Ivanhoe Park cultural landscape facts for kids

The Ivanhoe Park cultural landscape is a special place in Manly, Australia. It has a long history, starting as a natural area for Aboriginal people. Over time, it became a popular spot for fun and sports. Today, it's a mix of a scout hall, sports fields, a park, and community buildings.

This important site is owned by the Department of Industry in New South Wales. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on August 23, 2019, because of its rich history and cultural importance.

A Look Back in Time

Early Days and Aboriginal Connections

Ivanhoe Park and Manly Oval are located between the inner harbour and the ocean. Long ago, the eastern part of the park was likely a swamp with mangroves and reeds. The western part had steep sandstone slopes, which offered shelter and firewood. Fresh water flowed down these slopes, providing essential drinking water. This area was perfect for finding food from the sea and the swamp.

When the first Europeans arrived in 1788, they met many Aboriginal people. Captain Arthur Phillip was very impressed by their "Manly behaviour," which is why he named the area Manly Cove. These Aboriginal people, called the "Kay-ye-my," had a rich culture. They fished, gathered food, and hunted in the forests.

Evidence like rock carvings and shelters show how advanced their culture was. They even built huts for homes. The Kay-ye-my people also managed the land by regularly burning it to help with hunting.

Sadly, within a year of European arrival, many Aboriginal people died from smallpox. Others lost their land as it was cleared for new settlements.

Here are some important early events:

• On January 22, 1788, Captain Phillip met the Gayamaygal clan at North Harbour.
• In 1789, a man named Arabanoo was taken from Manly Cove by Europeans.
• In 1790, Governor Phillip was speared in Manly by Willemering.
• Aboriginal ceremonies, called corroborees, were held in Manly.
• Skeletons found in the low parts of the park show that Aboriginal people lived and were buried there.

Even today, local Aboriginal people feel a strong connection to Ivanhoe Park. The area around the park has many recorded Aboriginal sites, like rock shelters with art and shell middens. These show that the land was important for daily life and special ceremonies, even after Europeans settled.

How Manly Grew

Manly was mostly undeveloped bushland until the mid-1850s. In 1850, it was still very wild, much like when Captain Phillip first saw it.

Henry Gilbert Smith's Vision

Henry Gilbert Smith, often called the "father of Manly," was a key person in developing the area. In 1853, he bought a large piece of land in Manly. He saw its potential, being close to both the sea and a quiet cove.

Smith had a big dream for Manly. He wanted it to be a popular seaside resort. He created plans for a village, first called Ellensville, then Brighton. He also set aside areas for public recreation, like a reserve along Kangaroo Street. These early plans helped shape Manly into what it is today.

Smith also helped start regular ferry services to Manly. This made it much easier for people from Sydney to visit. By 1857, about 30,000 visitors came to Manly each year!

After Smith left Australia in 1867, the western part of Ivanhoe Park was bought by Thomas Rowe. He was a famous architect and Manly's first Mayor in 1877.

Ivanhoe Park's Beginnings

The name Ivanhoe Park first appeared around 1871. It was likely named after a famous novel by Sir Walter Scott. In 1871, two large pavilions from an exhibition in Sydney were moved to Ivanhoe Park. These were used for dances, picnics, and church events.

Manly became a very popular place for day trips. Many people from Sydney came to Ivanhoe Park for fun. The park was used for cricket and other public events. However, much of the park was low-lying and would flood when it rained.

On August 14, 1879, Manly Council asked the government to buy the parkland for the public. They argued that Manly was a popular spot for thousands of visitors, so a public park was essential.

The NSW Government bought Ivanhoe Park in 1883 for £6,000. They also bought the western part in 1884. This showed how important the park was considered for the people of New South Wales.

Many improvements were made to the park, including better drainage, leveling the ground, planting trees, and adding a cricket ground and bicycle track. These changes made the park even better for recreation.

A Place for Important Speeches

Sir Henry Parkes, who was the Premier of NSW and known as the "Father of Federation," gave speeches at Ivanhoe Park. In 1888, he spoke about uniting the Australian colonies into one great country. This speech happened before his more famous "Tenterfield Oration," showing that Ivanhoe Park was a place where big ideas were shared.

In 1887, Ivanhoe Park (then called Manly Park) was officially declared a public park. The Manly Council was put in charge of it.

