Heritage
Aboriginal heritage
We have engaged heritage specialists to help ensure Aboriginal cultural heritage is respected throughout the design process. We are grateful for our engagement with the Kaurna Yerta Aboriginal Corporation to date and look forward to continuing to work together.
The project will protect and preserve culturally significant artworks in the Adelaide Park Lands, such as:
- Place of Reflection in Rymill Park/Murlawirrapurka (Park 14)
- Ngadlu Padninthi Kumangka – We Walk Together in Victoria Park/Pakapakanthi (Park 16).
More broadly, we are committed to continuing to work with Kaurna Yerta Aboriginal Corporation in all matters related to Aboriginal heritage and to identify further opportunities to recognise and celebrate Aboriginal culture as part of the project.
Non-Aboriginal heritage
The Adelaide Park Lands were designed by Colonel William Light in 1837 as a 930-hectare green belt around the city.
The Adelaide Park Lands have always been a place for sport and recreation. Historical records show the first game of Australian Rules football in South Australia was played in the northern park lands in April 1860. Adelaide Oval has been an integral part of the state’s social fabric since 1871.
Victoria Park/Pakapakanthi (Park 16) has a long association with horsepower. Some of the earliest images of the Adelaide Park Lands show the racetrack established in 1846, and horse racing remained until 2008. In fact, the Kaurna name for the park, Pakapakanthi, means "to trot".
Reconnecting the Heritage Grandstand
A key part of the project brief was to reconnect the Grandstand precinct and relocate the temporary pit building away from the Heritage Grandstand.
During motorsport events, the action will be brought much closer to the Heritage Grandstand. The circuit re-enters from a revised turn off Wakefield Road before sweeping past the grandstand and into the final corner leading onto the new pit straight. This blend of old and new will see the Heritage Grandstand once again become a central part of the spectator experience.
For the rest of the year, the upgraded soccer field will be in front of the grandstand, alongside the enhanced criterium loop for cyclists and Pedal Prix racing. Next to the grandstand, a vibrant new community space will provide opportunities for recreation and activity. Outside motorsport events, the area used for the temporary pit building will become a flexible space for the community to enjoy.