Centenary Square, Parramatta

Last updated

Centenary Square
(18881988; 2014 )
Bicentennial Square
(19882014)
Parramatta Centennial Memorial Clock.jpg
The 1888 Victorian Free Classically-styled clock, with the drinking fountain removed, pictured in 2016
Centenary Square, Parramatta
Type Civic square
Location Parramatta, Parramatta City Council, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Coordinates 33°48′55″S151°00′11″E / 33.815399°S 151.003164°E / -33.815399; 151.003164
Etymology
Operated by Parramatta City Council
Open24 hours
StatusOpen all year
New South Wales Heritage Database
(Local Government Register)
Official nameBicentennial Square and Adjoining Buildings
TypeLocal government heritage (complex / group)
Criteria a., c., f.
Designated20 August 1999
Reference no.103
TypeRecreation and Entertainment
CategoryTourist Attractions

Centenary Square, formerly known as Bicentennial Square, is a civic square located in the heart of Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia. It faces the 1883 Parramatta Town Hall and St John's Cathedral. The square was listed on the Parramatta City Council local government heritage list on 20 August 1999. [1]

Contents

Features and history

To celebrate the colony's centenary, in 1888 the Parramatta Borough Council erected, at a cost of 600, the Centennial Memorial, a Victorian Free Classically-styled elaborate clock and drinking fountain. [2]

To mark the opening of the Church Street Mall in 1986 and the closure of through traffic on Church Street, a time capsule was buried under one of the square's gardens by Janice Crosio MP, NSW Minister for Water Resources. [3] In order to mark the Australian Bicentenary in 1988, the Parramatta City Council commissioned the sculpture, Procession, by artist Richard Goodwin. [4]

The Parramatta City Council reverted the square's name to Centenary Square on 24 September 2014. [5]

The commercial buildings surrounding the square are mainly two-storeyed, with one of the Murray Buildings (alongside the Town Hall and farthest from St Johns) are three storeys. [1] Murray Brothers erected the town's first department store in 1926; and other major stores soon followed. [6] This was also the site where Rev. Samuel Marsden once lived. Outside St John's Cathedral stands a memorial to those who served in World War I. This takes the form of a stone arch and plaques; and was erected in 1917. [7]

The square serves as the eastern terminus of the proposed 65-kilometre (40 mi) Great West Walk connecting Parramatta and Penrith via the Western Sydney Parklands. [8] [9]

In the early morning of the 1st of November 2014 the Square became a live site for fans of the Western Sydney Wanderers FC to watch the 2014 AFC Champions League final second leg. Thousands of fans showed up and packed the square to watch the Wanderers claim the title with a 0-0 draw for the match giving them the win on the away goals rule after the 1-0 win in Parramatta in the first leg. [10]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parramatta</span> City in New South Wales, Australia

Parramatta is a central suburb of the City of Parramatta and a major commercial centre in Greater Western Sydney. Parramatta is located approximately 24 kilometres (15 mi) west of the Sydney CBD, on the banks of the Parramatta River. It is commonly regarded as the secondary central business district of metropolitan Sydney.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penrith, New South Wales</span> City in New South Wales, Australia

Penrith is a city in New South Wales, Australia, located in Greater Western Sydney, 55 kilometres (31 mi) west of the Sydney central business district on the banks of the Nepean River, on the outskirts of the Cumberland Plain. Its elevation is 32 metres (105 ft).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greater Western Sydney</span> Region of the metropolitan area of Sydney, Australia

Greater Western Sydney (GWS) is a large region of the metropolitan area of Greater Sydney, New South Wales (NSW), Australia that generally embraces the north-west, south-west, central-west, far western and the Blue Mountains sub-regions within Sydney's metropolitan area and encompasses 11 local government areas: Blacktown, Blue Mountains, Camden, Campbelltown, Cumberland, Fairfield, Hawkesbury, Liverpool, Parramatta, Penrith and Wollondilly. It includes Western Sydney, which has a number of different definitions, although the one consistently used is the region composed of ten local government authorities, most of which are members of the Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (WSROC). The NSW Government's Office of Western Sydney calls the region "Greater Western Sydney".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glebe, New South Wales</span> Suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Glebe is an inner-western suburb of Sydney in New South Wales. Glebe is located 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) southwest of the Sydney central business district in the Inner West region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haberfield, New South Wales</span> Suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Haberfield is a suburb in the Inner West of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Haberfield is located 6.5 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the Inner West Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastwood, New South Wales</span> Suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Eastwood is a suburb of Sydney, Australia. Eastwood is located 17 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government areas of the City of Ryde and the City of Parramatta. Eastwood is in the Northern Sydney region and is on the Sydney Trains Northern Line (Sydney). despite it being partially in the City of Parramatta. The area is best known for being an ethnic enclave for immigrant populations in Sydney, mainly of East Asian origin but the suburb also has a significant number of other immigrant populations, such as Italian and Anglo-Saxon people. Eastwood was originally its own town but due to the expansion of Sydney, was eventually absorbed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Merrylands, New South Wales</span> Suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Merrylands is a suburb in Western Sydney, Australia. Merrylands is located 25 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district and is in the local government area of the Cumberland City Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Marys, New South Wales</span> Suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

St Marys is a suburb in western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is 45 kilometres (28 mi)west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Penrith.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orchard Hills, New South Wales</span> Suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Orchard Hills is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia 49 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Penrith. It is part of the Greater Western Sydney region.

