The Domain, Sydney
Encyclopedia
The Domain is 34 hectares of open space in Sydney
, New South Wales
, Australia
. It is located on the eastern edge of the Sydney central business district
, near Woolloomooloo
. The Domain adjoins the Royal Botanic Gardens
and is managed by the Royal Botanic Gardens Trust, a division of the New South Wales Department of Environment and Climate Change. It is a popular venue for outdoor concerts, open air events and for large gatherings and rallies.
had landed in Sydney Cove, Governor Arthur Phillip
had established a small farm in the cove immediately to the east, the so named Farm Cove
. Further up the valley of the stream that flowed into Farm Cove, Governor Phillip set aside an open area for the Governor's exclusive use known as the ‘Phillip Domain’. It covered the area east of the Tank Stream to the head of Woolloomooloo (Walla Mulla) Bay. The farm had been established for growing grain, but was soon moved to Parramatta
, because of the poor sandy soil. The Farm Cove (Woccanmagully) area was then leased out for private farming for the next twenty years.
Despite a ditch being dug to define its boundary in 1792 the Domain was gradually encroached upon by others in subsequent years. Governor Bligh's
attempts to reclaim the Domain was among the many causes of the ‘Rum Rebellion’ of 26 January 1808.
As soon as he arrived in 1810, Bligh’s successor Governor Macquarie
built stone walls around the Government House garden and the Government Domain, separating them from Hyde Park. The traditional foundation date of the Botanic Gardens is taken as the date of completion of Mrs Macquaries Road, on 13 June 1816. By 1817 the Domain was completely enclosed and the road system completed including several gates to regulate horse-drawn traffic. The Domain itself was cleared of trees and opened as a public area in the 1830s. Eventually, the Inner Domain, the area closest to Government House, was entirely consumed by the Government Gardens while the area now known as the Domain was then the Outer Domain.
Despite the Domain being whittled away in subsequent years it remained an important buffer to the Gardens. The native vegetation was cleared and the gullies of Phillip Precinct filled. During the 1830s the expansive green space of the Domain was now opened to the public, who strolled and picnic
ked there. The Domain west of Macquarie Street
was then sold to pay for the construction of new Government House and Circular Quay.
Although used for cricket for the next 14 years, the Domain was not a high quality ground even by the standards of the day. It was a rough, uneven, open paddock and cricketers had a constant battle with the public who insisted it was public parkland. On top of that it was still used to graze cattle and cow pats often had to be removed before a game could start. Despite the fact that a game of cricket was a major occasion, often attended by the Governor, and the leading players promenaded with their ladies, the ground was not enclosed and spectators could not be charged an entrance fee.
These continuing problems were well known to those who attended a public meeting in the Domain on 13 December 1859 at which the New South Wales Cricket Association was formed. The search began for a more suitable ground and was still going on when the first England side toured Australia in 1862. In the absence of another venue they played a NSW XXII at the Domain.
A solution of sorts to the venue problem was found when the Albert Ground opened in Redfern on 29 October 1864. Although it featured good facilities for players and crowd alike, the cost to the NSWCA of staging matches there was so high that it continued to use the Domain until the early 1870s. In all, six first-class matches were played in the Domain between the 1856/57 and 1868/69 seasons.
The Domain was subsequently used for military and ceremonial events and evolved as a venue for soap box oratory and political meetings. From 1860 the Domain was opened up at night to pedestrians, allowing people to use this valuable recreational space on summer evenings. It became known as the Park where the Gates Never Close. Carriage traffic however remained restricted after dusk for many years.
The growing city of Sydney put great pressure on the Domain. A major encroachment was the construction of the Garden Palace
for the Sydney International Exhibition (1879); only its gates remain after a fire in 1882.
On 17 February 1935 the Czech Journalist Egon Kisch addressed a crowd of 18,000 in the Domain warning of the dangers of Hitler's Nazi regime. His visit was organised by the Movement Against War and Fascism
and opposed vehemently by the Lyons Government. He polarized Australian politics in 1935 when he denounced Hitler's Nazi government and warned of war
and concentration camps.