The Ivanhoe Park Hotel

An interesting fact about the old Ivanhoe Park Hotel is that it was built in 1875 using materials from an old post office in Sydney! After its popularity as a hotel faded, it became the Manly Council Chambers in 1884. The Council used it until 1909. Then, it became a courthouse until 1924. When the oval needed to be bigger, the building was taken apart again, and its materials were used to build the Manly Sporting Union club-rooms.

Ivanhoe Park as a "Pleasure Ground"

In 1871, Ivanhoe Park was described as a "pleasure ground" perfect for visitors. It had lots of space, shade from trees, and a large dancing pavilion. It was a favorite spot for people in the 1870s.

The park hosted many events, including:

• Cricket matches and concerts.
• Celebrations for the Prince of Wales' birthday, with sports like cricket, quoits, football, and dancing.
• New Year's Day celebrations with "unrivalled attractions."

Wildflower Shows

In September 1881, the first Wild Flower Show in NSW was held at the Ivanhoe Park Pavilion. It was incredibly popular, attracting nearly 3,000 visitors! These shows continued for many years and became famous throughout Sydney. Important people like the Governor of NSW would open the shows.

After the main pavilion was taken down in 1893, new smaller pavilions were built for the cricket and tennis clubs. In 1910, a new grandstand was opened, which could hold 300 people.

Over the years, more changes happened. In the 1920s, the Manly Sporting Union was formed. The oval area was made larger. A Girl Guides' clubroom was built in 1924 using materials from the old courthouse. A Scout drill hall was also built and opened in 1925.

In 1962, a big redevelopment happened, including a new grandstand and a new building for Girl Guides and a kindergarten. The current Scout Hall was built in 1973. The grandstand was rebuilt again in 2001, with a unique round roof that looks like a "Flying Saucer" or a stingray.

Sporting History at Ivanhoe Park

Ivanhoe Park has been a hub for sports since 1867. Cricket, tennis, lawn bowls, rugby, hockey, croquet, and cycling have all been played here. Many important sports clubs were formed here, like the Manly Cricket Club (1878), Manly Rugby Union Football Club (1883), Manly Tennis Club (1884), and Manly Lawn Bowls Club (1894).

Cricket

Ivanhoe Park hosted one of the first matches played by the first Australian Aboriginal cricket team in 1867. This team later toured the United Kingdom. The Manly Warringah District Cricket Club, founded in 1878, is one of the oldest cricket clubs in NSW. Their home ground is the beautiful Manly Oval. Many famous cricketers have played here, including the legendary W. G. Grace and Australian greats like Keith Miller.

Rugby

Rugby has been played in Manly since 1883. The Manly District Rugby Union Football Club was formed in 1906. Frank Row, who played for Manly, became the first captain of the Australian Wallabies international rugby team in 1899. The "Tom Richards Cup," a trophy for matches between the British and Irish Lions and the Australian Wallabies, is named after Tom Richards, another Manly player.

In 1922, a player named Robert Shute died after a collision at Manly Oval. The famous Shute Shield trophy, contested by Sydney's top rugby teams, is named after him. Manly Oval has seen huge crowds for rugby matches, with over 10,000 fans attending some games. Many Wallabies players, including nine captains, have come from the Manly club. Today, the Manly rugby team is known as the "Marlins" and still plays at Manly Oval.

Tennis

The Manly Lawn Tennis Club, formed in 1884, is one of the oldest tennis clubs in NSW. It still plays on its original site. The annual Manly Seaside Tennis Championship, held in December, is a very important tournament. It's the first event in the Australian tennis calendar and helps players get ready for the Australian Open. Many famous tennis players, including Frank Sedgman, Ken Rosewall, Lew Hoad, Rod Laver, Evonne Goolagong, and Margaret Court, have played and won at Manly.

Lawn Bowls

The Manly Bowling Club was formed in 1894. By 1898, they were using a green in Ivanhoe Park. Their first clubhouse opened in 1899. The club grew, and by 1910, they had three greens. A new two-story clubhouse was opened in 1958.

Hockey

Hockey was regularly played at Ivanhoe Park from the early 1900s, including mixed teams.

Croquet

The Manly Croquet Club was formed in 1901 and started playing in Ivanhoe Park in 1903. It is believed to be the oldest surviving croquet club in NSW. The club had its own pavilion by 1905. In 1967, the club moved from Ivanhoe Park to Keirle Park.

Cycling

Bicycle races were held at Manly Oval from 1887. In 1928, a banked cycle track was built, but it was removed a few years later to restore the oval's original shape.

