A small plaque, barely noticeable, at the base of the Church Street Side of St John’s Cathedral, marks the occasion when St John’s Church and Parramatta Council agreed to the beautification and establishment of a rest park in the grounds of St John’s Church.
This footage shows St John’s Park before beautification and the dedication ceremony held on the 15th November 1953. The dedication ceremony as seen in this footage, was opened by Mayor E. A. Mobbs and Bishop Co-Adjutor of Sydney, the Rev. W. G. Hilliard. The project in many ways opened up the Church grounds to the public as it eventually became incorporated into the Church Street Mall, and now Centenary Square.
The footage shows views of St John’s Church, Parramatta, before and after major landscaping work on the park area as well as views of traffic, pedestrians, shops, Royal Memorial Gates, and the Parramatta Town Hall on Church Street. Note the fence around St John’s Cathedral and the thick foliage produced by the Moreton Bay Fig trees before landscaping was undertaken.