Histories of local parks and playgrounds
Central Sydney’s parks have a fascinating history reflecting local events, industries and personalities.
Histories of local parks and playgrounds
History of Sydney ParkThis park is on part of a 40 acre land grant to Elizabeth Needham in 1796.Published 16 November 2018Histories of local parks and playgrounds
History of Hyde ParkAustralia’s oldest park came close to being sold in the 1830s.Published 1 November 2016Histories of local parks and playgrounds
History of Glebe foreshore parksThe 4 parks are the result of nearly 4 decades of campaigning by residents and the Glebe Society.Published 8 October 2014Histories of local parks and playgrounds
History of Paddington Reservoir GardensSite of the heritage-listed reservoir which supplied Sydney’s water from 1878 to 1899.Published 27 March 2013Histories of local parks and playgrounds
History of Victoria ParkDesigned in the picturesque style by Charles Moore, director of the Botanic Gardens, this park was proclaimed in 1870.Published 27 March 2013Histories of local parks and playgrounds
History of Rushcutters Bay ParkThe area where this park is located was used by the first European settlers to collect rushes, hence the name.Published 27 March 2013Histories of local parks and playgrounds
History of Pirrama ParkThe area was known as Pirrama to the Gadigal people who lived here.Published 27 March 2013Histories of local parks and playgrounds
History of Redfern ParkOriginating in the 1880s as a typical Victorian pleasure garden, the park was later the site of Paul Keating’s famous 1992 speech.Published 28 October 2016Histories of local parks and playgrounds
History of Observatory ParkThe Sydney Observatory built in 1857 to 1859 was a well-known landmark and soon gave its name to the hill on which it stood.Published 27 March 2013Histories of local parks and playgrounds
History of Waterloo ParkThe land where this park is now situated was originally undulating sandhills covered with scrub heath.Published 27 March 2013Histories of local parks and playgrounds
History of Frog Hollow ReserveOnce known as ‘one of the most depraved areas of Sydney.’ Over the years, it’s been transformed and is now home to a family friendly park.Published 27 March 2013Histories of local parks and playgrounds
History of Prince Alfred ParkNamed after Queen Victoria's second son when he visited Sydney in 1868. It is the first park to be laid out in connection with a major Australian exhibition.Published 27 March 2013Histories of local parks and playgrounds
History of Wentworth ParkWentworth Park was created from the swampy mouth of Blackwattle Creek and laid out as a formal park and oval in 1882. Its name commemorates statesman WC Wentworth.Published 28 October 2016Histories of local parks and playgrounds
History of Belmore ParkIn the late 1860s Belmore Produce Markets and Paddys Markets were built opposite the park, making this area a bustling and vibrant hub.Published 4 January 2018Histories of local parks and playgrounds
History of Green ParkThis park, which has a colourful history, is named after Alderman James Green who represented the district from 1869 to 1883.Published 28 October 2016Histories of local parks and playgrounds
History of Wynyard ParkIt was from here that the New South Wales Corps marched to arrest Governor Bligh in 1808, an event later known as the Rum Rebellion.Published 27 March 2013Histories of local parks and playgrounds
History of Arthur McElhone ReserveThis reserve's garden was designed by Ilmar Berzins, a council employee and reputedly the first formally trained landscape architect in Australia.Published 27 October 2016Histories of local parks and playgrounds
History of Edmund Resch ReserveThe former site of Edmund Resch’s Waverley Brewery and the cornerstone of his business.Published 18 May 2020Histories of local parks and playgrounds
History of Alexandria ParkLearn about the interesting history of Alexandria Park, including how cows used to graze there in 1895.Published 27 October 2016Histories of local parks and playgrounds
History of Pemulwuy ParkBuilt in 1993, the park was named after the Aboriginal resistance leader killed in 1802.Published 19 December 2023Histories of local parks and playgrounds
History of Fitzroy GardensIn 1961 the El Alamein Fountain was built, and its distinctive dandelion shape soon became a symbol of Kings Cross.Published 27 October 2016Histories of local parks and playgrounds
History of James Street ReserveThis reserve was originally part of John Baptist’s nursery and gardens and later the Wunderlich factory, which made pressed metal ceilings for houses across Sydney.Published 27 March 2013Histories of local parks and playgrounds