In more recent years the problems have come from the motor car, with the building of the Cahill Expressway
and the Domain Parking Station (which may be accessed via a moving footway
from College Street, near St Mary's
). The Cahill Expressway destroyed the close spatial relationship between the Gardens and Domain.
In its present configuration it covers the 34 hectares and is still a sporting venue. In any weekday lunchtime its roads are filled with joggers and its grass used for corporate soccer and touch football competitions.
's wife, so she could sit and observe the passing ships. Above the chair is an inscription recording the completion of Mrs Macquaries Road on 13 June 1816.
The Fleet Steps link Farm Cove to Mrs Macquarie Road. It is the point where Queen Elizabeth II
first set foot on Australian soil, and a commemorative wall plaque marks the event. The site is often used for large marquee functions with stunning views of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge.
The Art Gallery of New South Wales
is located on the eastern side, close to Wolloomooloo. The Andrew (Boy) Charlton Pool
is an outdoor swimming facility beside Wolloomooloo Bay.
Speakers Corner (an area for Public speaking
), is an important gathering place where any person may turn up unannounced and talk on any subject they wish, although they are likely to be heckled by people holding opposing views. This has historically been the focal point of free speech in Sydney.
There is also a fantastic view of the Sydney Tower from the centre of the Domain. This view is in a very open part of the Domain and so is popular with tourists and Sydneysiders, many having picnics there each day. The photo above highlights this view
. Some of the more popular include the annual Carols in the Domain at Christmas hosted by channel seven, the Homebake
music festival, Tropfest
short film festival, Symphony in The Domain
, Jazz in the Domain
and Opera in The Domain
. The Open Air Cinema operates in the summer months near the Fleet Steps. The movie screen sits in the water at Farm Cove, with the audience seated along the foreshore.
The Domain has also been a popular site for political protests, including Palm Sunday rallies, May Day demonstrations, and anti-war and anti-conscription protests.
During the Australian constitutional crisis of 1975
, the Australian Labor Party
held their policy launch in 'the Domain' on 24 November 1975 before a huge crowd.
The Domain was on the short-list of venues to hold the Sydney stop-off of the Spice Girls'
The Return of the Spice Girls
world tour in early 2008. It was planned that the show would be performed to 100,000+ fans with the surrounding areas gated off and secured for the day. This plan was however cast aside as government approval could not be processed quick enough.
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It is located on the eastern edge of the Sydney central business district
Sydney central business district
The Sydney central business district is the main commercial centre of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It extends southwards for about 3 kilometres from Sydney Cove, the point of first European settlement. Its north–south axis runs from Circular Quay in the north to Central railway station in...
, near Woolloomooloo
Woolloomooloo, New South Wales
Woolloomooloo is a harbourside, inner-city eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Woolloomooloo is located 1.5 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Sydney. The suburb is located in a low-lying, former...
. The Domain adjoins the Royal Botanic Gardens
Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney
The Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney, Australia, are the most central of the three major botanical gardens open to the public in Sydney....
and is managed by the Royal Botanic Gardens Trust, a division of the New South Wales Department of Environment and Climate Change. It is a popular venue for outdoor concerts, open air events and for large gatherings and rallies.
History
By July 1788, six months after the First FleetFirst Fleet
The First Fleet is the name given to the eleven ships which sailed from Great Britain on 13 May 1787 with about 1,487 people, including 778 convicts , to establish the first European colony in Australia, in the region which Captain Cook had named New South Wales. The fleet was led by Captain ...
had landed in Sydney Cove, Governor Arthur Phillip
Arthur Phillip
Admiral Arthur Phillip RN was a British admiral and colonial administrator. Phillip was appointed Governor of New South Wales, the first European colony on the Australian continent, and was the founder of the settlement which is now the city of Sydney.-Early life and naval career:Arthur Phillip...
had established a small farm in the cove immediately to the east, the so named Farm Cove
Farm Cove, New South Wales
Farm Cove is a tidal inlet and shallow bay in Sydney Harbour, separated from Sydney Cove by Bennelong Point . Known to the indigenous inhabitants of Sydney as Woccanmagully, Farm Cove was used by them as an initiation ground and for the "Kangaroo and Dog Dance".The land immediately adjacent to Farm...
