Honouring Bicentennial Park's legacy

This week is Parks Week - a time of celebrating the incredible role parks and open space play in making our cities more liveable and our communities more connected and resilient! With Sydney Olympic Park being surrounded by 430 hectares of green open space, recreation areas, wetlands and waterways, our parklands are truly worth celebrating.

One of the most iconic parklands within Sydney Olympic Park is Bicentennial Park, created by the state and federal governments during the 1980s to celebrate Australia’s 200th year. The project involved recycling 47.4 hectares of former rubbish dump into the stunning recreational and conservation areas that the community enjoy to this day. Bicentennial Park remains a place for all Sydneysiders to visit and enjoy while also serving as a giant backyard for the growing residential community at Sydney Olympic Park and nearby suburbs.

Officially opened on January 1, 1988, by then-Prime Minister Bob Hawke, Bicentennial Park was created as a legacy for future generations. Hawke concluded his opening speech with these resounding words:

“Long may it grow and flourish. And long may it endure as a symbol of the dedication of this generation of Australians to the future - to the future of our children and their children's children, for generations to come and as a living and growing symbol of the beauty and diversity of our beloved Australia."