Four sandstone piers stand in Moore Park, dating back to 1868, located near the corner of Anzac Parade and Moore Park Road.
The historic piers were restored by the Centennial Park and Moore Park Trust in 2004 following deterioration and decay from traffic pollution over many years.
The original suite of piers comprised six elaborately carved sandstone columns joined by sandstone fencing.
The remaining piers are remnants of the original grand entrance to Moore Park and are a major contribution to the 19th century character of Centennial Parklands. They are hexagonal posts with acanthus leaf decorative detailing and rectangular capping.
The piers were originally installed as a gateway to what was then known as Moore's Park. Moore's Park was named after Charles Moore, the Mayor of the City of Sydney, who was instrumental in persuading the Council to set aside the land, previously known as Sydney Common. The Charles Moore that Moore Park is named after is often confused with Charles Moore, the Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens who was instrumental in the many plantings we see in the Parklands today.
The piers are constructed from Pyrmont yellowblock sandstone and were carved in sections to allow for assembly on site. Little is known of the designer of the piers however Sydney City Council records confirm that stonemasons and day labourers were registered as employees on many civic projects such as this.
The western piers were removed during construction of the Eastem Distributor in 1998 and the eastern piers were removed in early 2004.
Restoration of the piers was carried out by stonemasons from the Department of Commerce, formerly the Department of Public Works.
These beautiful examples of the craftsmanship of the period have exceptional local heritage significance. Their reinstatement echos the original intent to provide a grand statement at the entrance to Moore Park.