In 1901 the whole area was resumed[2] for the construction of Sydney's Central railway station with the majority of excavated earth placed on the common, burying the original layout.

[1] During the 1908–09 Royal Commission for the Improvement of the City of Sydney and Its Suburbs major landscaping works for the area were proposed by commissioner Norman Selfe.

[3] Due to its proximity to the city, and especially to Central station, the park has long been a place for groups to gather—for protests, markets, events or performances.

For example, in 1878 in front of a large crowd, Henri L'Estrange unsuccessfully tried twice to launch himself in a gas balloon, while during the 2000 Summer Olympics the park became one of five "live sites" where the games were publicly broadcast.

The terminus loop of the Inner West Light Rail line forms a ring around the entire park using ramps on both eastern and western edges to access the train station concourse.