Joynton Park

Part of a chain of wetlands which spread from Botany Bay north to Redfern. It was drained in 1906 by digging a trench from the site to Shea’s Creek which caused the water to drain away to Botany Bay and left 2–3 metres of natural peat, contrasting to the surrounding sandhills.

The park is named after Sir James John Joynton Smith, hotelier, newspaper proprietor and racecourse owner, who made a fortune from ‘the pastimes of the people’. His hotels included the Carlton Hotel in the city, the Imperial Hotel at Mount Victoria and the Carrington Hotel at Katoomba. Joynton Smith was president of the NSW Rugby League in 1910–28 and patron in 1929–43. Among his many other achievements were serving as Sydney Lord Mayor in 1918 and as an MLC in 1912–1934. He founded Smith’s Weekly newspaper in 1919 and backed Sydney’s first radio station in 1923.