Significant Tree Listings 24. Moore Park and Paddington © City of Sydney Register of Significant Trees 2013 - Draft for Exhibition (February 2013) C-173 Significant Tree Listings 24.01 Oatley Road Reserve Address: Historical Notes Oatley Road, These specimens possibly date from the early Inter-War period Paddington (c.1915-1940) possibly as a commemorative plantation and Ownership Type: are visually part of the mixed exotic palm collection in Victoria Park Barracks and Oxford Street Reserve (refer to listings in this Owner/ Controlling Authority: Register). City of Sydney Year of planting (of oldest item / if known) Description c. 1920's? Oatley Road Reserve is a narrow parcel of public open space within the road reserve along the western side of Oatley Street Scheduled Significant Trees and adjoining the eastern boundary to Victoria Barracks. The reserve retains a small group of three tall Washington Palms (18- Qty Species Common Name 20 metres clear trunk height). 3 Washingtonia robusta Washington Palm Statement of Significance The reserve, including the sandstone terrace walls, is significant as an integral component of the Victoria Barracks Group and is scheduled in the City of Sydney Local Environmental Plan 2012, but with minimal detail. The palms provide dramatic, vertical accent in the streetscape and are considered to have group significance at the local level in terms of visual and historic and potentially commemorative values. The American Cottonwoods (Populus deltoides) and other trees in Oatley Street, date from the post war period as evidenced by the lack of planting in the street in 1943 aerial photos, apart from the scheduled palms towards Oxford Street. Figure 24.1.1 – The Washington Palms © City of Sydney Register of Significant Trees 2013 - Draft for Exhibition (February 2013) C-174 Significant Tree Listings 24.02 Oxford Street Reserve Address: Historical Notes Oxford Street adjacent Victoria Barracks, Victoria Barracks Group includes various sandstone Colonial Paddington Regency and Colonial Georgian style buildings and later Ownership Type: additions. The buildings together with the perimeter sandstone Park walls, entrance gates, parade grounds, and site landscaping are Owner/ Controlling Authority: significant heritage items and listed in the City of Sydney Local City of Sydney Environmental Plan 2012. Year of planting (of oldest item / if known) c. 1860 The history of the Barracks began in 1836 when it was decided to move the barracks from George Street in the centre of the Scheduled Significant Trees city to the current "sandy rock strewn site". (Aust. Council of National Trusts 1982). Work commenced in 1841 with the Qty Species Common Name barracks completed in 1848. Australian forces took over the 2 Ficus macrophylla Moreton Bay Fig site in 1871. Historic photos of the site show numerous fig trees adorning the parade ground infront of the main barracks building 2 Washingtonia robusta Washington Palm in 1870 and 1885. These trees, although young appear well established and suggest planting of figs around the site occurred 2 Phoenix canariensis Canary Island Date Palm very soon after completion of the buildings in 1850-1860. Most 11 Jacaranda mimosifolia Jacaranda of the larger Moreton Bay Figs therefore would date from this period. The sizes of the figs along Oxford Street in 1943 aerials would also support this. The very large Moreton Bay Fig (Ficus macrophylla) in the lower western end of the reserve, opposite the Oxford Street/ Glenmore Road intersection (site of the Old South Head Road toll gate) would appear to be the oldest tree on the site and may even pre-date the Barracks although this is unconfirmed. Most of the other planting is typical of the early Inter-War period (c.1915-1940). This group is visually part of a larger collection in the Victoria Barracks and Oatley Road Reserve (refer to listings in this Register). The reserve also contains a mixed row plantation of Jacarandas (Jacaranda mimosifolia) and Outeniqua Yellow-wood (Afrocarpus falcatus) which appear to date from an early Post-War (1940s to 1960s) period as they are not evident in 1943 photos. Description Oxford Street Reserve is a narrow lineal parcel of public open space bordering Oxford Street and the northern boundary to Victoria Barracks (between the Old Paddington Town Hall and Greens Road). A massive Moreton Bay Fig (Ficus macrophylla) is located in the lower western end of the reserve, opposite the Oxford Street/ Glenmore Road intersection (site of the Old South Head Road toll gate). This specimen (24 metres in height/ 30 metres canopy spread/ 2.5m diameter base) is amongst the largest examples of this species in the City of Sydney LGA. Moreover, it is part Figure 24.2.1 – The Moreton Bay Fig opposite Glenmore Road of an historic group of Moreton Bay Figs in this location (two © City of Sydney Register of Significant Trees 2013 - Draft for Exhibition (February 2013) C-175 Significant Tree