Beatson Park, Wollongong

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The Spreading Figtree, Beatson Park, 5 May 2011. Photo: Neil Whitfield.

Why, and what for?

During November 2024 the writer was contacted regarding the history of Beatson Park, Wollongong. This small public reserve is located on the northern side of Crown Street, the main arterial road through the city. It contains a magnificent Moreton Bay figtree and is surrounded on three sides by buildings, with a busy road on the fourth, to the south. The correspondent had spent some time there with a child and was interested in the site's historical background - when was it set aside? What was it set aside for? Who was Beatson? And what of the magnificent figtree located at its very heart? Some of these questions will be answered below.

According to information provided by Wollongong City Council, J.A. Beatson Park is a Crown Reserve and Public Park, located between 370 and 372 Crown Street, Wollongong. Within the reserve there is a picnic table, a park sign, fencing, a rock retaining wall likely dating from the 1920s, and a heritage listed Morton Bay Figtree which dominates the allotment. It is nevertheless a small natural sanctuary in a busy part of Wollongong, substantially covered by tree canopy, and adjoining a bus stop.

The origin of the park appears to focus on the figtree, which may be a couple of hundred years old, and possibly present prior to European settlement of Wollongong around 1816, though more likely planted around the 1850s by a Mr Allen (Old Pioneer 1924). The earliest reference is as Rosemont Park, attached to the Rosemont Estate. The site was offered for sale around 1909 and a group of local citizens sought to purchase it for £90 for the city, as there was a dearth of public recreational reserves in the west of the township. Government provided £20 towards the purchase, which was finalised in 1912. Since then the park has been used for a variety of public functions, ranging from fetes, fairs and stop work meetings, through to everyday activities such as sitting, having a lunch break, or picnicking. Due to its small size, location, limited facilities, overwhelming canopy and generally dark setting, the park is little known and little utilised. It does, however, serve as a sanctuary for the figtree.

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A chronology

1908

* 18 August, Illawarra Mercury: A plan was submitted to Wollongong Council for a subdivision of the Rosemont Estate, west Wollongong. Most of the lots were sold during November and December.

1909

* January: Contributions towards purchase of Rosemont Park have commenced.

* 7 August, South Coast Times:

Mayor Minute

The minute recommended that 'Rosemont Park' be fenced; this land was being purchased by some 20 gentlemen for presentation to the Council as a park; it was only right that the Council should fence it.

1910

* 13 May, Illawarra Mercury:

Mayoral Minute

With the exception of Rosemont Park, which has not yet been handed over to the people, the West Ward has [no reserves set aside for recreational purposes].

1911

* 12 September, Illawarra Mercury:

Wollongong Council

J. A. Beatson forwarded balance sheet in connection with purchase of Rosemont Park. Purchase money was £90. Some generous citizens had subscribed £60 16s 3d. The Government subsidised the purchase to the extent of £20. This left £9 6s 6d owing, which he paid himself to complete the purchase. In due time the park will be handed over to the council. The Mayor said that Mr. Beatson should be thanked for his generous action in subscribing the balance of the purchase money, and suggested that it would be advisable when the park is handed over to have afternoon tea, and name the park the 'J.A. Beatson Park.' Ald. Towle moved and Ald. Stoyles seconded that the thanks of the council be accorded Mr. Beatson and the citizens who subscribed to this object.

Beatson Park

Beatson Park. The following donations have been received towards the purchase of Rosemont Park. The purchase money was £90, and the Government donated £20; this, together with the public subscription, left a shortage of £9 6s 3d, and Mr. Beatson very generously made up the deficiency. Messrs. J. A. Beatson, A. G. Beatson, J. W. Russell, W. Lance, W. J. Wiseman, G. W. Payne, F. W. Philpotts, A. Brickwood £2 17s each; R. Finlayson, T. Collins, E. Goodridge, K Allen, N. Smith, A. G. Bodimeade, Pratt and Owen, H. Cox £2 12s each; D. M'Guirk £2 18s 3d, J. C. Jones £3 Is, J. A. Figtree £2 18s 3d, O'Donnoll and Stumbles £5 2s; Rev. P. J. Walsh £1 l1s ; Robt. M'Cammon £1 1s 3d ; C. M. Reeves 5s; C. T. Smith, W. G. Stewart, Rev Barnet 2s 6d each. Total £60 16s 3d.

* 15 September 1911, South Coast Times:

Park for Rosemont

At the meeting of the Wollongong Council on Friday night a letter from Mr. J. A. Beatson was received, intimating that the purchase of the figtree allotment on the Rosemount subdivision had been completed, and the property would shortly be transferred to the Council as a recreation ground. Mr. Beatson desired to thank all who had assisted him in the matter. An accompanying statement showed that subscriptions, totalling £60 16s, had been received, the Government contributed £20, and Mr. Beatson (in addition to subscription) handed in his cheque for the balance, £9 6s 3d. The Mayor said that Mr. Beatson should be thanked for what he had done in this matter; he had taken a great deal of trouble, and had acted very liberally, as he always did in other matters. He thought there should be some ceremony, and the place named Beatson Park. On the motion of Aldermam Stoyles it was decided that Mr. Beatson and other contributors be thanked. A suggestion by Alderman Payne that Mr. Beatson be informed, that the contributors would be officially thanked, was adopted. [Here follows donation and account information covering the £90 purchase price of the land.]

