The Rocks and Circular Quay Tree Masterplan Vol 1 Analysis ... · 900 trees within the Rocks and Circular Quay. This operates as a specialized database to be accessed by asset managers

T r e e M a s t e r p l a n - T h e R o c k s a n d C i r c u l a r Q u a y

November 2010

T r e e M a s t e r p l a n f o r T h e R o c k s a n d C i r c u l a r Q u a yS y d n e y H a r b o u r F o r e s h o r e A u t h o r i t y

This Tree Masterplan was prepared for the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Author i t y by the fol lowing

consultant team:

Phi l l ips Mar ler - Landscape Architec ts and Head Consultant

Col leen Morr is - Her i tage Consultant

Tony Lydon - Direc tor TLC Tree Solut ions Pt y Ltd, Consult ing Arbor ist

Judy Fakes - Projec t Mentor, Arbor ist and Educator


I

Background

The Tree Masterplan is the thi rd in a suite of three documents that wi l l ass ist the future planning and management of

t rees in The Rocks and Circular Quay precinc ts.

The f i rst document. Tree Pol ic y 2010, was designed to guide the future management of t ree assets across a l l

management precinc ts. This st rategy had var ious objec t ives including ensur ing the long term sustainabi l i t y of t ree

plant ing and asset management, improving communit y awareness of the value of t rees in urban sett ings, managing

safet y and encouraging preser vat ion. General ly the pol ic y of fers guidance to the competing chal lenges of t rees seen as

both an asset and a l iabi l i t y.

The second document is the Tree Asset Register a comprehensive audit of the status and condit ion of the approximately

900 trees within the Rocks and Circular Quay. This operates as a specia l ized database to be accessed by asset managers

and hor t icultural s taf f.

The Tree M asterplan is the thi rd in this ser ies and sets a v is ion for species se lec t ion for the var iet y of spaces that make

up the streets, laneways, cour t yards and parks of The Rocks and Circular Quay. The basis of the Tree M asterplan is the

f ramework of analyt ica l cr i ter ia for assess ing tree per formance as wel l as establ ishing the pr inciples for the locat ion

and var iet y of t ree species.


II

Execut ive Summar y

The Tree Masterplan is a v is ionar y tool which sets out in a non-t ime speci f ic environment, an ideal ised v is ion for t rees

in the Rocks and Circular Quay.

The Rocks is an eclec t ic urban environment with a complex net work of spaces streets and parks which seem to cal l for

speci f ic approaches and defy categor isat ion. The Rocks Her i tage M anagement Plan captures the unique values of The

Rocks and i ts endur ing fasc inat ion as a place of interpretat ion, descr ibed as fo l lows: -

‘Few areas in Austra l ia are so r ich in pointers to the nature and impac t of European sett lement, f rom the smal l ter races

and merchants houses of the 1840s and 1850s to blocks and off ices of the 1990s. I n The Rocks, success ive layers of

urban development confront Sydney ’s past - the l i fe of convic t households, publ icans’ expansion plans, the habits of

sa i lors and whar f labourers, the changing a l ignment of the water front - can st i l l be read f rom archaeological advice,

wr i t ten and oral test imony and the ver y fabr ic and sett ing of many of the bui ldings’ (Godden Mack ay Logan 2002 Vol 1 ,

p.2)

The Plan has been prepared against a backdrop of her i tage guidel ines including the Burra Char ter 1999 and other

speci f ic t ree management guidel ines including the Austra l ian Urban Tree Char ter 2008 which speci f ica l ly sets out

pr inciples for urban tree management ref lec t ing Burra Char ter values.

The Plan is not to be interpreted as an ‘ac t ion plan’ to remove trees proac t ively but is a v is ion of how trees, when

they reach their senescence, can be replaced in new locat ions to achieve the a im of re - exposing her i tage fabr ic

whi le maintaining a net or increased canopy cover for the precinc t . Species choices are made within an environment

of competing her i tage, hor t icultural , environmental and urban design values being the most dominant . The urban


III

environment has been inf luenced by st y les and fashions and this Plan seeks to harmonise a mult i tude of h istor ical

decis ions by the selec t ive addit ion, replacement and redistr ibut ion of t rees.

The basis for t ree selec t ion is underpinned by an analys is of ex ist ing trees not only in terms of their appearance and

condit ion, but a lso in terms of how they af fec t the v isual urban environment. Cr i ter ia inc ludes her i tage considerat ions,

impac ts on archaeology, urban design pr inciples including aesthet ics and amenit y, the potent ia l for t rees to become

landmarks or placemakers and the re lat ionship bet ween trees and s igni f icant v iews and v istas. Environmental cr i ter ia

inc lude microcl imate, modif ied soi ls , the impac t of pests and disease, hor t iculture and fac i l i t ies management. The

qual i t y and per formance of par t icular t rees, species over-use, cul l ing sel f sown trees and the impor tance of qual i t y t ree

stock are addit ional considerat ions.