Listings other similar sized specimens are inside the high sandstone boundary wall of the Victoria Barracks). One of these specimens is particularly evocative of the rainforest with self-sown Elkhorns (Platycerium bifurcatum), a native bracket-epiphyte, high in the branches. Another smaller Moreton Bay Fig is located near the entrance to Victoria Barracks. At the upper eastern end of the reserve, adjacent to the Old Paddington Town Hall, the area surrounding the War Memorial has a small group of two Washington Palms (Washingtonia robusta) (18-20 metres clear trunk height) and a Canary Island Date Palm (Phoenix canariensis) (12 metres clear trunk height). Statement of Significance The reserve is significant as an integral component of the Victoria Barracks Group and retains a valuable collection of significant trees and palms dating from the mid-nineteenth century and Inter-War period (c.1915-1940). Some of the figs are Figure 24.2.2 – The Washington Palms and Canary Island Date arguably some of the oldest figs in Sydney which, like the Figs Palm on Observatory Hill date from the 1860's and are therefore over 150 years old. Together, the collection of trees are of individual and group significance at the City/ LGA level in terms of their visual, historic and social values. Figure 24.2.3 – The Canary Island Date Palm and Jacarandas © City of Sydney Register of Significant Trees 2013 - Draft for Exhibition (February 2013) C-176 Significant Tree Listings 24.03 Martin Road Address: specimen. It is clearly evident as a very mature tree in the 1943 Martin Road (corner reserve adjacent Anzac Parade), aerial photos of the area. Moore Park Ownership Type: Description Street This Live Oak (Quercus virginiana), located within a contiguous Owner/ Controlling Authority: strip of parkland bordering Martin Road and Anzac Parade, is City of Sydney part of a much larger mixed collection of trees planted within Year of planting (of oldest item / if known) the Centennial Parkland precinct. The tree has an exceptionally c. 1890's large lateral branching pattern which extends over the entire corner reserve and partially over the roadway. Scheduled Significant Trees Although only approximately 14-15m in height it has a prodigious Qty Species Common Name spread of 30m, with a trunk diameter of 2.5m at 1.0m above 1 Quercus virginiana Live Oak ground level. This tree appears to be in reasonable health and vigour, with dense canopy. Historical Notes Statement of Significance The species is considered to be quite uncommon (Innes, I., This Oak makes a significant contribution to the aesthetic and 2005). The tree is similar in appearance to the common Holm visual character of this parkland and streetscape. It is further Oak (Q. ilex) and has a relatively rapid growth rate with some significant in terms of its historic, social, representative and specimens in the United States achieving dramatic proportions rarity values. It adjoins an informal row plantation of five Port over a relatively short time period. It is believed that this Live Jackson Figs (Ficus rubiginosa f. glabrescens) of similar age and Oak dates from the late nineteenth or early twentieth century Inter-War period street tree planting of Crows Ash (Flindersia pre war period and appears to have been planted as a single australis). Figure 24.3.1 – The Live Oak viewed from Martin Road © City of Sydney Register of Significant Trees 2013 - Draft for Exhibition (February 2013) C-177 Significant Tree Listings 24.04 Napier Street Address: Description Napier Street, The figs are located in a rather narrow street bordered by Paddington terraces. The canopies of these figs create a more or less Ownership Type: contiguous, lineal corridor and tunnel effect over the roadway Street and adjoining terraces. There have been several removals in the Owner/ Controlling Authority: street as a result of damage to adjoining properties. City of Sydney Year of planting (of oldest item / if known) Statement of Significance c. 1950 This avenue of Hill’s Weeping Figs (Ficus microcarpa var. hillii) creates one of the more memorable single species street Scheduled Significant Trees tree groups in the City of Sydney LGA. Although there are no individually significant specimens, these figs have local group Qty Species Common Name significance in terms of their visual and social values. Ficus microcarpa var. 20 Hills Weeping Fig hillii There are relatively few examples of the mature, single species avenue within the City of Sydney LGA. Moreover, this thematic Historical Notes planting style is carried through to Selwyn Street, further enhancing the aesthetic character of this neighbourhood (refer No street tree planting is evident in either Napier or Selwyn to listing in this Register). The figs are proposed to be replaced Streets in the 1943 aerial photographs of Sydney, although as they decline with a slightly smaller street tree but one with the adjoining terraces date from mid to late 1800's.