Grace I.
from Google20 May 2026
Playground
King Edward Park
Camberwell Road, Hāwera 4610
Best suited to
Toddler zone0–4Child5–9Tween10+
NearbyWaterSkateparkAt a distance
Why these ages?
Playground has infant swing, basket swing, see-saw, multi-play with slide (toddler-ready) but sits within a large formal park with a boating lake and duck pond - drowning risk not adjacent but present in the wider grounds. Pirate ship, tree fort, 150yo naval cannon climbing feature, Wendy statue and skate park give tweens real destinations. One review notes teen intimidation incidents.
Accessibility
Partial access+ Step-free path to the play+ Accessible toilet on site+ Supportive swing seat (high-back, basket or nest)- Bark or wood-chip surface (wheels sink)
Access notes
The description explicitly states the play surface is bark, a hard blocker for wheels, though it also says an accessible entrance lets wheelchair users move through easily. A review corroborates a wheelchair accessible toilet and a swing that works for ably challenged tamariki, likely the basket swing, a transfer in seat not a chair rolling swing.
What's here
Baby swingsClimbing frameParkingPicnic tablesSandpitSeesawShadeSlideSwingsToiletsWater playSign in to add
King Edward Park's playground leans into storybook themes: a bronze Wendy statue, the companion piece to the Peter Pan statue in London's Kensington Gardens, stands near a Lions Club pirate ship and tree fort and a 150 year old naval cannon that's long been a favourite climbing feature. It's tucked inside South Taranaki's premier park, a formal reserve of grassed avenues, rose gardens and a boating lake, rather than a standalone play space.
Equipment
Access and Inclusion
History and Cultural
Practical Info
Good to know
HistoryOpened within the last 5 years (as of the McNoe 2026 survey).
Source: services1.arcgis.comHistoryKing Edward Park was set aside as a 28-acre recreation reserve in 1875 and formally established as a park in 1902, named to mark the coronation of King Edward VII; it opened on 26 June 1902 and was designed by surveyor/engineer Henry Climie around two intersecting grassed avenues.
Source: southtaranaki.comHistoryThe park's model boating lake was built between 1912 and 1914 and still hosts an annual scale model ships regatta over Labour weekend; in 2018 it was fully drained for a major repair after tree roots damaged its walls and drainage.
Source: stuff.co.nzHistoryThe Wendy statue was commissioned by the trustees of Marion Campbell's estate in 1944 and unveiled in King Edward Park on 9 July 1951, as a memorial to her husband and former Hawera mayor James Campbell and a gift to the town's children.
Source: heritage.org.nzCultureThe park holds a bronze statue of Wendy, the companion piece to the Peter Pan statue in London's Kensington Gardens, alongside a marble statue of pioneer farmer Arthur Fantham; the former tea kiosk and band rotunda now houses Hawera's observatory and Park Museum. The park is rated 5 stars by the New Zealand Garden Trust.
Source: gardens.org.nzCultureThe Wendy Statue in the park was created in England to commemorate Hāwera mayor James Campbell, who died in office, and has stood as the companion piece to the Peter Pan statue in London's Kensington Gardens since 1951; the playground's pirate ship and tree fort, built by the local Lions Club, continue the same Peter Pan theme.
Source: taranaki.co.nzOn siteEquipment includes swings (including infant swing), basket swing, see-saw, multi-play structure (with slide).
Source: services1.arcgis.comOn siteJunior-suitable items include basket swing, infant swing, slide (suitable for young child with assistance).
Source: services1.arcgis.comOn siteThe playground includes a well-known pirate ship and fort along with a 150-year-old cannon that has long been a favourite play feature for children, plus modern play equipment for toddlers and younger children.
Source: gardens.org.nzAmenitiesPlayground surface: bark.
Source: services1.arcgis.com
Forecast
The week ahead
Daytime high in °C · % = chance of rain · data from yr.no
Photos (24)
From the crew
Visits
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