An analys is of h istor ic t ree plant ing and st y les shows that in the ear ly days of The Rocks, t ree plant ing and gardens

were l imited to the r idge areas and other spaces were largely t reeless. This in keeping with the 19th centur y industr ia l

charac ter. I n the ear ly 20th centur y, the t rees most commonly used were Moreton Bay and Por t Jackson Figs as wel l as

Lombardy poplar, and a var iet y of garden plants. General ly, the pre W W11 per iod is charac ter ised by predominant ly

bui l t form with few trees.

The post-war per iod saw the gentr i f icat ion of the Rocks and an increase in the use of a var iet y of palms including

Washingtonias, Canar y Is land date palms and a var iet y of garden plants. Tree plant ing expanded f rom the 1960s’ with

a c iv ic beaut i f icat ion regime that i s s t i l l ev ident today. Examples include the Peppercorn Trees in Fi rst Fleet Park ,

b icentennial p lant ings such as the Jacaranda trees in both East and West Ci rcular Quays and the ex tensive plant ing of

Hack berr y (Celt is austra l is ) in key streets such as George and H ickson Road.


IV

This Tree Masterplan sets out four key design pr inciples to guide the selec t ion of t ree species.

The f i rst pr inciple is balancing tree selec t ion and placement with the bui l t her i tage. Tree plant ing needs to work

with the her i tage s igni f icance of bui ld ings and places. The Rocks has a s igni f icant number of her i tage bui ldings

demonstrat ing a r ich past use and a spec trum of architec tural s t y les as wel l as a ser ies of urban spaces of scale and

form that strongly def ine the charac ter and qual i t y of the precinc t .

The Burra Char ter and the Model Her i tage Provis ions for Local Environmental Plans (NSW Her i tage O ff ice 2000) state

that t rees should not have an impac t on the sett ing of a her i tage i tem, in terms of s igni f icant v iews to that i tem or f rom

overshadowing. The key ac t ions wi l l be to posit ion, f rame and reveal the facades of bui ld ings, i tems and places l i s ted

on the NSW State Her i tage Register. Tree plant ing wi l l be minimised in areas of h igh her i tage value. Views and v istas

wi l l need to be maintained to a l l the key harbour icons of Br idge, Opera House, Ci t y and Harbour.

The second pr inciple is to re -think the avenue. I n the post-war beaut i f icat ion of The Rocks, there has been a gradual

increase in t ree plant ing, par t icular ly formal avenue t ree plant ing in Harr ington and Gloucester Streets. Steps could be

taken over t ime to redistr ibute t rees to less sensit ive locat ions so legibi l i t y of her i tage bui ldings and publ ic spaces can

be dominant , whi lst maintaining a net overal l number of t rees through the precinc t . There should be an introduc t ion of

specimen trees to highl ight par t icular p laces and v istas. Also there should be interplant ing with new trees to promote

susta inabi l i t y.

The third pr inciple is the enhancement of the aesthet ics and amenit y of the place for publ ic enjoyment. Trees can help

improve the amenit y and aesthet ics of an environment. The v is ibi l i t y of the highly sensit ive foreshore spaces in The


V

Rocks are punc tuated by t rees contr ibut ing to the overal l exper ience of v iewing Sydney Harbour f rom var ious vantage

points. Evergreen and deciduous t rees help enhance seasonal change, and dense canopies ser ve as windbreaks. Trees

can a lso be landmark plant ings and ass ist in the def in ing of v iew corr idors, and provide legibi l i t y and spat ia l def in i t ion

to urban spaces. Examples include the Ficus var.h i l l i i p lant ings in Dawes Point Park or the Phoenix palms in H ickson

Road Reser ve.

The four th pr inciple is to improve the l i fe per formance of t ree plant ings. I n order, for t rees to be susta inable in the

urban landscape, the species must be careful ly se lec ted to thr ive under the prevai l ing s i te condit ions. S elec t ion must

be appropr iate to topography, soi l and microcl imat ic condit ions. Tree selec t ion needs to take into account species

divers i t y to minimise impac t f rom monocultures, r i sk of nuisance such as f ru i t and branch drop and detr imental impac t

on the environment such as weed infestat ion. Best prac t ice t ree plant ing requires considerat ion of ground condit ions.

H igh level maintenance is a lso impor tant for improving tree per formance.


1Tree M asterplan Aims and Objec t ives

Aim:

To create a v is ion for the long term management and renewal of t ree assets

across The Rocks and Circular Quay precinc t .

