The founder and promoter of the village of Randwick was Simeon Pearce who envisaged the area as a "New Brighton" by the sea but also as a place that had many of the traditional English village qualities of his birthplace of Randwick in Gloustershire. As a Commissioner of Church and School lands he was well placed to have areas of land set aside for church and school use, and in 1854 a large area of land was granted on the east side of Alison Park for Church of England use then in 1857 on the west side for the Presbyterian Church. Between the church lands, Simeon proposed a general cemetery but because of residents objections this became a cricket ground (later renamed to Alison Park).
