Gosford’s Leagues Club Park has taken the top Award of Excellence in the Play Spaces category of the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA) NSW 2022 Awards.
Designed by Turf Design Studio d in collaboration with the Darkinjung people, the park tells stories of local aquatic life, pre-European history and early contact.
The Awards jury said it was “an exemplary project which demonstrates a strong connection to Country informed through deep engagement with the local community”.
“[It is] an intricate blend of play, storytelling, land and water, public art and interpretation, that powerfully tells the shared history of the site while creating an exciting and dynamic play experience for children of all ages,” the jury said.
“This place, which was once an important camp, a place of trade and cultural exchange and meeting ground between the Darkinjung clans and adjoining nations the Gadigal, Goomeri and Wiradjuri, has been reimagined as a place to play, reflect, to learn and to connect to nature.
“This significant site creates a new heart for the local community.”
Meanwhile, the Terrigal Boardwalk took out a Regional Achievement Award.
Regional projects represented a third of all entries in this year’s awards, signalling a significant investment in good design beyond metropolitan areas.
Jury Chair Andrew Turnbull said the awards highlight the need for regional towns to evolve and create well-designed urban spaces to see them through the future.
“In recent years, there’s been a shift towards domestic and regional tourism and living,” he said.
“This has encouraged regional townships to reimagine their offering for residents and visitors alike.
“Landscape Architects are at the forefront of empowering regional communities to explore and realise their shared histories, shared knowledge and shared ideas.”
The winners were selected from a record number of 91 entries across 15 categories and were
announced at an event in Sydney on June 9.
Winners at the State Awards level proceed to the National Landscape Architecture Awards program to be held later this year.
Source:
Media release, Jun 10
Australian Institute of Landscape Architects
The award is nice but a lot of people have been conned about the history of the area. It is Guringai. I Rrefer to Professor James Wafer, the University of Newcastle for the relevance of the word Darkinjung.