Cremorne Gardens was a

pleasure garden A pleasure garden is a park or garden that is open to the public for recreation and entertainment. Pleasure gardens differ from other public gardens by serving as venues for entertainment, variously featuring such attractions as concert halls ...

established in Sydney in 1856. The Gardens were not successful and closed in 1862. Their legacy today is the names of two local suburbs.

History

J.R. Clarke and his partner Charles H. Woolcott rented part of the peninsula leading to Robertson Point in 1856 from

James Milson James Milson (25 November 1783 – 25 October 1872) was an early settler on the North Shore of Sydney, Australia. He was born on 25 November 1783 at Grantham, Lincolnshire, England and died at the age of 88 on 25 October 1872 at Milsons Poi ...

, a prominent land holder in Northern Sydney. Woolcott was a former Town Clerk of the City of Sydney and resident of Ivycliff at

Berrys Bay Berrys Bay is a bay located to the east of the Waverton Peninsula and the west of McMahons Point, on the north of Sydney Harbour. A number of ship building firms operate from the bay. History In 2008 the Government of New South Wales called f ...

. Clarke and Woolcott then turned the rented land into a pleasure garden called Cremorne Gardens, after a similar pleasure garden in London. The Gardens opened on 24 March 1856, with a display of fireworks, three years after James Ellis reestablished his original Cremorne Gardens in Melbourne from London. Other amusements, including merry-go-rounds, band music, dancing, archery, quoits and refreshments, were offered for a 2 shillings admission charge which included the ferry fare from

Circular Quay Circular Quay is a harbour, former working port and now international passenger shipping port, public piazza and tourism precinct, heritage area, and transport node located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on the northern edge of the Syd ...

. The Gardens were not a success and closed after six years, in 1862.

Legacy

The Sydney Cremorne Gardens were one of a number which were developed around Australia based on the London original, some lasting well into the 20th Century, such as the Cremorne Theatre, Brisbane. Later, when

developed land behind Robertson Point, it was given the name

Cremorne Point Cremorne Point is a harbourside suburb on the Lower North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Cremorne is located 6 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of North Sydney Council. Cremor ...

, after the Gardens. Today, the name of the suburb is often used in place of Robertson Point for the point itself. Cremorne, a suburb further to the north, and Cremorne Junction, a locality within the suburb, also take their names from the Gardens.

References

{{Reflist Defunct amusement parks in Australia