Blackheath Soldiers Memorial Park: Legacy Project

Blackheath Soldiers Memorial Park will receive a significant upgrade, thanks to a $2 million funding boost from the NSW Public Spaces Legacy Program.

The works will include an upgrade to the play space and improvements to the duck pond, visitor facilities and surrounding landscape.

The upgrade will be in line with the Masterplan for Blackheath Soldiers Memorial Park, which was adopted in 2020 after two years of extensive community consultation. Blackheath Soldiers Memorial Park is one of four district parks in the Blue Mountains, which means it’s designed for the whole Blue Mountains community to use.

The playspace upgrade

Work on the first stage of the playspace upgrade at Blackheath Soldiers Memorial Park will commence on Tuesday, 18July 2023.

While the work is being done, the current playspace area will be unavailable to the public and fenced-off for safety.

It’s anticipated the work will be complete by the end of September (weather permitting). During this time the new toilet block will remain available to use.

The first stage of the playspace upgrade includes:

• A unique water play experience which channels existing ground water down the incline of the park and provides lots of opportunity for interaction at the water’s edge. This include places where those who are less mobile, or in wheelchairs, can get to the water.
• An accessible connecting pathway from the Prince Edward Street park entrance, across the water play area, to the new toilet. A link from the play area to the accessible path which leads to Blackheath Pool will also be completed.
• Providing a wire-mesh fence for safety between the play areas and the road, and the play areas and the deep drain.
• Relocating the heritage swing set from the duck-pond area of the park to the toddler play area.
• Keeping the heritage and iconic pipe-based play equipment and improving their setting.
• Landscaping and plantings.

Read the latest media release about the playspace upgrade.

The duck pond upgrade

Work on the duck pond is underway.

The initial work has involved removing a large amount of debris and weeds from the pond that has accumulated over many years (approximately 550 cubic metres of material). Importantly, there will be a large amount of reusable, nutrient rich material removed from the pond that can be re-used on site.

Visitors may notice that this material is currently being dried out on the lawns near the pool. This is necessary to ensure the material dries and is well aerated so that it can be reused on site and to avoid placing it where it may put pressure on important tree roots. Any turf that is effected by this process will be restored at the end of the project.

This is the first step towards delivering a lovely, clean and healthy duck pond and allows the following improvements to then be made:

• Changes to the pond shape and edges to improve water quality and habitat
• Safer pond edges and improved sight lines into the pond.
• A new accessible loop path around the pond.
• Replacing the existing barbeque shelter with a new and accessible one.
• Relocating the arch swings as part of the associated play space upgrade.

Throughout the upgrade process, local ecologists have been appointed to oversee the management of wildlife that uses the pond. While most wildlife can be relocated into Popes Glen the turtles, which need ponds, will be relocated to the ponds in the nearby Rhododendron Gardens.

The island in the duck pond has been demolished and a new island will be constructed in a better location for water flow and water quality.

The old island was constructed with logs and tyres and was obviously a non-original addition to the pond. If you have any photos, or oral history of when this island was installed, we would love to hear from you!

As with the playspace work, the upgrade to the duck pond is scheduled to be finished by the end of September, as we start to head into the warmer months of the year.

The NSW Public Spaces Legacy Program is an investment in high quality public open space. Together with the NSW Government, Blue Mountains City Council is delivering vital infrastructure for communities to love the place they live. Blue Mountains City Council received funding for two Legacy projects: Blackheath Soldiers Memorial Park, and the Corridor of Oaks and Jackson Park, Faulconbridge. For more information about the NSW Public Spaces Legacy Program, visit planning.nsw.gov.au/legacy.