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Sydney City Council

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Parks and Recreations Department

Unique IDAG-0010DescriptionThe Parks and Recreations Department was created as a result of Council's approval of a Parks and Open Space Development Scheme that would have increased the workload of CA 5, City Engineer's Department, beyond its capacity. It commenced operation on 21 September 1948 with the appointment of C S Garth as Director.

It was responsible for children's playgrounds and unsupervised play areas, kindergartens and baby health centres, maintenance of parks, reserves and playgrounds, supervision of sporting activities in recreation areas (including golf links, cricket wickets, football, basketball, hockey and softball at Moore Park), maintenance of the Parks Nursery at Bay Street.

The Department had close links with CA 73, City Health Department, as the City Health Officer carried out immunisations and regular medical examinations at the Parks Department's activity centres.

On 23 July 1979, the Sydney City Library was transferred from the control of CA 3, Administration Department, to the Parks and Recreations Department. At the same time, the Community Services Branch of the Parks Department, which was responsible for the activity and community centres, playgrounds, kindergartens and baby health centres, was transferred to the City Health Department, which was renamed CA 6, City Health and Community Services Department.

In 1981, the title of the Department was changed to Parks and Public Affairs. This was as a result of Council's concern that its Sister City Relationships (it had just entered into a new one with Nagoya), were properly catered for administratively. In a minute to Council from the Town Clerk, he states that the Controller of Parks and Recreations, Mr Ron Stringer, had looked after this function on an as required basis for many years. The renaming of the Department placed formal responsibility for the function of administering all aspects of Council's Sister City relationships with Stringer. This took effect from 1 April 1981.

The title of the Department was changed later the same year to Parks and Civic Affairs Department. On 12 June 1984, Council passed a resolution creating a new Department, CA 9, Civic and Public Affairs. With the creation of this Department, the Parks Department reverted to its former title, Parks and Recreations Department, and the civic affairs function went to the new Department. The Director of Parks and Civic Affairs, R D Stringer, became the Director of Civic and Public Affairs, the Chief Technical Officer of Parks and Civic Affairs, Ilmar Berzins, became the Director of Parks and Recreations. (CRS 116, 19.13.0010).

On 5 May 1987, Kevin Houlihan was appointed Director.

Commissioners who had replaced the Council, were empowered under the City of Sydney Act 1988 to draft organisational structures for the two councils (City of South Sydney and City of Sydney) constituted by the Act. The new structures were gazetted as Schedule 3 of the Act on 2 December 1988, to take effect on the 1 January 1989.

Under the new structures, the responsibility for maintenance and management of parks for the entire former City of Sydney area passed to the Council of the City of South Sydney, together with all of the staff of the former Parks and Recreations Department. The responsibility for recreation management moved to CA 6, Health and Community Services Department and to South Sydney City Council's Health and Community Services Department. Control of the parks in the City of Sydney area did not go to South Sydney, so a liaison and supervising position in CA 28, City Engineer's Department II called the Parks Manager, was created.

Sources: CRS 34: TC 1597/1948; CRS 116: 19.13.0001, 19.13.0002, 19.13.0003, 19.13.CreationResolution of Council 17 May 1948AbolitionCity of Sydney Act 1988

Series

Aldermen's Service Cards

Parks Plans Job and Index Cards

Parks and Recreations Department Correspondence Files

Invitations and Christmas Cards

Sister City Proclamations

Annual Reports II

Architectural and Engineering Drawings Relating to the Hyde Park Project

Records of the Hyde Park Project

Photographs of the Hyde Park Project

City of Sydney Youth Service Committee Minute Book

Plans of Parks, Reserves and Playgrounds [Municipal Council of Sydney / City of Sydney]

Parks and Recreations Department Correspondence Register

Printed Programs of Entertainments and Civic Events

Audio Recordings

General Correspondence and Subject Files

Register of Fountains, Obelisks, Statues and Memorials (dismantled)

