by Carla Caruso

A video has been created showing how an old SA Water depot has transformed into an urban forest over two decades.

Sue Lang, behind the Friends of Narnungga Urban Forest, put together the four-minute clip to highlight the regreening of the Park 25 spot.

The 5.5ha site was remediated by the State Government – and handed back to the Adelaide City Council – after the SA Water depot was demolished in 2010.

The idea for Sue’s video came about when she was building her conservation group’s new website “off [her] own back”.

The full clip runs 4m 31s. You can see it here or watch a condensed (1 min) version below:

“I needed a bird’s eye view of the park,” says Sue, an artist and writer. “I was playing around with Google Earth and looking at the park. Then I noticed they had a timeline thing.

“So, I just set it up over the park and looked at all the photographs that have been taken over the years from that position.

“With iMovie, you’ve got transitions, which help to morph [the images] into each other, so there’s a smooth flow. It was just really fascinating to see how that area had changed over the years.

“If you look at the video and put your mouse over it, you can just grab hold of the little button, play with it, and kind of speed it through back and forth. Once you hit a certain period of time, [the area] really changes.”

Gladys Elphick Park / Narnungga (Park 25) is bisected by two trainlines. The forest is in the western part; the other side is dominated by playing fields, licensed to the SA Cricket Association.

Sue has lived just down the road since the forest was planted and says it’s “really special” to her. She’s concerned about its upkeep, though.

“The maintenance is falling behind a bit and that’s just worrying me; that’s why I started doing all of this,” Sue says.

“There are exposed [irrigator] pipes and, of course, once you have exposed pipes, you get vandals. I’ve seen melted and burnt pipes [that were] pulled up. I don’t want to see this park become degraded. Then it’ll just end up another Helen Mayo Park situation.

“I’ve got an album up on the Facebook page, which is a bunch of photos of the damage that’s been done over the years and what’s happening with the plantings.

“There was such a hope and a dream for it and a vision for the park and it’s just been let go. So, I’m trying to start a conversation around particular areas to say, ‘What is going on with this park? Who is looking after it?’

“I think with a website and a hub, showing all the history and the archives and files associated with it, and having people also join in, will make a voice for the park that will help it to not get degraded.”

A council spokesperson told us as “this area is mainly natural vegetation … we visit at a minimum once a week, depending on seasonal requirements”.

Still, Sue says the site needs more trees – “it’s supposed to be a forest, after all”. She also has an idea for a meditative labyrinth there to help people “de-stress”.

As well, she says the forest could lend itself to activities like butterfly conservation, bird-watching, hollow retention, forest bathing, and nature play and education. “So-called ‘activate’ the park without activation meaning sports and something loud. This park really should be a place of peace and quiet and tranquillity. I think people really need that now.”

Sue plans to include interviews on her website “to build a gathering of different voices, from locals to professionals, educators and healers – anybody who would use the park more if it was kept up a lot better”.

Walking in the forest remains good for Sue’s wellbeing. She has the health condition, autonomic neuropathy, which affects her blood pressure among other things. She frequents the forest at least once a week with her muso partner, Chris Wiley (from the band, Fear and Loathing), carrying their litter-grabber sticks.

“It’s good for me to go out and walk and push myself ... You fall into such a relaxed state there. The mental overwhelm gets pushed aside – and that’s absolutely vital for anybody.”