A walk through beautiful old Melbourne suburbs, with a twist. Learn about some of this city’s more colourful past.

GRADE | LENGTH | TYPE: Moderate 12 km point-to-point walk using footpaths (graded according to the Leaders Guide – Appendix A: Activity Grading Guidelines).

ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION: This walk will follow the Melbourne locations in the double life of John Freeman, who was born Edward Oxford and who at the age of 18, attempted to assassinate a young 21 year-old Queen Victoria on 10th May 1840 as she rode out of Buckingham Palace with Prince Albert. Edward changed his name when he arrived in Melbourne in 1857 following 24 years in Bethlam Lunatic Asylum. He transformed his life and made a great contribution to colonial life in Melbourne. No-one ever knew of his double life background.

The walk will commence at his residence in Albert Park, then proceed through South Melbourne and Docklands then on to St James Old Cathedral in West Melbourne, Melbourne’s oldest church and a beautiful example of Georgian architecture. Edward/John became church warden there and ironically, the church holds a personal gift to the Colony of Victoria from Queen Victoria. We will lunch in the nearby Flagstaff Gardens then proceed through leafy Victorian Carlton to the Melbourne General Cemetery where Edward /John is buried.

The walk will include some background on Edward’s early life, the assassination attempt and his subsequent trial for treason, the legal repercussions on the nature of policing throughout the then British Empire as a result of his actions that May day in 1840, and his transformed life during the decades of 19th century Marvellous Melbourne.

The walk will end in Carlton at the cemetery at approximately 4pm followed by an arvo tea in Lygon St, Carlton. Frequent trams run down nearby Swanston St back to the City.