invme Place
Everywhere
All cities · Everywhere →
EN
ENEnglish RURussian FRFrench DEGerman ITItalian ESSpanish PTPortuguese PT-BRBrazilian Portuguese ES-MXLatin American Spanish FR-CACanadian French EN-GBBritish English UKUkrainian PLPolish JAJapanese NLDutch KOKorean SVSwedish DADanish NBNorwegian FIFinnish CSCzech HEHebrew ELGreek ZH-HANTTraditional Chinese HUHungarian RORomanian HRCroatian SKSlovak SLSlovenian ETEstonian LVLatvian LTLithuanian BGBulgarian TRTurkish

Hyde Park

Parks ·Sydney
4.619.9K
#2Parks in Sydney#4Parks in AustraliaTravelers' Choice 2025
Make a plan here
Directions Website Call Bookmark

Sign up free — See who's going and message them.

Is this your place? Get the badge for your website

About

Hyde Park is Australia’s oldest public park in Sydney’s city centre, between Elizabeth Street and College Street.

More photos 2

1 / 2
Hyde Park — Broad park lawn with a tree line beneath a cloudy sky

Hyde Park — Broad park lawn with a tree line beneath a cloudy skyHyde Park — Visitors relaxing on a grassy bank beside the water

What's on here

scissors, paper, rock competition scissors, paper, rock competition Wednesday, 14:30Free Go-To-Market and Chief Revenue Officer Summit 2026 Go-To-Market and Chief Revenue Officer Summit 2026 Wednesday, 16:45147 AUD Grandmother of all Rallies - Sydney NSW Grandmother of all Rallies - Sydney NSW Saturday, 11:00Free House Always Wins - EngSoc x TechSoc Ball House Always Wins - EngSoc x TechSoc Ball Thursday, 19:00115 AUD GPA Mardi Gras Float GPA Mardi Gras Float Saturday, 14:00100 AUD Emerge & See Gratitude Gala - Silver Linings Emerge & See Gratitude Gala - Silver Linings 4 Jun 2027 – 5 Jun 2027

Why go

  • Archibald Fountain commemorates Australia’s wartime alliance with France.
  • The Anzac Memorial stands behind the Lake of Reflections.
  • Moreton Bay and Port Jackson figs planted in the 1860s still grow in the park.
  • Thornton Obelisk resembles an Egyptian obelisk and once served as a sewer vent.

Entrances

  • Bathurst Street entranceThe park entrance faces Bathurst Street across Elizabeth Street.Elizabeth Street

Don't miss

  • Captain Cook statueThe statue stands at the park’s highest point.Hyde Park
  • Sandringham GardensGardens on the park’s eastern side near Park Street and College Street.Eastern side of Hyde Park
  • Frazer Memorial FountainThe fountain originally had drinking cups on its basin and bronze dolphin-shaped taps.Corner of Oxford and College Streets1881

What you see

  • The Captain Cook statue marks the park’s highest point, with a Cook’s pine beside it.

With kids

  • Bring a picnic or take a stroll through the grounds, with shaded places under the trees for a rest.

Photo spots

  • Archibald FountainApollo, other gods and mythological creatures surround the fountain’s pond.Northern end of Hyde Park
  • Thornton ObeliskUnveiled by mayor George Thornton in 1857.Western side, facing Bathurst Street

Shorts

History

The area is understood to have formed part of an Aboriginal ceremonial contest ground, drawing people from around Sydney and as far as the Hunter and Illawarra. Its exact location is uncertain, though it was probably near the southern park. Hyde Park later hosted Australia’s first organised horse race, ten days after Macquarie named it, and served as Sydney’s racecourse in 1820–1821.

  1. 1788Local Aboriginal people hunted ducks in the marshes that became the park.
  2. 1810Governor Lachlan Macquarie reserved the area as public space, named it Hyde Park after London’s park, and set it aside for recreation and troop exercises.
  3. 1817–1819Hyde Park Barracks was built at the park’s northern end under Macquarie’s direction.
  4. 1821The foundation stone for St Mary’s Cathedral was laid beside the park’s northeastern side.
  5. 1926The electric railway through Museum and St James opened in December, following excavations that reshaped the park’s western and central areas.
Show all
  1. 1927Norman Weekes won the restoration competition with a design drawn by Raymond McGrath.
  2. 1930–1934The Anzac Memorial was built at the southern end, with sculptures directed by Raynor Hoff.
  3. 2011Hyde Park was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register.

How to get there

  • TrainSt James Station is beside the park.
  • TrainMuseum Station is next to the park. Entrances are near the Anzac Memorial.
  • BusBuses are nearby.
  • TramLight rail is nearby.

Sources: Hyde Park, Sydney - Wikipedia · Hyde Park, Sydney - Wikipedia (part 2) · Hyde Park, Sydney - Wikipedia (part 3) · Sydney/City Centre - Wikivoyage (see) · Hyde Park, Sydney - City of Sydney · Hyde Park (Sydney) - Wikipedia · Hyde Park (Sydney) - Wikipedia · checked 28 Sep 2026

Where
Elizabeth St, Sydney New South Wales

Plan from here: Evening walk →

Questions and answers

When is Hyde Park open?

The park grounds are open 24 hours every day.

Does Hyde Park host events?

It occasionally hosts public and private events and functions.

Is Hyde Park heritage-listed?

It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 13 December 2011.

Was there once a zoo in Hyde Park?

A zoo operated in the park in 1849.

Was Hyde Park used for public debate?

It hosted Sunday political and civic speeches and election meetings.

How invme works
  1. See who's going — faces, not ticket counts.
  2. Write to someone who shares your interests — no swipes, no matches, no paywall.
  3. Pick the event or the place to meet at — and go together.
Join free

Reviews on invme

Sign in to review
Comment Share
Loading comments…