Project description
Complete: Aranda playground.
The Banambila Street playground in Aranda has been upgraded to provide better places to play for the local community. Following construction beginning in September 2023, in March 2024 upgrades were completed and the playground reopened to the community.
In 2022 we invited feedback on elements for inclusion and the preliminary design. For more information on the consultation that took place, including a What We Heard Report (PDF) summarising the feedback, visit YourSay.
Key features
- nature play area with balancing, climbing and Ngunnawal cultural elements
- toddler (0-4) play opportunities including a hidey 'wombat' tunnel
- all ages and abilities play equipment including a spinner and basket swing
- junior (5-9) and pre-teen (10-13) equipment including a raised tepee climber and fishing trap net
- fitness equipment for teen play (14-17), adults and seniors with horizontal bars and mountain step climber
- existing swing and rocker retained and relocated in the play space with the swing seating replaced
- seating, picnic table and shelter, concrete path and a shade sail covering the all abilities play area
- four new trees and landscaping, including mulched garden beds.
Cultural design elements
The region where the Aranda play space upgrade is located holds an ancient cultural and spiritual connection to the Ngunnawal people and has for thousands of years.
The Ngunnawal landscape around Galambary/Black Mountain was abundant in native orchids, daisies, lilies and native fauna. One of the well-known native daisies is the Yam Daisy, referred to as Dharaban. The daisy has been harvested by Ngunnawal women and children for thousands of years and is used by the Ngunnawal people as a staple to create damper, native tea and to aid healing wounds.
The artwork for Aranda, by artist and cultural consultant Bradley Mapiva Brown, reflects these connections to country to Dharaban, Galambary and the Molonglo River. Bagariin Ngunnawal Cultural Consulting provided recommendations to showcase the play space Yam Daisy theme. Those in the final design are:
- artwork wrapped on the shade sail posts
- a climbing net which symbolises the carrying bags and baskets used to collect food resources
- a wombat burrow play tunnel for toddlers
- artwork in the pathway
- nature play elements.
