By Cathy Jones
Dean Reserve Strathfield South is located on land granted in 1837 to Father John Joseph Therry, which was known as the Village of St Anne’s. Dean Reserve is accessible from Dean Street, Strathfield South. The reserve takes its name from the street. However, most of the frontage of the park faces the Cooks River.
While this site was originally subdivided for residential development, the land was low lying and prone to flooding. Plans for residential development were abandoned and like many similar sites along the Cooks River, the land was used as a brickpit.
From the late 1890s, the Western Suburbs Brickworks Pty Ltd operated a brick pit due to the rich alluvial clay in the area. This brickpit was a major employer in the Enfield district (today known as Strathfield South & Enfield).
In the immediate post-war period, the brickworks expanded due to the housing boom of the period. The site was closed in mid 1950’s. Strathfield Council acquired the site in 1959 for a public garden and recreation space. For a time, a tip was established to fill the brickpit. The tip mainly accepted excavated materials from roadworks, until its closure in the late 1980s.
Dean Reserve was reopened in late 2006 after extensive refurbishment with playgrounds, seating, BBQ and picnic facilities.
