Taylor Square
{{Short description|Public square in Sydney, Australia}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
Taylor Square is a public square in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Taylor Square is located beside a major road junction, at the intersection of Bourke, Forbes, Oxford and Flinders Streets. Taylor Square is also on the border of the suburbs of Darlinghurst and Surry Hills.
Description
File:Taylor Square, Sydney.jpg
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Taylor Square sits at the intersection of Bourke, Forbes, Oxford and Flinders streets above the tunnel section of the Eastern Distributor. The square is named after Sir Allen Taylor (1864–1940), a timber merchant, ship builder and Lord Mayor of Sydney who was responsible for the widening of Oxford Street during his tenure.{{cite web|title=Allen Taylor|url=http://www.sydneyaldermen.com.au/alderman/allen-taylor/|work=Sydney's Aldermen|publisher=City of Sydney|accessdate=3 April 2013}}
The area formerly bound by the traffic of the three streets is popularly known as "Gilligan's Island" because of three large palm trees that once occupied the strip, but have since been subsequently removed.{{Cite web|title=Gilligan's Island|url=https://cityhubsydney.com.au/tag/gilligans-island/|access-date=2020-07-31|website=City Hub Sydney {{!}} Your Local Independent News|language=en-AU}} The opening of the Eastern Distributor in December 1999 also entailed the realignment of traffic flow in the area. Direct vehicle access across Oxford Street via Bourke Street is no longer possible.
The locality is a centre of the city's nightlife, especially for its LGBT community. Two permanent tributes are the large rainbow flag and rainbow crossing, built in 2014 and 2019 respectively.{{Cite web|title=Crossing the rainbow on Taylor Square {{!}} City of Sydney - News|url=https://news.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/articles/crossing-the-rainbow-on-taylor-square|access-date=2020-07-31|website=news.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au|language=en}}
Darlinghurst Courthouse is an imposing sandstone building on Taylor Square. It was designed by architect Mortimer Lewis (1796–1879) in 1844 and has a Greek Revival style façade. The central block is adapted from an 1823 design in Peter Nicholson's The New Practical Builder.Apperly, Irving & Reynolds, 1989.
The square also features a large water fountain built into the pavement. This was part of a $5.25 million upgrade, in 2003, including lighting and a grass terrace. The fountain is currently being reviewed for upgrade and repair by the City of Sydney Council.{{Cite web|date=2020-03-09|title=Decision - Taylor Square Water Feature Maintenance and Upgrade|url=https://meetings.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?Id=1877|access-date=2020-07-31|website=meetings.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au|language=en}}
History
Taylor Square was the site of the public execution of John Knatchbull for murder in 1844, with a crowd of 10,000 people reportedly in attendance.{{cite web|url = http://ses.library.usyd.edu.au/bitstream/2123/1862/6/02whole.pdf|format = pdf of 187 pages| title = An Analysis of the Causes of Death in Darlinghurst Gaol 1867-1914 and the Fate of the Homeless in Nineteenth Century Sydney |last = Norrie | first = Philip Anthony | year = 2007 | work = Thesis for Master of Arts (Research) | publisher = University of Sydney| quote = page 103: The most famous public hanging at the goal was that of aristocrat John Knatchbull at 7 a.m. on Tuesday 13 February 1844. He was executed for murdering Ellen Jamieson and a crowd of over 10,000 witnessed his death. The last public hanging occurred on 21 September 1852, when murderer, Thomas Green, was dispatched. |access-date = 2008-03-14}}{{cite news |first= John |last= Pelly |title= History in the dock | url = http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2005/01/30/1107020262199.html |publisher=Sydney Morning Herald|date= 31 January 2005 |access-date= 2008-03-07 | quote = These public events continued until John Knatchbull - found guilty of murder after the court rejected the colony's first recorded insanity plea - met his fate in Taylor Square in February 1844. The newspapers offered disapproving words about the number of women and children in the crowd of 10,000.}}
See also
References
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{{commonscat|Taylor Square, Sydney}}
{{coord|33.8808|S|151.2169|E|type:landmark_region:AU|display=title}}
{{Streets of Sydney Australia}}
Category:Gay villages in Australia
Category:LGBTQ culture in Sydney
Category:Darlinghurst, New South Wales
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