Running

Manly Oval was the starting point for the Manly Marathon Road Race from 1911. Famous athletes like John Treloar and John Landy (who ran a sub-4-minute mile) have set records here. The oval is still used for school athletics carnivals today.

Public Events and Visitors

Ivanhoe Park, with its beautiful gardens and sports oval, has always been a key spot for visitors. It's one of the few original parks from the Victorian era that still exists in New South Wales.

In the 1880s, the Ivanhoe Park Hotel was described as a popular place for families and the public. It had a large dancing pavilion and spacious grounds for sports. During the 1890s Depression, Manly remained popular, with millions of ferry passengers visiting each year.

Ivanhoe Park was also the center of important community events:

• In 1897, celebrations for Queen Victoria's long reign were held here, with tree planting and festivities.
• During World War I, fundraising events like the "Queen of Manly" appeal took place on Manly Oval.
• In 1946, after World War II, Manly Council held a big party for 5,000 schoolchildren on Manly Oval to celebrate the end of the war.
• Today, the oval is still used for annual Christmas Carols, community soccer, and school sports.

Tramway Connection

In 1911, a tramway service started from The Spit to Manly. The tram line ran along the western and northern edge of Ivanhoe Park, making it easier for visitors to reach the park. The tram service stopped in 1939.

Memorials

The Merrett Memorial Gateway, a beautiful entrance to Manly Oval, was built in 1927. It honors Ossie Merrett, a respected sports leader and manager of the 1924 Australian Olympic team.

In 1953, the gardens of Ivanhoe Park were dedicated as the Manly War Memorial Park. This honored those who served in World War II. The park has a long history of connecting with Australia's armed forces, hosting events like Boer War celebrations and World War I and II recruitment rallies.

Scouts and Girl Guides

The Boy Scout movement started in Manly in 1909. The Scouts have been in Ivanhoe Park since 1924, when they built a drill hall behind the Manly Oval pavilion.

Manly also had one of the earliest Girl Guide Companies in NSW, formed in 1921. In 1924, a Girl Guides' clubroom was built in Ivanhoe Park using materials from the old courthouse. This was the first purpose-built Girl Guides clubroom in New South Wales!

Famous people like Roden Cutler, who became Governor of NSW and Chief Scout of Australia, were once patrol leaders for the Manly Scouts. The current Scout Hall was built in 1973. The Girl Guides unit left Ivanhoe Park in 2002.

Australian Air League

The Australian Air League, a youth aviation group, was founded in Manly in 1934. Their early training sessions were held at the Sporting Union clubrooms at Manly Oval.

What Ivanhoe Park Looks Like Today

Ivanhoe Park covers about 4.58 hectares. It has two main parts:

• The quiet Ivanhoe Park Botanic Gardens, perfect for relaxing.
• The busy sports areas of Manly Oval, tennis courts, and lawn bowling greens.

The gardens on the western side have sandstone rocks, open lawns, and many beautiful trees. They also have the scout hall, a childcare center, and the War Memorial monument. This area is a peaceful escape from busy Manly.

The eastern part, which used to be a swamp, has the Lawn Bowls clubhouse and greens, Manly Oval (the "Village Green") with its grandstand and clubhouse, and the Manly Lawn Tennis club with its courts. This area is the main sports and community hub for Manly.

Plants in the Park

The park has a wide variety of trees, shrubs, and groundcover plants. Some are native to Australia, and others come from different parts of the world.

