A spot of England near Melbourne

By Dewi Anggraeni

MELBOURNE (JP): Among Australian cities, Melbourne is the second most cosmopolitan -- after Sydney. There are suburbs in this city that evoke memories of other places in the world: Greece, Italy, Vietnam, China, and the list goes on.

Over the 26 years that I have lived in Melbourne, I have more or less grown with the city and witnessed its cosmopolitan development with delight. Even the suburbs that still retain British characteristics -- rose gardens, ivy covered walkways, English, Irish and Scots sounding street names like Sussex Grove, Ryans Road and Glasgow Avenue -- are increasingly forced open by the odd Indonesian restaurant or Italian bistro.

I was therefore, extremely and pleasantly surprised when a friend took me to a place so English I thought I'd stepped into an enchanted world. A half hour drive from my home and I could have been in Oxford.

It is in a valley on the bank of the Yarra River, magnificently surrounded by parklands where English trees and bushes complement the scenery around the river. It was a glorious southern hemisphere autumn day, where sunlight seeped through the bushes like an infusion and reflected twinkling on the willows still moist from the morning dew. Down on the river, boats carrying suntanned leisure seekers floated slowly and smoothly as if time had stopped and tomorrow were another era.

My friend walked me past the picnickers on the grass and the casual snackers eating al fresco at outdoor tables near the kiosk. Above us, on the verandah of The Boathouse Cafi above the boathouse workshop, we could hear the happy voices of those enjoying their wine and food. We walked on, up the paved steps, along the path to the entrance of the restaurant above the kiosk.

From the glassed in veranda of Beate's Restaurant the views are fairy tale-like. With the sweeping forest and the meandering river dominating the scenery, the snackers and picnickers below resemble Tolkienesque characters rather than fellow humans.

Taking my time, dreamily enjoying the superbly prepared food and carefully selected wine, I surrendered myself to the beauty around me. The warmth of the sun through the glass, the sensation of being somewhere far away, half dream, half real. It was a pity my friend had to go back to work.

Studley Park is only half-an-hour drive from the central business district, yet it transports you to a completely different world. It has been the setting for several outdoor Shakespearean plays. Much Ado About Nothing was performed there earlier in the year. Children's pantomimes and story readings also take place from time to time. Australian period films and TV programs have been set in and around the boathouse. Frederick McCubbin, a well-known artist of the Heidelberg school, immortalized it in his painting, Studley Park Boathouse. And when I explored further into the historical background of the place, I discovered that it contained fragments of a tapestry that formed Melbourne history.

In 1863, when Melbourne was a much smaller city, Studley Park, on the outskirts then, was a place for society families' picnics. So an enterprising family, the Burns, opened a small boat hire business. It was so popular that not only did the Burns have to expand their business, two other boathouses were later built. In the 1890s, an economic boom in Melbourne saw seven more boat hire businesses operating.

Unfortunately, as is usually the case with economic booms everywhere, the one in Melbourne did not last forever. Business soon slowed down. However, the biggest disaster that hit the boat hiring business came from Mother Nature. A massive flood swept Melbourne under 20 meters of water in 1934. Studley Park was almost decimated. Two of the boathouses were destroyed.

With World War II however, came an influx of service men on leave from the war in the Pacific, carrying their well-padded wallets with them. Boating was one of their favorite pastimes. Once again, the business received a boost.

History moved on. At the end of 1950s the era of motor cars descended on Melbourne. Touring to the hills and beaches became de rigueur. Studley Park deteriorated into a forgotten backwater. It was finally saved in 1992 by the current owners of The Boathouse and the Yarra Bend Park Trust, who together embarked on a massive restoration project while retaining the original colors and building styles of the period. It now houses a boatshed workshop, a kiosk, The Boathouse Cafi, and the more sophisticated Beate's Restaurant.

While Studley Park is accessible from the city center -- buses run regularly from central Melbourne, visitors seem to blend naturally into the peaceful surroundings.

"We are keen to keep the serenity of the place," said Mickey, the general manager of The Boathouse. "we don't want it to attract the razzamatazz of Surfers Paradise, for instance."

You're right Mickey, that'd be absolutely disastrous. Keep it this way, please.