Objec t ives :

Del iver a plan that wi l l -

Complement her i tage values•

Embel l ish publ ic amenit y and aesthet ics•

Del iver environmental improvements•

Guide best prac t ice hor t iculture management•


2Tree Masterplan Approach

Approach

Descr ibe the cr i ter ia that wi l l inform the selec t ion, p lacement and •

successful establ ishment of t rees with c lear recognit ion of the

successes and fa i lures of ex ist ing trees

Def ine design pr inciples with objec t ives and ac t ions to del iver a •

desired outcome

Spat ia l ly apply and demonstrate the pr inciples on a sub -precinc t •

based approach

West s ide of Gloucester Street not planted with any t rees, h ighl ight ing her i tage facades. P lant ing of Brush Box to sof ten modern bui lding inter vent ion.

H i l l s Weeping Fig in Dawes Point Reser ve showing the ef fec ts of wind and sal t


3

Tree Plant ing St y les

Pr ior to European sett lement the sandstone r idge that became

k nown as The Rocks was probably home to t rees of B lack butt , Red

Bloodwood, Sydney Peppermint , Smooth-Barked Apple or Angophora

costata , and the occas ional local coni fer, the Por t Jackson Pine. Por t

Jackson f igs probably grew near the shorel ine.

1800-1901

From 1788 the forest around Sydney Cove was c leared. I solated

remnant or regrowth eucalypts st i l l appeared in ear ly v iews of The

Rocks. As larger houses were construc ted, gardens were developed

around them. The most prominent of these was the garden sett ing

for Cumber land House ( then cal led Cumber land Place) on the

r idgel ine. As the 19th centur y progressed landmark plant ings of

Nor folk Is land pines featured in isolated locat ions. Vegetat ion was

concentrated a long the r idgel ine and around the res idence attached

to the batter y near the end of Dawes Point . The t rees were most ly

M oreton Bay or Por t Jackson f igs, which were admired for their dark

glossy fo l iage and umbrageous forms. O ther t rees include Lombardy

poplar, peach which was plent i fu l throughout ear ly Sydney gardens,

banana, loquat , Afr ican ol ive and, in the late 19th centur y, Kent ia

palms.

O ver a l l , The Rocks was charac ter ised by bui l t form with few trees. Cumber land Street look ing south, c .1901Showing t ypical landmark t rees associated with the garden of wealthy landowners, s ince demol ished for br idge approaches

Sydney Cove, 1793Showing natural vegetat ion in rapid decl ine f rom clear ing

Dawes Point , 1884Showing large t rees around the Batter y and O ff icers quar ter but l i t t le other vegetat ion

View of Dawes Point C . Picker ing, 1872

Cumber land Place, 1901Showing t ypical urban harshness of lanes and places


4

1902-1965

I n 1908 Dawes Point Reser ve t rustees were appointed to oversee

improvements and the f lat por t ion east of H ickson Road was planted

with Canar y Is land palms. Trees with a sub -tropical appearance were

chosen in this per iod. Examples include George Street , which was

planted with Washington Palms in f ront of the Commissar iat stores.

I n 1917 Essex Street was planted with Washingtonias. A specimen

of the same palm was planted in the garden of Cadman’s Cottage

dur ing this per iod. Fol lowing the complet ion of the Sydney Harbour

Br idge, the Dawes Point Reser ve was replanted dur ing the 1930s and

1940s. The new trees supplemented the Canar y Is land palms that

sur vived the br idge construc t ion and re - enforced their sub -tropical

charac ters –Senegal date palm, giant bi rd of paradise and an avenue

of H i l l ’s f ig were chosen. By 1959 street t rees were wel l establ ished

in Argyle Street . There was fur ther disrupt ion to The Rocks with

the construc t ion of the Cahi l l Expressway. On i ts complet ion

the construc t ion of a park and the adjacent Circular Quay West

esplanade commenced in 1963.

Dur ing the f i rst par t of the 20th centur y, The Rocks saw major

changes with street re -a l ignments and the construc t ion of the

Sydney Harbour Br idge. Despite beaut i f icat ion works around Dawes

Point Reser ve and the pr incipal st reets in The Rocks, i t remained

charac ter ised by predominant ly bui l t form with few trees.

H ickson Road Reser ve, 1935showing ear l ier p lant ing of Phoenix Palms and f igs, most of which remain today

First Fleet Park , 9th Apr i l 1962showing the spareness of p lant ings, general ly in the Rocks

Commissar iat Stores, 1939showing Washingtonia palms


5

1965-2008

I n 1972 a d ist inc t ive band of peppercorn t rees were planted

on the George Street s ide of Fi rst Fleet Park and by 1973 street

t ree plant ing of Plane trees f rom the 1950s in Argyle Street was

suf f ic ient ly mature for the canopies to a lmost meet across the street .