Trees

• Agonis flexuosa (peppermint / willow myrtle)
• Alectryon coriaceus (beach bird's eye)
• Allocasuarina torulosa (forest oak)
• Alnus jorullensis (evergreen alder)
• Araucaria bidwillii (Bunya Bunya pine)
• A.cunninghamii (hoop / Moreton Bay pine)
• A.heterophylla (Norfolk Island pines)
• Archontophoenix cunninghamiana (piccabeen / bungalow palm)
• Brachychiton acerifolium (Illawarra flame tree)
• Chrysophyllum imperiale (Empress tree) - very rare!
• Cinnamommum oliveri (Oliver's sassafras)
• Cordyline australis (NZ cabbage tree)
• Cyathea australis/cooperi (rough/scaly tree fern)
• Davidsonia pruriens ssp.pruriens (Davidson's plum)
• Elaeocarpus grandis (blue marble/quandong)
• Ficus coronata (sandpaper fig)
• F.macrophylla (Moreton Bay fig)
• F.microcarpa "Hillii" (Hill's fig)
• F.rubiginosa (Port Jackson / rusty fig)
• F.virens var. virens / var. sublanceolata (white/sour fig)
• Flindersia bennetiana /F.schottiana (Bennet's / bumpy ash)
• Glochidion ferdinandii (cheese tree)
• Hicksbeachia pinnatifolia (red bopplenut)
• Homolanthus populnifolius (bleeding heart / native poplar)
• Howea fosteriana (Lord Howe Island palms)
• Lagerstroemia indica cv. (crepe myrtle)
• Lepiderema pulchella (fine leaved tuckeroo)
• Livistona australis (cabbage tree palm)
• Lophostemon confertus (brush box)
• Magnolia grandiflora (Southern /evergreen magnolia)
• Melaleuca bracteata (honey bracelet myrtle)
• M.quinquenervia (paperbarks)
• Polyscias sambucifolia (elderberry panax)
• Populus deltoides (cottonwood)
• Schizolobium parahyba (Brazilian fern/tower tree) - rare!
• Sloanea australis (maiden's blush)
• Toona ciliata (red cedar)
• Washingtonia robusta (desert fan palm)
• Waterhousea floribunda (weeping lily pilly)

Shrubs

• Akocanthera oppositifolia (poison bush)
• Alyxia buxifolia (sea box)
• Bauhinia galpinii (red butterfly bush)
• Carica papaya cv. (paw paw)
• Ceratopetalum gummiferum (NSW Christmas bush)
• Chamaedorea sp. (clumping palm)
• Cordyline petiolaris (broad-leaved cabbage tree)
• C.stricta (forest cabbage tree)
• Cycas revoluta (sago palm/cycad)
• Dracaena marginalis
• Hibiscus rosa-sinensis cv.s (Chinese hibiscus)
• Melicope (syn.Euodia) elleryana (pink-flowered doughwood)
• Musa ensete / cv. (fruiting banana)
• Odontonema cuspidatum (Cardinal's crest)
• Rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary)
• Strelitzia nicolai (bird-of-paradise 'tree')
• Telopea speciosissima (NSW waratah)
• Viburnum odoratissimum

Groundcover Plants

• Aechmea spp./cv.s (bromeliads)
• Asplenium australasicum (birds-nest fern)
• Aspidistra elatior (cast iron plant)
• Billbergia spp./cv.s (bromeliads)
• Clivia miniata (kaffir lilies)
• Monstera deliciosa (fruit salad plant)
• Philodendron "Xanadu"
• P.selloum
• Strelitzia reginae (bird-of-paradise flower)
• Tradescantia (syn.Setcreasea) pallida (purple heart)

Park Condition

Ivanhoe Park is in good condition. It still has its original "gardenesque" design with curving paths and beautiful plants. The "village green" oval, with its white picket fence, also keeps its traditional feel. Even though many structures have changed over the years, the park still looks and feels like it was meant to be – a place for both quiet relaxation and active sports.

What Makes Ivanhoe Park Special?

Ivanhoe Park is important for many reasons:

• It shows how a Victorian-era park was adapted for Australia, combining a "pleasure garden" with a traditional "village green" for sports and community.
• It has a unique history, blending Aboriginal heritage with 150 years of recreation and community use.
• The park's natural features, like sandstone rocks and a watercourse, suggest it holds important Aboriginal history.
• It highlights the importance of public parks and sports in the development of communities in Australia.
• It's one of the few planned "pleasure grounds" from the colonial era that still exists in New South Wales.
• The park has strong connections to many important people in NSW history, including Henry Gilbert Smith (the "father of Manly"), the first Australian Aboriginal cricket team, famous architects, politicians like Henry Parkes, and sports legends like Keith Miller and Frank Row.
• It was the site of Australia's first successful Wildflower Shows, which inspired similar events across the country.
• The park's mix of gardens, war memorials, and sports facilities creates a unique and beautiful look.
• It has a strong connection with many community groups, including Cricket NSW, Rugby Union NSW, Tennis NSW, Lawn Bowls NSW, Croquet NSW, Scouting NSW, Girl Guides NSW, and the Australian Air League. Many of these clubs are among the oldest in NSW.
• The park has the potential to reveal more about the history of the Kay-ye-mai people.
• It's a rare example of a park that has served as a central "pleasure ground" and community hub for 150 years.