Iloura Reserve facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Iloura Reserve |
|
|---|---|
Peacock Point, 2009
|
|
| Location | 10-20 Weston Street, Balmain East, Inner West Council, New South Wales, Australia |
| Built | 1970– |
| Architect | Bruce Mackenzie |
| Owner | Leichhardt Municipal Council |
| Official name: Iloura Reserve; Peacock Point; Illoura | |
| Type | state heritage (landscape) |
| Designated | 29 November 2013 |
| Reference no. | 1923 |
| Type | Urban Park |
| Category | Parks, Gardens and Trees |
| Builders | Frank McWilliam, Ted Motley |
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
Iloura Reserve is a special park in Balmain East, Sydney, Australia. It's built on what used to be a timber yard. The park was designed by a landscape architect named Bruce Mackenzie. It was built in two parts, in 1970 and 1981. People also know it as Peacock Point or Illoura. The Inner West Council owns the reserve. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register in 2013 because of its importance.
Contents
Discovering Iloura Reserve's Past
The Story of Peacock Point
The land where Iloura Reserve is now located belongs to the Gadigal and Wangal people. They are part of the Eora language group and have lived in the Sydney area for at least 20,000 years. When British settlers arrived, the Wangal people were greatly affected by new diseases and losing their land. After World War II, many Aboriginal people moved back to cities like Balmain.
Before 1835, Balmain was a rocky area with lots of tea trees and eucalypts. It was full of native plants and animals. In 1836, a man named Captain John Jenkins Peacock bought land here. The area became known as Peacock Point after him. He was a successful merchant and ship owner.
Balmain started to grow as a suburb from 1836. More people moved there when industries like Mort's Dock opened in the 1850s. A ferry service also started, connecting Balmain to the city. This made it easier for workers to get to the shipyards. As the population grew, so did the need for houses, shops, schools, and local government. Balmain Council was formed in 1860.
Over time, the land around Peacock Point changed a lot. By 1888, maps show that new land had been created by filling in parts of the water. Many buildings were also constructed. By 1943, the entire waterfront area had been reshaped. Old photos show that ships were still using the wharves for industrial work.
The land at Weston Street and Peacock Point was used as a timber yard for many years. In the 1960s, the government decided to turn this industrial site into a public park. Bruce Mackenzie was hired to design the park in 1968. He created the beautiful Iloura Reserve we see today.
.jpg)
How Landscape Design Changed in Australia
In the early 1900s, people like Walter Burley Griffin started new ways of designing landscapes in Australia. They showed how buildings could fit in with nature. After World War II, many young Australian architects learned about the "Modern Movement" in landscape design overseas. They came back wanting to use native plants and connect buildings with the natural environment.
The 1960s and 1970s saw the rise of the "Sydney School" of architecture. This style of building worked well with the Australian landscape. It used natural materials and blended buildings with nature. At the same time, people started caring more about the environment. Books like Silent Spring by Rachel Carson made people think about nature. Environmental groups like Greenpeace also became popular.
Many books encouraged people to use Australian plants in their gardens. Landscape designers like Bruce Mackenzie also started to think differently. They didn't want to use only foreign plants and formal designs in parks. Mackenzie believed in respecting the "spirit of a place" and using local materials and plants. This new way of thinking became known as the "Sydney Bush School."
Mackenzie's designs for Sydney Harbour parks were groundbreaking. He used local plants, sandstone walls, and old wharf timbers. He wanted to recreate the feeling of Sydney's natural bushland. He also made sure the parks were easy for people to use, with paths, lookouts, and picnic areas. He called these new parks "Alternative Parkland." Iloura Reserve was the very first of these special harbour parks.
It was hard to find local plants back then because nurseries didn't grow them. Mackenzie even had to hire someone to collect seeds for Casuarina glauca (Swamp Oak) to grow them for the park. He was one of the first to test and use many native plants that are common today.
Mackenzie's design for Peacock Point was about balancing nature, people, and beauty. He used many local trees and shrubs with recycled mulch. This helped the park's environment and reduced the need for weeding and watering. Using native plants also attracted birds and insects. He recycled materials like old telegraph poles and sandstone blocks from demolished buildings. This showed an early idea of "sustainability," even before the word was widely used.
Peacock Point was also designed for everyone. It gave people in Balmain, a busy suburb, a safe and welcoming park. It offered different spaces for all ages and allowed everyone to enjoy the amazing views of the harbour.
Bruce Mackenzie and the Sydney Bush School
Bruce Mackenzie was born in 1932. He grew up in an area where bushland was still a big part of the landscape. He learned a lot about designing with nature from building his own house. In 1960, he started his own landscape design business. He worked with famous architects like Harry Seidler.
