Woollahra Gates

WOOLLAHRA GATES RESTORED AND REOPENED

Yesterday we marked the official opening of the newly restored Woollahra Gates in Centennial Park. This project was proudly supported by the Minister’s Stonework Program and the Centennial Parklands Foundation’s annual fundraising event in 2013, The Park Dinner, presented by Tiffany & Co., where $100,000 was raised for the project.

Over 40 valued Foundation supporters attended the opening, held at Belvedere Amphitheatre, where we also took the opportunity to thank the outgoing Chair of the Foundation, Sarah Whyte, for her selfless contribution to the Parklands over the past 14 years, and for whom this project was a final legacy.

Dedicated at the opening of Centennial Park in 1888, Woollahra Gates were designed by Government architect, W.L Vernon and constructed by Loveridge & Hudson Stonemasons, making them a significant part of Centennial Park’s history. Today they are an iconic entrance to the Park and a popular access point from the Bondi Junction area off Oxford Street, used by vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians all year round.

Works to the 126 year old heritage gates included restoration, repairs and general maintenance of the sandstone entry piers, fencing and railings. One of the prominent factors of the restoration was the reinstatement of the palisade fencing, which has been missing since the early 1900s.

The gates were respectfully restored by specialists from NSW Public Works and the Government Architect’s Office, who completed a similar restoration project of the Paddington Gates in 2013.