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. 
Remembering Ern Hoskin
Ernest Hoskin
1915 - 2009
Ern Hoskin had two passions in life - ornithology and Centennial Parklands. Over many years Ern volunteered his time for almost 50 years conducting birdwatching tours of the Parklands, observing and recording bird species and helping park visitors to better understand the birdlife around them.
He was affectionately called the 'human lyrebird' for his ability to virtually 'whistle' the birds out of the trees, and it is believed he could mimick 50 different bird species.
Not only was Ern a fount of knowledge about the (roughly) 142 bird species in the Parklands, he donated the Trust all his findings and recordings on species, populations, habitats and behaviour collected over so many years. You can download Ern's bird list of Centennial Parklands here.
This information is exceptionally valuable for its archival nature as the Parklands' biodiversity changes over time.
Added to this was Ern's undoubted talents as a bird illustrator. His wonderful oil painting sign of the Water Birds of Centennial Parklands (see below) became a popular feature for many visitors. This painting is currently in protective storage, preparing for eventual restoration after many years in the elements.
In 1999 Ern Hoskin was awarded an Order of Australia for his outstanding contribution to ornithology and conservation.
Ern is missed greatly by his friends and fellow ornitholigists and twitchers.
