By Cathy Jones
Melville Reserve is located in Hampstead Road, Homebush West, but is also accessible from Fraser Street. The land on which the park was built was acquired in stages. The land was considered flood-prone and bi-sected by a waterway.
The land on which Melville Reserve is located was acquired by Strathfield Council in stages.
The land was formatted into a public reserve in the early 1930s and on 21 November 1937 the land was formally dedicated and opened as Melville Reserve, Hampstead Road Homebush West. The Reserve is named for Alexander Melville, an Alderman (1925-1940) and Mayor of Strathfield (1939-40).
Following Melville’s death in 1940, Council dedicated a water fountain in Melville Reserve to his memory. The water fountain was designed by architects Morrow and Gordon and erected by builder A E Green.
The Reserve contains many items of interest including WWI War Memorials. The iron gates on Hampstead Rd and the bridge were dedicated by the ‘people of Flemington’ to commemorate the Great War 1914-1918. These items are included as heritage items on the Strathfield Local Environmental Plan.
Melville Reserve was gazetted as a reserve in accordance with the Geographical Names Act 1966 on 19 November 1976.
References
Contracts Let, Sydney Morning Herald, 20 May 1941, p5.
Tenders Accepted or Received (1941, May 21). Construction (Sydney, NSW : 1938 – 1954), p. 13. Retrieved July 17, 2021, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article222861117
Strathfield Council, Meeting Minutes, 28 August 1928
