The Cook Park Heritage Walk brochure describes the fernery, which is presently closed for renovations, as being built in 1937-38 with restoration taking place in 1988 as a bicentennial project. The fernery contains many tree ferns & other shade loving plants. The John Gale Memorial Fountain is now located in the fernery. This fountain was originally located on an island in a small lake which was drained & remodelled into a rose garden.
It was officially opened in 1938 by the then Minister for Works, the Hon E.S.Spooner M.L.A.
The plaque states:
Officially opened by the Hon E.S.Spooner M.L.A. Minister for Works & Local Government 14th February 1938.
R.H.Heath Town Clerk
W.F.Matthews Mayor
The Australian Dictionary of Biography (
visit link) states (in part) of Spooner, Eric Sydney:
Eric Sydney Spooner (1891-1952), accountant and politician, was born on 2 March 1891 at Waterloo, Sydney. He gained a diploma in economics and commerce by evening study at the University of Sydney in 1916 and brilliantly passed the Commonwealth Institute of Accountants' examinations. Having practised as a chartered accountant at Orange from 1919, he returned to Sydney in 1922.
Attracted to politics and encouraged by (Sir) Bertram Stevens, Spooner won the Legislative Assembly seat of Ryde for the United Australia Party in June 1932 and joined Stevens' government as an honorary minister.
Next February Spooner became assistant treasurer and minister for local government; retaining local government in 1935, he also became secretary for public works and deputy leader of the parliamentary party. He implemented unemployment relief and employment-creating capital works, encouraged municipal housing schemes, established the Sydney County Council to provide gas and electricity services.
Spooner's political ambitions made him a central figure in bitter dissensions within the coalition. His portfolios gave him powerful sources of patronage and he was mistrusted by the Country Party leader (Sir) Michael Bruxner.
In August 1940 Spooner resigned from the assembly and won the Federal seat of Robertson in October. A vigorous Federal parliamentarian, he rejected deflation and favoured a national government, Australia-wide child endowment and post-war reconstruction.
He died in Sydney on 3 June 1952 of cancer and was buried in the Northern Suburbs cemetery after a state funeral at St Stephen's Anglican Church, Chatswood. Energetic, imaginative and persuasive, Spooner was proud of his achievements and said that 'he had come from the rank and file, of humble parentage, and had fought a battle with life'.