History of Munn Street ReserveThis reserve sits on land that was part of the 1834 land grant to Scottish arrival James Munn, who operated a shipbuilding yard with a floating dry dock.Published 27 March 2013Histories of local parks and playgrounds
History of Cook + Phillip ParkCook + Phillip Park dates back to 1878 and was once segmented by Boomerang Street, the major public transport route to the eastern suburbs.Published 27 October 2016Histories of local parks and playgrounds
History of Erskineville OvalThe home ground for the Newtown rugby league team from 1913 to 1954.Published 27 October 2016Histories of local parks and playgrounds
History of Lang ParkThe park is situated on Church Hill and named after Dr John Dunmore Lang who arrived in Sydney in 1823, the first ordained minister of the Presbyterian Church.Published 27 March 2013Histories of local parks and playgrounds
History of Embarkation ParkEmbarkation Park is in Victoria Street, Potts Point, opposite Challis Avenue. It is on the roof of the Navy car park in Cowper Wharf Road, Woolloomooloo.Published 27 October 2016Histories of local parks and playgrounds
History of Barcom Avenue ReserveIn 1810 Governor Macquarie granted land to former convict Thomas West. Discover how part of that land eventually became Barcom Avenue Reserve.Published 27 October 2016Histories of local parks and playgrounds
History of Beare ParkBeare Park has a magnificent harbourside setting along with strong associations with 2 of Sydney's finest houses, Elizabeth Bay House and Boomerang.Published 27 October 2016Histories of local parks and playgrounds
History of Eddie Ward ParkNamed after a former alderman and firebrand member of parliament, Eddie Ward Park has a colourful history.Published 27 October 2016Histories of local parks and playgrounds
History of Hollis ParkNamed after local resident Robert Hollis who lived in Newtown from 1884, this park is actually an accumulation of land parcels and resumptions.Published 27 March 2013Histories of local parks and playgrounds
History of Turruwul ParkRight from the start in the 1920s, this park was an important sporting facility for local clubs, both for training and competition matches.Published 27 March 2013Histories of local parks and playgrounds
History of Macquarie Place ParkContains the obelisk erected by Governor Macquarie in 1818 to mark the place from which public roads in the colony were measured.Published 27 March 2013Histories of local parks and playgrounds
History of Joynton ParkThis park is named after Sir James John Joynton Smith, hotelier, newspaper proprietor and racecourse owner, who made a fortune from the pastimes of the people.Published 27 March 2013Histories of local parks and playgrounds
History of Harmony ParkPart of the Brisbane Street slum clearance of 1924. After decades of neglect, the area was converted to a car park and finally a park in 2006.Published 27 March 2013Histories of local parks and playgrounds
History of Lilian Fowler ReserveThis reserve was named after Lilian Fowler, the first woman alderman in NSW and the first female mayor in Australia.Published 2 March 2017Histories of local parks and playgrounds
History of Peace ParkOriginally the site of Shepherd’s Darling Nursery from 1827 to the 1860s, and was named in the 1980s in recognition of nuclear disarmament campaigns.Published 27 March 2013Histories of local parks and playgrounds
History of Union SquareUnion Square contains the Pyrmont War Memorial that features the names of around 750 local men who served in World War 1.Published 27 March 2013Histories of local parks and playgrounds
History of Harry Noble ReserveKnown as Macdonaldtown Park then Erskineville Park, the park was renamed in 1960 after Harry Noble, an Alexandria alderman and state MP for Redfern.Published 27 March 2013Histories of local parks and playgrounds
History of Ada Place PlaygroundThis playground was the site of 3 tiny timber terraces in the 1880s. After being demolished in 1942 the land lay vacant until the playground opened in 1967.Published 27 October 2016Histories of local parks and playgrounds
History of James Watkinson ReserveNamed after Jim Watkinson Senior, a pillar of the local community and the driving force behind Pyrmont as a dominant water polo and swimming club in NSW.Published 24 January 2017Histories of local parks and playgrounds
History of Marriott Street ReservePart of the site of John Baptist’s nursery which operated from the 1830s to the 1900s.Published 27 March 2013Histories of local parks and playgrounds
History of Lawrence Hargrave ReserveThis park is named after Australian aviation pioneer Lawrence Hargrave who lived nearby at 40 Roslyn Gardens from 1885 to 1893.Published 27 March 2013Histories of local parks and playgrounds