R aised planter boxes made f rom ra i lway s leepers were insta l led in

Playfa i r Street in the 1970s. By 1989 plant ing a long Circular Quay

west and the foreshore parks included a large and impress ive f ig

t ree, jacarandas, eucalypts and casuar inas. A 1990 plant ing program

of cabbage palms around Circular Quay was inspired by s imi lar

vegetat ion that i s thought to have grown along the watercourse ( the

Tank Stream) that fed into Sydney Cove.

Dur ing this per iod The Rocks remained charac ter ised by bui l t

form but had an over lay that was the result of an enthusiast ic

beaut i f icat ion program. This inc luded the addit ion of st reet furniture

and tree plant ing of peppercorns, eucalypts, casuar inas, jacarandas,

hack berr y (Celt is austra l is ) , Nor folk Is land hibiscus, water gum and

New Zealand Chr istmas t ree.

Argyle Street look ing towards the Cut , 1973 with plant ing of P latnus species f rom c.1950’s .

Metcal f Bond Store, 1970 with plant ing of Celt is species.

Playfa i r Street af ter restorat ion c1980s

The Rocks Pol ice Stat ion c1983showing plant ings of Populus species


6

Parks of The Rocks

The Rocks evolved as the place of f i rst sett lement, i ts form ar is ing

f rom the needs of mi l i tar y secur i t y, mar i t ime commercia l ism, publ ic

administrat ion and cheap res ident ia l oppor tunit ies. I t i s a place strongly

connec ted with the struggles of ear ly colonia l ism to establ ish and sur vive

as a far f lung outpost of the Br i t ish Empire. I n this respec t i ts urban form

was based on purely func t ional needs and there was l i t t le considerat ion

of publ ic recreat ion or the protec t ion of natural resources. The Rocks is

a lso a physical ly chal lenging landscape with steep s lopes and shal low

soi ls which do not lend themselves to publ ic parks and qual i t y t ree

establ ishment. However, over t ime publ ic parks have ar isen in amongst

the t ight ly connec ted hard urban spaces and have a mixed providence in

respec t of their or igins and the way they evolved.

Today there are four publ ic parks in The Rocks :

1 . Dawes Point Park including H ickson Road Reser ve

2. Fi rst Fleet Park

3. Foundat ion Park

4. B l igh and Barney Reser ve


7

The fol lowing is a ‘potted ’ h istor y of each of these parks.

Dawes Point Park

Dawes Point Park is a remnant of an area set as ide for mi l i tar y ac t iv i t ies

in the ver y ear l iest days of the sett lement. The area was or iginal ly k nown

by the Abor iginal name of Tar-ra . L ieutenant Dawes of the Fi rst Fleet ,

establ ished an astronomy and posit ioned f ie ld ar t i l ler y here in 1788.

I n 1791 a “permanent ” batter y was establ ished, and in 1820, Governor

Macquar ie commiss ioned Francis Greenway to design a for t and gun

emplacements to protec t the harbour f rom Br i ta in’s enemies at the t ime.

I t never engaged in any ac t ive ser v ice. By the turn of the 20th centur y, i t

was of no fur ther use as a for tress and was br ief ly given over as the l iv ing

quar ters of the commandant of the newly formed Austra l ian M i l i tar y.

Ear ly 20th centur y photographic images of Dawes Point show al l the

natural vegetat ion c leared away and planted Moreton Bay f ig t rees as the

predominant vegetat ion and general ly around the southern s ides of the

for t . These t rees probably date f rom the Char les Moore per iod 1848 to

1896 and planted at a s imi lar t ime to the Obser vator y H i l l and Domain f ig

plant ings. The mi l i tar y was removed f rom Dawes Point af ter 1903 with the

promise the lands would be given over to publ ic promenade. Pathways

around the lower batter y were construc ted and fence surrounded the

Dawes Point Park


8

former mi l i tar y bui ld ings which were used for Water Pol ice of f ices and

a t rades school . Dur ing this t ime a set of sta i rs was construc ted leading

to H ickson Road (c1912-3) which st i l l sur v ives, and a Moreton Bay f ig

planted nearby which a lso sur vives. The construc t ion of the Sydney

Harbour Br idge in the 1920’s fac i l i tated the removal of the former mi l i tar y

bui ld ing and the removal of most plant ings. The formal creat ion of

Dawes Point as a publ ic park fo l lowed t wo years af ter the opening of the

br idge, in 1934.

Bradf ie ld has l i t t le to say in respec t of h is landscape restorat ion fol lowing

br idge works, other then to a l lude to ‘ I ta l ianate’ s t y le of formal garden

as being appropr iate. There is no evidence of any concer ted ef for t in

construc t ing gardens at the t ime, other then c lumps of B i rd of Paradise,

S t r e l i t z i a s p and Date Palm, Phoenix rec l inata on e i ther s ides of the main

pylon; these species being popular publ ic plant ings dur ing the 1920s

per iod. The main H i l l s Weeping f ig avenue dates f rom the 1935 whi le the

Nor folk Is land H ibiscus a long Lower For t Street probably date f rom the

1970s.

