by Loine Sweeney

Cousins, Anne Wharton and Liz McLeay have been catching up on many Sunday mornings for over twelve years in the peaceful surrounds of Rymill Park/Murlawirrapurka (Park 14).

The cousins share a long history of loving and caring about the Park Lands. Both have been separately collecting news and articles on the Park Lands for many years. But with Anne having lived interstate for some of that time, Liz recently showed her cousin her impressively collected ‘archive’.

Anne was moved to sit down and trawl through the history. “The thing that came out to me was how significant the Park Lands are in the life of the community, but also that the land grab which would reduce them has been going on all those years.”

“It’s what former Lord Mayor, Jane Lomax-Smith said at the recent Save Helen Mayo Park rally: that this struggle over the Park Lands has been going on since they were formed. When are those interests who seek to grab them going to realise what a precious and unique asset they are for Adelaide?” Liz adds, “The Park Lands are becoming even more critical now that we are losing so much. We simply can’t build over what’s precious and unique about Adelaide.”

As we sit by the lake and share a coffee, with the sights, sounds, and calls of multiple species of birds around us, Liz and Anne talk of their love of the park and its ambience. “While we enjoy visiting different parts of the Adelaide Park Lands and also our local suburban parks” says Anne, “this Park is fairly close for both us, nice and central to where we live.”

Anne is at Malvern and Liz travels in from Norwood. “We just love it, being amongst the trees and open space in such a beautiful environment.”

Liz adds, “Occasionally, coming past Rymill Park at dusk from the East End, I’ve seen possums in the trees along there - just lovely - and, at times, the Flying Foxes go over.”

The cousins invariably start their Sunday morning visits to Rymill Park walking up to the Dequetteville Terrace corner and coming back through the large well-laid-out rose garden. On the Sunday I meet them, we’re in particular luck with the roses, as they’re currently bursting with vibrantly coloured Spring blooms giving off a heady fragrance. They walk down through the avenues of towering trees, particularly admiring the large old gum trees and native plantings. They then circumnavigate the lake before joining the diversity of human life at the lakeside cafe.

Liz says the very friendly, down-to-earth ambience of the park cafe has been a key attraction, not only for them, but the many visitors who gather there at the lakeside. “People of all ages and from all walks of life come here”, Liz said.

We look over to see children chasing ducks on the other side of the lake, family and friend groups joyfully catching up, and couples relaxing on overlooking seats with smiles on their faces as they unwind in nature at the end of the week.

Watch long enough and you’ll see almost every visitor taking their turn to stroll over the ornate, curved bridge on the lake, bedecked with Monet-like, brightly coloured flowers on either side.

“It’s very relaxed here,”Liz says. “People are very casually dressed and the cafe staff gets to know all the regulars.” She glances at a staffer setting up an adjacent, long table. “They’re no doubt setting that up for the “Fat Boy’ cyclists,” she said. And, within minutes, we see the yellow Lycra-clad cyclists peddling their way down one of the winding paths leading to their table.

The cousins would like to see more Australian native trees and plants added to the park and its flower beds. But apart from that, they dearly hope the cafe’s longstanding, down-to-earth character and the adjacent ornamental lake are both retained with the Council’s planned upgrade.

“Why muck around with something that works so well and holds so many memories for people?” Liz says. “It’s part of the precious historical fabric of Adelaide and one which keeps drawing in new visitors, no matter their means.” Liz was at the Park a few days before with another friend when they got chatting to a cafe staff member. “She was saying that early in the morning homeless people come into other areas of the park to rest in beautiful, safe surroundings, and later in the day people from newly arrived migrant families come for picnics,” she said. “It’s a reminder of how important it is for the broad Adelaide community that our park lands remain free, readily accessible, and protected.”

Anne said that when Adelaide went into lockdown, it really made her think about what was important to her. “I go walking with Liz on Sunday mornings. We don’t always come here, we go to other parts of the parklands as well. I walk with another friend on Monday mornings in suburban parks near where we live – mostly because it's peak hour and we’re avoiding getting caught in the traffic! And I’m also in a cycling group who go for a ride together every Tuesday and we do lots of cycling through the park lands - we all love it!! These were the things that were really important to me, still being able to walk and cycle freely in beautiful places and in nature.”