Master Plan Context
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Master Plan Context 46 Moore Park 2040 Draft Future Directions HASSELL 47 © 2016 03 03 Master Plan Context Park History Second Sydney Common. Parish of Alexandria Map In 2016 we will celebrate the nd. c. 1830 150th anniversary of Moore Park’s dedication for public recreational purposes. Summary below extraced from Moore Park Heritage Report by CAB Consulting. Refer to Volume 2 for full report The area was originally part of Governor Lachlan Macquarie’s ‘Second Sydney Common’. After being set aside for public recreation space in 1866, it was Military Parades. ISN Line of roads leading to Botany 1850 renamed ‘Moore Park’ – after Charles Moore, who was Mayor of the City of Sydney at the time. From the very beginning, Moore Park was the centre of Sydney’s recreation, sporting and entertainment activities. Within the first couple of years, the area was transformed through the creation of sports facilities, the Zoological Garden and the Showgrounds. The extensive Sydney tram system serviced Moore Park, with one of the largest annual drawcards to the Park being the Royal Easter Show 1 2 3 (which was held at Moore Park for 115 years). As Sydney’s population grew and the needs for 1800’s 1830’s 1840’s 1850’s - 60’s outdoor recreation diversified, more ‘attractions’ were introduced to Moore Park, as long as they were considered to be ‘for the good of the community’. _ Moore Park is located within a network of tracks _ The Lachlan Swamps Water Reserve was _ Victoria Barracks was constructed 1841 – 1846 _ In 1850 the government proclaimed a new road from British Colonial occupation, which followed established within the Common in 1837, its naming using locally quarried sandstone and was occupied from Botany Road to Coogee. This roadway became By the end of the 19th century Moore Park was the new settlement at Sydney Cove to Botany Bay. commemorating Governor Lachlan Macquarie’s by British troops up until 1870. The military used known as Randwick Road and from 1918 as Anzac Sydney’s most popular sporting and entertainment These cut across the Botany Sands expanse and vision for establishing the commons. the expanses of the Common for marching, drilling Parade. A sandstone obelisk was erected on the precinct. It featured a cricket ground, sporting evolved into a weaving alignment among the sand _ Water was delivered by 1830 and was an incentive and military parades whilst the engineers utilised parade and lines of centre planting of palms and stadium, golf course, racecourse, showground and hills, ponds and wetlands. The main track which for relocating the Military Barracks to the north the ponds as exercises in bridge building. later poplars on the road verges. Moore Park Road public sporting fields. once meandered through the study area was western edge of the Common. _ In 1851 a grant of land within the Common was later linked Drivers Triangle with Old South Head known as the Old Botany Road. _ Planning commenced in 1836 to relocate the given to the British army for use as a soldiers Road c. 1875. Throughout the 20th century the use of buildings _ Moore Park comprised 378 acres (153 Ha) and Military Barracks from George Street, Sydney and a cricket ground and a garden. The first match was _ In order to maintain the road Trusts were within Moore Park evolved, with the growing provided a major portion of Sydney’s Second vertical bore sunk into the Tunnel Reserve. played in 1854. established and appointed in 1854 and tolls importance of the Hordern Pavilion and Royal Hall of Common as proclaimed by Governor Macquarie on _ Another walled space was created in the south instigated with the first Toll house built and opened Industries as exhibition and event spaces. the 5th October 1811. western corner of the Common for use as a in 1855 close to the existing toll house below Interestingly, the Royal Hall of Industries has had cemetery. It was contained by the landforms of Mount Steel. This toll house was replaced by a periods of being used as a dance hall, ice skating Mount Steel and Mount Rennie in an area now stone structure nearby which still exists and is now venue and military administrative quarters to occupied by the Moore Park Golf Course. part of the Moore Park Golf Course grounds. support the war efforts during times of global _ During March and April 1867 a considerable conflict. number of men were employed in levelling a portion of the Moore Park in preparation for the Today Moore Park continues to be an important planting of ornamental trees and the laying out of active green space for the City of Sydney. recreation grounds. 