H ickson Road Reser ve is an integral par t of Dawes Point Park separated

f rom the main par t of the park by the construc t ion of H ickson Road

in 1911-12. The Park appears to have been essent ia l ly grass with t ree

Dawes Point Park


9

and palm plant ings. The Date palms, Phoenix canar iensis and c lumps

of B i rd of Paradise appear in photographs f rom around 1910 to 1920

which suggest an involvement of Joseph Maiden, Direc tor of the Botanic

G ardens at the t ime and a great exponent of palm plant ing around

Sydney, par t icular ly this species. I t i s l ike ly there were a lso f ig t rees

as par t of the plant ing which appear as dominant plant ings in aer ia l

photographs f rom 1951 but were gone by the 1980s when the adjoining

Park H yatt Hotel was construc ted. Two of the or iginal Date palms

were lost f rom bird attack and replaced in 2006 and another palm was

re located f rom the centre of the park to the per imeter colonnade to make

way for expanded event ac t iv i t ies at that t ime.

A large H i l l s Weeping f ig, probably dat ing f rom 1930/1950 plant ings was

a lso lost f rom disease in 2006 and replaced with a Por t Jackson f ig.

Fi rst Fleet Park

This park , or iginal ly des igned in 1938, arose f rom the demol i t ion of

the Commissar iat Stores and the construc t ion of the Mar i t ime Ser vice

bui lding (now MCA) which was not completed unt i l 1953. The 1938-53

construc t ion e l iminated the former Queen’s Whar f/ Bar ton Street as wel l

as the bui ldings direc t ly to the south and a l lowed for a consol idated

piece of open space to be created much as seen today. There were more

Fi rst Fleet Park Peppercorn t rees and George Street in the mid 1980s.


10

First Fleet Park - 1980s

reconf igurat ions in 1990-91 when Circular Quay West (ex tension of Pi t t

Street) was par t ia l ly removed, which a l lowed the park to expand for ward

and connec t di rec t ly with Circular Quay as a pedestr ian promenade; the

George Street edge was redef ined and new internal pathways created.

Aer ia l photographs f rom the 1960s show ver y l i t t le t ree establ ishment,

some random plant ings but l i t t le d ist inguishable canopy evolv ing. The

Pepper t ree, appear a long George Street in the late 1960s and by 1978 are

wel l establ ished but st i l l appear to be general ly a lone as park land canopy.

The 1990 over lay made s igni f icant changes to the plant ing charac ter

with the introduc t ion of many palms and trees. Palms were introduced

as feature c lumps and trees were introduced to t r y and sof ten the v isual

impac t of the Cahi l l Expressway and poss ibly the southern s ide of the MCA

which is now dominated by large Hack berr y.

The Jacaranda feature plant ing a long the promenade dates f rom this

per iod but has fa i led to prosper in this environment and cont inue to

appear as poor specimens. G arden f lower beds were a lso introduced at this

t ime. The park has accumulated an eclec t ic var iet y of p lants which now

general ly block v iews to the harbour f rom surrounding streets.


11

Foundat ion Park

This park was establ ished in 1972 but has i ts or igins as a vacant block of land

fol lowing bui lding demol i t ions in 1932-4 . L ike many s i tes demol ished in

the mid-20th centur y i t remained economical ly unviable for redevelopment

unt i l a f ter the creat ion of the Sydney Cover Redevelopment scheme the late

1960s. Aer ia l photographs f rom the 1960s and 70s show scrub which is most

l ikely to be a mix of weed and nat ive regenerat ion t ypical of abandoned

demol i t ion s i tes. The Pepper t ree, which today dominates the centre of the

park is of a s imi lar era to the Pepper t rees in Fi rst Fleet Park and probably

dates f rom i ts convers ion as park land in 1972. The s i te was excavated in 1994

for archaeological remains and some of the f indings were integrated into the

interpret ive landscape that i s a feature of the park today. The more recent

plant ings of Jacaranda and c i t rus species are f rom this per iod and a im to

present domest ic t ype plant ings that would have been t ypical for the t ype of

res ident ia l dwel l ings here pr ior to 1932. The park is smal l in scale, of fers quiet

ref lec t ive qual i t ies and has a strong interpret ive over lay.

Bl igh and Barney Reser ve

This park arose f rom the demol i t ion of the overhead vehicular br idge that

l inked George Street with the former southern end of the O verseas Passenger

Terminal (OPT ) in 1986. The s i te had tradit ional ly been a place of bui ld ings

including a Bond Store that dated f rom c.1820. The park is intr ins ical ly l inked

Foundat ion Park


12

with Cadmans Cottage and provides space and sett ing for the cottage.

