Queens Gardens

Established in the 1880s, Queens Gardens is one of Shepparton's oldest and most treasured public spaces. Originally created as the town's Public Garden Reserve before being renamed in honour of Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee, the gardens have been a place for relaxation and community gatherings for more than 140 years. In the 1930s, they became a much-loved local attraction thanks to a monkey enclosure housing rhesus monkeys, later replaced by an aviary, drawing visitors from across the region.

Today, visitors can wander beneath magnificent heritage trees and discover significant monuments, including the William Cooper Memorial Statue, honouring the Yorta Yorta human rights activist whose advocacy helped lay the foundations for NAIDOC and whose historic 1938 protest against the persecution of Jewish people remains internationally recognised. Nearby, the Sir Murray Bourchier Memorial commemorates the local soldier, farmer and politician, celebrating his service in the famous Battle of Beersheba during the First World War.