48 Moore Park 2040 Draft Future Directions 03 Master Plan Context Park History Moore Park Panorama c.1871 Showground in Moore Park 1882 Boundary of Centennial Park and Moore Park c. 1890 Randwick Road and Grand Drive intersection showing line of Norfolk Island Pines. 1901 1930s Aerial view of terraced Mt. Lang and the palm 4 Source: Town and Country Journal, 8 April 1882 6 9 avenues of MacArthur Avenue and Gregory Avenue 11 Moore Park Panorama c.1871 Centre Show ring Moore Park 1882 Anzac Parade and Obelisk c. 1922 5 Source: Town and Country Journal, 8 April 1882 7 8 10 South Dowling Street 1937 12 1870’s XXXX1880’s XXXX1890’s XXXX1900’s 1930’s onwards _ In 1878 the old Military Cricket Ground became the _ An extension of the tramline from Moore Park to _ Following the closure of the Rifle Range in the _ In 1917 Randwick Road was widened, the Norfolk _ In the inter war period the Showground expanded NSW Cricket Association Ground. A new pavilion Randwick was completed by the end of 1880 1890s the land along Moore Park Road became Island Pines removed and a centre planting bed significantly, a brick walled entity now occupying was constructed and the 12 acres of ground was _ The Showgrounds first exhibition was held in 1882. available. It had been used for sporting activities of constructed for horticultural display, an obelisk part of the former Rifle Range Reserve and enclosed by a nine foot high paling fence with a The Showgrounds had a common boundary with cricket and football on an informal basis. The erected, the original Moore Park gates relocated extending up to Moore Park Road. At the time, it plantation of shade trees throughout the enclosed the Cricket Ground and the Volunteers Rifle Range. Military retained a portion and yet another portion and its name changed to Anzac Parade. resembled a mediaeval walled village with an circle of ground. Two entrances were made directly Shade trees comprising Moreton Bay Figs and was subdivided for housing (that area north of the _ The Zoological Society Gardens was removed to urban character in direct contrast to the grassy off Randwick Road, one for vehicles and one for Monterey Pines were planted along these Rifle Range boundary now marked by Poate Road) Taronga in Mosman from 1916. The site was expanses of the rest of Moore Park. pedestrians. boundaries, to define territory and to screen whilst the remainder became the second oval for replaced by Sydney Girl’s High School between _ In 1936 the Sydney Athletics Field in Moore Park _ By 1879 Cleveland Street was extended through competing activities. the Sydney Cricket Ground and the Sydney Sports 1919 and 1921 and was later joined with Sydney south and dating from 1906 was renamed the Moore Park to join Randwick Road adjacent to the _ The rapid development of organised sport in the Ground. Boy’s High School opening in 1928. E.S.Marks Field and many associated buildings Toll house and was aligned to avoid one of the latter half of the 19th Century was expressed in _ A new road linked all of the sporting and _ In 1926 the Moore Park Golf Club was constructed constructed and a cinder track completed in 1947. larger water bodies of the Park. The landform Moore Park in the 1880s. Australian Rules Football Showground developments and connected with on top of Mount Rennie and the former toll house depression and pond were previously enclosed by a and English Association Football was played in Lang Road to provide a network of roads to support gained two wings for conversion to utilitarian hardwood paling fence, which became the 1880 in Moore Park. The course of the Australian the developed lands of Moore Park. The new road functions for the golf course. Zoological Gardens. Golf Club was established in 1882. was called Driver Avenue and its name _ In 1881 The Royal Agricultural Society acquired ten _ From the late 1870s the Councils of Woollahra and commemorates Richard Driver, a solicitor to the acres of Moore Park adjacent to the Association Paddington lobbied for the use of the Water City Council who was instrumental in gaining Cricket Ground and the Rifle Range. Reserve as a public park. This was the favoured use control of the Military Cricket Ground for the NSW by many people when the Water Reserve ended its Cricket Association. usefulness as a water supply in 1886. Images 1-12: Extracted from Moore Park Heritage report, by CAB Consulting Pty Ltd; refer to Volume 2 HASSELL 49 © 2016 03 Master Plan Context Park History Moore Park Bus Interchange Key Plantation Dates The history and planning of tree planting is a 1870-96 defining aspect of Moore Park as it provides the area 1918-1948 with its own unique landscape character.