Observatory Park, Sydney

Observatory Park is located in the heart of the Sydney central business district. Its history dates back to 1796 when it was used as the site of the first windmill in the colony, when it was known as Windmill Hill. It is also the site of a number of historical buildings including the historic Sydney Observatory (thus often referred to as Observatory Hill), the Signal Station, the remains of Fort Philip, the National Trust Centre (formerly Fort Street High School) and a rotunda which is used for weddings.

The remains of Fort Philip are still on Observatory Hill. They appear as the wall at the front and side of the signal station and are shown in the photo to the right. They are the eastern rampart of the Fort which was used as the foundations for the signal station when it was built in 1848. The chains on the wall which are still visible were used to limit the amount of recoil of the canons used in the Fort. The Fort was originally intended to suppress a possible insurrection by the Irish rebels who had been transported to Australia after the 1798 Rebellion in Ireland. The insurrection did not eventuate and the site was gradually used for other purposes.

In 1808 a flagstaff was erected on Fort Phillip and by 1823 a semaphore had been placed there. A hut for the signalman was also built at this time which can be seen in the watercolour of 1842. The semaphore had two swinging arms which could be changed to various positions that spelled out numbers. These could be translated into letters by referring to a code book.The first hut for the signal station was very small consisting of only four rooms, two of which were bedrooms. This was replaced in 1847 by the more substantial stone building designed by architect Mortimer Lewis which exists today. This building was the home of successive signal masters and their families until 1939 when the station was closed.

The Rotunda was built in 1912. The Metropolitan Band played regularly in the building particularly on Sunday afternoons and evenings. John Palmer was the conductor at this time. He played classical music and also selections from Gilbert and Sullivan. The City of Sydney Band were also frequent entertainers in the Park. Today the Rotunda is sometimes used as a venue for weddings. It has views over the harbour and has surrounding parkland.

The Boer War Memorial was built in 1940. The stones in the structure are over 200 years old as they came from a building at Circular Quay built in the time of Governor Macquarie. The unveiling was conducted by Major General Sir Charles Cox who at that time was 77 years old and needed to lean on a friend’s arm. However at the time of the Boer War in 1899 he was a young Officer who led the New South Wales Mounted Rifles. His name is on the memorial and his picture is shown. The gun near the structure was captured from the Boers by the British at the time of the war and given to the Australian Government in 1905. It is a 75 mm QF (Schnellfeuer-Feldkanone L/24) and was originally in the Botanic Gardens but the Veterans of the War requested that it be moved to their Memorial.