History of Yellomundee ParkThis park is named after Yellomundee, an Elder of the Boorooberongal clan of the Darug people.Published 27 March 2013Histories of local parks and playgrounds
History of Clyne ReserveNamed in honour of railway worker and union official, the Hon Daniel Clyne MLA, who negotiated the lease of the land from the Maritime Services Board.Published 27 March 2013Histories of local parks and playgrounds
History of Trinity Avenue PlaygroundThe land this playground occupies was originally the backyards of houses in Windmill Row, renamed Prince Street by Governor Macquarie in 1810.Published 27 March 2013Histories of local parks and playgrounds
History of Lewis Hoad ReserveThis reserve is named after Lew Hoad who grew up at 43 Wigram Road. He was the world's number 1 tennis player in 1956.Published 27 March 2013Histories of local parks and playgrounds
History of Perry ParkHome of the Alexandria Basketball Stadium, Perry Park was named after Alderman Arthur Reginald Horatio Perry JP who was mayor of Alexandria in the 1930s.Published 27 March 2013Histories of local parks and playgrounds
History of Dr H J Foley Rest ParkOriginally known as Glebe Rest Park, it was renamed in 1964 after a Glebe GP and mayor.Published 27 March 2013Histories of local parks and playgrounds
History of Giba ParkOpened in 1996, the park is named after the Aboriginal word for stone reflecting the importance of the material quarried from Pyrmont.Published 27 October 2016Histories of local parks and playgrounds
History of Hansom Cab PlaceKnown as Young Lane Playground until 1992 when a resident suggested it be named after the hansom cabs that were the horsedrawn predecessors of modern taxis.Published 27 March 2013Histories of local parks and playgrounds
History of Beaconsfield ParkBeaconsfield suburb and park are named after Benjamin Disraeli. He was Prime Minister from 1874 to 1880 and was created first Earl of Beaconsfield in 1876.Published 27 October 2016Histories of local parks and playgrounds
History of Arundel Street PlaygroundThis site was part of a house built in 1891. The house's backyard was sold to Council for a park in 1952, and later became a playground.Published 27 October 2016Histories of local parks and playgrounds
History of Jessie Street GardensThese gardens were named after the noted feminist and international peace campaigner.Published 27 March 2013Histories of local parks and playgrounds
History of Reconciliation ParkIn 1997 this park was named in recognition of the special place and culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians.Published 27 March 2013Histories of local parks and playgrounds
History of Hugo Street ReserveThe site of this reserve was acquired in stages between 1948 and 1956 by the South Sydney Municipal Council for a playground.Published 27 March 2013Histories of local parks and playgrounds
History of Macleay ReserveThis parcel of land was granted to horticultural enthusiast Colonial Secretary Alexander Macleay in 1828 and was once the eastern wood walk of the site.Published 27 March 2013Histories of local parks and playgrounds
History of Shannon ReserveNamed after Thomas John Shannon, an ALP alderman for Cook Ward 1921–1927 and Flinders Ward 1930–1948, MLA for Surry Hills 1927–1930 and Phillip 1930–1953.Published 27 March 2013Histories of local parks and playgrounds
History of Fig Lane ParkThe centrepiece of this park is a Port Jackson Fig which was planted when the park was established in 1996.Published 27 October 2016Histories of local parks and playgrounds
History of May Pitt PlaygroundNamed after a strong and influential woman who was the first female member of the executive of the NSW Local Government Association.Published 10 January 2017Histories of local parks and playgrounds
History of Waratah Street ReserveThe 1810 land grant to Thomas West extended from modern Oxford Street to the shores of Rushcutters Bay.Published 27 March 2013Histories of local parks and playgrounds
History of Thomas Portley ReserveThis park is named after ‘a well-known and highly respected resident’ of the Glebe district for 50 yearsPublished 27 January 2013Histories of local parks and playgrounds
History of Ernest Pedersen StepsThese steps were built to link Avon and Burton streets around 1885 and are named after Ernest Pedersen, alderman and a director of Sydney Hospital.Published 27 March 2013Histories of local parks and playgrounds
History of South Sydney Rotary ParkThe area that encompasses this park is inextricably linked to the development of the railways.Published 27 March 2013
