City of Sydney opens biggest completed playground

Gunyama Park is now open in Zetland, giving Green Square 6,300m2 of new play space in the largest playground yet completed by the City of Sydney.

Children can use 70 metres of tunnels and tube slides, a skate plaza and a water play area. Visitors will also find swings, a flying fox, climbing ropes, in-ground trampolines, obstacles, musical elements and a small sand play area.

More than 150 newly planted trees sit across the park. Next to the playground are a sporting field, outdoor fitness equipment and the Gunyama Park Aquatic and Recreation Centre, described by the city as the largest swim facility built in Sydney since the 2000 Olympics.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the playground was designed for toddlers and primary school-aged children. Around it, families can use a large lawn, barbecues, picnic tables, bathrooms and change rooms for the sports field.

Banksia scrub and wetlands design

Banksia scrub surrounds channels that mirror the original wetlands of the area. Native plants also link the site to the local landscape.

City of Sydney said the design reflects Aboriginal knowledge of Country and seasonal change. Those ideas appear in references to shifts in flora, fauna and the movement of stars.

Gunyama is an Aboriginal Sydney language word meaning wind from the southwest. Strong southerlies still move through a district that has been home to Aboriginal clans and families for thousands of years.

A learning circle supports intergenerational and cross-cultural education. Sustainability features include a green roof, rammed earth seating, habitat boxes for local animals and recycled water for plants.

Moore said apartment residents rely on shared outdoor space. “For the many thousands in our community who live in apartments, parks and playgrounds are a backyard,” she said.

Green Square growth

Green Square is Australia’s largest urban renewal project. The precinct is expected to house about 63,000 people and become one of the country’s most densely populated areas.

According to Moore, Gunyama Park is one of 40 parks being delivered in Green Square. She argued that infrastructure must arrive alongside housing in growing neighbourhoods.

The new park brings play, sport, fitness and aquatic facilities together in one Zetland location. As a result, residents in one of Sydney’s densest districts have more public space close to home.