Photographic Prints from Parks and Recreations Department

Index to Deputy Chief Commissioner's Correspondence

Lord Mayor Sutherland's Subject Files

Lord Mayor Sutherland's Alphabetical Correspondence

Central Activity Files

Photographs of Peter Murphy

Indexes to Lord Mayor's Outgoing Correspondence

Agency

Leichhardt Municipal Council

Parks and Recreations Review Sub-Committee

South Sydney City Council Parks and Properties Department

South Sydney City Council Health and Community Services Department

City Engineer's Department II

South Sydney Municipal Council Municipal Engineer's Department

Civic and Public Affairs Department

Sydney City Library

Health and Community Services

Description

Start date21st September 1948End date31st December 1988Relationship legacy dataPRECEDED BY: Waterloo Municipal Council AG-0071 (01/01/1949)
PRECEDED BY: Paddington Municipal Council AG-0070 (01/01/1949)
PRECEDED BY: Redfern Municipal Council AG-0069 (01/01/1949)
PRECEDED BY: Newtown Municipal Council AG-0068 (01/01/1949)
PRECEDED BY: Glebe Municipal Council AG-0066 (01/01/1949)
PRECEDED BY: Erskineville Municipal Council AG-0065 (01/01/1949)
PRECEDED BY: Darlington Municipal Council AG-0064 (01/01/1949)
PRECEDED BY: Alexandria Municipal Council AG-0062 (01/01/1949)
PRECEDED BY: South Sydney Municipal Council Municipal Engineers Department AG-0017 (01/01/1982)
PRECEDED BY: Administration Department AG-0003 (23/07/1979) - Library moved to Parks in 1979
PRECEDED BY: City Engineers Department I AG-0005 (21/09/1948)
RELATED TO: Sydney City Council OR-0001 (21/09/1948 to 31/12/1988)
RELATED TO: External committees FN-0028 (01/04/1981 to 12/06/1984)
RELATED TO: Ceremonial events and civic occasions FN-0020 (21/09/1948 to 12/06/1984)
RELATED TO: Parks and public spaces management FN-0014 (21/09/1948 to 31/12/1988)
RELATED TO: Community services and facilities FN-0013 (21/09/1948 to 31/12/1988)
SUBORDINATE AGENCY: Sydney/Portsmouth Sister City Committee AG-0180 (27/02/1984 to 14/06/1984)
SUBORDINATE AGENCY: Sydney Fountains Committee AG-0170 (03/09/1958 to 13/07/1967)
SUBORDINATE AGENCY: Lord Mayors Tivoli Command Performance Committee AG-0169 (29/07/1959 to 03/03/1967)
SUBORDINATE AGENCY: Sydney/San Francisco Sister City Committee AG-0147 (17/06/1981 to 14/06/1984)
SUBORDINATE AGENCY: Sydney/Nagoya Sister City Committee AG-0146 (23/06/1980 to 14/06/1984)
SUBORDINATE AGENCY: Japan Week Management Committee AG-0145 (22/02/1984 to 14/06/1984)
SUBORDINATE AGENCY: Sydney District Business Association AG-0164 (08/07/1981 to 14/06/1984)
SUBORDINATE AGENCY: Camperdown Memorial Rest Park Trust AG-0175 (28/01/1955 to 01/01/1970)
Source System ID10

Relationships

Preceding agenciesAlexandria Municipal CouncilDarlington Municipal CouncilErskineville Municipal CouncilGlebe Municipal CouncilNewtown Municipal CouncilRedfern Municipal CouncilPaddington Municipal CouncilWaterloo Municipal CouncilCity Engineer's Department IAdministration DepartmentSouth Sydney Municipal Council Municipal Engineer's DepartmentSubordinate agenciesCamperdown Memorial Rest Park TrustSydney District Business AssociationJapan Week Management CommitteeSydney/Nagoya Sister City CommitteeSydney/San Francisco Sister City CommitteeLord Mayor's Tivoli Command Performance CommitteeSydney Fountains CommitteeSydney/Portsmouth Sister City CommitteeOrganisationSydney City CouncilRelated functionsCommunity services and facilitiesParks and public spaces managementCeremonial events and civic occasionsExternal committees

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Parks and Recreations Department