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HYDE PARK, SYDNEY

Hyde Park is a large park in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, named after the original Hyde Park in London. It is the southernmost of a chain of parkland that extends north to the shore. 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 Rd / Prince Albert Rd and on the south by Liverpool St. Around the park's boundaries lie the Supreme Court of New South Wales, Hyde Park Barracks and Sydney Hospital to the north, St Mary's Cathedral to the east and the central business district to the west. It is bisected through the middle by the east-west running Park St.

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. At the park's southern end is the Museum railway station and the ANZAC War Memorial and at the northern end is the St. James railway station. A monument consisting of a 104-millimetre gun from the German light cruiser SMS Emden stands at the Oxford Street entry at the south east of the park. The Bathurst Street entrance on the west of the park terminates at a 125 foot obelisk decorated with Egyptianesque features. Further south is another middle eastern inspired monument by the Independent Order of Oddfellows dedicated to the fallen Sydneysiders of the Great War.

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.

Hyde Park contains 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].


See also

References

  1. ^ Park figs trees face the chop - The Sydney Morning Herald
  2. ^ "2006 Draft Plan of Management and Masterplan" The City of Sydney Council