Originally this was known as the Town Common. The site, covering an area of approximately 15 hectares, was left as open ground until 1978 when landscaping work was carried out under a State Unemployment Relief Scheme.
The completed works of a lake, landscaping and carpark, were opened on Sunday 15th October 1978 by the Honourable Jack Wright M.P. Minister for Labour and Industry. On the day, ‘Life Be In It’ kites were given away in an effort to encourage people to begin using the park. During the City’s Silver Jubilee celebrations in 1980, to commemorate each year since the inauguration of Elizabeth in 1955, 25 trees were planted by Elizabeth Council.
The park was officially named Fremont Park after Elizabeth’s sister city of Fremont in California.
Some features of the park include a jogging track around the perimeter, 1km in length. In 1981, the Lions Club erected a shelter, and in 1982 they installed a wishing well. Artworks as part of a community sculpture project sponsored by the Council were installed.
Incorporated in the design was a shallow lake on which children could sail their boats. To add to the scene, large rockeries were built at the eastern end of the lake, where two small waterfalls cascade over the rocks and into the lake below.
Mayor of Elizabeth, Max Duffield took a trip to visit Elizabeth Sister City, Fremont, USA in 1968. He took a bottle of water from Elizabeth when he went and after presenting it to the Civic leaders in Fremont the water was poured into a lake, mixing a little of Elizabeth with Fremont to seal their sisterhood. In return he gave Mr Duffield a bag of selected seeds from Fremont which he brought back to Elizabeth. These were propagated in the Elizabeth nursery and planted in Fremont Park.
As this was once a crop farming area only a few trees were left standing, and as was the Housing Trust’s habit, they were left standing to give aesthetic value to future development, which of course adds to the scene.
The small natural creek which runs through the park rises from the catchment areas of the lower slopes of the Para Hills, running through the “Olive Grove” in Elizabeth East. The creek then runs under Yorktown Road and on through Freemont Park.
At the ceremony to open Fremont Park the newly formed “City of Elizabeth Band” played, and its musical director Mr Bernard Bygrave was presented with a mace by Janet Jeremy on behalf of Good Neighbour Council. After the official proceedings of the afternoon, the Mayor, Mr Terry Hemmings entertained the official guests at a reception at the Shedley Theatre’s new “Brin Whiting Lounge”. This was also the opening of the lounge which was named for Councillor Brin Whiting in recognition of his efforts to materialise the project.
Fremont Park lake