Observatory Park, Sydney facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Observatory Park |
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| Observatory Hill; Sydney Observatory | |
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Observatory Park, Sydney
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| Location | Kent Street, Watson Road, Upper Fort Street and Bradfield Highway, Millers Point |
| Nearest city | Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Owned by | City of Sydney and National Trust of Australia |
| Open | 24 hours |
| Status | Open all year |
| Public transit access | Sydney Trains:
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| Facilities | Rotunda, ample grassed area with views across Sydney Harbour Bridge, outdoor gymnasium, Sydney Observatory, the Signal Station, the remains of Fort Philip |
Observatory Park is a cool park right in the middle of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It's super close to the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge. The park is surrounded by Kent Street, Watson Road, Upper Fort Street, and Bradfield Highway in Millers Point.
This park has a long history, going all the way back to 1796. Back then, it was called Windmill Hill because it had the very first windmill in the colony. Today, it's home to several historic buildings. These include the old Sydney Observatory (which is why it's also known as Observatory Hill), the Signal Station, parts of Fort Philip, the National Trust Centre, and a pretty rotunda often used for weddings.
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What's at Observatory Park?
In 1796, an Irish convict named John Davis built a windmill here. It was a stone tower used to grind wheat. This windmill eventually broke down, and another one was built nearby. These windmills gave the area its original name, Windmill Hill.
In 1804, a fort called Fort Philip was built on the hill. It had cannons and a place to store gunpowder. The gunpowder storage was moved in 1833, and parts of the fort were taken down in the 1850s.
A signal station was built on the fort's eastern wall in 1847. For many years, it was called the Fort Philip Signal Station. You can visit it today.
In 1858, the Sydney Observatory was built next to the signal station. For over 100 years, it was super important for ships, navigation, weather forecasting, telling time, and studying stars. Now, the building is a museum and a public observatory where you can look at the sky.
The National Trust Centre, near the park, used to be a military hospital. It was built in 1825 but closed in 1848. Then it became the Fort Street Model School. While Fort Street School is still on Observatory Hill, the old hospital building is now the main office for the National Trust of Australia. You can even rent some of its rooms for events.
There's also a Rotunda in the park, built in 1912. It offers amazing views of Sydney Harbour and is a popular spot for weddings.
Fort Philip: A Historic Stronghold
You can still see parts of Fort Philip on Observatory Hill today. They look like a wall in front and to the side of the signal station. This wall is actually the eastern part of the fort, which was used as the base for the signal station when it was built in 1848. You can even see chains on the wall. These chains were used to stop the cannons from recoiling too much when they fired.
Governor King started building Fort Philip in 1804, but it was never fully finished. It was built around the first windmill, which you can see in the 1820 painting. The ruined windmill tower was used for storage or as a place to live for many years. The fort was supposed to be six-sided, but only three sides were mostly completed. Building stopped in 1806.
The fort was originally planned to help control possible uprisings by Irish rebels who had been sent to Australia. But no uprising happened, so the site was slowly used for other things.
In 1815, Francis Greenway built a gunpowder storage building next to the fort. This building is shown in the old paintings. It was a rectangular building with thick stone walls. However, it also wasn't fully finished.
The Signal Station: Sending Messages
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In 1808, a flag pole was put up at Fort Philip. By 1823, a semaphore system was added. A small hut for the signalman was also built then, which you can see in the 1842 painting. The semaphore had two swinging arms that could be moved into different positions to spell out numbers. These numbers could be turned into letters using a code book.
The first signal station hut was very small, with only four rooms. This was replaced in 1847 by a bigger stone building. Architect Mortimer Lewis designed this building, which is still there today. This building was home to the signal masters and their families until 1939, when the station closed.
In 1912, The Sun newspaper interviewed Jeremiah McCarthy, who was the signal master. The article gave a fun look into what happened at the station every day. It explained how flags were used to share information:
- "Two small rooms, about 10 feet by 10 feet, are all the indoor space needed to run the station. One room is for the telegraph and telephone and is the main office. The other room stores flags. There are many brightly colored square and triangle flags used for signaling. Each one is neatly rolled up and stored in its correct place, ready to be used right away."
- "Signals are made in what sailors call 'hoists.' When a ship is seen, the flag of its company is raised to the yardarm. At the top of the signal pole, a square flag is hoisted to show if it's a steamer or a sailing ship. Two triangle flags fly just below to show its last port of call."
Jeremiah McCarthy became the signal master in 1902 and stayed in that job until he passed away in 1920. Like many signal masters, he had worked in the navy before. He had also been a lighthouse keeper at South Solitary Island and Smoky Cape before this job. He lived in the cottage with his wife and their only daughter until she got married.
Sydney Observatory: Watching the Stars and Time
The Sydney Observatory was built between 1857 and 1859. Alexander Dawson, the Colonial Architect, designed it. The building mixes two styles: Italian High Renaissance Palazzo and Italian Villa. A west wing was added to the building in 1876.
The observatory was built here because it could be clearly seen from the harbor. At first, its main job was to provide a time service using the Time Ball. This Time Ball still works today! The ball would drop at 1 p.m. At the same time, a cannon would fire at Dawes Point, and later at Fort Denison. The Time Ball helped ships reset their clocks after being at sea for a long time.
The longest-serving Government Astronomer at the Observatory was Henry Chamberlain Russell. He worked there from 1870 until he died in 1907. Russell made big changes to the observatory. He focused on carefully mapping star positions and observing double stars and star clusters. He also had strong ties with the University of Sydney.
The Rotunda: A Place for Music and Views
The Rotunda was built in 1912. The Metropolitan Band often played music here, especially on Sunday afternoons and evenings. John Palmer was the conductor then. He played classical music and songs from Gilbert and Sullivan. The City of Sydney Band also often performed in the park.
Today, the Rotunda is sometimes used for weddings. It has beautiful views over the harbor and is surrounded by lovely parkland.
Boer War Memorial: Remembering History
The Boer War Memorial was built in 1940. The stones used to build it are over 200 years old! They came from a building at Circular Quay that was built during the time of Governor Macquarie.
Major General Sir Charles Cox, who was 77 years old at the time, unveiled the memorial. During the Boer War in 1899, he was a young officer who led the New South Wales Mounted Rifles. His name is on the memorial.
The gun near the memorial was taken from the Boers by the British during the war. It was given to the Australian Government in 1905. It's a 75 mm QF (Schnellfeuer-Feldkanone L/24) gun. It was first in the Botanic Gardens, but war veterans asked for it to be moved to their memorial.
