A short history of Macarthur Park……
The official opening of the park was held 10 October 1906 and was officiated by the donor, in the presence of a large gathering of the community. The original fence is still standing and the tender called for its construction required it to be ‘sheep proof'.
From the park a glorious vista of the surrounding district is obtained. The range of hills to the south is Razorback Range - about 350 metres high. Slightly west is Mount Hunter - 295 metres high - so named by Governor Hunter in 1796 whilst in the area was named ‘The Cowpastures'. To the west are the Blue Mountains. To the east can be seen the Macarthur Homestead, known as Camden Park.
Located in Menangle Road, the park is a small part of John Macarthur's last grant, called his ‘North Camden' grant, covering 5,400 acres and granted to him in 1825, only 8 years before his death, when the whole Estate was about 33,000 acres. The park was a gift to the people of Camden by the last Mrs Elizabeth Macarthur-Onslow, a grand daughter of John Macarthur. In those days Camden was really a ‘rural' village with virtually no residential blocks beyond Murray Street. Menangle Road was a dirt track winding out past the park and Hospital towards the Camden Park dairy homestead and the Estate itself.
This cache is located within the park, close to the playground where Geokiddies can swing to their heart’s content and there are plenty of grassy spots to roll out a picnic blanket and chill for a while…
So enjoy the park and tick this one off your list.