Victoria Park, Sydney facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Victoria Park |
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Gardeners_Lodge_Victoria_Park.jpg)
The Gardener's Lodge, formerly used as a toilet block, is now a cafe, located in the park
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| Type | City park |
| Location | Corner of Parramatta Road and City Road, Camperdown, City of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Area | 9 hectares (22 acres) |
| Created | 16 July 1870 |
| Designer | Charles Moore |
| Operated by | City of Sydney (since 1911) |
| Official name: The University of Sydney, University Colleges and Victoria Park; Sydney University; Grose Farm; St Paul's College; St John's College; St Andrew's College; Women's College; Wesley College; Sancta Sophia College | |
| Type | State heritage (landscape) |
| Designated | 31 August 2018 |
| Reference no. | 01974 |
| Type | Conservation area |
| Category | University |
| Builders | James Jones |
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Invalid designation
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| Official name: Victoria Park, Gardener's Lodge and its interior, entry gates and piers, park layout, paths and plantings | |
| Type | Local government (landscape) |
| Criteria | a., b., c., d., f., g. |
| Designated | 14 December 2012 |
| Reference no. | 139 |
| Group | Parks, Gardens and Trees |
| Category | Urban park |
Victoria Park is a large city park in Camperdown, Sydney. It covers about 9 hectares (22 acres). You can find it at the corner of Parramatta Road and City Road. The park is right next to The University of Sydney and the Broadway Shopping Centre.
Victoria Park was officially made a park in 1870. It's so important that it's listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register. This listing happened on August 31, 2018, and includes the park, The University of Sydney, and its colleges. The park's special features, like the Gardener's Lodge, its gates, and its pathways, were also listed locally in 2012.
Park's Story
Victoria Park was once part of a bigger area called Grose Farm. In 1853, this farm was chosen as the spot for the University of Sydney. A few years later, in 1865, a piece of land at City Road and Parramatta Road was given to the university. This was meant to be a grand entrance.
The park was designed by Charles Moore, who was the director of the Royal Botanic Garden. He created it in a "picturesque" style, which means it was designed to look like a beautiful painting. James Jones, who later managed Sydney's public lands, helped with the planning. A wide entrance path was built, leading straight to the university's main building. The rest of the farm became Victoria Park in 1870.
In the late 1880s, two lodges (small buildings) and fancy gates were added at the park's entrance. These were designed by James Barnet, a famous architect. Only one lodge is still standing today.
Over time, the main way to enter the university changed. In 1911, the City of Sydney Council took over managing Victoria Park. They added more plants, a children's playground, and lights. The park's layout changed a lot in the 1930s. A lake was created, and new paths were built.
Modern Changes
In 1955, the Victoria Park Swimming Pool opened. It was named after King George VI and was Sydney's first public in-ground pool. The park's lake was made smaller, and a bridge over it was taken down. The eastern gates were moved to a different university entrance.
In the 1990s, the park saw more improvements. A walking path was rebuilt along the old entrance avenue. A new bridge was put back over the lake, which was also made bigger. This helped bring back the original grand view towards the university. The old lawn bowls club and its greens were removed in the late 1990s.
In 2002, steps were added from Victoria Park into the university. The original entrance gates were put back in their first spot in 2007. More recently, in 2010, the playground was updated. The Gardener's Lodge was fixed up and turned into a cafe in 2012. In 2017, the park got new paths, lighting, and seating.
Park Features
Victoria Park was officially opened on July 16, 1870. It's important because it's a great example of a Victorian-era park in Sydney. It also played a big part in the early history of the Camperdown area. The park still looks much like it did when it was first designed in the 1800s.
The park has a public swimming pool, which opened in 1955. It has a main pool, a wading pool for smaller kids, and changing rooms. There's also a children's playground and a small shop.
There's a lake in the park, which was created in the 1930s. It was first called Horse Pond. Later, it was renamed Lake Northam to honor Bill Northam. He was a local council member who won a gold medal in yachting at the 1964 Olympic Games. You can see a bronze sculpture of his yacht, Barrenjoey, on an island in the middle of the lake. In the 1990s, the lake was made bigger, and a bridge was put back over it.
Near the southern part of the park, there's a totem pole. It was given to Sydney by the government and people of Canada in 1964. A man named Simon Charlie from Vancouver Island, British Columbia, carved it.
The Gardener's Lodge, a small building near City Road, used to be a toilet block. Now, it's a cafe! This lodge and the sandstone gates nearby once marked the edge of the university grounds.
Why Victoria Park is Special
Victoria Park, along with the University of Sydney, is very important to the history of New South Wales. It's part of a large area that was set aside by Governor Phillip way back in 1790. This land was used for farming, a place for convicts, and a school for orphaned girls.
The park and university show how landscape design changed over time. Famous designers like Charles Moore helped shape the park. Victoria Park is a great example of a Victorian-era park from 1870. It still has its grand entrance path and original gate lodge, connecting to the university's main building. The park also provides important green spaces and sports areas for the people of Sydney.
The park and university are major landmarks in Sydney. Many people value them for their history, learning, culture, sports, and fun activities. The way the buildings and landscapes have developed over time shows the history of architecture and planning in New South Wales.
Victoria Park is special for many reasons:
- It shows the history of the colony, going back to 1790.
- It has provided sports and fun activities for people for a very long time.
- It's connected to many important people who helped build the university and design the park, like Governor Arthur Phillip and Charles Moore.
- It's a beautiful example of landscape design, with old trees, open lawns, and gardens.
- It's a well-known landmark at the intersection of two main roads.
- It's a place where many different communities gather for events, like the Yabun Festival and the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Fair Day.
- It has been a place for children to play for over 130 years.
- It might hold clues about the past through archaeological finds from the colonial era.
- It's a rare example of a park planned specifically for a major 19th-century university.
- It has rare plants and old trees that are unique to the area.
- It shows how Sydney grew and developed over time, reflecting the goals of the early colony.
Gallery
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The former formal entrance to The University of Sydney, with the Gardener's Lodge (left) and Messenger's Lodge (right, now gone). This is now the eastern end of Victoria Park.
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Lake Northam in summer
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Victoria Park Pool
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A Canadian totem pole located in the southern corner of the park
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