When Radoslav Radovanovic was walking through Hyde Park in Sydney’s business district almost 30 years ago, he had an idea. He wanted to install a life-size chess set, just like the one in the park, in his suburb of Liverpool.
With plans already in place to close Macquarie Street to traffic, a chess set was installed on the sidewalk of a newly renovated Macquarie Mall.
Macquarie Mall’s chess game was stopped on the street in the early 1990s after renovations were completed. ((
Liverpool City Library
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“I told my son who told the council why we don’t put a chess game here in the mall. So the council made one for us,” said Radovanovic.
“It was in the middle of the mall and we used to gather there every day to play chess.”
And while the rush hour at the chess table these days is 11am, those with other commitments can always show up a little later.
“We come here every day, about 25 of us. Those with jobs or busy lives sometimes come to us in the late afternoon.”
A sociable retirement
Mr. Radovanovic was born in Serbia and moved to Australia almost 60 years ago.
Radoslav Radovanovic tries not to miss a day of chess with friends – and some fierce opponents. ((
Sharon Masige
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He bought his first house in Cabramatta West but has been visiting Liverpool almost every day since retiring.
Now in his 80s, he said spaces like the one in Macquarie Mall have helped older members of the community socialize.
“We don’t drink, we don’t play, we’re not troublemakers. We just need a place to pass the time. That way we can play chess, go for a walk, talk to each other.”
Reinvented Macquarie Street
When the Macquarie Mall officially opened in the early 1990s, not everyone was on board.
Alf Vella, a city councilor from 1991 to 1995, said some shopkeepers were concerned about the impact of traffic distance.
“A couple of shopkeepers complained at the beginning, but I think it’s shining now,” said Mr Vella.
“And there will be more changes in the future to” beautify “it even more.”
An aerial view of Liverpool city center, circa 1970-1980. (
Liverpool City Library
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Liverpool Council Heritage Officer Thomas Wheeler said the Macquarie Mall was part of a reborn trend that gripped Sydney’s suburbs in the 1990s.
“It followed the same path as the birth of pedestrian streets in the 1970s,” said Wheeler.
“People wanted to reduce pollution, smoke and bring back the old concept of a city center that dates back to the Middle Ages.”
“A place of assembly”
Mr Wheeler said the Parramatta and Penrith shopping centers received a similar renovation in the early 1990s.
“The pedestrian zones were initially ephemeral, a place for business, shopping and walking,” he said.
“Now the Macquarie Mall has become a gathering place where communities come together.”
Mr Wheeler said the council is now focused on revitalizing Liverpool’s nightlife to make it a 23 hour city.
“At the moment, most cafes help with traffic and economy during the day. So the next focus is on night activation,” he said.
“An increase in hospitality within the strip will go hand in hand with new developments in the region.”
Passing on chess traditions
Mr. Radovanovic and his chess colleague are not that interested in the nightlife in the region.
Rather, they hope that the council will bring the youth tournaments back from the 1990s.
“A long time ago they organized tournaments here and we brought the children with us,” said Radovanovic.
“And only the kids would play. We could just sit back and watch. I would like to see this happen again so that the younger generation can come back.
“Some of the kids who took part in these tournaments 20 years ago are still passing by, but they are hardly children anymore.”