He also connected with designers in Melbourne who were part of the "bush garden" movement. Mackenzie and others wanted to find a unique "Australian Identity" in their designs.
Mackenzie designed a lookout at Commodore Heights in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. This project was like a practice run for Peacock Point. He also worked on the Teachers College at Lindfield, showing how buildings could blend with the bushland.
Bruce Mackenzie, along with other landscape architects like Bruce Rickard and Harry Howard, created the "Sydney Bush School" of landscape architecture. They designed public spaces in Sydney that combined modern ideas with the special qualities of the Australian landscape. They often worked closely with architects from the "Sydney School."
Many designers shared ideas at their offices in North Sydney. This place was like a hub for new design thinking. Mackenzie's first big project from these offices was Peacock Point. The Australian Institute of Landscape Architects chose Sydney Harbour Parks as one of the most important projects between 1966 and 2000.
What Iloura Reserve Looks Like
Iloura Reserve was built on an old waterfront site called Peacock Point. This area used to be an industrial timber yard and had lost all its native plants. The site was cleaned up and landscaped before it became a public park.
Bruce Mackenzie's design for the reserve was inspired by the site itself, the environment, and the people who would visit it. Even though the natural features were gone, the sandstone rock underneath was still there. Mackenzie scraped back the soil to show these rock features. He added stone steps and paths that followed the natural levels of the land.
A large viewing platform and stairs were built from recycled wharf timbers. These connect different levels of the park and offer amazing views of the city and harbour. The park used many recycled materials from the site and other demolition sites in Sydney.
Instead of just grass, the park has sandstone retaining walls, large timbers, and native plants with thick layers of mulch. This gave the community a unique urban bush environment right on the harbour.
Mackenzie wanted to bring back a "bushland" feel using local plants. He carefully chose plants that would grow well near the water, like Casuarinas, and then other native plants like Melaleucas and Eucalypts further inland. This design connects the park to other natural headlands around the harbour.
The park uses materials like sandstone blocks and old wharf timbers, which are common around Sydney Harbour. This gives the park a strong sense of its location. A plan designed by Bruce Mackenzie and Associates helps make sure the park's original design is kept safe and restored.
Why Iloura Reserve is Special
Iloura Reserve is a very important park from the 20th century. It was a key example of the "Sydney Bush School" landscape design. Bruce Mackenzie, a pioneer of this movement, created a park that changed how people expected public spaces to look.
The reserve shows a new way of designing landscapes that cares about the environment. It keeps natural rock formations, brings back native plants, and uses recycled materials like timber and sandstone. This design reminds us of the site's industrial past. The park was made to be different from the formal European-style parks common at the time. It offers a "bush retreat" right in the city.
People who work in landscape design and architecture really admire Iloura Reserve. The local community in Balmain East and people across Sydney also love this park.
Iloura Reserve was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register in 2013 because it meets several important criteria:
- It shows how history unfolded in New South Wales: Iloura Reserve is proof of how old industrial waterfront sites were turned into public parks in the 1970s. Its design changed how people thought about public spaces. It also helped start the idea of "ecologically sustainable design" in public projects.
- It shows great creative and technical skill: The park's design was very new for the 1970s. It changed how harbour-side parks were designed. The "Sydney Bush School" approach encouraged using native plants in gardens. Iloura Reserve has influenced many landscape designers in Australia.
- It is linked to important people: Bruce Mackenzie, the designer of Iloura Reserve, is one of Australia's most important landscape designers. He was a leader of the "Sydney Bush School" movement. The reserve is also connected to other designers who worked together in North Sydney, creating new ideas for architecture and landscape.
- It has beautiful features and shows creative achievement: Iloura Reserve is a key example of Australian landscape architecture. It shows the "Sydney Bush School" style, which uses native plants and respects natural rock formations. The park feels "natural" even though it was carefully designed. Its layout, views, and use of stone and plants create a delightful experience. It also shows how native plants could be grown and used when they were not easily available. Using recycled materials also tells the story of the site's industrial past. The park is a landmark green space on Sydney Harbour.
- It is important to the community: Both landscape professionals and the local community have a strong connection to the reserve. The community even successfully campaigned to expand the park.
- It is rare and unique: Iloura Reserve is a rare example of a "Sydney Bush School" foreshore park on Sydney Harbour.
- It shows key features of cultural or natural places: Iloura Reserve is a great example of the "Sydney Bush School" of landscape design. This style respected the local environment and found inspiration in Sydney's natural sandstone landscapes and plants. It was the first public park on Sydney Harbour to use this design philosophy.
