The Field of Mars Reserve is a protected

nature reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...

located on the northern suburbs of Sydney, in the state of

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

, Australia. The 50 Hectare (123.5 acres) reserve is a remnant of bushland situated between the Lane Cove and

Parramatta Parramatta () is a suburb and major Central business district, commercial centre in Greater Western Sydney, located in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located approximately west of the Sydney central business district on the ban ...

rivers within the suburb of

East Ryde East Ryde is a suburb of Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Australia. East Ryde is in the Northern Sydney region and is located 12 kilometers north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of ...

and near Gladesville, Hunters Hill and

Ryde Ryde is an English seaside town and civil parish on the north-east coast of the Isle of Wight. The built-up area had a population of 23,999 according to the 2011 Census and an estimate of 24,847 in 2019. Its growth as a seaside resort came a ...

Features

The name Field of Mars was given by Governor

Arthur Phillip Admiral Arthur Phillip (11 October 1738 – 31 August 1814) was a British Royal Navy officer who served as the first governor of the Colony of New South Wales. Phillip was educated at Greenwich Hospital School from June 1751 unti ...

, when in January 1792 he granted to two

marines Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force trained to operate in littoral zones in support of naval operations. Historically, tasks undertaken by marines have included helping maintain discipline and order aboard the ship (ref ...

the first parcels of land, later expanded to eight parcels in this district. There are a number of theories on the origin of the name, the first is that it was a direct reference to the Roman God of war and the marines' service in the colony. The second theory is that it is named after the Roman

Campus Martius The Campus Martius (Latin for the "Field of Mars", Italian ''Campo Marzio'') was a publicly owned area of ancient Rome about in extent. In the Middle Ages, it was the most populous area of Rome. The IV rione of Rome, Campo Marzio, which cov ...

, which also has a military connection. The third theory is that it is named after the

Champ de Mars The Champ de Mars (; en, Field of Mars) is a large public greenspace in Paris, France, located in the seventh ''arrondissement'', between the Eiffel Tower to the northwest and the École Militaire to the southeast. The park is named after th ...

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. ...

, again with military connections. The name was later used on the

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or ...

in the area, which is still today used on land titles. The area became known initially as the Field of Mars Common. The reserve was a

gazetted A gazette is an official journal, a newspaper of record, or simply a newspaper. In English and French speaking countries, newspaper publishers have applied the name ''Gazette'' since the 17th century; today, numerous weekly and daily newspaper ...

as a wildlife refuge in 1979 under the and features considerable flora and fauna and contains an environmental education centre. The reserve adjoins the Field of Mars Cemetery, bounded by Strangers Creek in the north and Wellington Road in the south. The Field of Mars Fires devastated part of the reserve by bushfires in 2002. The Sydney suburb of derives its name from the reserve.

References

External links

* Geography of Sydney Nature reserves in New South Wales Protected areas established in 1979 1979 establishments in Australia {{Sydney-geo-stub

Features

See also

References

External links