A brand-new destination playground in the gold-rush town of Lawrence, South Otago, the playground on Whitehaven Street is one of the most thoughtfully designed play spaces in the Clutha District. It opened in the summer of 2024-25 after a four-year community campaign, replacing an ageing installation that had not been updated in more than two decades, and the transformation is striking.
Lawrence sits on State Highway 8, the main road between Dunedin and Queenstown, which means the playground draws not just the town's approximately 500 residents but also families passing through on the way to Central Otago. The site is on Whitehaven Street, a short stroll from the main commercial strip, placing it conveniently close to cafes and the Tuapeka Goldfields Museum and Visitor Centre. The surrounding town carries a vivid gold-rush heritage: Gabriel Read's discovery at nearby Gabriel's Gully in May 1861 launched the Central Otago gold rush, and that history is woven into the playground's design.
The centrepiece of the play area is a gold-mining themed platform with sand activities, giving children a tactile way to engage with the town's story. Alongside it sit an integrated carousel that can accommodate two wheelchairs and six passengers simultaneously, a Web Climber and Infinity Cube climbing structure, a fusion swing, a Sputnik unit, and play chimes that add a musical dimension to the space. The whole equipment suite sits beneath shade sails, a deliberate response to the fierce Otago summer sun, and a painted concrete path with colourful paw prints by local artist Alice Muir guides visitors from the street into the play zone. A perimeter fence keeps younger children contained without making the space feel enclosed.
This playground works for a wide age range. The carousel's wheelchair access, level pathways, and the variety of sensory elements make it one of the more inclusive play spaces in South Otago. Toddlers will gravitate toward the sand play and the chimes; older children have the climbing structures and the carousel. The perimeter fence is a genuine asset for parents of toddlers on a busy highway town.
Facilities at the site include toilet access, and the town centre location means parking is available close by on Whitehaven Street. Picnic options include the dedicated picnic area at the playground as well as nearby Gabriel's Gully Historic Reserve, which has tables set in a historically rich landscape less than a kilometre away. The Lawrence Domain walking tracks behind Ross Place offer a longer family outing if the mood strikes.
The Lawrence Playground Committee spent four years building community support and securing funding, including a $110,000 grant from the Otago Community Trust, before the final stage of equipment was installed. The Clutha District Council officially took ownership in February 2026 at a community celebration with an iwi blessing. For a small town, it is a genuinely outstanding result, and the playground is fast becoming a reason for travelling families to stop rather than just pass through.
