Blackheath Soldiers Memorial Park

A brand new toilet block and a fully accessible pathway have been constructed at Blackheath Soldiers Memorial Park, making it easier for everyone in the community to use the park.
New toilet block now open
Monday, 3 April 2023
We are excited to announce that the new toilet block at Blackheath Soldiers Memorial Park is now open, ahead of Easter and the school holidays.
However, due to unavoidable supply issues, a temporary gate and lock system (so the building can be secured at night) has been put in place while we await the metal screens which will complete the project.
The permanent metal screens are expected to be installed in the coming weeks.
There is a second project relating to the upgrade of Blackheath Soldiers Memorial Park. This is a separate project funded by the NSW Public Spaces Legacy Program and relates to the play space, duck pond and surrounding landscape. You can find out more and have your your say on that project here.
*Stage one of this project has been funded under the Western Parkland City Liveability Program, which is part of the Western Sydney City Deal (WSCD). The WSCD is a 20 year-agreement between Australian and NSW governments, and the eight local Councils of the Western Parkland City.
Stay informed - be the first to find out about the next steps, click ‘Subscribe’ in the Stay informed box.
A brand new toilet block and a fully accessible pathway have been constructed at Blackheath Soldiers Memorial Park, making it easier for everyone in the community to use the park.
New toilet block now open
Monday, 3 April 2023
We are excited to announce that the new toilet block at Blackheath Soldiers Memorial Park is now open, ahead of Easter and the school holidays.
However, due to unavoidable supply issues, a temporary gate and lock system (so the building can be secured at night) has been put in place while we await the metal screens which will complete the project.
The permanent metal screens are expected to be installed in the coming weeks.
There is a second project relating to the upgrade of Blackheath Soldiers Memorial Park. This is a separate project funded by the NSW Public Spaces Legacy Program and relates to the play space, duck pond and surrounding landscape. You can find out more and have your your say on that project here.
*Stage one of this project has been funded under the Western Parkland City Liveability Program, which is part of the Western Sydney City Deal (WSCD). The WSCD is a 20 year-agreement between Australian and NSW governments, and the eight local Councils of the Western Parkland City.
Stay informed - be the first to find out about the next steps, click ‘Subscribe’ in the Stay informed box.
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How might we provide better shade and shelter?
about 5 years agoWhat kinds of shelters do we need and how many? What locations need some shelter? How do we create shade that is good for the heat of summer but still allows sun in winter?
Blackheath residentabout 5 years agodefinitely no need for more shelters. There are plenty of tree and bushy areas to shade under
0 comment1Drkabout 5 years agoNo need for more shelters
2 comments7simon2010about 5 years agodare I say...
Deciduous trees are rather good at providing shade in summer & letting through warmth & light in winter. And this Park is 70% deciduous trees ...so, why not take a punt, sit under a tree, feel the earth beneath you. There are quite a few about! It can even be a pleasant experience in the rain :) No more artificial shade structures thank you very much!
1 comment7whitebirdwilldieabout 5 years agothe shelters and shade are just all that is needed the present shelters are in need of tiding up and if the council would do more at looking
dont waste money on new structures more maintenance or in 20 years time the council will have to do it over again maitain what we have be proactive
1 comment5CPLabout 5 years agoSun sails over some of the play areas and grassy pool area
This is only needed in the summer. Could they be removed for the winter months?
1 comment2 -
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How can we improve walking in the park?
about 5 years agoWhere would the paths go and which parts of the park would you want to link to? What about a loop walk? Should they be concrete, bitumen or something more natural?
Drkabout 5 years agoSolve the water issues and walking fine and needs no further money spent
0 comment7adelecolmanabout 5 years agoLet's not get the path before the cart (or the horse)!
As everyone has already said, the current paths are adequate. The 2009 Plan of Management states that a Landscape Masterplan will be developed (p 56). This will inform decisions about possible future paths rather than the paths dictating what we do in the future. But in the meantime, I love the natural paths in the park. Please keep concrete to an absolute minimum.
0 comment6Tony Jabout 5 years agoSort out the ANZAC steps
Remove the fence that was improperly put up to allow the community to hold Remembrance services on these steps and the public to be able to properly use them. It was very wrong to block them off.
1 comment4Deborahabout 5 years agoIts more restoring the loop walk
1 comment1Deborahabout 5 years agoPay attention to the people who are not walking now
Its ok for all the sturdy walkers to say there is no problem with steep paths, wonky surfaces and damp patches. There are plenty more people in our community who would like to, and indeed need to, have a gentle easy regular walk in an attractive setting away from roads. And you sturdy walkers may be one of them one day. There are legal requirements to provide accessible paths, there are at least three Council strategies that say access to the main public areas is an obligation of Council. Instead of being NIMBY - give some thought as to how they can be inconspicuous, attractive and functional.
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Where would be the best location for new accessible toilets and how should they look?
Deborahabout 5 years agoNew toilets - baby change - picnic wash-up sink
Make them in a style complimentary to the pool buildings - match the bricks and the scale and proportions. Ensure plenty light - not dingy - but not completely reliant on electricity. Ensure they have wheel chair access. Place them so they don't block the view to the pond . Place them centrally so that they service the whole park. If they are near the duck pond then it is too far for people picnicking in the top half of the park. Maybe somewhere near the main playground.
