Review by Aya Pfeufer

July 9, 2024

The Paddington Reservoir is a public garden at 255a Oxford Street, Paddington. Designed by Edward Bell, a city engineer, it was constructed from 1864 to 1866. It primarily functioned as a water reservoir and further on, carried out other purposes such as a service station. Now it is a frequently visited [award-winning] park. l had the privilege to see recently, being just around the corner from Eastside Radio Station, that the park is the perfection of architecture and history. As I appreciate aesthetics, it was great to see the different elements of the park. There were many visitors the day I went; workers were having their lunch break, some youths were listening to music and others were taking lots of pictures in front of the columns. The park was slowly forgotten about for many years before a mending scheme was put in place. It was only in the late 2000’s that the space was transmuted into a captivating public park that uses both elements of modern design and traditional design. 

The architecture features rows of columns and a spacious roof that provides shade on a sunny day. It was the perfect opportunity for me to both enjoy the weather and the view of the park. Although there is seating scattered across the park, there is not enough to accommodate how many visitors are coming in. It was popular the day I went too and only got more crowded as the day progressively got warmer. The park is a popular destination for tourists, particularly during the summer. Not only is Paddington Reservoir Gardens, a cherished community space, where you can rewind and appreciate the beauty of the garden and architecture but it also has an upper deck section where you can observe the view of the streets and surrounding buildings. I believe that the Reservoir Gardens safeguards the cultural heritage of Paddington communities by preserving its historical elements. If you visit, you can explore the garden’s various paths, admire the blooming flowers, and cross the shimmering pools. Before visiting the garden, I thought that you may have to pay an entrance fee however it is free entry so anyone can enter Paddington Reservoir Gardens anytime.

Exploring the surrounding areas of Paddington, made me see that the suburb mainly consists of restaurants, cafes, boutique stores, clothing stores, and art galleries. There are other hidden green areas scattered across the suburb that I saw, however none are as majestic as Paddington Reservoir Garden. Despite the park being in fair condition, the Legislative Assembly Committee on Environment and Planning has proposed a plan on 17 June to refurbish the park and several others in Sydney. Adding more seating and creating new footpaths were among the proposals in the document. I do agree with the plan outlined, as I had to wait a while before finding seating. I think by having these new adjustments in place, the park would appeal to even more visitors. Overall, I think that visiting the Paddington Reservoir Garden is a must, especially for first-time visitors of Paddington or tourists. It is an experience you would not like to miss out on. 

Further reading on the planned project can be found here: https://meetings.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/documents/s84572/Project%20Scope%20-%20Regent%20Street%20Reserve%20Paddington.pdf