The plants date f rom the 1980s per iod onwards including Poplar, Populus

sp. a long the Argyle Street edge, palms and gum trees a long the George

Street edge and Sheoak , Casuar ina around the cottage i tse l f. The park

is home to sculptures and memoria ls to both Governor Wi l l iam Bl igh

and engineer Major George Barney, hence the park ’s unoff ic ia l name. I t

i s smal l in scale, pass ive in nature and offers some sense of rec luse for

v is i tors.

Essex Street Park

This park was created in 1917, by the Sydney Harbour Trust by block ing

vehicular access bet ween George and Harr ington, Harr ington and

Gloucester and Gloucester and Cumber land Streets. The park featured

sandstone reta ining wal ls , edging elements and Mexican Fan Palm, amid

lawns. The last sec t ion was removed in 1991 and the street reopened.

Some landscape elements and a number of palms were re located to the

pedestr ian paths on the edge of the street .

Bligh and Barney Reserve

Essex Street Park, finally removed in 1991


13

Tree Selec t ion Cr i ter ia


14Tree Selec t ion Cr i ter ia

Her i tage

H istor ic Background

Recognit ion that The Rocks and Circular Quay had a •

sparseness of t rees unt i l the post W WII modern per iod and

tree plant ings were conf ined to the r idge l ine

Recognit ion that the current park lands, Fi rst Fleet , • Bl igh &

Barney, and Foundat ion Parks are a modern inter vent ion and

were previously hard urbanised landscapes

Signi f icant her i tage fabr ic has been progress ively • obscured

by the encroachment of t ree canopy

The introduc t ion of new architec ture and canopy has •

‘gentr i f ied ’ the v isual charac ter f rom i ts 19th centur y

industr ia l roots

The need to chal lenge the appropr iateness of formal •

t radit ional avenue plant ing st y le and plant t ypes for the

post- industr ia l landscape of The Rocks.

Harr ington Street f rom Argyle Street , 1900-01Showing t ypical t reeless urban environment

St Patr icks Presbyter y,Harr ington Street showing dense avenue of Platanus species obscur ing an appreciat ion of her i tage facades.

Foundat ion ParkA complex of t rees for amenit y but obscur ing a her i tage appreciat ion.

B l igh & Barney Reser ve, Cadmans Cottageshowing mixed nat ive Casuar ina and exot ic poplars.

Harr ington Street , opposite DFS G al ler ia showing tree sof tening modern inter vent ion.

Cambridge Street( laneway)showing recent grove plant ings of t rees that sof ten modern bui lding inter vent ion.


15

Archaeology

Recognit ion that the root systems and canopy can have s igni f icant •

struc tural and maintenance impl icat ions for the conser vat ion of

her i tage fabr ic , both bui ldings and publ ic domain i tems

Foundat ion Park showing new trees providing shade and amenit y

Fig Tree on ledge of Gloucester Walk showing sel f sown tree impac t ing a her i tage sandstone wal ls and creat ing future safet y l iabi l i t y but a lso demonstrates the res i l ience of natural recolonisat ion.


16Tree Selec t ion Cr i ter ia

Urban Design

Trees make a s igni f icant contr ibut ion to the aesthet ics •

and amenit y of the publ ic domain for v is i tor

enjoyment - t rees provide shade, f i l tered l ight , colour

and form to enr ich the publ ic exper ience

Iconic t rees can make and def ine a specia l p lace or •

accentuate spat ia l qual i t y

Some sel f sown trees become landmark plant ings due •

to the contex t of their surroundings and intr iguing

manner of their growth habit - natural forces in ac t ion

Scale and densit y of t ree canopy can be used to •

accentuate an appreciat ion of a place, however i f the

species is too large or dense, legibi l i t y and propor t ion

can be diminished and overshadowing ar ises.

Views and v istas can be progress ively compromised by •

canopy

Fig t ree avenue in Dawes Point Park creat ing a ‘cathedral ’ space

Plane trees creat ing low l ight condit ions on Harr ington Street

Plane tree in Nurses Walk have outgrown the scale of the place in search of l ight

H i l ls Fig on Harr ington Street . Sel f sown tree becoming a landmark t ree - natural recolonisat ion

Fig t ree in Greenway Lane showing pot plant t ree establ ishing i tse l f as a landmark t ree - creat ing iconic plant ings.

O vercrowding in Gumnut Cour t yard showing af fec t of t ree scale on smal l p laces.


