Fearnley Grounds

  • Description Café and cycle hire
  • Location Centennial Park
  • Sector Community
  • Sub-Sector Community, Cultural, Lifestyle, Sport and Leisure, Retail
  • Specialties Heritage, Live Environment, New Build
  • Contract Type Fixed Lump Sum, GC21
  • Delivery Method Construct Only
  • Client Centennial Park and Moore Park Trust
  • Architect Hills Thaills Architecture + Urban Projects
  • Photographer Paramount Studios
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Fearnley Grounds delivers a welcoming, family‑friendly space within Centennial Parklands, creating a central hub for cyclists, families and visitors. Designed to bring together park users from surrounding areas, the project provides a new café, bike hire facilities and improved outdoor spaces that enhance the overall visitor experience while supporting the Parklands’ focus on accessibility, recreation and community connection.

Construction required careful planning and disciplined coordination within a highly active public and cyclist environment. Maintaining the Parklands cycleway throughout construction was a key challenge, with large pelotons passing the site daily. A detailed materials‑handling strategy was implemented to ensure cyclist safety while keeping the program on track. Additional complexities included a significant power upgrade and the need for Heritage Council approval for all external colours and cladding selections, creating tight lead‑time pressures for the team.

8051 Fearnely Grounds 5 Scaled

The community building consists of 2 separate blocks, with the café on the western side and the cycle‑hire facility on the eastern side. A low canopy roof and elevated base link both areas into a single, cohesive structure. With applied concrete finishes, heritage‑approved cladding and thoughtfully designed landscaping, the building blends seamlessly into the surrounding parklands. Additional works included new garden areas, a barbeque and picnic shelter, and extensive external upgrades to support year‑round use.

The project name was reviled at the opening day to ‘Fearnley Grounds’ in honour of Paralympian Kurt Fearnley OAM, reflecting the spirit of determination, accessibility and outdoor enjoyment that the space now represents. The completed works provide a vibrant, inclusive destination for the community and a lasting enhancement to Centennial Parklands.