamps, with a building in the background.
A grassy park with a few small, twisted trees, street lamps, and a row of residential houses with cars parked in front. Overcast sky.

historical view circa 1920s

A small park with a brick walkway, two benches, and a large tree. Signage indicates it is Beeson Reserve, with street lamps and buildings in the background.

site conditions 2010