Prince Alfred Park’s central lawn to be called ‘Equality Green’
City of Sydney has unanimously voted to rename a section of the 150-year-old Prince Alfred Park ‘Equality Green’ in recognition the site’s role in the historic 2017 marriage equality plebiscite where thousands gathered to hear and then celebrate the result.
The site where Sydneysiders celebrated news of Australia’s ‘yes’ vote to marriage equality will now bear a permanent reminder of the historic moment.
City of Sydney councillors on Monday night voted unanimously to rename the central lawn at Prince Alfred Park ‘Equality Green’ to pay permanent homage to the same sex marriage vote.
About 30,000 people created a sea of colour as they packed Prince Alfred Park on November 15, 2017, awaiting the result of the successful postal plebiscite.
Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the proposal came from co-chair of Australian Marriage Equality and Sydney state independent MP Alex Greenwich in September last year.
“I am proud we will honour that moment in history, as well as the years of tough campaigning from the LGBTIQ community, in our beautiful Prince Alfred Park,” she said.
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Prince Alfred Park was a scene of jubilation in November 2017 as prominent ‘yes’ campaigners including actor Magda Szubanski, Olympian Ian Thorpe, Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce and councillors Kerryn Phelps and Christine Forster celebrated the announcement that more than 60 per cent of the country had voted for marriage equality.
Under the city’s plan, the Surry Hills park will retain its 150-year-old name, with a small section given a new title.
The proposal will now go to the Geographical Names Board for approval.
Cr Phelps remembered the uncertainty as she waited on the stage that day before the explosion of joy when the result was read out.
“I think the renaming of that area is enormously significant not only for the people who were there but for all of Australia,” she said.
“That was the focal point of the celebrations. I think we will look back on that day as a pivotal moment in Australia’s history.”
The Surry Hills park was named in honour of Queen Victoria’s second son, Prince Alfred, in 1868, shortly after he survived a brazen assassination attempt at Clontarf in Sydney’s northern beaches on March 12.
The incident, which left the Prince nursing a gunshot wound, sent shockwaves around the world and embarrassed NSW authorities began naming local features after the then Duke of Edinburgh to make amends.
Camperdown’s Royal Prince Alfred Hospital was also built and named as a monument to the Prince’s recovery.
According to the City of Sydney, 74 per cent of the 135 responses it received during consultation last November supported the name ‘Equality Green’.
However, at the park on Tuesday some punters weren’t so enthusiastic.
Robert Aldridge said he “quite liked (the park) just the way it is” and was worried about “losing history” with the introduction of a new name.
Olivia Schmid, a same-sex marriage supporter, was worried about “shoving progression down people’s throats”.
“I don’t know why we need to label things,” she said.
But John Scallon thought the new name was fitting.
“If that’s where they celebrated then that’s fair enough,” he said. “We do it for everything else, I don’t see why this should be any different.”
Prince Alfred Park was home to a grand exhibition centre from 1870 to 1954, and has now become a recreation hot spot with a heated swimming centre, basketball and tennis facilities.
CLOVER’S CLIMATE OF FEAR
A City of Sydney councillor said he was called a “flat-Earther” and a “coal-lugger” when he attempted to remove the word “emergency” from a council motion declaring a “climate change emergency”.
Liberal councillor Craig Chung wanted to change the language in the motion put forward by Lord Mayor Clover Moore at a meeting on Monday night, which claimed climate change poses a “serious risk” to Sydneysiders and should be treated as a “national emergency”.
But he was shouted down by protesters in the public gallery when he pushed for the amendment, while other protesters held a sign outside Town Hall saying “coal is genocide”.
“The moment that you don’t get involved in their motions and the moment you cut yourself out, you get called all sorts of names,” he told Sky News on Tuesday.
“Last night, I was called a flat-Earther and a coal-lugger despite the fact that I think we do need to take some action — it’s the language I object to.
“This gallery was full of people — Clover supporters — all of these people absolutely jeering me and cheering Clover.”
The mayoral minute had called on the federal government to respond to the “emergency” by reintroducing a price on carbon and establishing a body to help transition workers from the coal industry to different jobs.
Sydney is the latest council to declare a climate “emergency”, following other cities such as London, Auckland and Vancouver. But Mr Chung said Ms Moore’s language was “crazy”.
“This is about her preaching to her choir, about getting a headline but actually offering no solutions,” he said.
All councillors voted in favour of the motion except Liberal councillor Christine Forster who abstained.
— Derrick Krusche
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