Fairfield Park Boathouse

On Sunday Peter and I spent a lovely afternoon at the
Fairfield Park Boathouse
which is situated on the Yarra River and is only 10 minutes from the city of Melbourne.

Although rain was forecast for the day we decided to go anyway and hoped the weather would allow us to enjoy a boat ride while we were there. As you can see by the photos it had turned out to be quite a nice day after all and not a drop of rain.

When we arrived we had a cafe latte by the river and took in the view, then ordered lunch which was really nice and it was great to sit outside by the rivers edge watching others out rowing around in their boats, kayaks and canoes.

While sitting there we also noticed that quite a few people had bought their dogs with them too. If we had of known one was able to bring their dogs (on a leash) we would have taken Buddy with us ... next time we definately will. Some dogs were having the best time swimming around and playing with their families. I would imagine this place to be very busy during the warmer months of the year.

After lunch we hired a row boat and cruised along the Yarra River for about an hour. Peter did all the rowing while I happily snapped away with my camera. I ended up with a few nice selection of photos from the afternoon.

Peter took a few photos of me while I was enjoying our boat ride on the Yarra River. I wasn't too thrilled with having my pic taken at the moment as I haven't been well for the last few months and on a good dose of cortisone which unfortunately has a nasty side effect of bloatiness.

I've been feeling quite dull and drab lately too ... so Peter on enhanced my red coloured hair the day before as it always peps me up. I didn't realise how bright it was until I saw these photos. I love it though and it did help me feel much better.

There are many beautiful scenes to photograph along the river. This bird has a nice cosy spot in front of his house on Yarra and as we started to get closer it started warning us away ☺

There were also many varieties of ducks and other wild native birds.

I would highly recommend this place to be on your itinerary of attractions to visit for travellers to Melbourne and if you already live here and you want to escape to tranquility for the day ... it's a must do!

More Information

The Fairfield Park Boathouse boasts a Superior Table with all the varieties of the season served in an historic riverside garden setting. It’s fresh, casual and inexpensive.

Enjoy an informal outdoor dining experience where you can relax by the river in summer or sit by the cozy wood fires and admire the view in winter.

Fairfield Park Boathouse offers an extensive range of culinary delights.

From the grill they offer seasonal seafood, high grade meat and poultry, gourmet sausages, home made hamburgers and childrens meals, all cooked in front of your eyes on the outdoor grill.

The Tearoom also has many irresistible offerings including our famous Devonshire Tea.

History of
Fairfield Park Boathouse

Fairfield boathouse was established in 1908 by John St Clair as a picnic, camping and refreshment room area. John St Clair was a piano tuner from Smith street Fitzroy, with a vision. He firstly wrote a letter to the Premier suggesting that he open a refreshment room and boat shed area, with motor boats at Fairfield Park.

The Premier had to seek the approval form Yarra Bend Hospital of the Insane because the proposal for the boat shed was actually on the hospital grounds. The Premier gave his permission for the boat shed project to go ahead. Mr St Clair built the boat shed and six years later Fairfield Park was set aside from the same grounds. However Mr St Clair had seven troubled years with Crown Bailiffs over building permits. Eventually in 1915 the Heidelberg council bought him out.

In 1923 the boathouse was raised by 12 feet to help minimise flood damage, a frequent threat to boathouses along the Yarra.

Boat and canoe carnivals and open air carnivals were common sights at Fairfield until the 1950’s. Boating popularity declined until finally the Fairfield boathouse was closed in 1980 as it was declared unfit for human habitation.

In 1985 the boathouse was restored and re-opened. The derelict building had recently housed squatters and possums. The project took 30,000 hours of restoration work. Meticulous work and an eye for detail was required for rebuilding. Even the gardens have been restored to encourage native birds.