Campbell's Free Kindergarten in Victoria Park is a jewel waiting to be polished. I have watched sadly as it has been gradually abandoned since it was first overshadowed by the Victoria Park flyover all those years ago. From time to time it is brought to attention by the media, and the council must by now have a fat file of letters and cuttings on the subject, some written by me. The answers have varied, but it seems the reason that nothing has been done is that they have been waiting for the exact route of the tunnel under the park to be decided. Surely this has happened by now?
In the meantime absolutely nothing at all has been done to preseve this gem.
This used to be a beautiful building, a unique piece of architecture, but it was much more than that. It was the home of the first free kindergarten in the country, and embodies early ideals of equality, health and education. What a tragedy it would be to allow it to deteriorate further! I have been told on good authority that the building could be moved to a better position in the park. I can visualise it being a wonderful focal point, perhaps opposite the main gate of a revitalised Victoria Park Market. It could become a cafe and creative centre, a magnet for all ages. This would cost money, and require vision, but what a wonderful asset it would be. Funds are already set aside for the creation of green spaces in built up areas. Wouldn't this be a wonderful project to enliven the heart of our city?
But as the inner-city population grows exponentially, Victoria Park becomes a more and more valuable amenity for the thousands of flat-dwellers, locals and other visitors. On any weekend day the its brilliant green is alive with activity. It is a wonderful escape for all those people whose domestic life is lived between four grey walls far above the ground. It would be a lasting monument to early ideals of education, a lovely piece of architecture, and a meeting point of art, sport and history.
Yours Diane Percy Freemans Bay
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