To celebrate the centenary of Wahroonga Park – and the end of lockdown – a time capsule will be buried in Wahroonga Park in February 2022.
The Rotary Club of Wahroonga encourages the community to contribute photos and letters to the time capsule, which will be opened in 50 years.
In 1895, George Collingridge formed the Wahroonga Progress Association to promote the development of amenities within the area. In 1913, the association saw potential to transform a parcel of “swampy ground covered by blackberry” into a community park. At the time, the land was owned by architect Sir John Sulman (1849-1934).
The Noonans, a prominent local family, also had holdings in the land. Three private residences occupied the northeast corner of the boundary, with an elderly man living in a temporary shelter. He ran the local horse-drawn cab, transporting people to and from the railway station.
In 1920, the Progress Association disbanded due to the compulsory establishment of local government in the 1919 Local Government Act. A few months later, a Vigilance Committee adopted the name of the Wahroonga Progress Association and started pursuing the establishment of the local park. In 1921, Ku-ring-gai Council purchased the four acres of land from Sir John Sulman and the Noonan family.
Throughout the 1920s, volunteer labour helped establish the park. The two presidents of the Wahroonga Progress Association, Dr W.H Read and T.A Stocks, nurtured plants in their gardens before transferring them into the park.
They also raised financial support from local residents. The community enhanced the site by donating their time, labour, skills, equipment and other materials. By 1928, the site had been truly transformed into a community park.
The creation of Wahroonga Park was the most significant contribution of the Progress Association, which disbanded in 1976.
To celebrate the park’s hundredth anniversary – and the centenary of Rotary in Australia – the Rotary Club of Wahroonga will host a Healing Ceremony and Dedication of Time Capsule at the Wahroonga Park Rotunda.
The event will take place from 8-9am on Saturday, December 4. The Healing Ceremony will honour the losses of the pandemic and celebrate the community’s resilience in this difficult time. The Rotary Club of Wahroonga encourage the community to share their photos and stories about Wahroonga Park, how you use and enjoy the Park as a community facility.
To contribute to the Wahroonga Park Time Capsule, visit wahroongarotary.org/page/wahroonga-park-centenary-2021/