1 comment3jenniecurtinabout 5 years agoNear the duck pond for accessibility. But keep others where they are nowso we keep the "toilets behind rhododendrons" sign (it's so quaint)!
0 comment5Drkabout 5 years agoMost urgent update is the need for toilet facilities close to the play area - could even be a tourist attraction with a slide off the roof,,
0 comment2RKabout 5 years agoAgree with everyone who says close to the main use areas - but do they have to be a 'block' -something more creative like the ones at Lawson
Toilets don't need to be an ugly 'BLOCK' - creative design can make them attractive
0 comment0simon2010about 5 years agoBBQ Toilets adjacent to 'pump house'
Extend the Pool 'pump house' / filtration plant block to include toilets on the Play Area side. I refer to the small building between The Pool & The Duckpond, often overlooked as it's low key & in a shaded position. This site is plumbed and powered already, minizing construction costs, and is easily accessed from BBQ area, play equipment and The Rocket .
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How could we improve the design of water and waterways in the Blackheath Soldiers Memorial Park?
about 5 years agoThere is a lot of surface and groundwater moving through the park with wet patches in the lawns and lined culverts leading to the duck pond, and then into the Popes Glen Creek.
jenniecurtinabout 5 years agoOr a raised boardwalk across the wet area?
0 comment0adelecolmanabout 5 years agoWater is our greatest opportunity!
Water is a current problem but also one of our greatest opportunities. Clever design and imaginative thinking could showcase our unique hanging swamps and create playful water areas unseen anywhere else. But as the first step we have to know the hydrology of the park to understand what opportunities are possible. Until we have a proper understanding we run the risk of losing creative opportunities and so request a proper water study be undertaken as a basis for informed future decisions.
1 comment11whitebirdwilldieabout 5 years agoleave it alone its part and parcel, of the park. more paths means less green areas to rest in.
we are in a notional park not the botanical gardens its a bit soggy so watch where you walk
1 comment4RKabout 5 years agoReinstate some of the natural values of the drainage lines using soft engineering & planting with native species; boardwalks across springs
Water sensitive design to mitigate impacts downstream
1 comment2Drkabout 5 years agoDuck boards or small bridges to let the water under sound a good solution.
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All other ideas!
about 5 years agojenniecurtinabout 5 years agoHow about a bin up the top of the park near Park Ave gates? Two picnic tables up there but no bin and people leave rubbish on the wall.
1 comment3Neilmabout 5 years agoRubbish bins near the playground and picnic tables (not next to the road where kids can be hit by cars)
Rubbish bins need to be available at the actual playgrounds themselves so parents can dispose of rubbish without abandoning their kids to go walkabout.
0 comment2Drkabout 5 years agoToilets should be near the play area . Little children often need a toilet quickly!
0 comment2simon2010about 5 years agoBlackheath Soldiers Memorial Park HERITAGE SIGNIFICANCE
Please action the 2009 decision to develop a LANDSCAPE masterplan. This will guide all development ideas floated here. Most critical to my mind being paying heed to local, state & national heritage listing of many elements of the Park. Respect should be paid to the 'garden rooms' layout, as advised in 1921 by James Dawes, Superintendent of Centennial Park, who came to Blackheath to outline the potential and suitability of the land to create a unique park. And respect should also be paid to community affection for the Soldiers Memorial Park one hundred years on, and succession planting of aging memorial Rhododendrons and trees, many also reaching their centenaries. Historical significance of Blackheath Memorial Park is documented on the NSW Office of Environment & Heritage database. The database Statement of Significance is: "Blackheath Memorial Park has a high degree of historic, social and aesthetic value and has been an important site in the development of the Blackheath township since the late 1860s. It has supported dams, essential in the establishment of the railway through the township, has been a golf course and since the early 1920s has provided the largest, most central and best designed reserve grounds for the local community." Bh023 : Memorial Park listing Bh184 : Blackheath Memorial Park War Memorial Steps listing Bh185 : Blackheath Memorial Park Gates listing Bh186 : Blackheath Memorial Park Pool Pavilion listing http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/heritageapp/ViewHeritageItemDetails.aspx?ID=1172041 Blackheath Memorial Park listing on Australian Heritage Council database http://www.ahc.gov.au/cgi-bin/register/site.pl?102234
3 comments2kbabout 5 years agoReduce storm water flow through the park
The Management Plan needs to recognise the importance of the park as a buffer between the urban area and natural area downstream in Pope's Glen. Specifically the park should have water featues, landscaping, etc which filter water, allow it to soak in and reduce storm surges.
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Related projects
Live Projects
Key Dates
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October 2021
FAQs
- What is happening at Blackheath Soldiers Memorial Park?
- How are the works funded?
- Where will the accessible pathway go?
- Will there be any disruptions during the construction of the toilet block and accessible path?
- What is a Masterplan?
- When was the Blackheath Soldiers Memorial Park Masterplan adopted by council?
- What are the four elements identified in the Masterplan for Blackheath Soldiers Memorial Park, and why are they important?
- What is a district park?
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Who's Listening
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Strategic Infrastructure Projects Engineer
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Perspective
This is a short video of Blackheath local and accessibility advocate SJ Staszak talking about her experience of getting around and using Blackheath Soldiers Memorial Park.
This is one insight into the Blackheath Soldiers Memorial Park Master Plan. What do you think?