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Bert Wright Park
E37 Bert Wright Park, Bayswater (October 2020) 2.JPG
Bayswater Growers' Market at Bert Wright Park
Type Urban
Location Bayswater, Western Australia

Bert Wright Park is a lovely park located in Bayswater, Western Australia. Bayswater is a suburb of Perth. You can find the park right in the heart of the Bayswater town centre. It's easy to spot, as it's next to the Bayswater Library on King William Street. The park has cool features like a nature-based playground, clean toilets, and even barbeques for a fun day out!

Discover Bert Wright Park's History

Bert Wright Park has an interesting past. Back in the late 1920s, the local government, which was called the Bayswater Road Board then (now known as the City of Bayswater), wanted to make the area nicer. One of their ideas was to create a public space for everyone to enjoy.

How the Park Land Was Chosen

The land where the park now stands used to be a private market garden. A market garden is a place where vegetables and fruits are grown to sell. A well-known local person named Robert McLeish thought this land would be perfect for a public park. He helped lead the effort to get the land for the community. The local government decided to buy the land because they felt a market garden wasn't the best use for a spot on the main street of Bayswater.

From Whatley Gardens to Bert Wright Reserve

The park was first named Whatley Gardens. This was to honour John and Anne Whatley, who were some of the very first people to live in the area. Later on, the park was renamed Bert Wright Reserve. This new name was chosen to remember Bert Wright, who was an important local councillor and a business owner in the Shire of Bayswater.

New Buildings and Playgrounds

In the 1960s, two important buildings were added to the park area. A centre for senior citizens and a library were built. Over time, these two buildings were joined together to form one larger building. In 2016, the park got a fantastic upgrade! A brand new playground was built for $100,000, replacing the older one.

Bayswater Growers' Market

Since September 2019, Bert Wright Park has become a lively spot every Saturday morning. That's when the Bayswater Growers' Market takes place! This market is a great way to find fresh local produce. A community group called Future Bayswater organises the market, and the City of Bayswater helps support it.

The Amazing Kurrajong Tree Move

In January 2020, something truly special happened at the park. An 80-year-old kurrajong tree was moved from next to the Bayswater railway station to Bert Wright Park. The tree had to be moved because a new train station was going to be built where it stood.

Why Was the Tree Moved?

This kurrajong tree was very old and important, so people didn't want to cut it down. Instead, they decided to move it carefully to Bert Wright Park. The tree was planted exactly where the old playground used to be.

How Was the Tree Moved?

The process of moving the tree started in May 2019. Tree experts, called arborists, began trimming the tree's roots to prepare it. The big move happened on 9 January 2020. It was a huge operation! They used one crane to lift the massive 17-tonne tree. Another crane then helped move the tree about 200 metres down King William Street to its new home in the park. It was an incredible feat of engineering!

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