. Further up the valley of the stream that flowed into Farm Cove, Governor Phillip set aside an open area for the Governor's exclusive use known as the ‘Phillip Domain’. It covered the area east of the Tank Stream to the head of Woolloomooloo (Walla Mulla) Bay. The farm had been established for growing grain, but was soon moved to Parramatta
Parramatta, New South Wales
Parramatta is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located in Greater Western Sydney west of the Sydney central business district on the banks of the Parramatta River. Parramatta is the administrative seat of the Local Government Area of the City of Parramatta...
, because of the poor sandy soil. The Farm Cove (Woccanmagully) area was then leased out for private farming for the next twenty years.
William Bligh
Vice Admiral William Bligh FRS RN was an officer of the British Royal Navy and a colonial administrator. A notorious mutiny occurred during his command of HMAV Bounty in 1789; Bligh and his loyal men made a remarkable voyage to Timor, after being set adrift in the Bounty's launch by the mutineers...
attempts to reclaim the Domain was among the many causes of the ‘Rum Rebellion’ of 26 January 1808.
As soon as he arrived in 1810, Bligh’s successor Governor Macquarie
Lachlan Macquarie
Major-General Lachlan Macquarie CB , was a British military officer and colonial administrator. He served as the last autocratic Governor of New South Wales, Australia from 1810 to 1821 and had a leading role in the social, economic and architectural development of the colony...
built stone walls around the Government House garden and the Government Domain, separating them from Hyde Park. The traditional foundation date of the Botanic Gardens is taken as the date of completion of Mrs Macquaries Road, on 13 June 1816. By 1817 the Domain was completely enclosed and the road system completed including several gates to regulate horse-drawn traffic. The Domain itself was cleared of trees and opened as a public area in the 1830s. Eventually, the Inner Domain, the area closest to Government House, was entirely consumed by the Government Gardens while the area now known as the Domain was then the Outer Domain.
Despite the Domain being whittled away in subsequent years it remained an important buffer to the Gardens. The native vegetation was cleared and the gullies of Phillip Precinct filled. During the 1830s the expansive green space of the Domain was now opened to the public, who strolled and picnic
Picnic
In contemporary usage, a picnic can be defined simply as a pleasure excursion at which a meal is eaten outdoors , ideally taking place in a beautiful landscape such as a park, beside a lake or with an interesting view and possibly at a public event such as before an open air theatre performance,...
ked there. The Domain west of Macquarie Street
Macquarie Street, Sydney
Macquarie Street is the easternmost street of Sydney's central business district. Macquarie Street extends from Hyde Park at its southern end to the Sydney Opera House at its north.-Description:...
was then sold to pay for the construction of new Government House and Circular Quay.
The Domain Cricket Ground
Cricket matches, which had been played in Hyde Park since the early 19th century, moved to the Domain in the 1850s. New South Wales had beaten Victoria by seven wickets in their first inter-colonial match held in Melbourne in 1856. The return match was played in the Domain on 14 January 1857 and New South Wales won again, this time by 66 runs.Although used for cricket for the next 14 years, the Domain was not a high quality ground even by the standards of the day. It was a rough, uneven, open paddock and cricketers had a constant battle with the public who insisted it was public parkland. On top of that it was still used to graze cattle and cow pats often had to be removed before a game could start. Despite the fact that a game of cricket was a major occasion, often attended by the Governor, and the leading players promenaded with their ladies, the ground was not enclosed and spectators could not be charged an entrance fee.
