Nature play at the heart of new South Australian National Park

A partnership between the South Australian Government and the City of Marion will see a nature-focussed adventure playground developed within the new Glenthorne National Park drawing inspiration from existing nature play areas such as Morialta (pictured above).

The City of Marion has embraced a vision for the vibrant new national park by agreeing to contribute $2 million towards a huge adventure playground which is expected to attract thousands of visitors to the park once it is opened in 2021.

Welcoming the contribution from the City of Marion, South Australian Minister for Environment and Water, David Speirs stated that the Glenthorne National Park is the South Australian Government’s flagship environmental initiative “creating an open space network extending from the hills to the sea and saving the 208-hectare Glenthorne Farm at O’Halloran Hill being swept away by urban sprawl.

“Engaging young people with nature is a key objective of Glenthorne National Park and having a must-visit playground, focused around the concept of nature, will no doubt draw people from far and wide.

"We want this to become the St Kilda of the South and we will be looking at other successful nature play areas such as the one at Morialta to make sure this becomes South Australia’s premier adventure playground.

“The City of Marion’s contribution demonstrates the confidence that the community has in this project and the excitement with which people are awaiting its creation in the coming months and years.

"I’m grateful for the council’s involvement and I am excited about the potential that this partnership will deliver.”

Marion Council Mayor Kris Hanna expects that the new playground will help attract more visitors to Glenthorne, adding "as a former President of Friends of Glenthorne and campaigner for open space there for 20 years, I’m thrilled with what the State Government has achieved there in the past two years

“Glenthorne is a very special part of the Marion Council area. Minister Speirs is opening up Glenthorne to a new era of public enjoyment and the Council-funded play area will be a wonderful feature. Our local community and families far and wide will enjoy it for generations to come.”

Glenthorne National Park is Adelaide’s second major metropolitan national park and will preserve and revitalise more than 1,500 hectares across the Glenthorne property, O’Halloran Hill Recreation Park, Marino Conservation Park, Hallett Cove Conservation Park, Happy Valley Reservoir and areas of the Field River Valley.

Image shows Adelaide’s existing Nature Play Morialta playground courtesy of SA Department of Environment and Water