Bonython Park
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Bonython Park is a 17-hectare park in the north-west Park Lands of the
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 ...
n capital of
Adelaide Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...
. The park was opened in 1962 and named in honour of prominent South Australian politician and journalist, Sir John Langdon Bonython. It is situated on north-western side of the
River Torrens The River Torrens , (Karrawirra Parri / Karrawirraparri) is the most significant river of the Adelaide Plains. It was one of the main reasons for the siting of the city of Adelaide, capital of South Australia. It flows from its source in the ...
, bordered by Port Road. It is on the opposite side of the river to a golf course, and adjacent to the old
Adelaide Gaol Adelaide Gaol is a former Australian prison located in the Park Lands of Adelaide, in the state of South Australia. The gaol was the first permanent one in South Australia and operated from 1841 until 1988. The Gaol is one of the two oldest bui ...
and the Police Barracks. Bonython Park forms part of what is known as
Park 27 The Adelaide Park Lands are the figure-eight of land spanning both banks of the River Torrens between Hackney and Thebarton and separating the City of Adelaide area (which includes both Adelaide city centre and North Adelaide) from the surro ...
, and since the
dual naming Dual naming is the adoption of an official place name that combines two earlier names, or uses both names, often to resolve a disagreement over which of the two individual names is more appropriate. In some cases, the reasons are political. Some ...
initiative by
Adelaide City Council The City of Adelaide, also known as the Corporation of the City of Adelaide and Adelaide City Council is a local government area in the metropolitan area of greater Adelaide, South Australia and is legally defined as the capital city of Sout ...
in the early 2000s, Park 27 is also known as
Tulya Wardli The Adelaide Park Lands are the figure-eight of land spanning both banks of the River Torrens between Hackney and Thebarton and separating the City of Adelaide area (which includes both Adelaide city centre and North Adelaide) from the surro ...
. There are sites straddling this park and Park 1/ Pirltawardli of some significance to the
Kaurna people The Kaurna people (, ; also Coorna, Kaura, Gaurna and other variations) are a group of Aboriginal people whose traditional lands include the Adelaide Plains of South Australia. They were known as the Adelaide tribe by the early settlers. Kaurna ...
, since various "native locations" were established on the sites dating from 1837, when the first settlers arrived and the establishment of a
Christian mission A Christian mission is an organized effort for the propagation of the Christian faith. Missions involve sending individuals and groups across boundaries, most commonly geographical boundaries, to carry on evangelism or other activities, such ...
in the following year.


History

There is some evidence to suggest that there was a
billabong Billabong ( ) is an Australian term for an oxbow lake, an isolated pond left behind after a river changes course. Billabongs are usually formed when the path of a creek or river changes, leaving the former branch with a dead end. As a result ...
on the site, used as a fishing spot for the
Kaurna people The Kaurna people (, ; also Coorna, Kaura, Gaurna and other variations) are a group of Aboriginal people whose traditional lands include the Adelaide Plains of South Australia. They were known as the Adelaide tribe by the early settlers. Kaurna ...
prior to European settlement. Following the arrival of European settlers from 1837, right through to 1914, it was used as a watering place for cattle. The site of Bonython Park was first area occupied by Europeans, from January to March 1837. The migrants camped in tents and wooden huts in two camps, called Buffalo and Coromandel, after two of the ships of the
First Fleet of South Australia In 1836, at least nine ships in 1836 carried the first European settlers from England to the south coast of Australia for the establishment of the City of Adelaide and the province of South Australia. Although not all of the ships sailed toge ...
. After 1837, the so-called “Native Location” was established for local
Kaurna people The Kaurna people (, ; also Coorna, Kaura, Gaurna and other variations) are a group of Aboriginal people whose traditional lands include the Adelaide Plains of South Australia. They were known as the Adelaide tribe by the early settlers. Kaurna ...
. Bromley’s Camp, the first of these, was established in April 1837 by Captain
Walter Bromley Walter Henry Bromley (c. 1774 – c. 5 May 1838) was a British military officer and reformer who founded a school in Halifax, Nova Scotia and did much good work among children of poorer families including, especially, indigenous Canadians. He lat ...
, the second interim
Protector of Aborigines The role of Protector of Aborigines was first established in South Australia in 1836. The role became established in other parts of Australia pursuant to a recommendation contained in the ''Report of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Abori ...
, on land that is now part of Bonython Park. In reality it was little more than a
rations Rationing is the controlled distribution of scarce resources, goods, services, or an artificial restriction of demand. Rationing controls the size of the ration, which is one's allowed portion of the resources being distributed on a particular ...
distribution point. In August 1837,
William Wyatt William Wyatt may refer to: * William Wyatt (cricketer) (1842–1908), English cricketer * William Wyatt (scholar) (1616–1685), English scholar *William Wyatt (settler) (1804–1886), Australian settler * William Wyatt (weightlifter) (1893–1989 ...
became the next Protector, and created a more permanent settlement south of the river. In October 1838 two German
missionaries A missionary is a member of a religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thomas Hale 'On Being a Mi ...
, Christian Teichelmann and Clamor Schürmann (and later Samuel Klose) arrived, setting themselves up at what became known as the "Old Location", studying the
Kaurna language Kaurna ( or ) is a Pama-Nyungan language historically spoken by the Kaurna peoples of the Adelaide Plains of South Australia. The Kaurna peoples are made up of various tribal clan groups, each with their own ''parnkarra'' district of land and ...
and teaching in that language. This was the first mission in South Australia. In 1839 the Native Location was moved again, across to the north side of the river, on what is now part of the Par 3 golf course. This was called the
Pirltawardli The Adelaide Park Lands are the figure-eight of land spanning both banks of the River Torrens between Hackney and Thebarton and separating the City of Adelaide area (which includes both Adelaide city centre and North Adelaide) from the surro ...
(now the second name for Park 1 of the Park Lands), which means "possum place", also known as the "Aboriginal Location". In December 1840 a school opened, supported by Governor
George Gawler Lieutenant-Colonel George Gawler, KH, (21 July 1795 – 7 May 1869) was the second Governor of South Australia, at the same time serving as Resident Commissioner, from 17 October 1838 until 15 May 1841. Biography Early life Gawler, born on 2 ...
, but the site was dismantled in 1845, on the orders of Governor
George Grey Sir George Grey, KCB (14 April 1812 – 19 September 1898) was a British soldier, explorer, colonial administrator and writer. He served in a succession of governing positions: Governor of South Australia, twice Governor of New Zealand, Go ...
, who thought it best to take the children away from their parents, and a new "Native School" run by the government, which taught only in English, was established near what is now
Kintore Avenue Mount Davies Road is a remote unsealed outback track which runs from Mount Davies ( Pipalyatjara) in the far north-west corner of South Australia to Anne's Corner on the Anne Beadell Highway 397 kilometres to the south-east. It was built during ...
. (The Native School closed in 1851, with the remaining children were taken to
Poonindie Mission __NOTOC__ Poonindie is a small township near Port Lincoln on the Eyre Peninsula, South Australia. The land upon which it sits was originally the land of the Barngarla people. Poonindie Mission was established as a mission for Aboriginal people ...
at
Port Lincoln Port Lincoln is a town on the Lower Eyre Peninsula in the Australian state of South Australia. It is situated on the shore of Boston Bay, which opens eastward into Spencer Gulf. It is the largest city in the West Coast region, and is located a ...
on the
Eyre Peninsula The Eyre Peninsula is a triangular peninsula in South Australia. It is bounded by the Spencer Gulf on the east, the Great Australian Bight on the west, and the Gawler Ranges to the north. Originally called Eyre’s Peninsula, it was named aft ...
. A few people continued to camp near the house of Klose, the only remaining missionary, at the site known as Pirltawardli. In 1846 the government build some brick sheds in part of this area, and also across the river behind the new
Adelaide Gaol Adelaide Gaol is a former Australian prison located in the Park Lands of Adelaide, in the state of South Australia. The gaol was the first permanent one in South Australia and operated from 1841 until 1988. The Gaol is one of the two oldest bui ...
. One was for the "Murray tribe", who had moved to the area, and a smaller number of sheds for what was left of the " Adelaide tribe". Pirltawardli, just across the river and straddling Parks 1 and 27, is still of great significance to Kaurna people, as well as non-Indigenous South Australians. Nearly all of the recorded language and early written records of Kaurna culture stem from this place, documented by the missionaries, who also shared their views on
race relations Race relations is a sociological concept that emerged in Chicago in connection with the work of sociologist Robert E. Park and the Chicago race riot of 1919. Race relations designates a paradigm or field in sociology and a legal concept in the ...
in the new colony. On 26 May 2000 a plaque was erected there commemorating its place in Adelaide’s history.


