Centenary Square, Parramatta
Centenary Square (1888–1988; 2014– ) | |
---|---|
Bicentennial Square (1988–2014) | |
Parramatta City Council | |
Open | 24 hours |
Status | Open all year |
a., c., f. | |
Designated | 20 August 1999 |
Reference no. | 103 |
Type | Recreation and Entertainment |
Category | Tourist Attractions |
Centenary Square, formerly known as Bicentennial Square, is a
Features and history
To celebrate the colony's centenary, in 1888 the Parramatta Borough Council erected, at a cost of A£600, the Centennial Memorial, a Victorian Free Classically-styled elaborate clock and drinking fountain.[2]
To mark the opening of the Church Street Mall in 1986 and the closure of through traffic on Church Street, a time capsule was buried under one of the square's gardens by Janice Crosio MP, NSW Minister for Water Resources.[3] In order to mark the Australian Bicentenary in 1988, the Parramatta City Council commissioned the sculpture, Procession, by artist Richard Goodwin.[4]
The Parramatta City Council reverted the square's name to Centenary Square on 24 September 2014.[5]
The commercial buildings surrounding the square are mainly two-storeyed, with one of the Murray Buildings (alongside the Town Hall and farthest from St Johns) are three storeys.[1] Murray Brothers erected the town's first department store in 1926; and other major stores soon followed.[6] This was also the site where Rev. Samuel Marsden once lived. Outside St John's Cathedral stands a memorial to those who served in World War I. This takes the form of a stone arch and plaques; and was erected in 1917.[7]
The square serves as the eastern terminus of the proposed 65-kilometre (40 mi) Great West Walk connecting Parramatta and Penrith via the Western Sydney Parklands.[8][9]
See also
References
- ^ a b "Bicentennial Square and Adjoining Buildings". New South Wales Heritage Database. Office of Environment & Heritage. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
- ^ "Parramatta Centennial Memorial Drinking Fountain". The Sydney Mail. 28 January 1888. p. 11. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
- ^ Plaque in main garden.
- ^ Plaque on sculpture.
- ^ Morris, Cathy (25 September 2014). "Parramatta's Church St Mall is now Centenary Square with a new state-of-the-art fountain as centrepiece". Parramatta Advertiser. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
- ^ Kass, Terry (2008). "Parramatta". Dictionary of Sydney. Dictionary of Sydney Trust. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
- ^ Plaque on memorial.
- ^ Gorrey, Megan (13 October 2019). "Sydney's new 65km walking track stretches from Parramatta to Penrith". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
- ^ "About". The Great West Walk. n.d. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
External links
- "About Centenary Square". Heritage Centre. Parramatta City Council. n.d.
- "Parramatta : Centenary Square (Bicentennial Square)" (photos). Scott Bird Photography. Scott Bird. n.d.