Celebrating 25 Years since the Games

As we mark the 25th anniversary of the Sydney 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Sydney Olympic Park is proud to celebrate the legacy that continues to inspire our community and visitors from around the world.  

Sydney Olympic Park is home to the largest collection of outdoor large-scale site-specific public artworks in a single precinct in Australia. Many of our artworks reflect the spirit and history of the Games, offering a powerful connection to the moments that defined Sydney 2000 – but also inspiration for the future of the suburb as it continues to grow and evolve into a dynamic hub where people can live, work and play.  

As we mark a quarter century since “the best Games ever”, why not take a moment to rediscover the stories, creativity, and Olympic pride that live on at Sydney Olympic Park. Come and visit with your family and friends and check out some of our favourite Games installations around the Park.  

Location: Northern end of Cathy Freeman Park.

Artist: Michael Scott-Mitchell.

At Sydney Olympic Park, the Olympic spirit is etched into the landscape. Perhaps most strikingly through the iconic Olympic Cauldron from the opening ceremony of Sydney 2000, now a feature at the northern end of Cathy Freeman Park.

The lighting of the Cauldron at Stadium Australia was one of the most spectacular and memorable moments of the Sydney 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Indigenous athlete, Cathy Freeman, walked to a pool of water and as she swept the flaming Olympic torch across it, a ring of fire sprung from the submerged Olympic Cauldron.

The flaming Olympic Cauldron, with water cascading from it, then rose to be joined with the mast, which emerged from behind the northern stand of the Stadium. This combined structure then ascended to its maximum height, where it stood for the duration of the Games.  

The Cauldron remains as a tribute to the Games and the Olympic spirit. The names of the 1,972 Olympic medallists and 2,627 Paralympic medallists at the Sydney Games are recorded on gold, silver, and bronze nameplates at the base of the Olympic Cauldron. 

Location: Fig Grove.

Take a walk through history at the Boral Olympic Dream Pathway, located in the heart of Fig Grove at Sydney Olympic Park.  

This unique pathway features nearly 100,000 engraved pavers, each carrying the names and messages of athletes, spectators, and supporters giving everyday Australians the chance to leave their own lasting legacy at the site of the Games. The Pathway is now a living memory of the Olympic spirit and a celebration of community.

Among the pavers is a heartfelt tribute from Cathy Freeman. The World champion dedicated a paver to her family, inscribed with the message “To my family, love Cathy”. Olympic legend Herb Elliott also endorsed the program, presenting Cathy Freeman with a special brick from the Australian Olympic Committee.  

Come and explore this remarkable path, you may even spot the name of someone you know! 

Location: Northern end of Cathy Freeman Park, near the intersection of Grand Parade and Showground Road.

Artist: Imants Tillers.

As we commemorate 25 years since the Games, come and visit Cathy Freeman Park and discover the unique tribute that is Eight Women.

This striking sculptural installation pays tribute to a century of women’s participation in the Olympic Games and highlights the profound impact women have had on Australia’s Olympic history. It honours eight remarkable torchbearers who lit the Olympic and Paralympic Cauldrons during the Sydney 2000 opening ceremonies. 

Among them are seven of Australia’s most celebrated female Olympians - Betty Cuthbert, Raelene Boyle, Dawn Fraser, Shirley Strickland, Shane Gould, Debbie Flintoff-King, and Cathy Freeman. Completing the group is Paralympic legend Louise Sauvage, who proudly ignited the Paralympic Cauldron.

Rather than depicting each athlete individually, the artwork blends their attributes into a unified abstract form, woven together in a shared expression of strength and achievement.  

Next time you’re in the Park, stop by to visit and reflect on the legacy of the Games, the role of women in sport, and the enduring Olympic spirit that lives on.

Location: Accor Stadium forecourt near the junction of Olympic Boulevard and Dawn Fraser Avenue.

Artists/Designers: Tony Caro Architecture (Architects) in collaboration with Root Projects Australia, Donny Woollagoodja (Artist for 3 Poles), Emery Vincent Design (Graphic Design), Wax Sound and Media (Multi-Media Programs).

Tucked into the forecourt of Stadium Australia (Accor Stadium), near the junction of Olympic Boulevard and Dawn Fraser Avenue, Games Memories is an immersive public display that invites you to step back into the energy and emotion that defined the Sydney 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Games Memories consists of a V-shaped forest of 480 poles, laid out at the eastern end of Olympic Plaza. Unashamedly nostalgic, it captures many of the elements that made the Games special to the athletes, volunteers, spectators in the stands and the billions watching or listening around the world.

Games Memories was inspired by Stonehenge, Indigenous meeting places and the existing form and detail of Sydney Olympic Park. The forest of poles represents the densely packed crowds that inhabited Sydney Olympic Park in September 2000. The distribution of the poles and their varying heights is symbolic of the way that people randomly clustered across Olympic Plaza and Olympic Boulevard during the Games. Nearly 300 of them are engraved with the names of the 74,000 volunteers whose enthusiasm and generosity helped shape one of Australia’s most iconic events.  

If you’re trying to find the name of a specific volunteer, the volunteer walk is set out alphabetically by surname from the Olympic Boulevard end of the forest through to Accor Stadium.

Whether you're reliving your own memories or appreciating the history for the first time, Games Memories is a place to pause, reflect, and celebrate the people who brought the Games to life. 

Location: Southern end of Cathy Freeman Park (formerly The Overflow) near the intersection of Dawn Fraser Avenue and Showground Road 

Artists/Designers: Imants Tillers 

The Attractor stands tall, both literally and symbolically as a powerful reminder of the Olympic spirit but also pointing towards Sydney Olympic Park’s bold vision for the future. 

This 25-metre sculpture, inspired by a 17th-century illustration by metaphysician Robert Fludd, represents the noblest of human endeavours. Designed as a giant ladder, it speaks to the essence of Olympism: the drive to ascend, to improve, to overcome limitations, and to strive for excellence.

Each of its six rungs bears a Latin word that reflects a journey of growth and understanding:

• Sensus – perception, feeling
• Imaginatio – imagination
• Ratio – reason, reckoning
• Intellectus – understanding
• Intelligentia – intelligence
• Verbum – word, wisdom

The Attractor not only commemorates the legacy of the Games but also aligns with the Sydney Olympic Park 2050 Masterplan, a vision for the future of the precinct as a thriving, inclusive, and innovative suburb that continues to inspire and support future generations.

Come and experience this monumental artwork and reflect on how the spirit of Sydney 2000 continues to shape the future of this dynamic urban destination.