Centennial Parklands Dining has announced its autumn trading hours for the Easter weekend and the rest of the season. 
See the fantastic 52 weekly winners from our 2011 Park Visitor photo competition! 
If you love Centennial Parklands, have questions or concerns, you can have your say through the Parklands' Community Consultative Committee 
Gate times have changed as of Sunday 1 April due to the end of daylight savings in NSW. 
Our new blog is live, so why not check out the latest blog post now. A great read for all who love these Parklands. 
History and Heritage
Centennial Parklands is not only one of Australia's best known and loved Parklands, but one of its most historic.
Originally a swamp and then set aside as land for the water source for Sydney, Centennial Park was reconstructed as a public park and opened in 1888. Sir Henry Parkes vision was to create a "People's Park" in which the citizens of Sydney could "take in the air" away from the Sydney town centre.
While the first set of Parklands' regulations in 1889 included: "No person shall walk on the grass...." and "No person shall engage in any game, or train for any race..." the Parklands have come a long way to becoming one of the most popularly visited and vibrant green spaces in Australia.
Historical information
Learn about the fascinating and - at times - quirky history behind these public lands through the following links:
- Centennial Parklands history: stories and anecdotes from the history of the Parklands
- Centennial Parklands Timeline: an extensive historical timeline from commissioning to today
- Origins of Names: where did that name come from? Find out here.
- Heritage buildings and structures: find out more about the Parklands heritage buildings
- Statues and Sculptures: find out more about the Parklands iconic statues and sculptures
- Memorials and Gates: find out more about the Parklands memorials and gates
- History of Tree Plantings: find out who planted what, when and why