These continuing problems were well known to those who attended a public meeting in the Domain on 13 December 1859 at which the New South Wales Cricket Association was formed. The search began for a more suitable ground and was still going on when the first England side toured Australia in 1862. In the absence of another venue they played a NSW XXII at the Domain.
A solution of sorts to the venue problem was found when the Albert Ground opened in Redfern on 29 October 1864. Although it featured good facilities for players and crowd alike, the cost to the NSWCA of staging matches there was so high that it continued to use the Domain until the early 1870s. In all, six first-class matches were played in the Domain between the 1856/57 and 1868/69 seasons.
Later Uses
The growing city of Sydney put great pressure on the Domain. A major encroachment was the construction of the Garden Palace
Garden Palace
thumb|300px|Sydney's Garden Palace; an architectural drawing from the 1870s.The Garden Palace was a large purpose-built exhibition building constructed to house the Sydney International Exhibition ...
for the Sydney International Exhibition (1879); only its gates remain after a fire in 1882.
On 17 February 1935 the Czech Journalist Egon Kisch addressed a crowd of 18,000 in the Domain warning of the dangers of Hitler's Nazi regime. His visit was organised by the Movement Against War and Fascism
Movement Against War and Fascism
The Movement Against War and Fascism was a Communist front organisation founded in Australia in 1933. MAWF organised political ralies, meetings and issues to promote the cause of Communism, recruit members, supporters and activists and promote wider community support.The MAWF was instigated by...
and opposed vehemently by the Lyons Government. He polarized Australian politics in 1935 when he denounced Hitler's Nazi government and warned of war
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and concentration camps.
In more recent years the problems have come from the motor car, with the building of the Cahill Expressway
Cahill Expressway
The Cahill Expressway is the first true freeway constructed in Sydney, Australia. It starts from the Eastern Distributor and Cross City Tunnel in Woolloomooloo, and runs through a series of sunken cuttings and tunnels between the Royal Botanical Gardens and The Domain...
and the Domain Parking Station (which may be accessed via a moving footway
Moving walkway
A moving walkway or moving sidewalk is a slow moving conveyor mechanism that transports people, across a horizontal...
from College Street, near St Mary's
St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney
The Metropolitan Cathedral of St Mary is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney and the seat of the Archbishop of Sydney, Cardinal George Pell. The cathedral is dedicated to "Mary, Help of Christians", Patron of Australia...
). The Cahill Expressway destroyed the close spatial relationship between the Gardens and Domain.
In its present configuration it covers the 34 hectares and is still a sporting venue. In any weekday lunchtime its roads are filled with joggers and its grass used for corporate soccer and touch football competitions.
Features
Mrs Macquaries Chair was carved out of the rock for Governor Lachlan MacquarieLachlan Macquarie
Major-General Lachlan Macquarie CB , was a British military officer and colonial administrator. He served as the last autocratic Governor of New South Wales, Australia from 1810 to 1821 and had a leading role in the social, economic and architectural development of the colony...
's wife, so she could sit and observe the passing ships. Above the chair is an inscription recording the completion of Mrs Macquaries Road on 13 June 1816.
The Fleet Steps link Farm Cove to Mrs Macquarie Road. It is the point where Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
first set foot on Australian soil, and a commemorative wall plaque marks the event. The site is often used for large marquee functions with stunning views of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge.
The Art Gallery of New South Wales
Art Gallery of New South Wales
The Art Gallery of New South Wales , located in The Domain in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, was established in 1897 and is the most important public gallery in Sydney and the fourth largest in Australia...
is located on the eastern side, close to Wolloomooloo. The Andrew (Boy) Charlton Pool
Sydney Domain Baths
-Early years:Since the first European settlement in Sydney there have been 11 different bathing establishments in Wolloomooloo Bay. In the early years, the small sandy beach where the Andrew ‘Boy’ Charlton Pool now stands was reserved for the exclusive use of the military of NSW including the...
is an outdoor swimming facility beside Wolloomooloo Bay.