17Tree S elec t ion Cr i ter ia

Environmental

The impac t of wind and sal t ar is ing f rom water front can •

severely distor t the form and v igour of t rees unsuited to such

locat ions

The impac t of micro - c l imate, par t icular ly overshadowing f rom •

surrounding bui ldings force an e longat ion of the t ree form in

search of l ight

The Rocks has highly modif ied soi ls and drainage patterns •

which impac t on tree form and per formance

Trees provide ef fec t ive shading of hard sur fac ing•

Species se lec t ion to be more tolerant of drought condit ions •

which wi l l be a fac tor in the future

Species se lec t ion that focuses on trees with good struc tural •

integr i t y over i ts l i fe i s impor tant for publ ic safet y

Stressed trees are suscept ible to pests and diseases•

Three provide a valuable means of lower ing ambient •

temperature of roads and pathways contr ibut ing to a cooler

urban environment

Plane tree with leaf deter iorat ion f rom Sycamore Lace Bug

Jacaranda in Fi rst Fleet Park showing af fec ts of water front winds

Hack berr y on H ickson Road - Tree growth af fec ted by adjacent bui ld ing

Peppercorn t ree in Foundat ion Park showing the impac t of roots on struc tures

Pavement heave on Cumber land Street


18

Hor t iculture and fac i l i t ies management

The long term qual i t y and per formance of a t ree is of ten determined at •

the t ime of plant ing, good ground preparat ion, formative pruning and

regular maintenance

Single species overuse results in a monoculture leading to r isks of pests •

and broad scale fa i lure

The need to be more v igi lant in cul l ing sel f sown trees that u l t imately •

become establ ished where not desi rable, creat ing an unplanned landscape

Qual i t y t ree stock at t ime of plant ing has a s igni f icant role in del iver ing a •

qual i t y establ ished tree in the long term

The selec t ion of t ree species that are hardy per formers with recognised •

longevit y are preferred

Large tree species in conf ined spaces accentuate the problems of •

struc tural damage and higher maintenance of gutter ing, dra inage systems

and cause damp condit ions

Tree Selec t ion Cr i ter ia

Brush Box on Gloucester Streetshowing good formative pruning and spacing and v isual ly sof tening new inf i l l

Fa i led ground treatment on Argyle Street


19

Design Pr inciples


20

Aim: Balancing trees with her i tage

Key Objec t ive :

The selec t ion and placement of t rees wi l l pr imar i ly respond to •

her i tage s igni f icance of the place, bui ld ing or i ts cur t i lage

Ac t ions :

Tree plant ings wi l l be posit ioned to f rame and reveal the facades •

of bui ld ings i tems and places l i s ted on the NSW State Her i tage

Register

Maximise t ree plant ing oppor tunit ies in locat ions with low •

her i tage impac t

M aintain s igni f icant v iews and v istas f rom The Rocks to iconic •

i tems such as the Opera House, Br idge, Ci t y and Harbour

Tree locat ions wi l l need to careful ly consider archaeological •

sensit iv i t ies, par t icular ly in respec t of future root damage

Tree plant ings may not be appropr iate in her i tage places, which •

have no histor y of t ree plant ing, and would af fec t an appreciat ion

of the place and i ts cur t i lage

Tree and tree patterns that have a long associat ion with an •

histor ic bui ld ing, park or place should be reta ined or replaced

Design Pr inciples

Harr ington Street - a break in t ree plant ings in f ront of her i tage terraces accentuates the s igni f icance of the bui ldings.

Plan of S igni f icant Bui ld ings and places

Unwins StoresArchaeological ly sensit ive showing new trees for amenit y conf l ic t ing with her i tage interpretat ion

109

The K ing George V Memoria l Park

TRINIT Y AVENUE

LOWER FORT

WIN

DM

ILL STREE

T

MILL LA

NE

GLOUCESTER WALK

GLOUCESTER WALKSUEZ

CA

NA

L

BA

KEH

OU

SE

PL

Customs O �cers Sta i rs

Cadmans Cottage

Dawes Point Park

Dawes Point Reser ve

Grosvenor Place

CMP 1994

CMP 1893

CMP 1893

CMP 1882

CMP 1882

CMP 1883

CMP 1991

CMP 1992

CMP 1990

CMP 1898

CMP 1986

CMP 1999 CMP

1983

CMP 1999

CMP 1999

CMP 1999

CMP 1993

CMP 1998 CMP

1999

CMP 1998

CMP 1999

CMP 1999

CMP 1999

CMP 1997

CMP 1992

CMP 1997

CMP 1986

CMP 1986

CMP 1991

CMP 1992

CMP 1993

CMP 1993

CMP 1991

CMP 1992

CMP 1989 CMP

1989

CMP 1990 CMP

1990

CMP 1998

CMP 1990 CMP

1991 CMP 1992 CMP

1990

CMP 1996

CMP 1991

CMP 1999

CMP 1994

CMP 1991

CMP 1991

LEGEND State Listed Buildings Buildings with Conservation Management Plan Significant Places

CMP (YEAR)

Argyle CutFirst Fleet Park Foundat ion Park

CadmansCottage

Bushel lsPlace

H ickson Road Reser ve

Dawes Point Park

Susannah Place


21

Aim: Rethink ing the avenue

Key Objec t ive :

