Sydney Coach Hire - Hyde Park
Hyde Park was named after the original Hyde Park in London; however, its origins are somewhat different.
From the very early days of the colony, the open area south of the settlement was frequented for sport and recreation. It was then known as "The Common", "The Exercise Grounds" and "The Racecourse."
Around the time off settlement in 1788, Governor Phillip needed a mustering point of the troops should there be a convict rebellion. The parkland was chosen but so far no record has been found as to what Phillip named the park.
It was originally part of the parklands that is now The Domain but was separated in 1810 by Governor Macquarie. He named it Hyde Park (after Hyde Park in London) and dedicated it for the "recreation and amusement of the inhabitants of Sydney Town and a field of exercises for the troops". He kept the Domain for his own exclusive use.
Originally the Park was a racecourse and sporting ground playing cricket and hosting bare-knuckle fist fights. Today the only reminder of its early 19th century competitive heritage is the huge playable chess set that features on the western side of the Park.
During the 1920’s the park is virtually destroyed after being dug up to make Sydney’s underground railway line. As the underground tunnels for the railway were formed by extensive excavations from ground level, much of the vegetation is destroyed. The southern end of the park, where the ANZAC Memorial now stands was a mountain of excavated soil and the southwest corner had been a railway construction site for more than twelve years.
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The tranquil setting is popular among office workers who want some fresh air, a quick siesta or some time out from the urban congestion. The central pathway through the park is an impressive, tiled, fig lined road linking two of the parks other features, the Archibald Fountain and the War Memorial.
The War Memorial is a 1934 art deco tribute to the Anzac soldiers who fell in the First World War. The memorial stands 30 metres above the Pool of Remembrance or Lake of Reflections and there is a photograph exhibition underneath the building. A monument consisting of a 104-millimetre gun from the German light cruiser SMS Emden stands at the south-eastern, Oxford Street entry of the park.
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Over the summer months the Park is a hive of activity, particularly during the Festival of Sydney when there is plenty of free entertainment.
The park is pock marked with sewer lids, many of which lead down to Busby's Bore, the first large scale attempt at a water source system after the backing up of the Tank Stream , the Sydney colony's primary water source . Busby's Bore was built between 1827 and 1837 using convict labour and supplied fresh water from Lachlan Swamps, (which later became known as Centennial Park ) to the city.
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The centrepiece of Hyde Park is the majestic Archibald Fountain . The fountain was designed by François Sicard and donated by J.F. Archibald in 1932 in honour of Australia's contribution to the Great War in France. Also at the northern end are the Nagoya Gardens featuring a giant outdoor chess set and the entrance to the underground St. James Railway Station.
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The Obelisk at the Bathurst Street entrance in the early 1900s.
The western, or Elizabeth Street side, at the Bathurst Street entrance of the park sits beside the 125 foot Obelisk decorated with Egyptian features. It was erected in 1857 and unveiled by the then Mayor, George Thornton. But the monument is actually a sewer vent, and soon the joke around town was to call it 'Thornton's Scent Bottle'. Further south from here is another Middle Eastern inspired monument by the Independent Order of Oddfellows dedicated to the fallen Sydneysiders of the Great War.
The Sandringham Gardens sit on the eastern side, close to the intersection of Park Street and College Street.
Hyde Park contains well-kept gardens and over 600 trees; a mixture of Moreton Bay Figs, Palms and other varieties. It is famed for its magnificent fig tree lined avenues, but in 2005 a number of disease-affected trees were discovered and felled. Following investigations a significant proportion of the trees were found to be infected with three different fungi. Currently a Draft Tree Management Plan is being considered under which about 230 diseased trees will be removed and replaced.
