Adelaide Park Lands usage
Designed in balance with nature, to nurture.
The Adelaide Park Lands are the largest inner urban park system in Australia. Nationally Heritage listed for their unique design which cocoons the city and creates the world’s only “city in a Park”, they are the city’s lungs, backyard, playground, meeting space and more.
A big backyard
Spanning over 760 hectares, the Adelaide Park Lands provide a space where residents and visitors alike can enjoy healthy and balanced living through sport and exercise, recreation and relaxation.
A total of 29 Parks and 6 city squares all with an array of different features, facilities and biodiverse ecosystems combine to form the people’s Park Lands. They warmly welcome around 10 million visitors each year, with a target of annual utilisation of 11.5 million visits by 2020.
Where the world comes to play
Adelaide rightfully holds the title as Australia’s event capital, and many are held within the Adelaide Park Lands.
The world renowned WOMADelaide is a four-day celebration of music, arts, culture and sustainability, held on 34 hectares of Botanic Park. The 2019 event attracted 92,000 people.
The Adelaide Fringe Festival, the second largest event of its type in the world boasted ticket sales of 825,000 in 2019. Of this, 50 per cent were attributed to major outdoor hubs such as the Garden of Unearthly Delights and Gluttony held in the East Park Lands and the Royal Croquet Club.
Major international touring acts such as Fleetwood Mac, and Elton John have been booked to perform in the beautiful Botanic Park, while across town the world’s best women cyclists have competed in the Women’s Tour Down Under at the Victoria Park Criterium Track, attracting thousands.
Let’s get physical
Sport and fitness form a high percentage of Park Lands usage. With large areas of irrigated open space for ovals, pitches and courts, these areas also often include buildings and facilities to support clubs, associations and their members in using the parks. A total of 23 clubs or associations currently hold licences/leases to use the Park Lands.
Sporting facilities designated for clubs are available to the public when not in use. Some examples of sporting use include:
- Football fields
- Soccer pitches
- Cricket pitches
- Netball/basketball courts
- Hockey field
In addition, there are a number of popular bike paths, a skate park, and BMX tracks, as well as 86 hectares of premium, pristine golf links available to the public and members at the North Adelaide Golf Course.
Or chill out
Whether you need to stop, recharge or reconnect, there’s no better place to go than the Adelaide Park Lands.
Simply getting back to nature and getting amongst the amazing biodiversity of the parks with their range of stimulating sensory experiences that provide respite from our busy world is an increasingly popular reason to visit.
Visitors take time out to amble or cycle along the many trails that weave and connect the parks and outlying areas or find their Zen in the tranquil surrounds of the Japanese inspired Adelaide Himeji Garden, a favourite retreat of local yogis.
Family fun
The Park Lands are the perfect place for family fun. Kids of all ages enjoy cooking up a feast on the free barbecue facilities, or if cooking isn’t your thing, pack a picnic and find a place to put down the picnic rug. If you really want to relax, there are several cafes and kiosks throughout the parks.
Kids love the nature play the park lands provide, the many walks and trails such as the interactive Bunyip Trail at Bonython Park /Tulya Wardli and special playgrounds such as Marshmallow Park. Just be prepared to queue for a “ride” in the helicopter at North Glover Playspace!
Your furry family members will appreciate the designated dog parks and off-leash areas.
With such versatility, it’s no wonder that Park Lands usage is so high and that they are a significant contributor to liveability of Adelaide, the health and wellbeing of its residents. Much of what is desirable about our City is attributable to the Park Lands that envelops it.