Playstreet worked closely with Kingborough Council to deliver the Open Space Master Plan for Kingston Park in consultation with the diverse Kingborough community. Various engagement methods were developed in order to reach a broad cross-section of stakeholders and the general public. Methods included targeted consultation with a large number of stakeholders, attending community events and markets, an online feedback forum, and workshops with local primary and secondary schools. In the end, Playstreet consulted with ninety-seven different Kingborough community groups and organisations, and supplemented data with Council-provided feedback. This consultation proved to be essential in the success of Kingston Park as a thriving, well-loved public open space that represents the aspirations of the community.
This extensive community consultation ensured the resulting design of Kingston Park was rooted in community and, as a result of community aspirations, diverse consultant collaboration. Tasmanian Aboriginal history and culture was also a crucial aspect of the design, and Playstreet undertook extensive consultation to ensure sensitivity to Country. The design is centred around nine distinct age-appropriate play spaces, quietly referencing each of Tasmania’s Aboriginal Nations and each represented by its own Tasmanian endemic animal motif.
Each play space represents habitat for one of the nine species and includes work from local and interstate artists and designers. The comprehensive collaboration is at the heart of the success and beauty of Kingston Park with works by Roland Gabatel, Agency of Sculpture and Gerhard Mausz within the play spaces of the park. Tasmanian Aboriginal artist Alan Mansell was engaged to create artwork representing the nine zones of the parkland which was beautifully adapted into the external signage and interpretation panels by graphic designer Holly Webber with evocative poems and descriptions for each animal by Chris Viney. The play spaces are connected and interwoven with carefully selected planting through consultation with NITA Education, to provide an ideal sequence to best aid in Aboriginal cultural learning and create opportunities for educators to use the spaces.
The success of this park is owed to the collaboration on all levels of design and execution.