Description

Bonython Park, part of Park 27/Tudla Wardli, has many points of interest and recreation within and nearby. The park hosts or has hosted a number of major events including the
Schützenfest A Schützenfest (, '' marksmen's festival'') is a traditional festival or fair featuring a target shooting competition in the cultures of Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland. At a Schützenfest, contestants compete based on their shooting ...
(a German shooting festival), the former Skyshow fireworks display, and various music festivals including Soundwave, Stereosonic and the
Big Day Out The Big Day Out (BDO) was an annual music festival that was held in five Australian cities: Sydney, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Adelaide, and Perth, as well as Auckland, New Zealand. The festival was held during summer, typically in January of eac ...
. It is also the location of various visiting circuses, including
Cirque du Soleil Cirque du Soleil (, ; "Circus of the Sun" or "Sun Circus") is a Canadian entertainment company and the largest contemporary circus producer in the world. Located in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul on 16 Ju ...
. The Bonython Park Adventure Playspace, a kiosk), a
model boat Ship models or model ships are scale models of ships. They can range in size from 1/6000 scale wargaming miniatures to large vessels capable of holding people. Ship modeling is a craft as old as shipbuilding itself, stretching back to ancient ...
pond, open kick/play fields, a junior playground and multi-barbecue stations are available for the public. The "Magic Forest & Native Bee N Bee Project" is a grove of mixed
eucalyptus tree ''Eucalyptus'' () is a genus of over seven hundred species of Flowering plant, flowering trees, shrubs or Mallee (habit), mallees in the Myrtaceae, myrtle Family (biology), family, Myrtaceae. Along with several other genera in the Tribe (biology) ...
s planted in 1997 by the Children’s Peaceful Environment Foundation in conjunction with the Council. It includes a native bee hotel. The
Roma Mitchell Dame Roma Flinders Mitchell, (2 October 1913 – 5 March 2000) was an Australian lawyer, judge and state governor. She was the first woman to hold a number of positions in Australia – the country's first woman judge, the first woman to be a ...
Garden, tended by prisoners until the closure of the gaol, has since the 1990s been maintained by the Catholic Order of Malta.


See also

*
List of Adelaide parks and gardens List of Adelaide parks and gardens refers to parks and gardens within the metropolitan area in South Australia known as Adelaide. Northern Adelaide The South Australian government region known as Northern Adelaide and which occupies the north ...
*
Torrens Bridge railway station Torrens Bridge railway station was a short-lived railway station on the Outer Harbor line in North Adelaide. The location of the station was east of Bonython Park. It was located about from Adelaide station. The station was opened in 1883 as ...


References

{{AdelaideParklands Parks in Adelaide