Hyde Park, Sydney

Hyde Park (6.5ha), with its lawns, shady benches, flower beds, fountains, statues and the Anzac War Memorial, is Sydney's most central park, just on the edge of the central business district, and consequently draws many visitors, particularly during the lunch break. It lies between Queens Square, Elizabeth Street, Liverpool Street and College Street. Sydney's first underground railway line, the City Railway, was opened in 1926, running under the park between St James Station and Central Station.

Picture - Fountain in Hyde Park, Sydney.

Picture - Archibald Fountain in Hyde Park, Sydney.

View a slideshow of Hyde Park Pictures

Before the white settlement this was an area of marshland, the source of the Tank River which flowed into Sydney Cove. Later it was drained and became a riding track and then Sydney's first cricket ground (1803). It was declared a public open space by the first governor, Arthur Phillip, in 1792, and given its present name by Governor Macquarie in 1810. Among the many features in the park is the Archibald Fountain (1932), a bronze group with Apollo in the center, Diana goddess of hunting and Theseus fighting the Minotaur. The fountain was presented to the city by JF Archibald to commemorate Australia's alliance with France in the first world war.

At the north end of Hyde Park, in Queens Square, are three fine Georgian buildings, masterpieces of the convict architect Francis Greenway: the Hyde Park Barracks, St James's Church and the Supreme Court. In the center of the square is a statue of Queen Victoria, originally set up in 1888 and now returned to its site after some periods of absence.

Related Attractions

Anzac War Memorial

The Anzac War Memorial, in the southern half of the park, was erected in 1934 to commemorate the dead of the first world war. In geometric Art Deco style, it stands 30 m high on a podium with an area of 1200 sq m.

Hyde Park Barracks

The former Hyde Park Barracks is a three-storey brick building with a sandstone pediment like that of a Greek temple. Governor Macquarie was so pleased with the building that he gave Greenway his freedom. The barracks were built by convict labor in 1817-19 and housed 800 or more male convicts, who were marched in chains from here to their place of work. After the transportation of convicts to New South Wales ceased in 1848 the building was occupied by the immigration department and later (1887) by the court authorities. In 1975-84 it was restored to its original condition, and the main part of the building now houses a museum on the history of Sydney portraying the lives of the first involuntary 'settlers'.

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Australian Museum

On the east side of Hyde Park is the Australian Museum, which has the largest natural history collection in the country. The exhibits range from valuable minerals and strange fossils to stuffed birds and mammals, many of them extinct. Adjoining these are interesting displays on the life of the Aborigines and the natives of Papua New Guinea.