Cave Garden / Thugi, formerly known as the Cave Gardens, is a garden located in the centre of

Mount Gambier Mount Gambier is the second most populated city in South Australia, with an estimated urban population of 33,233 . The city is located on the slopes of Mount Gambier, a volcano in the south east of the state, about south-east of the capital Ad ...

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

, that contains a deep cave. The cave was initially used as a water source for the town.

History

The

Boandik The Bungandidj people are an Aboriginal Australian people from the Mount Gambier region in south-eastern South Australia, and also in western Victoria. Their language is the Bungandidj language. Bungandidj was historically frequently rendered a ...

(or Bungandidj) people occupied the area before the

colonisation of South Australia British colonisation of South Australia describes the planning and establishment of the colony of South Australia by the British government, covering the period from 1829, when the idea was raised by the then-imprisoned Edward Gibbon Wakefield ...

. The cave that the garden surrounds was found by Europeans during the 1845-46 survey of the area, with the fresh water supply in the cave being an attraction that initiated the first settlement of the area. The surrounding the area was declared government reserve. The main water supply of Mount Gambier remained the sinkhole until the 1850s. The first buildings of Mount Gambier (the first post office, the Town Hall, and a hotel) were built surrounding this reserve. In 1870 the area became a reserve, and by the 1890s trees, gas lamps and seating were installed in the area. On 2 August 2001, the Cave Gardens were declared a state heritage area. In the 1890s the first plants and seating were added to the area, and the formal garden was constructed between 1906 and 1910. In 1922, a captured

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

gun from

WWI World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

was added to the garden, however this was later removed. A large flagstaff was displayed in the garden for 40 years until on 1 January 1926 it fell, however no one was injured. The garden also featured a 'model' air raid shelter in 1942 for householders to view, thought its use was never necessary. The garden, as one of several culturally significant sites in the area, was renamed with a dual name by the

City of Mount Gambier The City of Mount Gambier is a local government area centred in Mount Gambier in the Limestone Coast region of South Australia. While it is the southernmost ''city'' council in the state, the District Council of Grant is the southernmost counci ...

in February 2022, with its new name being Cave Garden / Thugi. ''Thugi'' means "

bullfrog ''Bullfrog'' is a common English language term to refer to large, aggressive frogs, regardless of species. Examples of bullfrogs include: Frog species America *Helmeted water toad (''Calyptocephalella gayi''), endemic to Chile *American bullfro ...

s" in the

Bungandidj language Bungandidj is a language of Australia, spoken by the Bungandidj people, Indigenous Australians who lived in an area which is now in south-eastern South Australia and in south-western Victoria. According to Christina Smith and her book on the B ...

Description

The gardens now feature a scenic walk, as well as a lowered viewing platform into the sinkhole. The floor of the cave is not accessible. In wet weather, the drains at the top of the sinkhole create a waterfall that flows into the cave.

Dangers

In 1878, when the cave floor was still submerged in water, a young man committed suicide by drowning himself in the water. In October 2005, a 21-year-old man was seriously injured after losing his footing while trying to get a closer look at the sinkhole. In February 2020, a 20-year-old man fell approximately to the base of the sinkhole and died. Though the cave floor is no longer accessible, people have made attempts to enter it. In August 2011, two men lowered themselves into the cave. One became injured after trying to climb out and falling. Both men were eventually removed from the cave and taken into police custody.

References

{{reflist Limestone Coast Caves of South Australia Show caves in Australia South Australian Heritage Register Mount Gambier, South Australia