Speakers Corner (an area for Public speaking
Public speaking
Public speaking is the process of speaking to a group of people in a structured, deliberate manner intended to inform, influence, or entertain the listeners...
), is an important gathering place where any person may turn up unannounced and talk on any subject they wish, although they are likely to be heckled by people holding opposing views. This has historically been the focal point of free speech in Sydney.
There is also a fantastic view of the Sydney Tower from the centre of the Domain. This view is in a very open part of the Domain and so is popular with tourists and Sydneysiders, many having picnics there each day. The photo above highlights this view
Events
Major events are now hosted annually in the Domain, usually during the Summer period in December and January and as part of the Sydney FestivalSydney Festival
Sydney Festival is Australia's largest and most attended annual cultural event running every January since it was first held in 1977. Its program features around 80 events including contemporary and classical music, dance, circus, drama, visual arts and artist talks...
. Some of the more popular include the annual Carols in the Domain at Christmas hosted by channel seven, the Homebake
Homebake
Homebake is an annual Australian rock festival, featuring an all-Australian lineup . The festival was first held on 4 January 1996 at Belongil Fields in Byron Bay, on the far north coast of New South Wales...
music festival, Tropfest
Tropfest
Tropfest is the world's largest short film festival.Tropfest began in 1993 as a screening for 200 people in a cafe in Sydney but has since become the largest platform for short films in the world. Tropfest Australia takes place in February each year in front of a live audience of approximately...
short film festival, Symphony in The Domain
Symphony in the Domain
Symphony in The Domain is the second of three open air concerts that are held in The Domain, Sydney - Summer Sounds and Symphony, as part of Sydney Festival, and Mazda Opera in The Domain. Symphony in The Domain is traditionally held on the third Saturday evening of January, performed by the...
, Jazz in the Domain
Jazz in the Domain
Summer Sounds in The Domain is the first of three open-air concerts, that take place during the month of January. Summer Sounds in The Domain is part of Sydney Festival, and is traditionally held on the second Saturday evening of January...
and Opera in The Domain
Opera in The Domain
Opera in the Domain presented by Opera Australia is an open air concert held in the Phillip Precinct of the Royal Botanical Gardens, Sydney. Every January, thousands of Sydney-siders flock to the Domain for a night of free opera. The event itself has been running since 2000 and since 2005 has been...
. The Open Air Cinema operates in the summer months near the Fleet Steps. The movie screen sits in the water at Farm Cove, with the audience seated along the foreshore.
The Domain has also been a popular site for political protests, including Palm Sunday rallies, May Day demonstrations, and anti-war and anti-conscription protests.
During the Australian constitutional crisis of 1975
Australian constitutional crisis of 1975
The 1975 Australian constitutional crisis has been described as the greatest political crisis and constitutional crisis in Australia's history. It culminated on 11 November 1975 with the removal of the Prime Minister, Gough Whitlam of the Australian Labor Party , by Governor-General Sir John Kerr...
, the Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
held their policy launch in 'the Domain' on 24 November 1975 before a huge crowd.
The Domain was on the short-list of venues to hold the Sydney stop-off of the Spice Girls'
Spice Girls
The Spice Girls were a British pop girl group formed in 1994. The group consisted of Victoria Beckham , Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm and Geri Halliwell. They were signed to Virgin Records and released their debut single, "Wannabe" in 1996, which hit number-one in more than 30...
The Return of the Spice Girls
The Return of the Spice Girls
The Return of the Spice Girls was the second Europe-North America concert tour by British girl group the Spice Girls. This reunion tour visited five countries in both North America and Europe. This tour marked the group's first tour since 1999's Christmas in Spiceworld tour of the United Kingdom,...
world tour in early 2008. It was planned that the show would be performed to 100,000+ fans with the surrounding areas gated off and secured for the day. This plan was however cast aside as government approval could not be processed quick enough.
External links
- Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney website - manager of The Domain