Images: Supplied
A new Adelaide playground is giving kids the chance to climb, swing and slide through a little piece of century-old South Aussie wine history.
Formerly known as Scarborough Terrace Reserve, the Dover Gardens reserve has been transformed with a new fully fenced playground, fitness equipment, a resurfaced running and walking track, new landscaping and planting. But it’s the story behind the playground that makes it particularly unique.
The new Patritti Reserve has been designed around the site’s historic connection to the Patritti family and its winemaking heritage, with playful nods to the grape-growing land that once occupied the area.
The playground is structured around a custom play area inspired by a traditional wine press, complete with an interactive mechanical winder and talking tubes.
Kids can also explore cork-inspired stepping elements, ornamental grapevines, wobbly mirrors, musical and game panels and a blackboard. Plus, there’s a new “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” dendrophone that adds another interactive element to the space.
A photograph from around 1950 showing the land during its vineyard days has also been installed at the playground entrance, helping tell the story of the site’s past.
The reserve’s new name is also a nod to that history. Giovanni Patritti arrived in South Australia from Italy in 1925 and established Patritti Wines the following year. He later grew Muscat and Doradillo grapes on land that included what is now Patritti Reserve as part of the family’s vineyards at Dover Gardens. A century later, Patritti remains one of Australia’s last remaining suburban wineries.
The $587,000 reserve upgrade has also delivered plenty for visitors beyond the new playground. The fully fenced play space caters to children from toddlers through to older kids, with an inclusive carousel, swings, trampoline, monkey bars, balance beams, climbing equipment and soft-fall surfaces.
There is also a grass kick-about area, cricket oval and cricket practice nets, making the reserve a spot where the whole family can spend a few hours.
For adults, eight fitness stations have been incorporated around the reserve, alongside the resurfaced running and walking track.
The reserve also has picnic tables, BBQ facilities, shelter, seating, drinking fountains and accessible toilet facilities.
The upgrade officially opened on Saturday, August 22nd, with the community invited to celebrate with free coffee, morning tea and an exercise session using the new fitness equipment.
With its mix of history, play and outdoor recreation, Patritti Reserve offers a fresh take on the suburban playground and gives families a fun way to discover a little more about the local story beneath their feet.
Patritti Reserve
Where: Scarborough Terrace, Dover Gardens
For more information, click here.
