By Cathy Jones
Kessell Square is a small park located between Shortland Avenue, Fraser Street and Marion Street. It is adjacent to the Marion Street Heritage Conservation Area, which primarily features interwar housing.
Kessell Square is located on land originally granted to Joseph Hyde Potts in 1841. Part of Potts Estate came under the control of Francis Howard Potts and Arthur Campbell Fraser, who subdivided the property and marketed land for sale as the ‘Crown of Strathfield’ from 1922. This subdivision created many streets including Marion St, Fraser St and Edgar St, which were named for members of the Potts family.
A small area of land in a triangular shape, is located in the junction of Fraser Street, Allan Street (later Shortland Road) and Marion Street. The land was transferred to Strathfield Council in January 1938 as a public park.
Kessell Square was named for Arthur Kessell, Mayor of Strathfield (1919-20). The late 1910s and 1920s were a period of rapid subdivision in Strathfield and Council’s planning policies required allocation of open space for purpose of public recreation, particularly in large subdivisions such as the ‘Crown of Strathfield’.
The photograph of Kessell Square is dated 1947 and featured on a Strathfield Council flyer opposing Council amalgamation.
Kessell Square was gazetted as a reserve in accordance with the Geographical Names Act 1966 on 19 November 1976.
