Romsey Ecotherapy Park grows from playground idea to much more

What began as a kids’ playground has turned into a small town recreation and revival spot for all ages — and they’re not done yet.

IT STARTED as a mission to develop a playground for the children of Romsey.

But over the past 10 years, the Romsey Ecotherapy Park, as it came to be officially named, turned from being aimed primarily at a community’s youngest members to one that encompasses people of any age.

The name reflects the concept of “wellness through exposure to nature”, says park committeewoman Jenny Stillman.

As well as play areas (which are aimed at both young and old), the park will eventually include a sensory therapeutic space, with features that engage the senses and “where people can just sit and escape a little bit from the rigours of daily life”. A special space for arts, culture and community activities is also planned.

“There is something for everybody. The overall premise of the park is about health and wellbeing by being out in nature,” Jenny explains.

She says the project was born 10 years ago, but it was only in 2015 that the site of the former Romsey Primary School, which had been identified as the ideal location, was purchased by the Macedon Ranges Shire Council.

Climbing fun: Jenny Stillman, Jo Cooper, Sue Hayes, Geoff Neil, Johanna Nadzielski, Zara Hermann, Trish Baddeley with Holly Briffa, 5, Axel Nadzielsk and Orla Baddeley, both 2. Picture: Zoe Phillips

Next came the community consultations and developing a concept plan for the project.

“The project by that time had developed into a bit of an all ages, all abilities, something-for-everybody space — it wasn’t just about a playground,” Jenny says. “Yes, it would be nature-based play, but there would also be sensory gardens, there would also be other activities.”

There are certainly playground elements within the park. The “active nature space”, the first stage of the project to be built, includes a flying fox, fort, basket swing and balancing beams. It has been constructed largely using natural materials, with a huge oak tree as the centrepiece.

A climbing forest — aimed at older children, young people and also adults, with various rope and timber climbing elements — has also been recently completed.

The next phase includes the development of a sensory garden that will be “very different to what has come before it”, Jenny says. It will include special gardens, water features, sculpture, wind chime features, and an area for sand-based play, which will include wheelchair-accessible bays.

The park has been funded by organisations including the federal and state governments, the Macedon Ranges Shire Council and the local Bendigo Bank Community Bank branches. That included a successful Pick My Project application for $200,000 to install the climbing forest.

Jenny says the council has been “incredibly collaborative” with the project.

“The community has been really supportive of it, and this committee … has been incredibly resilient.

Jenny Stillman, Jo Cooper and Sue Hayes. Picture: Zoe Phillips

“That partnership between community, committee and council is how big projects get going — people can’t sit back waiting for councils to do everything for them, you’ve got to work in partnership, it’s as simple as that,” she says.

This year the park committee, which is headed by Raelene Mottram, will run a campaign to raise funds for art installations for the park. And it is hoped that the park will become popular not only with the local community, but also with visitors to the eastern part of the Macedon Ranges.

After 10 years of work, and with the park taking shape, Jenny and the park committee can sit back and enjoy watching people enjoying the fruits of everyone’s labour — even if her own children are now grown up enough that a playground is no longer their scene.

“Our committee — not just me, we’re a team — we’ve got so much joy out of people saying ‘this is fantastic’,” Jenny says.

“We’ve all got older in the process, and it’s not over yet, but it’s been a really galvanising and satisfying project.

“At times in those early years it was challenging. We wondered whether it was going to get off the ground.

“Now things are under way we are very satisfied, but it gives you a lot of joy to see people getting pleasure out of it.”