Prince Alfred Square, Heritage park in Parramatta, Australia.
Prince Alfred Square is a heritage park on the northern side of Parramatta River covering roughly 1.5 hectares with diagonal paths bordered by century-old trees. The central location within Parramatta's business district is accessible via Church Street and offers space for community gatherings and outdoor activities.
The grounds held Parramatta's second jail from 1804 to 1841 and housed the city's first female factory until 1821. The shift to a public recreation space represented a major turning point in the site's past.
The square took its name in 1868 to honor Prince Alfred's visit, replacing earlier local names like Gaol Green and Hanging Green. This naming marks when the location shifted from a place associated with punishment to one for public enjoyment.
The park is easy to reach on foot and accessible from all sides, especially if you are coming from the nearby business district. Open space throughout makes it simple to walk around and find a spot to rest, so it works well for a quick visit between other city activities.
The square's oldest plantings date from around 1869–70s: Moreton Bay figs, a camphor laurel and a bunya pine. The site itself was a Burramatta women's site before European settlement, and later Governor Phillip's government farm "Land in Cultivation" appears there on a plan of c. 1790.
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