On visiting Melbourne in 1893, James Goudie wrote that, even after all he had seen in Europe, this was “one of the finest cities”. The Scottish traveller was much taken by the beauty and sophistication of the Botanic Gardens, by the fine civic buildings and ornate mansions of Melbourne, but he held grave reservations about the river that ran through it. The Yarra, he said, was “the filthiest piece of water I ever had the misfortune to be afloat on”.

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