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The location
A century ago Blackwattle Bay was a busy maritime precinct and Wentworth Park was a Sydney showpiece - the oval at the centre of the park was the location of many famous sporting contests. Over the years the demographics and appearance of the area changed. Pyrmont, Ultimo and Glebe lost their appeal as residential areas, and the erection of forbidding concrete walls after greyhound racing was introduced in the 1930s caused Wentworth Park to lose its character as a "people's park".
In 2005 residents groups in Pyrmont, Ultimo and Glebe joined together to form the Blackwattle Cove Coalition (BCC), which set about reversing this trend. BCC recognised that the Blackwattle Cove precinct has the potential to be a great asset, both for the surrounding suburbs and to Greater Sydney.
Changes are afoot
Look around you and you will see… This grand old park of amazing size (13 ha) is slowly regaining its beauty. It has a long way to go but it has started. Since 2007 the Sydney City Council has erected playground equipment, physical fitness stations, new lighting and pathways. The Wentworth Park Sporting Trust, which controls the centre part of the park where greyhound races are held, pulled down the western side of the concrete wall and the turnstiles, and opened up the Sporting Complex vista - a great start to establishing the grandeur of the site again.
And there is more to come! With the support of the Sporting Complex Trust and the City of Sydney, the eastern wall is coming down. The infills of six viaduct arches are also being removed. Keep watching Wentworth Park - things are changing!
The tower at Wentworth Park has been restored. The tower was used to signal the results of greyhound races and provided the vantage point for the man responsible for keeping the "bunny" (lure) ahead of the racing dogs.