Kingston Park Tulukutangga
For many years the 5049 Coastal Community Association has been campaigning to influence positive outcomes for our community in this area.
This includes having a representative on the City of Holdfast Bay’s Reference Group, which was established in 2021 to consult with the community and the Kaurna traditional owners on future rehabilitation and development of Kingston Park – Tulukutangga.
This area is of immense spiritual significance for the Kaurna people, as it is a major site in the Tjilbruke Dreaming Story.
All members of the Reference Group are committed to redevelopment of Kingston Park – Tulukutangga which respects Kaurna heritage and more recent historical and spiritual values.
Latest news (February 2023):
Kingston Park Masterplan
The Kingston Park Masterplan has been completed and has been endorsed by City of Holdfast Bay’s Kaurna Reference group. Council is now making arrangements to present the completed masterplan to the broader Kaurna community in order to gain endorsement for the project to proceed. Should changes to the masterplan be required, Council will work with the designers to refine the design accordingly. As soon as the masterplan has been endorsed by the broader Kaurna community, the masterplan will then be made public for community engagement.
Due to the poor condition of the existing viewing platforms and concrete access path off Burnham Road, the renewal of this stage of the project has been brought forward. A consultant has been engaged to undertake the detailed design work for the revised viewing platform with the design expected to be completed in the early months of 2023. Council will also seek Kaurna’s input regarding how they wish to proceed with the revised planting that will be required around the viewing platforms. Council intends to have the renewed viewing platform completed in mid-2023.
Background
The Kingston Park foreshore is a unique and special part of the 5049 community which we all share and enjoy. Its spiritual, cultural and social value is undeniable.
In 2015 after many years in the making, the City of Holdfast Bay endorsed a ‘Kingston Park Reserve Master Plan’. Throughout this time the 5049 Coastal Community Association has been campaigning to influence positive outcomes for our community in this area.
Elements of the 2015 plan were welcome, however based on local feedback, the Association highlighted to Council risks associated with the plan; in particular issues with the springs, parking, vegetation, the playground, the café. and potential over development of the reserve
Following a successful public forum by the Association Council decided to review the scope and content of the master plan with a less is more approach and one that fully embraced the cultural context with close collaboration with the local Kaurna elders. This was entirely consistent with the general consensus within the community and they looked forward to the future engagement during the development of the revised masterplan.
This shift in emphasis has lead to a more complex set of negotiations by council around the important sensitivities associated with this significant site.
In July 2019 the Kaurna Nation in partnership with the City of Holdfast Bay three day Repatriation Ceremony at the Kingston Park Coastal Reserve to lay to rest several Old Peoples remains which have been returned for reburial to country from the Natural History Museum, United Kingdom and the South Australian Museum. Parts of this event are open to the whole community. This was a great opportunity to join together on this significant event and consolidate both community’s commitment to respect the cultural importance of the reserve. More information here.
The above event brought the community together in a very emotionally connected way and was seen as a great indicator of the potential for the community to embrace the cultural significance whilst being able to enjoy and share the recreational and restorative values of the area.
Since then a good deal of work has gone into the development of a comprehensive proposal for the reserve including the comprehensive restoration of the Tjilbruke spring. One of our committee members has been invited onto a council steering group including local Kaurna elders to monitor progress etc.
We are hopeful that the overall plan will be released in 2023 at which point we are hopeful that a community forum or event at the reserve can be held.
For historical background information please access the following information: