Ryde Park Rotunda

The decorative surrounds of the historic rotunda situated in the heart of Ryde Park combines black and rosa granite to highlight the entangled shadow of wisteria branches. The wisteria pattern is followed inside the rotunda, which also features snippets of the Park’s history and the fond local memories etched into the granite pavement.
Project Participants: Betty Willis, Maureen Copley, Annette Simpson, Eve Trevitt
Project Funding: City of Ryde and Beville Group - Top Ryde City
Project Artists: Milne and Stonehouse
Completion date: June 2009

The well-known Ryde Park Rotunda Bandstand has been given a new lease of life with a restoration that connects its 65 year old history to the present day through memories of the local community and park users.

At the early planning stage, residents were invited to become involved in the process and they, together with members of the Ryde Historical Society, volunteered their time to work with artists on the design and development of the rotunda floor.

The first task for the community members was to review the archives for historical information and also to recount their own memories of the Rotunda and general park area. This information was then provided to the artists to include in the design palette.

The result is the evocative new floor design reflecting a wisteria pattern in grey and rose coloured granite. Etched into the granite is a collection of images and written anecdotes that capture collective memories of Ryde Park.

The involvement of the community in the renovation of the Rotunda Bandstand helps to create a strong sense of ownership and pride in our city’s public spaces. The project is part of the $6 million upgrade of Ryde Park. It was undertaken as a partnership between the City of Ryde, the community and the developers of Top Ryde City, who part-funded this work.