Kambah District Park

Recalling Kambah homestead and station

• Location
• Facilities
• History
• Rural settlement of Kambah last Century
• Designed for recreation
• A park of recreational and cultural interest
• Reference

Location

Accessible from Springbett Street, Kambah.

• A map showing Tuggeranong with the location of Kambah District Park marked.
• A map of Kambah District Park.

Facilities

Adventure playground, picnic area, public toilets, barbeque. The adventure playground is a challenge to children and has been designed to meet the needs of toddlers, juniors and teenagers. Of particular interest are the treehouse, junior and senior flying foxes, a "tarzan swing" and "space net".

History

Kambah District Park, with its community use buildings, sportsfields, picnic areas and adventure playground, plays an important role as a district park. Its naming links it to the rural settlement of Kambah last century.

Rural settlement of Kambah last Century

The savannah woodland area on which the park has been created was previously a rural property known originally as "Sulwood". At the turn of the century however it had become known as "Kambah" and is believed to have been operated as an outstation by the Campbells of Yarralumla until 1913 when purchased by the Commonwealth. The name is possibly of Aboriginal origin. It was leased finally by the Bennett family until 1971 when urbanisation commenced.

The fledgling park, homestead and its related buildings served as a focal point for the community in the early days of urbanisation of the Tuggeranong Valley. The now demolished Kambah homestead was a favourite meeting place for community groups.

Designed for recreation

The park has been developed in accordance with a 1976 master plan which aimed to provide for a wide range of activities for all age groups particularly young families. Development on the western side of Village Creek has included conversion of the woolshed area into a group picnic area, new tennis courts and clubhouse (leased), adventure playground and nearby picnic areas and a toilet block.

Substantial mixed exotic and native planting has been carried out over the years of the park's existence. In more recent times under the banner of the "Village Creek Urban Forest" project the community pursued a major program of tree planting in the area.

A park of recreational and cultural interest

Kambah District Park is a highly popular district facility serving a wide range of needs including organised sport, informal picnicking and challenging children's play. It is heavily used at weekends but is also popular on week days.

Reference

Gray, J (1997) The Historical and Cultural Background of Selected Urban Parks in Canberra.