Bicentennial Square

Bicentennial Square, formerly known as Centenary Square, is located in the heart of Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia. It faces the 1883 Town Hall and St John's Cathedral.

Features & History

Centennial Memorial

To celebrate the colony's centenary, in 1888 the Borough Council erected - at a cost of some 600 pounds [1] - the Centennial Memorial, an elaborate clock and drinking fountain.

Procession

In order to mark the bicentennial in 1988, in 1986 the Parramatta City Council commissioned a sculpture by artist Richard Goodwin.[2] The sculpture Procession was created, and sits near the Town Hall.

Time Capsule

To mark the opening of the Church St Mall in 1986, a time capsule was buried under one of the square's gardens by JA Crosio, the minister for water resources at the time.[3]

Near the Square

A great deal of Parramatta's rich history lies just outside Bicentennial Square. Of particular note are :

Murray Bros Department Store

On the corner diagonally opposite the square, Murray Brothers erected the town's first Department Store in 1926; and other major stores soon followed.[4] This was also the site where Rev. Samuel Marsden once lived.

WWI Memorial

Outside the nearby St John's Cathedral stands a memorial to those who served in WWI. This takes the form of a stone arch and plaques; and was erected in 1917.[5]

Coordinates: 33°48′55″S 151°00′11″E / 33.815399°S 151.003164°E / -33.815399; 151.003164

References

  1. ↑ http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1302&dat=18880128&id=JcsoAAAAIBAJ&sjid=UpMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4319,940817
  2. ↑ Plaque on sculpture itself.
  3. ↑ Plaque in main garden.
  4. ↑ http://www.dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/parramatta
  5. ↑ Plaque on memorial itself


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