New Women’s and Children’s Hospital carpark will be built on historic olive grove in Adelaide parklands

A historic olive grove in the parklands will be destroyed for a multi-level carpark for the new Women’s and Children’s Hospital.

A carpark for the new $1.95b Women’s and Children’s Hospital will be built in the parklands on a historic olive grove planted by prisoners.

SA Health officials have told an Adelaide City Council workshop the site was chosen after other options such as an underground carpark were ruled out because of cost.

The historic olive grove which will be destroyed for the new Women's and Children's Hospital carpark. Picture: Colin James

The olive grove near the Adelaide Gaol where the new WCH carpark will be built. Picture: Colin James

The multi-level carpark will be connected to the new WCH by a footbridge over railway lines connecting the city to the southern suburbs.

It will be located on Gaol Rd, next to the state heritage-listed Adelaide Gaol and Thebarton Police Barracks.

Lord Mayor Sandy Verschoor told the workshop the site included olives planted by inmates at the prison, which was closed in February, 1988.

The carpark will be built on a historic olive near the old Adelaide Gaol and Thebarton Police Barracks. Picture: SA Health

Ms Verschoor said the Adelaide Parklands Authority was briefed on the masterplan for the new WCH last week, with members seeking more information from SA Health.

Ms Verschoor said she was “very keen” to understand how the new hospital would be joined to the parklands if the olive grove was built on.

Artist’s impression of the proposed new Women's and Children's Hospital. Picture: Woods Bagot

“There are questions around the old jail and the police barracks,” she said. “The only connection to the old jail and police barracks is through the olive grove.

“It is used to agist (police) horses and the olive trees were planted by prisoners so it is a historic olive grove as well.”

Ms Verschoor said she also was interested in how the new WCH would be connected to the city, similar to how the old Royal Adelaide Hospital sat next to the Botanic Gardens.

“The old RAH was very much connected to the west end of the city with a lot of movement both from the staff and people coming and going from the hospital for treatment but the new RAH is very much disconnected from the city.

The carpark will be connected to the new Women's and Childrens Hospital by a bridge. Picture: SA Health

“I am very keen to understand how the new Women’s and Children’s might get connected back to the city.”

Cr Alexander Hyde said the existing uses of the area where the carpark was proposed “is becoming a bit of a Frankenstein’s monster” with various government entities present.

“You have got SA Health coming into it now, you have got the Department for Infrastructure and Transport, South Australian Police, the road safety centre and the Department for Environment and Water with the jail,” he said “Is there a bigger think around some of those other uses?

The olive grove near the Adelaide Gaol where the new WCH carpark will be built. Picture: Colin James

The historic olive grove which will be destroyed for the new Women's and Children's Hospital carpark. Picture: Colin James

“Does the government have a view that some other elements like SA Police and the road safety centre should be removed and relocated?”

SA Health said it was only responsible for planning the new WCH, with Renewal SA looking at the overall area.

A spokesman said it would be submitting a formal request to use the parklands site for the carpark in the near future.