Georges River Council has officially opened the revamped Memorial Square and MacMahon Courtyard today as part of the Hurstville Revitalisation Project.
The works involved the upgrade of both MacMahon Courtyard and Memorial Square, with the project receiving $4.75 million in NSW Government funding to deliver the transformation of both sites.
MacMahon Courtyard, located at the corner of Dora and MacMahon Streets in Hurstville, focused on improvements to the site’s infrastructure, pedestrian access, traffic safety and the installation of additional seating and landscaping.
Memorial Square, located adjacent to Forest Road in the Hurstville CBD, included the installation of new paving, retaining walls, street furniture, landscaping and associated works to improve site aesthetics, usability, and visibility of the retained Memorial Cenotaph.
The project also saw the reinstallation of a statue within MacMahon Courtyard of Australian literary figure and feminist Miles Franklin, with the plinth faced towards the adjacent heritage Ritz Hotel.
Mayor, Sam Elmir said he was delighted to officially open Memorial Square and MacMahon Courtyard and recognised the importance of delivering quality outdoor spaces for the community.
“Quality and useable public space, accessible for people of all abilities is important to us. It provides our community with social cohesion and further passive recreation opportunities,” he said.
“We want residents and visitors of the Georges River local government area to enjoy our public spaces, and the upgrades to these two areas will hopefully allow people to do just that. Creating attractive spaces for people to enjoy can also provide a subsequent economic benefit for our local businesses.
“I welcome all to enjoy these new spaces and explore what Hurstville has to offer.”
NSW Minister for Planning and Public Places, Paul Scully said the funding had helped transform the two sites into exciting new spaces for the community to engage with.
“The NSW Government is continuing to provide new and enhanced open spaces aligning with the needs of the growing community in Hurstville to make it an even greater place to live,” Mr Scully said.
