Paddington Reservoir Gardens
The Paddington Reservoir Gardens are a little oddity hidden in Paddington. It’s a two level garden built out of ruins of old buildings.
It’s the type of thing you’re amazed at finding in a big City when you accidentally stumble on it.
It’s not very big and it’s quite easy to miss but I’ll be sure to tell you exactly where to do a bit later on.
But, it’s not the type of thing you drive to see. And it’s not necessarily a place for the kids.
Where is Paddington Reservoir Gardens
Paddington Reservoir Gardens are located slap bang (South African expression) in the middle of Paddington. On busy Oxford Road.
If you’re traveling east from the City on public transport, bus routes 378, 382 and 380 stop nearby.
If you’re not sure where Paddington is, it’s just to the East of the City. It also happens to be a very very cool area.
Address
The official address is 251-255 Oxford Street, Paddington NSW 2021.
Parking
There is no parking at the garden. If you’re driving past and want to check it out, pop down Oatley Road which runs South off Oxford. You’ll find some on street parking there.
What is Paddington Reservoir Gardens
It’s like an industrial garden without the flowers.
The top level is a flat area where you can sit and read, have a picnic or kick a ball.
This level sits slightly above the street.
The lower level is accessible by stairs on whether side of the garden or by a lift on the west side. Just a side note: on the day we visited the lift wasn’t working though.
The lower level is what is unique and interesting. It’s a combination of a flat garden, garden beds and an water feature.
History of the Paddington Reservoir Gardens
The historical reservoir was built in the 1860s and collected water from the Botany Swamps to supply Sydney for 30 odd years.
The site was also home to the Grand View Hotel in the 1880s and a pair of residential terraces. Part of these were demolished in the 1960s due to the widening of Oxford Road.
In the 1970s part of the Hotel collapsed due to a gas explosion.
In 2006 the space was converted to what it is now and it is now State Heritage Listed.
What makes the Paddington Reservoir Gardens special?
The historical aspect of the buildings makes it pretty interesting to visit.
On the day we visited a bridal couple were having their wedding photos taken in the sunken part of the garden. My daughter was captivated by the bride!
It makes sense that a place like this would be chosen for wedding photos because it is such an interesting space. There is some of the original brick, timber and iron fixtures which have been blended with newer features involving water and plants.
According to the Council:
“vibrant graffiti art has been preserved in the eastern chamber.”
But when we visited certain areas were locked and closed off. So we didn’t see any of this.
Entry into the garden is free of charge.
Facilities and Accessibility
Because there are two different levels to the gardens and a lot of stairs to climb up and down between the levels.
While there are lifts, they were not working on the day we visited.
