Central Park

Central Park's playground sits on the wooded slopes between Wellington's CBD and Brooklyn, an easy walk in from Brooklyn Road that draws families from both suburbs for a run around. The equipment spans toddlers to older kids, anchored by a flying fox and a turn-spike carousel that usually pull the biggest queues on a fine afternoon.

Equipment

The line-up includes swings with an infant swing, a flying fox, a turn-spike carousel, a see-saw, a climbing frame, a pendulum swing, a junior multi-play structure with its own slide, spring toys and a play truck, rated a large site in the council's survey.

History and Cultural

Central Park was established on Labour Day, 27 October 1913, funded by a Citizens Easter Carnival Association fundraising drive that gave overcrowded city residents access to 13 hectares of open ground. A children's playground followed in 1927, fitted with a forty foot slide, a horizontal ladder, a set of flying wings and a paddling pool. The park's middle decades were rougher: it was designated an official rubbish tip in 1931, American soldiers camped on the flat ground beside Brooklyn Road during WWII, and a band rotunda hosted concerts from 1936 to 1946 before tennis courts took over the old camp site. Since 2005 the volunteer Friends of Central Park have led habitat restoration work, and the biennial Upstream Art Trail now threads public art through the same paths.

Practical Info

Toilets and a drinking fountain sit nearby. Parking is on street angle parking rather than a dedicated car park. Shade is limited: minimal tree cover reaches some of the play equipment, seating gets some shade, and the picnic table has none. Wellington City Council's smokefree policy applies across the grounds.