Possible plans for Jubilee Stadium to include a hotel and aquatic centre have alarmed descendants of the English family who sold the land to the NSW Government 125 years ago to be a people's park.
"The original purchase of the land from the English family was as a sporting park for the local people of Kogarah," said June Moschner who is a descendent of James English, the eldest son of Edmund English, who purchased the land where Jubilee Stadium now stands in the 1850s.
"As a descendent of the English family I would not like to see greedy developers building a new stadium to include a hotel, serviced apartments, a conference room and swimming pool," she said.
"This would not be of any value to local people. It would only profit the developers. Let the local council look after the interest of the people who live in the area."
The land where Jubilee Stadium now stands was part of an original grant of 87 acres made in 1853 to Archibald McNab.
Edmund English, who arrived in Australia from Ireland in 1850, made a modest fortune in the Gold Rush and then purchased the land in 1854 for four-hundred pounds.
Edmund and his wife Elizabeth raised their eight children there and all, with the exception of one, built houses and settled on the estate.
Two of their sons, Patrick and James, became aldermen of Kogarah.
According to historian Dr Joan Hatton, English's paddock was "a well-known place for picnickers from the inner city and even horse racing was held there.
"In 1890 a petition was presented to the government from 306 residents of Kogarah urging the resuming of English's paddock as a public park for Kogarah, comprising an area of twelve acres," Dr Hatton wrote in her History of Kogarah.
"This land for some years has been used by the youth of the neighbourhood as a cricket ground, with permission of the owner, so that it has to some extent come to be considered as a recreation ground.
"WIth the incorporation of the Municipality of Kogarah in 1885 there was a new-found civic pride amongst the residents so it is not surprising that there was soon a movement for an official public park."
It became known as Kogarah Park when acquired by the Department of Lands in 1895 for two-thousand pounds and was dedicated as the first public park in Kogarah.
Draft plans show a proposal for a pool to be built under the hill on the eastern side of Jubilee Stadium but Mrs Moschner is worried that this would mean the children's playground would have to go.
"Why put a pool there? The original pool is at Carss Park and of course it should stay there. And why have a hotel? There are plenty of hotels around."
Dolores Davis who is also a descendent of the English family said,"When the English family had the land they let it be used for cricket and horse racing. It was for the use of all the locals and their friends.
"If the council are planning to put a hotel here where are they going to put it?"
Mrs Davis also defends Carrs Park pool and can't see the reason for moving it to Jubilee Stadium.
"Our kids learnt to swim at Carss Park," she said. "I think it is a lovely place for a swimming pool. It's got plenty of parking, parklands and picnic grounds. I can't see the point in moving it."
Mrs Moschner added, "Originally it was supposed to be a park for the people, in which case let's leave it as what it is - a park for the people."
