Description
Redfern Park continues a similar thematic approach to other late nineteenth century parks throughout the City of Sydney LGA. The collection of significant trees displays botanical links with the Sydney Royal Botanic Gardens and the Directors, Charles Moore and J H Maiden.
This park has been planted predominantly with the Deciduous Fig (Ficus superba var. henneana). The Deciduous Fig tends to be somewhat smaller than other fig species however in Redfern Park, most of the Deciduous Figs have attained dramatic proportions and scale, particularly along the Chalmers Street and Redfern Street boundaries. Many of the park’s Deciduous Figs are significant individual specimens. The Deciduous Fig has been integrated with a host of other native figs and rainforest species as well as some unusual broadleaf exotic species, including a range of palms.
Together with the informal row planting, group clusters and individual specimens of mature Moreton Bay Figs (Ficus macrophylla) and Port Jackson Figs (F. rubiginosa f. glabrescens), the park has a visually dramatic quality and a distinctive landscape character. It is an eclectic and botanically significant collection and stands in contrast to the much simpler planting schemes of mixed figs in neighbouring Waterloo Park and Alexandria Park.
This park has one of the largest collections of Canary Island Date Palms (Phoenix canariensis) in the City of Sydney LGA.
Other species of significance include tall accents such as the Norfolk Island Pines (Araucaria heterophylla) and Washington Palms (Washingtonia robusta) and large ornamentals such as Queensland Lacebark (Brachychiton discolor), London Plane (Platanus x acerifolia), Indian Bean (Catalpa speciosa), American Bull Bay Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora). Redfern Park also contains significant individual specimen Eucalypts such as River Red Gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis), Maiden’s Gum (Eucalyptus globulus subsp. maidenii) and Swamp Mahogany (Eucalyptus robusta).
Significance
Redfern Park is considered to have significance at the local level in terms of its combination of visual, botanic and historical values. The park continues a similar thematic approach to other late nineteenth century parks throughout the City of Sydney LGA.
The collection of significant trees displays botanical links with the Sydney Royal Botanic Gardens and the Directors, Charles Moore and J H Maiden. This park has particular significance in being the only park in the City of Sydney LGA, and possibly the broader metropolitan region, to be planted predominantly with the Deciduous Fig (Ficus superba var. henneana).
The park has a visually dramatic quality and a distinctive landscape character. It is an eclectic and botanically significant collection and stands in contrast to the much simpler planting schemes of mixed figs in neighbouring Waterloo Park and Alexandria Park.
Historical notes
Redfern Park was dedicated as a park in 1885, in the same year as Erskineville Park and four years before the establishment of Alexandria Park. The park is scheduled in the City of Sydney Local Environmental Plan 2012 and classified by the National Trust of Australia (NSW). The park gates on Redfern Street were added in 1891 and further park embellishments including the Anzac Memorial, avenue and most of the palm planting were later additions in 1919 and subsequent years during the Inter-War period (c.1915-1940). This park continues a similar thematic approach to other late nineteenth century parks throughout the City of Sydney LGA. The collection of significant trees displays botanical links with the Sydney Royal Botanic Gardens and the Directors, Charles Moore and J H Maiden.
The park boundaries were informally planted with predominantly native rainforest fig species sourced from the Illawarra region, north coast of NSW and south-eastern Queensland. This planting provided a very strong structural perimeter element surrounding the passive open space. There is no remaining boundary planting to Redfern Oval at the southern end of the park. The site’s aesthetic character is further strengthened by the extraordinary range of botanical specimens, particularly those planted during the early phases of the park’s development.
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