Kershaw Gardens Wins Best Playspace Award

The new redevelopment at Kershaw gardens has won the 2019 Parks and Leisure Australia Regional Awards.

Chosen as the best playspace in Queensland over $500,000, the redevelopment will be judged against some of the Country’s best at the National Awards later this year.

Rockhampton Region Deputy Mayor and Chair of Parks and Recreation, Cr Cherie Rutherford, attributed the win to all those involved in transforming a beloved garden that was decimated during Tropical Cyclone Marcia into one of the greatest spaces in the Region.

“This redevelopment is really a silver lining from Cyclone Marcia, and I couldn’t be more proud of the vision from Council, the community and landscape architects, Urbis. The vision came to life through the superb play equipment from Urban Play which really makes Kershaw a favourite among families,” Cr Rutherford said.  

Playground Designer and Director of Urban Play, Ben Urban, said he was absolutely thrilled to see the world-class playspace be commended on a state level.

“Lots of hard work went into the playspace from all stakeholders and we are proud to see it recognised,” Mr Urban said.

“It is great to see the Rockhampton Regional Council place such importance on the redevelopment of their greenspace, especially after being devastated by the tragic Tropical Cyclone Marcia.”

Kershaw Gardens has also attracted ten of the State’s leading landscape architects who arrived in Rockhampton for a tour of the site this morning.

Mr Urban said Rockhampton was selected out of Queensland and also the Northern Territory for a regional case study tour due to the recent success of landscape redevelopments.

The landscape architects toured Kershaw Gardens, the revitalised Rockhampton Riverbank and the new elevated Boardwalks at Mount Archer.

“We wanted to showcase some of the state’s leading redevelopments and highlight how innovative recreational spaces can transform a regional community as much as they do in capital cities,” Mr Urban said.

“Kershaw Gardens, the Revitalised Rockhampton Riverbank and the elevated boardwalks at Mount Archer were at the top of our list followed by lunch at the Boathouse to sample some of Rocky’s best paddock to plate produce.”