Address: 1-3 Fitzwilliam Street, Parramatta NSW
On Friday 25 September 2015, the Fitzwilliam Street Library was officially opened by then City of Parramatta Council Acting CEO Sue Coleman and Lord Mayor Cr Scott Lloyd. This is a temporary library in preparation for the demolition of the old Civic Place Parramatta Central Library and the new library being built as part of the Parramatta Square redevelopment, expected to be completed in 2022.[2,3]
The Fitzwilliam Street Library is leased from Raffles and has a floor space of 2,200 square metres, spread across 3 floors with the Ground floor and Level 1 being library public areas and Library staff work areas on Level 1 and 2. The Ground floor which is directly across from the Parramatta train station and bus transits includes the entrance to the Library, stairs to Level 1, the returns room and public returns chutes, bookable public computers and copy print facilities, magazines and books, as well as a staffed service area where clients can ask for assistance.
Upstairs on Level 1, access is either from the stairway connected to the Ground floor or via the lifts connected to Raffle College entry lobby. Toilets are near the level 1 lifts. This floor also includes a foyer, service desk where reservations can be picked up, self-check machines, public photocopier area, HSC area, Reference/Tech bar, Children Area with a pram parking area next to the space rocket opposite the caterpillar book shelves/boxes. There is also a quiet study room, the Learning Centre, Macquarie room, Darug Room. Behind the scene, there is also staff meeting rooms and workrooms on level 1 and 2.
History of the Building – Enterprise House
Enterprise House is a 7-storey office building with basement parking for 106 cars plus a roof-top sports floor, tennis court and sauna. In early 1988, construction was completed and bought by the National Mutual Australian Property Trust (now AXA Australia's Wholesale Australian Property Fund) in December 1988. It was officially opened in 1989. The Ground level was refurbished in mid-2006 with a net lettable area of 9,785 square metres. Previous tenants include Department of Environment & Climate Change, NSW Office of Fair Trading and Probation and Parole Service.[4,5]
The building was sold in 2014 to Singapore-listed company Raffles Education Corporation for $29 million.[6] Raffles began with one college in 1990 and now runs more than 20 colleges and universities across the world. In 2019, Enterprise House was sold to a trust run by private Asian company Wentruth for $80 million.[7] Current tenants include: Raffle College of Design and Commerce, ECA and Swinburne University of Technology venture, and City of Parramatta Council in the form of the Library, and Parramatta Computer Pals.
Temporary Closure[8]
In response to the current COVID-19 restrictions, City of Parramatta Council decided to temporarily close library facilities until further notice. The library automatically extend the loan of all items until reopening. Online library was accessible at all hours via http://parra.city/online
Library Services
To discover the services and digital programming at the Parramatta Library, see the Library’s social media platforms and websites:
- https://www.cityofparramatta.nsw.gov.au/community/library or
- https://www.cityofparramatta.nsw.gov.au/community/library/your-library-at-home
- Online library is always open 24/7 to view online resources, including ebooks, eAudio, browsing eMagazines and eNewspapers - http://parra.city/online
Fitzwilliam Street Library Closes Permanently
Parramatta Library closed its doors at Fitzwilliam Street for the last time in September 2022.
The Library is now permanently located at Phive Parramatta Square on the 1st and 2nd levels of the building after a wonderful opening season starting on the 22nd September 2022.
Please visit the library website at https://www.cityofparramatta.nsw.gov.au/community/library for all of our library services and programs.
Anne Tsang, Research Assistant, Parramatta Heritage Centre, City of Parramatta, 2021.
References
- @parracity. (2021). Parramatta Library [image], Twitter. Retrieved from https://twitter.com/parracity/status/636394908731895809/photo/1
- The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved from https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/parramatta/parramatta-library-closes-its-doors-to-make-way-for-parramatta-square-development/news-story/dac2dd09f9c309c0649f7c5913e44546
- City of Parramatta (2017). Draft social infrastructure strategy : section 1 community facilities, p. 43. Retrieved from https://www.cityofparramatta.com.au/sites/default/files/2017-08/Draft%20Social%20Infrastructure%20Strategy%20-%20Section%201.pdf
- Cityscope. (2013). Enterprise House, 1 - 3 Fitzwilliam Street, Parramatta, Parramatta Cityscope.
- Urbis (2015). Achieving A-grade office space in the Parramatta CBD : economic review. Retrieved from https://www.cityofparramatta.nsw.gov.au/sites/council/files/inline-files/Appendix_8_Economic_Review_Achieving_A-Grade_Office_Space_in_the_Parramatta_CBD_2015.pdf
- Fuary-Wagner, Ingrid. (2019, October 1). Singapore's Raffles Education finds buyer for Parramatta asset, Australian Financial Review. Retrieved from https://www.afr.com/property/commercial/singapore-s-raffles-education-finds-buyer-for-parramatta-asset-20190930-p52w8x
- Wilmot, Ben. (2019, October 2). Raffles Education sells Parramatta office block for $80m, Realcommercial.com. Retrieved from https://www.realcommercial.com.au/news/raffles-education-sells-parramatta-office-block-for-80m
- City of Parramatta (2021). Community : Library. Retrieved from https://www.cityofparramatta.nsw.gov.au/community/library
- About Phive: https://atparramatta.com/about-phive