Description
Oatley Road Reserve is a narrow parcel of public open space within the road reserve along the western side of Oatley Street and adjoining the eastern boundary to Victoria Barracks. The reserve retains a small group of three tall Washington Palms (18-20 metres clear trunk height).
Significance
The reserve, including the sandstone terrace walls, is significant as an integral component of the Victoria Barracks Group and is scheduled in the City of Sydney Local Environmental Plan 2012, but with minimal detail.
The palms provide dramatic, vertical accent in the streetscape and are considered to have group significance at the local level in terms of visual and historic and potentially commemorative values.
The American Cottonwoods (Populus deltoides) and other trees in Oatley Street, date from the post war period as evidenced by the lack of planting in the street in 1943 aerial photos, apart from the scheduled palms towards Oxford Street.
Historical notes
These specimens possibly date from the early Inter-War period (c.1915-1940) possibly as a commemorative plantation and are visually part of the mixed exotic palm collection in Victoria Barracks and Oxford Street Reserve (refer to listings in this Register).
Gallery
