Kings Park | |
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![]() Eternal flame, with State War Memorial (behind) | |
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Location | Perth, Western Australia |
Coordinates | 31°57′44″S 115°49′54″E / 31.962135°S 115.831712°E |
Area | 399.9 ha (988 acres) [1][2] |
Designated | 1831[1] |
Founder | James Stirling and John Septimus Roe[2][3] |
Owned by | Crown (public)[1] |
Administered by | Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority |
Visitors | 5.8 million (in 2012)[4] |
Open | Always |
Status | Open |
Designation | A-Class Reserve[1] |
Website | www |
Kings Park, (Nyungar: Kaarta Gar-up) is a 400 hectares (988 acres)[1][2] park overlooking Perth Water and the central business district of Perth, Western Australia.
The park is a mixture of grassed parkland, botanical gardens and natural bushland on Mount Eliza with two-thirds of the grounds conserved as native bushland.[1][5] Offering panoramic views of the Swan River and Darling Range, it is home to over 324 native plant varieties, 215 known indigenous fungi species and 80 bird species.
It is the most popular visitor destination in Western Australia, being visited by over five million people each year.[4][6]
Besides tourist facilities, Kings Park contains the State War Memorial, the Royal Kings Park Tennis club and a reservoir. The streets are tree lined with individual plaques dedicated by family members to Western Australian service men and women who died in World War I and World War II. The park is also rich in flora (both native and introduced) and during September of each year Kings Park hosts Australia's largest wildflower show and exhibition – the Kings Park Festival.[7]
The park is an unincorporated area outside all local government areas; it is administered by the Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority, which is a state government authority.