Restoration work has officially begun on the historic Wistaria Gardens, with a colourful display of plants already promised for spring.
Wistaria Gardens is ready to bloom again following its transfer into the UNESCO-listed Parramatta Park. Formerly part of the Cumberland Hospital site, Wistaria Gardens and the heritage listed Glengarriff House are now managed by Greater Sydney Parklands (GSP).
One of Sydney’s most intact surviving Edwardian Gardens, the two-hectare Wistaria Gardens and Glengarriff House were originally built as the residence for the Medical Superintendent of the Parramatta Lunatic Asylum in 1906.
GSP Acting Chief Executive Joshua French said Wistaria Gardens has been a well-loved part of the community for over 100 years.
“It’s just a really loved community asset and to bring it back to its former glory [will be] so popular with the community,” he said.
“We’ve done a heap of garden maintenance already and we’ve planted a whole heap of annuals for the spring display.”
City of Parramatta Lord Mayor Donna Davis welcomed Wistaria Gardens’ move from Cumberland Hospital to Parramatta Parks.
“The transfer of Wistaria Gardens and heritage listed Glengarriff House into Parramatta Park is long overdue and should provide assurance to our city that these treasured gardens will soon be returned to their former glory. As one of Sydney’s last surviving large-scale Edwardian Gardens, their restoration is so important for future generations to enjoy,” she said.
Lord Mayor Davis has long been an advocate for the transfer and is excited to see the return of the iconic wisteria and cherry blossoms to the gardens.
“This is a great win for the community. I’ve been working alongside the community advocating for this since it was promised by the state government in 2017,” she said.
“The signature wisteria and cherry blossoms are a unique sight and will attract more visitors to our city, as well as give our residents and workers a place to relax and enjoy.”
Now that restoration work has begun, Lord Mayor Davis wants GSP to work closely with both the council and community when it comes to the future of Wistaria Gardens.
“I urge the GSP to work with council and the community to consider ways to showcase these gardens as a key attraction for our city, which could include the revival of the annual Wisteria Festival,” she said.
Mr French said GSP will look to actively involve the community.
“For the planting, long-term we’re looking to have a garden volunteer program where the community will come in and help with the gardening in Wistaria Gardens,” he said.
“We’re going to have spring in Wistaria Gardens, so some community events, and we’ll be doing a conservation management plan, then a restoration plan, and we’ll involve the community in those for the future planning of Wistaria Gardens.”
Ellie Busby is a news reporter for Western Sydney Publishing Group. A graduate of the University of Hertfordshire and Western Sydney University, she is a journalism Major. Ellie has worked with Universal Media, The Cova Project and for a range of other organisations. In 2024, Ellie was named Young Writer of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.