2003: NSW Police HQ is marched off to Parramatta

Above: Curtis Cheng Centre (NSW Police Headquarters) in 2007. Photograph taken by the Author. 

NSW Police traditionally had its headquarters in central Sydney. In 2001, the NSW Government announced that the NSW Police Headquarters would relocate to Parramatta from their existing location in the Avery Building in College Street.

This reflected the policy of the NSW Government to decentralise public servants from the Sydney CBD.  

Source: Jamal, N. 2001. "Officers given their marching orders - they're heading west to Parramatta". The Sydney Morning Herald, December 19: 7. 

It was reported at the time that it was the biggest shift in workers in fifteen years involving around 1350 workers.

As reported in The Sydney Morning Herald  in 2001, the following reasons shaped the decision

• Decentralisation of public servants to suburban and regional centres.
• Reduce office leasing costs
• Develop local economies

Relocation to Parramatta was in 2003 following completion of the building.

In 2016, the building was renamed the Curtis Cheng Centre to honour the service of Police Accountant Curtis Cheng, who was shot dead in the foyer in September 2015 by Farhad Jabar in an act of terrorism.

The former Avery Building was converted into an apartment complex with residents moving into the tower in 2011. It is known as The Residence Hyde Park. 

Above: The Residences, Hyde Park. Photo taken by the Author (2012).