Samuel Cook

This is the story of Samuel Cook, who arrived in Sydney in 1854 and lived the rest of his life in the Inner West. He spent his entire working life with John Fairfax & Sons, including almost 20 years as General Manager. With his two wives, he raised nine children. As a member of the Congregational church he was an active philanthropist. However, his most significant achievement was the establishment of parks and gardens in and around Sydney. Samuel Cook was unusual for his time because he understood the importance of green space, especially in heavily populated parts of the city. He believed that harbour-side and beachfront land should be kept out of private hands. At a time of rapid growth, his hard work ensured that recreation reserves were established in places that really needed them. To appreciate the breadth of Samuel Cook's visionary work, we invite you to visit the parks he helped create and try to imagine what the city would be like without them. He truly was Sydney's grandfather of green space.