POOL OF REFLECTION SLATED FOR UPGRADE

Part of a broader $18.6 million investment to improve Hyde Park, the Pool of Reflection project will repair water leaks and address insufficient pump room capacity while refurbishing the pool’s finishes and improving its surrounds with new trees and furniture.

The works complement a $40 million state government project to complete the original design of the adjacent Anzac War Memorial by adding a water cascade on its southern side to mirror the Pool of Reflection.

“The Pool of Reflection is a place to remember so many of those who served our country,” Lord Mayor Clover Moore said.

“In the bustle of the city, it offers a rare space for quiet reflection. It’s so important that work like this is done to preserve this significant place.”

Hyde Park’s Pool of Reflection will be upgraded in line with the state government’s $40m project to realise the original design of the Anzac War Memorial.

The pool will get new tiling and water proofing, plus a new underground plant room with better pumps and filters. Surrounding pavements and furniture will be upgraded and nearby Poplar trees, which are in poor condition, will be replaced.

The work is expected to be completed in time for the centenary of the Battle of Fromelles in July 2016, the first major battle fought by Australian troops on the Western Front and the worst day in Australia’s military history.

Hyde Park is Australia’s oldest park and a culturally significant heritage landscape central to many of the City’s cultural events.

The City of Sydney is carrying out improvements to ensure it continues to delight around three million residents, workers and visitors who visit each year.

More than 30 new trees are being planted, pathways will be restored and improvements made to sewerage and electrical services.