Barangaroo Point Park, from wasteland to awesomeness

This is the newest foreshore park in Sydney, marking the transformation of one of the city’s oldest industrial sites into what it is today – a spectacular, six hectare headland open space for everyone to welcome and enjoy.

This is an incredible transformation –  I walked the old wharf quite some time ago and am blown away by the landscaping along the foreshores of the harbour. This is an amazing refurbishment of what was a fairly ugly part of the Sydney Harbour foreshores. 

To see an excellent post from GardenDrum’s Angus Stewart.

What has happened since these early days?

Foreshore image, early in the development of the reserve.

 

A concrete container terminal has been transformed using innovative, imaginative industry-first technology. The most apparent change was creating an naturalistic rocky outcrop with the area surrounding it landscaped with a massive 75,000 native trees and shrubs.

It is not only the views that attract visitors, but lookouts, extensive walking and cycling trails, idyllic coves, picnic spots and places for just some quiet time.

From a wasteland to an area that can be enjoyed either from the water or by cycle/pedestrian paths.

 

 

The same area- this image was taken two years ago so this view will have already progressed since then.

This is the newest foreshore park in Sydney, marking the transformation of one of the city’s oldest industrial sites into what it is today – a spectacular, six hectare headland open space for everyone to welcome and enjoy.

The Parramatta ferry service goes past Barangaroo Reserve on its outbound and inwardbound  journey from Circular Quay and gives a fantastic view of the reserve from a different perspective, that from the water. The placement of the sandstone boulder steps certainly gives a naturalistic view of the foreshore and coupled with the now flourishing plants this area is a real treat to see.

Iconic Harbour Bridge glimpsed between planted vegetation

The Design mimics pre 1836 shoreline

The Reserve was designed by leading Australian landscape architects in association with a US based company after being successful in an international tender. Their winning design mimics the rugged, sandstone, pre 1836 shoreline of the Harbour set against the now towering cityscape of Sydney.

Why the name Barangaroo?

The area has been named after Barangaroo, a Cammeraygal woman who was a powerful voice in colonial days. This reserve has a rich Aboriginal and cultural history, so therefore is of great significance for Australians across all cultures.

What determined the plant choices?

The choice of vegetation was grounded on what would have been growing in the Sydney region in pre-European settlement times. Choosing those plants was largely the work of Stuart Pittendright, an acclaimed Australian horticulturalist and landscape architect whose specialty is in Sydney’s native botanic species.

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