Leabrook memorial for fallen police officer still two years away
WORK on a $367,000 upgrade of Leabrook’s Constable Hyde Memorial Garden will start in September. But a home for Burnside’s skating community – initially proposed for the park – is still up in the air.
WORK on a $367,000 upgrade of Leabrook’s Constable Hyde Memorial Garden will start in September and take up to two years to complete.
Under Burnside Council’s plans, the park will be split into two sections; a plaza that will contain a monument to Constable Hyde – the police officer shot dead in the course of duty in 1909 – and a playground in the southern section.
Details for the monument were yet to be revealed.
New play equipment will replace that removed last August for safety reasons and improve on a space described in tender documents as “empty, underutilised and uninspiring”.
New lights and benches will be installed, and 12 trees will be replaced.
Mayor David Parkin hoped to see works completed within two years.
“We’re pleased this is finally coming to fruition,” Mr Parkin said.
The council took control of the park in 2015 after it agreed to a deal with the State Government to swap the Burnside-owned Rose Park Preschool and JB Cleland Kindergarten in St Georges for the 4434sq m memorial gardens.
“It’s been a long haul and a long battle to get hold of the reserve,” Mr Parkin said.
“We will treat it with respect and what we will produce will be a park that people will enjoy going to.”
Meanwhile, the council is drawing up a shortlist of possible locations for a skate park after a group, Skatepark for Burnside, unsuccessfully lobbied for skating facilities to be included plans for the upgrade of the park.
Cr Henry Davis said there was strong demand for a skate park.
“A skate park is something we should consider. It just depends on where it should go,” Cr Davis said.
“There is nothing really in the proximity of Burnside.”
A spokesman for Skatepark for Burnside said the group was pleased the council was taking action.