* 12 October, Illawarra Mercury:

Mayoral Minute

With a view of in the near future improving the parks and reserves in the municipality, and with an eye to their ornamentation by planting suitable trees and flower plots, the minute suggested that Mr. Maiden, the director of the Botanic Gardens, be asked to visit Wollongong to report upon the present tree planting, and also to suggest the best method to adopt in order that Market Square, Brighton Lawn, George's Place, Rosemont Park, Stuart Park, and other parks, reserves or recreation grounds, may be improved and made beautiful by the planting of suitable trees, shrubs, etc. Wollongong is fast becoming a town of importance, and it is highly necessary that the parks and reserves should be made as nice and as beautiful as the council's finances will allow. The Mayor said the picturesque side of Wollongong should not be neglected, and he thought it was a good idea to have Mr. Maiden's report upon the best means of improving the beauty of the town, and to advise the council generally upon tree planting.

1912

* Purchase completed of the land, formerly part of the Rosemont Estate.

1913

* 8 January: Beatson Park is declared a public park, with Council as trustees.

1915

* 23 April, South Coast Times: Recommendation that a fence be built around Beatson Park and wooden seats be placed in the area.

1919

* 14 February, Illawarra Mercury:

Fete

On Wednesday last a very successful fete was held under the Spreading Figtree (which is quite a historic tree, believed to be 70 or 100 years old, and which was preserved by the citizens of Wollongong subscribing and purchasing the site on which it stands) in Beatson Park for the purpose of raising funds for the erection of a Sunday School building on Rosemont. The opening ceremony was performed by the Mayoress, Mrs. J. A. Mayo.

1921

* 18 February, South Coast Times: Rosemont Church annual fair held on Saturday, 19th February in Beatson Park.

1924

* 16 May, Illawarra Mercury: Reminiscences of Illawarra, from the Diary of a Pioneer:

Pioneers of Illawarra and the Native Born

Robert James. — Robert James, who reached the age of 90 yeas last March, may safely be classed as the oldest living native of Illawarra. Born on the Berkeley Estate in the year 1834, he lived at Berkeley for nine years, and then removed to Mount Kembla, where for 80 years he has lived without a break. The district was very young when Mr. James first saw the light of day on the famous old Berkeley Estate. The years of '50 or '60 of the last century hold many pioneers living to-day, but it is very rare that we find anyone living who can trace the years from '34, In this case we have a man living who talks with a clear memory of what to us is only history. He speaks of driving a bullock between the shafts of a dray to Wollongong, with a load of potatoes. He tells of how the potatoes were loaded into the boats, carried along a temporary jetty made of planks to the boats. - 'The Old Billy,' 'William the Fourth,' and 'John Penn,' and as the memory comes stealing back out of the dim past he laughs and tells his interesting story. He was the first man who worked the kerosene shale at Mount Kembla. He did not know that it was kerosene shale, and used to name it' 'Mother of Coal.' Then one day Dr. Fawcett and a Mr. Miller - teacher from Fairy Meadow - were at Mount Kembla prospecting and came across a fire burning with the shale. The smell of the burning oil drew their attention, with the result, that the mine was opened as a commercial venture. Mr. James tells of having sold the fig trees, which are growing at the Mount Keira Hotel, to the owner of the hotel at the time (Hugh Higgins) for 1/- each; also the fig tree which is growing in Beatson Park, Wollongong, he sold as a small tree to Mr. Allen, who planted it.

1955

* April, Illawarra Historical Society Bulletin: Brief history of the park.

At sale of Rosemont Sub-division, No., 1903, a number of townsmen purchased Lots 11 and 12. Sect. 1 as a public park in name of J. A. Beatson, organiser of movement. Purchase completed 1912 with help of Govt. contribution and declared a Public Park. 8th Jan., 1913. Council are Trustees.

2024

* 23 July - Wollongong nurses and midwives hold an industrial meeting and 4 hour stop work at Beatson Park.

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References

Beatson Park, Wollongong, Illawarra Historical Society Bulletin, April 1955.

Old Pioneer, Reminiscences of Illawarra, from the Diary of a Pioneer, Illawarra Mercury, 16 May 1924.

Whitfield, Neil, Beatson Park, West Wollongong, Neil's Commonplace Book [blog], 12 May 2015. A collection of three photographs taken on 11 May 2015.

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Last updated: 14 November 2024

Michael Organ, Australia