In its early years, the park was fenced with council by-laws declaring trespass by a range of animals, including dogs, not allowed.
“Every pig, dog, goat, horse, head of cattle, sheep, or other animal found trespassing within the enclosure shall be removed,” the by-law from 1896 stated. In 1894, it reported that the grass in Centennial Park was three feet (91.4 centimetres) long.
In 1901, the Bathurst Free Press and Mining Journal reported that council had rejected a call for a water trough for cattle, noting that council would not receive any revenue by the erection of the trough.
In 1905, The Bathurst National Advocate reported instances of unlawful grazing by large stock in the park and the Council Parks committee was asked to uphold council’s motion preventing the grazing of livestock on the park. In March, 1930 The Bathurst council approval for the use of Centennial Park by visiting circuses when they came to town. The rental was five pounds per night with a 25 pound deposit. Many older Bathurstians remember vividly and fondly that visiting circuses used Centennial Park as the home for their animals, as recently as the 1980s.
For school children in particular it was captivating to see elephants and lions in their own local park.
These days you will not see elephants in Centennial Park, but you can see wild birds and possums.