By Cathy Jones
Cooke Park is located between Madeline Street and Chisholm Street Belfield. The northern boundary faces Coxs Creek, a tributary of the Cooks River. Cooke Park is named for Thomas Cooke, former Alderman (1941-1948) and Mayor of Enfield Council (1941-46, 1948).
The park is built on the Chisholm Estate, a 1937 subdivision which created residential lots along Chisholm and Madeline Streets. A large portion of the site measuring over 4 acres contained a large waterhole and therefore, was considered to be difficult to develop. The subdivider approached Enfield Council to purchase the affected land (Lot 27). Initially, the Council agreed to purchase Lot 27 for £100 but later acquired additional lots on the frontages of both streets and the land facing Cox’s Creek.
The site accepted fill to level out the land and in 1942, on the instigation of the Mayor of Enfield, Thomas Cooke, plans were developed to format the site into a park with playing fields. On 1 January 1949, the west ward of Enfield Council amalgamated with Strathfield Council. Cooke Park was dedicated as a public reserve on 15 October 1952.
The park has primarily been used for sporting purposes and features three sportsfields and a skate park. A new amenities black was built in 2020 with upgraded children’s playgrounds. A synthetic sportsfield was built in 2020. A grove of trees/biodiversity corridor is located north of the park which abuts the Cox’s Creek Channel, a tributary of the Cooks River, which runs from Strathfield South to Greenacre.
Strathfield Heritage 