A new public square near Macquarie Street will be named after Queen Elizabeth II and feature a monument in her honor, as the New South Wales government pushes ahead with plans to reinvent the precinct.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet, announced the royal tribute on Wednesday. The plan is to create an open plaza that will become known as Queen Elizabeth II Place, and will allow members of the public to walk through, and honor the memory of Her Majesty.
The Premier indicated that the development would consist of an open space, coffee shops, and places for people to sit. The modern block adjoining the historic Registrar General’s Building in the center of Sydney will be bulldozed later this year to make space for the outdoor plaza beside Hyde Park Barracks. Perrottet said the space would not just be a place for reflection, but a space for recreation.
“It will be a plaza for our people, and it’ll be open space [with] cafés, and the like. This is a place to gather and also connect with each other, both through the urban side and the garden side,” Perrottet said.
READ ALSO: Shocking Facts About Six Monarchs Before Queen Elizabeth II
In a statement, the PM stated, “Regardless of where people stand on other issues, Queen Elizabeth II is someone who is admired, someone who’s respected for a life of service to the United Kingdom, to the Common Wealth, and to the world; and the naming of this place in her honor is an appropriate and fitting tribute”.
This is a part of the plan to revitalize Sydney and as well honor the memory of Queen Elizabeth II. It is currently costed at about $119,000,000. Sydney MP Alex Greenwich said the site would play a critical role in revitalising central Sydney following the twin blows of the city’s lockout laws and COVID-19 restrictions. Greenwich said the commemorative square was also an opportunity to consider creative and modern ways to honour the Queen and her service, adding that he would like to see “ways of doing that beyond statues”.
