This creek runs through the centre of Rockdale Bicentennial Park, in the southern suburb of Rockdale.
Park
“Eight Women” is a contemporary sculpture created by Imants Tillers, in Cathy Freeman Park at Sydney Olympic Park. It celebrates the eight women who were involved in lighting the Sydney 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Games Cauldron. A ceremonial medley of seven of Australia’s greatest female Olympic athletes carried the Torch in the Opening Ceremony to light the Olympic Cauldron, as a tribute to a century of women’s participation in the Olympic Games. They were Betty Cuthbert, Raelene Boyle, Dawn Fraser, Shirley Strickland, Shane Gould, Debbie Flintoff-King, and Cathy Freeman. The eighth woman represented is Australian Paralympian, Louise Sauvage, who ignited the Paralympic Cauldron. Since the London 2012 Olympics are currently being held, I thought I would share this Sydney Olympic themed monument now.
This boardwalk stands over Duck Pond in Centennial Park, in the eastern suburbs. I’m not sure what the structure in front of it is exactly, because I can’t find any information about it, but I think it might be some sort of contemporary sculpture. It could possibly be a giant squid with a belly full of fish or a fisherman’s trap net with the catch of the day.
These decorative gates are part of Sandringham Gardens in Hyde Park North. Sandringham Gardens were developed to commemorate the intended visit of King George VI in 1952, which was cancelled due to his sudden death. In 1953, it was decided to dedicate the gardens as a joint memorial to the late King George V and the late King George VI. The memorial gates were unlocked on 5 February 1954 by the late King George VI’s daughter, Queen Elizabeth II.
The remnants of a heritage listed underground public toilet is located at Hyde Park, along Park Street close to the corner of Elizabeth Street. Built in 1909, it has now been dicommissioned and filled with sand, which preserves it and allows for reuse in the future. The features above ground such as the the lamp post on a sandstone plinth and wrought iron stairway fences have been incorporated into the garden beds.
The Sir Joseph Banks Pleasure Gardens are located in the eastern suburb of Botany. They were the main attraction of the old Sir Joseph Banks Hotel in the 19th Century. From 1845 through to the 1910, the hotel and its famed pleasure gardens were Australia’s equivalent of a European spa resort. It was bought by entrepreneur Frank Smith in 1884 by who set up famous running races from 1884-92. When the hotel was sold in the 1920s and much of the land subdivided, the remnant gardens became a public park. In 1988, an interpretative recreation of the former gardens was created featuring a sports oval, thematic gardens, a maze and pergolas. Structures in the park include this arbour and formal terrace.