To reduce the formal i t y and densit y of avenue st y le plant ing •

by introducing species divers i t y, reducing the number of t rees

obscur ing her i tage i tems and enr iching the urban exper ience

Ac t ions :

Design the avenue trees so the legibi l i t y of the bui ldings • and

publ ic domain can be dominant whi lst maintaining a sof tening of

modern inter vent ions

I ntroduce occas ional specimen trees to highl ight par t icular •

places, v iews and v istas

I nterplant with new species where oppor tunit ies ar ise to expand •

species divers i t y and promote susta inabi l i t y

Design Pr inciples

Hack berr y on George Street block ing appreciat ion of her i tage façade

Hack berr y on H ickson Road -scale and form inappropr iate to the sett ing


22

Enhancing places for publ ic enjoyment

Objec t ive :

The use of t rees to improve amenit y and aesthet ics for pedestr ian •

health and enjoyment

To ensure a susta inable t ree canopy is d istr ibuted throughout The •

Rocks and Circular Quay.

•

Ac t ions :

Amenit y

Ut i l i se both evergreen and deciduous t rees to provide summer shade •

and winter sun oppor tunit ies in people gather ing places

Use dense canopy species in windy people places to create windbreaks •

as required

• Use t rees to shade largeareas of pavement to reduceheat loads and

ref lec t iv i t y.

Aesthet ics

Use landmark t ype trees to accentuate the def in i t ion of topography, •

meeting points and her i tage fabr ic us ing trees as “place makers”

Use t rees to highl ight iconic v iews and v istas inc luding the Opera •

House, Br idge, Ci t y and Harbour

Use deciduous t rees for seasonal change and var iet y of colour and •

canopy branching

Design Pr inciples

H i l ls Weeping Fig

Nor folk Is land Pine

Chinese Tal lowood Pink Trumpet Tree

Queensland K aur i Pine

Cape Chestnut


23

Address ing technical requirements for healthy t rees

Objec t ives :

To improve the whole of l i fe per formance of t ree plant ings•

Ac t ions :

Selec t t ree species most appropr iate to s i te topography, soi l and •

microcl imate condit ions

The appl icat ion of best prac t ice t ree plant ing technology, being •

mindful of in- ground ser vices and highly modif ied ground condit ions

To del iver h igh levels of maintenance dur ing the in i t ia l years of •

establ ishment for best long term per formance

Design Pr inciples

George Street - Granite setts with inf i l l of 7mm crushed basalt with terrabonded gravel suggests an appropr iate urban f in ish

Harr ington Street - Narrow concrete pit edging with deco granite inf i l l - sur face f in ish impermeable, rootbal l constra ined by kerb


24Typical Ex ist ing Tree Plant ing in Asphalt Paving

BITUMENBITUMEN

SUB-BASE VARIESSUB-BASE VARIES

SECTION

Flush galvanised steel right angle edge

PLAN scale 1:20

100x100x40 bluestone setts

Existing tree

85mm depth bluestone gravel as specified with top layer 40mm terrabond with mix ratio 2.5-3.0 kg/sqm

Kerb

85mm depth bluestone gravel as specified with top layer 40mm terrabond with mix ratio 1.0 kg/sqm

VARIABLE

APP

ROX.

900

mm

WIDTH MAY VARY ACCORDING TO

SET-OUT

VARIABLE


85mm depth bluestone gravel as specified with top layer 40mm terrabond with mix ratio 1.0 kg/sqm

Twinwall geonet geotextile

Existing subgradeIncorporate root cells loaded with topsoil (if possible)

Existing soil

Flush galvanised right angle edge

100x100x40 thick rough bluestone setts - all joints to be max. 15mm wide filled with blue metal

100mm depth clean blue metal

Existing tree

SECTION scale 1:20

PLA

NTI

NG

PIT

D

EPTH

VA

RIES


25

Flush galvanised steel right angle edge

PLAN scale 1:20

100x100x40 bluestone setts

New tree

Kerb


APPROX. 1200mm

APP

ROX.

900

mm

WIDTH MAY VARY ACCORDING TO

SET-OUT

APPROX. 1200mm


Twinwall geonet geotextile

Existing subgrade

Agricultural line to meet existing drainage

Incorporate root cells loaded with topsoil

Topsoil

Flush galvanised right angle edge

100x100x40 thick rough bluestone setts - all joints to be max. 15mm wide filled with blue metal

BITUMENBITUMEN

100mm depth clean blue metal

New tree

SECTION scale 1:20

SUB-BASE VARIESSUB-BASE VARIES

SECTION

MIN

. 600

mm

Root director

Typical New Tree Plant ing in Asphalt Paving

Documents

The Rocks and Circular Quay Tree Masterplan Vol 1 Analysis ... · 900 trees within the Rocks and Circular Quay. This operates as a specialized database to be accessed by asset managers