Hyde Park, Sydney

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A Fig-lined avenue in Hyde Park, Sydney, Australia

Hyde Park is a large park in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Hyde Park is on the eastern side of the Sydney central business district. It is the southernmost of a chain of parkland that extends north to the shore of Sydney Harbour (Port Jackson). It takes the form of an approximate rectangle bordered on the west by Elizabeth Street, on the east by College Street, on the north by St James Road and Prince Albert Road and on the south by Liverpool Street.

Around the park's boundaries lie the Supreme Court of New South Wales, St. James Church, Hyde Park Barracks and Sydney Hospital to the north, St Mary's Cathedral and the Australian Museum to the east, the Downing Centre to the south, the David Jones Limited flagship store and the Sydney central business district to the west. It is bisected through the middle by the east-west running Park Street.

1 Features
2 History
3 Images
4 References

[edit] Features

The centrepiece of Hyde Park is the majestic Archibald Fountain, unveiled in 1932 in honour of Australia's contribution to the Great War in France. Also at the northern end are the Sandringham Gardens, Nagoya Gardens featuring a giant outdoor chess set and the entrance to the underground St. James railway station. At the park's southern end is the ANZAC War Memorial behind the 'Lake of Reflections' or 'Pool of Remembrance' and the entrances to the Museum railway station. 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. The western, Bathurst Street entrance of the park sits beside a 125 foot obelisk decorated with Egyptian features. Further south is another Middle Eastern inspired monument by the Independent Order of Oddfellows dedicated to the fallen Sydneysiders of the Great War.

Hyde Park contains well-kept gardens and approximately 580 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^[1]. 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^[2].

[edit] History

Hyde Park was named after the original Hyde Park in London. It has been used as a recreation area since 1792. The park began its life as the city's first racecourse and was later used as a cricket ground.

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 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.