Callan Park is a large public park, fronting the Harbour on Iron Cove on one side, and running up a steep slope to a frontage with Balmain Rd. It was home to a Mental Asylum for many years, in the Kirkbride Buildings, a major architectural attraction. It was home to Sydney University College of the Arts for some years but is now undergoing renovation awaiting a new lease. The grounds are large and spacious with grassy areas and many trees.
Greater Sydney Parklands is the Government Authority in control of the park, taking over from Department of Health some years ago. Some health facilities remain on the western side, in Broughton Hall.
A Landscape and Structural Plan was released in 2021, which showed a possible bike path along the Balmain Rd frontage, the Bike Boulevard. It did not gain any funding in the 4 year forward plan and remained a dream.
“The boulevard on Balmain Road is not part of the implementation works and is a later priority within the Landscape Structure Plan. There is currently no timeframe on when these works would take place. The detail of the boulevard (i.e. whether it is a shared path, a separated path, suitable for active transport) would be determined during consultation on the detailed design. At this time, we would welcome your feedback and input.”-
-email from Meghan Parker, Senior Project Officer, Callan Park, 25 February 2021
Council did not pursue this project with Greater Sydney Parklands. A Transport Plan was promised. We lived in hope.
After a Public Consultation in 2024 /25 a Draft Plan of Management has just been released (October 2025) including a Transport, Movement, Access and Parking plan.
IWBC submitted, again, that a bike path along the Balmain Rd frontage would be of great benefit for local bicycle access to the Park but also as part of a needed ink between Leichhardt and Rozelle, as identified in the Inner West Council Bike Strategy, and rather loosely as a desirable “corridor” in Transport for NSW Strategic Corridors Plan.
About 800 m of flat, level shared path or bike path could result if this idea was taken up.
Unfortunately the Draft Plan does not include the Bicycle Boulevard, and the cycling plan is poorly thought out.
Comments open until 29 October 2025 to callanparkpom@gsp.nsw.gov.au
More at Bike Leichhardt https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BXrVa4GjN/
full POM and Transport Plan at
http://www.greatersydneyparklands.nsw.gov.au/callan-park…
The Plan of Management with full detail is at https://www.greatersydneyparklands.nsw.gov.au/…/callan…