The Sydney Entertainment Centre is located on Harbour Street, in the inner city suburb of Haymarket. It was opened in 1983 on the former site of the former Fruit and Vegetable Markets, which were part of Paddy’s Markets. It is one of Sydney’s larger concert venues, which can accommodate over 13,000 people. Although this entertainment centre is less than thirty years old, there are plans to demolish it and replace it with a new convention centre.
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Pyrmont Bridge is a swing bridge that crosses Cockle Bay at Darling Harbour and connects the inner city suburb of Pyrmont with the Sydney central business district. The bridge was opened in 1902 but closed to traffic in the 1980s when freeways south of Cockle Bay were built. It reopened as a pedestrian bridge with the redevelopment of Darling Harbour in 1988. It also carries an elevated monorail with a track that remains stationary so that the monorails can continue to cross even when the bridge swings open for large boats.
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.
Oatlands House, located in the north west suburb of Oatlands, is one of the earliest homes in the district. Built in the 1830s by Captain Percy Simpson, the name appears to be taken from Oatlands Park in England, which was close to the lands of Lord Dundas, for whom the neighbouring suburb of Dundas was named. This area had actually been known as West Dundas until 1991 when Oatlands was defined as a new suburb. Oatlands House is now used as function centre, with magnificent gardens and the surrounding land forming the Oatlands Golf Course.