Bringelly is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located on the Northern Road between Penrith and Camden. It has a public school. Bringelly is also the name of a local hill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parks and gardens of Sydney</span>

Sydney is well endowed with open spaces and has many natural areas. Many of these exist even within the compact city centre. These include the Chinese Garden of Friendship and Hyde Park. The metropolitan area contains several national parks, including the Royal National Park, the second oldest national park in the world, which occupies an area of 132 square kilometres. Completing Sydney's wide array of green spaces, the leader is the Royal Botanic Garden, with its large amount of green spaces, lush plants and colourful flowers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lennox Bridge, Parramatta</span> Heritage-listed bridge in Sydney, Australia

The Lennox Bridge is a heritage-listed sandstone single arch bridge across the Parramatta River, located in Parramatta in Western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The bridge was designed by and built under the supervision of David Lennox, the first Colonial Superintendent of Bridges using convict labour between 1836 and 1839. The Lennox Bridge is the third oldest surviving masonry bridge in New South Wales. The bridge carries Church Street, the main north-south street of Parramatta's central business district. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Regions of Sydney</span> Regions within Greater Sydney

The metropolis of Greater Sydney in New South Wales, Australia, is informally subdivided into a number of geographic regions. The geographical definition of Greater Sydney spans across 33 local government areas and includes the Blue Mountains in the west, the Northern Beaches and the Hawkesbury in the north, the Royal National Park, the Wollondilly and Macarthur in the south, and Botany Bay in the east. These areas sometimes, but not always, roughly coincide with official boundaries of suburbs, local government authorities, or cadastral units, and some of the customary regions do not have well defined boundaries at all. Some commonly referred to regions overlap: for example, Canterbury-Bankstown is often referred to as a region, but it is also part of the South Western Sydney region. The regions themselves are not used as a formal jurisdiction, and generally do not have administrative or legislative bodies, although some regions are coterminous with a local government area, and in a number of regions that include multiple local government areas, Regional Organisations of Councils have been established that represent the councils in the region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St John's Cathedral, Parramatta</span> Church in New South Wales, Australia

St John's Cathedral is a heritage-listed, Anglican cathedral in Parramatta, City of Parramatta, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. St John's was given the status of provisional cathedral of the Anglican Diocese of Sydney in 1969, and designated a Regional Cathedral in 2011 for the Western Region. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 5 March 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Frazer (politician)</span> Australian politician

John Frazer was an Irish-born Australian politician and businessman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anzac Memorial Park, Townsville</span> Historic site in Queensland, Australia

Anzac Memorial Park is a heritage-listed memorial and park at The Strand, Townsville CBD, City of Townsville, Queensland, Australia. It was first built in 1912. It is also known as The Strand Park and Townsville War Memorial. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prince Alfred Square</span> Reserve in Parramatta LGA, New South Wales, Australia

Prince Alfred Square is a 1.5-hectare (3.7-acre) park on the northern side of the Parramatta River in the central business district of Parramatta. It is one of the oldest public parks in New South Wales and is listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register. St Patrick's Cathedral is located directly opposite the square to the west.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of Sydney</span> Overview of and topical guide to Sydney

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Sydney:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Andrew's Anglican Church, Seven Hills</span> Church in New South Wales, Australia

St Andrew's Anglican Church is a heritage-listed former Anglican church complex and now private residence at 313 Seven Hills Road, Seven Hills, City of Blacktown, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by G. H. Stoker, and built by Stoker from 1863 to 1892. It is also known as St. Andrew's Anglican Church, Hall & Rectory, St Andrew's and St Andrews. The property is privately owned. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Federation Pavilion</span> Historic site in New South Wales, Australia

The Federation Pavilion was a temporary structure erected in Centennial Park, Sydney, for use in the celebrations marking the Federation of Australia on 1 January 1901. It was used to swear in the members of the first Federal Executive Council, including Australia's first governor-general and prime minister. The pavilion was originally covered in ornate plasterwork, but the exterior was not preserved and soon fell into disrepair. In 1903, the wooden framework was purchased by the Municipality of Concord and moved to Cabarita Park in the suburb of the Cabarita. The property is now owned by the City of Canada Bay, and was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 22 December 2000. The pavilion has appeared in the clear panel of the Australian five-dollar note since 2016, when the new Next Generation Banknote series went into circulation.

References

  1. 1 2 "Bicentennial Square and Adjoining Buildings". New South Wales Heritage Database. Office of Environment & Heritage . Retrieved 10 January 2020.
  2. "Parramatta Centennial Memorial Drinking Fountain". The Sydney Mail. 28 January 1888. p. 11. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
  3. Plaque in main garden.
  4. Plaque on sculpture.
  5. Morris, Cathy (25 September 2014). "Parramatta's Church St Mall is now Centenary Square with a new state-of-the-art fountain as centrepiece". Parramatta Advertiser. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
  6. Kass, Terry (2008). "Parramatta". Dictionary of Sydney . Dictionary of Sydney Trust. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
  7. Plaque on memorial.
  8. Gorrey, Megan (13 October 2019). "Sydney's new 65km walking track stretches from Parramatta to Penrith". The Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 10 January 2020.
  9. "About". The Great West Walk. n.d. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
  10. https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/parramatta/western-sydney-wanderers-thousands-of-red-and-black-fans-flock-to-parramatta-to-welcome-back-conquering-heroes/news-story/e0260515bb91bcd4f164d0e1ad427826