Greek community funded Olympic tribute at Sydney Olympic Park under threat
Source: NEOS KOSMOS
A 2050 masterplan for Sydney Olympic Park could be threatening to replace Stockroute Park and the Discobolus Monument, a place that holds prominent place with the Greek community.
The monument by Robert Owen commemorates the involvement of the Greek community in the Sydney 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Funded by the Hellenic community across Australia, the public art project also features an olive grove, cypress trees and marble architectural fragments.
It also links to similar tribute sites in Atlanta, USA and Athens, Greece, for their respective Games in 1996 and 2004.
The tributes were gifted to the public by prominent Greeks, institutions and community organisations.
The olive trees at the Sydney site are also each dedicated to various people for their support of the Hellenic tribute.
The significant community tribute is now potentially at threat from the proposal to replace the park with mixed use development under the Sydney Olympic Park Authority’s Masterplan 2050.
A concerned member of the public, who wished to remain anonymous reached out to Neos Kosmos to share their concern with the development.
“The Master Plan has virtually wiped out the current Stockroute Park, where it’s basically like a Greek heritage park in terms of Olympics connecting Athens and Atlanta which was majority funded by the Greek community,” they said.
“A number of key people from all over Australia and around the world contributed to that park.
“That land there they want to build over it without any consideration or consultation.
“They haven’t done the right thing. I’ll just call it clumsy community consultation or clumsy bureaucracy from the public service. But it’s very disrespectful and it’ll upset a lot of the people that have actually gone in and raised the money and established this little oasis of Olympic spirit, Greek spirit and sport spirit.”
They added that this wasn’t just some government grant, but something that the community put lots of money into, calling it a “disgrace” that something like this could be happening.
Maps and details of the plan make no note of the location or what will happen to the park and the iconic Discobolus Monument.
Another person who wished to remain anonymous and has a good understanding of the Sydney Olympic Park gave their thoughts on the situation.
“We need get support behind it to get politicians and other people to go, “no, this is not good enough’. You can’t treat Olympic legacy 24 years on with this level of disrespect, especially when it’s the only community funded space,” they said.
“You know of all the spaces that are in the park, this small little park is the only one that was funded by community.
“It’s a wakeup call to the government and it’s a wakeup call to the Greek community that if you don’t use it, you might risk losing it.”
They suggest that the space needs to be used more, maybe during the Greek Festival of Sydney, to hold an annual event there.
It has also been suggested relocating it would be a better option than outright losing it forever.
“There’s another wonderful place called Kronos Hill. Isn’t that sounding nice and Greek? But that becomes an issue of cost, who will pay for it?”
“I think what’s significant about the spot is it’s not the Sydney Greek community that did this. It’s the Australian Greek community, that’s the remarkable thing.”
AHEPA NSW was also heavily involved in facilitation of the tribute in the beginning and have sent letter to Sydney Olympic Park Authority (SOPA), Member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly Paul Scully and Minister for Lands and Property of New South Wales Steve Kamper.
Below is the letter in full.
“It has come to our attention that under the draft Master Plan 2050 for Sydney Olympic Park, the Discoboulos Robert Owen artwork on Herb Elliott Avenue is slated for removal from its longtime home in Stockroute Park.
By way of introduction, it was AHEPA NSW Inc which initiated the Olympic Tribute Project in 1998, culminating in the installation of the Robert Owen artwork in 2000, shortly before the famed Sydney Olympic Games.
The Project contributed over AUD$500,000 towards this Olympic Tribute, monies raised by AHEPA NSW Inc’s Olympic Tribute Committee from the Australian Hellenic community.
Before preparing a written submission, we enquire about the future plans for this unique artwork, which includes mature olive trees and dedicatory plaques.
I can find scant information on the public document, beyond the removal of the Olympic Tribute and the conversion of Stockroute Park to a new building.
Is SOPA planning on relocating the Olympic Tribute?
If yes, where?
Looking forward to a response by COB Friday 22 November so that we may make a suitable submission by your Monday 25 November deadline.
Yours sincerely,
Dr Panayiotis Diamadis
Secretary, AHEPA NSW INC”
Neos Kosmos reached out to Sydney Olympic Park Authority and are waiting a response.
The consultation period for the plan, which is on public exhibition, will end on Monday November 25.
More information can be found here.
The original article: belongs to NEOS KOSMOS .
