This is the playground rocket at Enmore Park. It is one of the few remaining in Sydney. Unfortunately you can't climb up inside it past the first level as the holes are welded shut. One can just imagine little kids up in the top level refusing to come down when their Mum is calling them or an injured kid up the top with Mum unable to get up through the holes to rescue them. I like to imagine a group of stoned Emo's stuck in the top and too scared to come down.PS I have changed the photo layout to 'centre' if anyone cares!
Anthony, I thought you and others might like to know the real reason behind why Enmore Park still has a Rocket and why you cant climb up to the higher levels. In about 1987 when I was managing Parks and Gardens at Marrickville Council, across Australia Councils were doing risk assessments on play equipment and the equipments compliance with Australian Standards. The Rocket was assessed as an unacceptable risk and was to be removed, as most were around Australia. At the time I recollected that when I was a kid Rocketships were one of my favourites and I wanted to keep it for the kids of the day and future kids, so I asked what were the specifics of why it didnt comply. I found that it related to the upper levels so I suggested closing off access to the upper levels and keeping Rocket. A compromise was struck. Since then I have seen many articles about the Enmore Park Rocket still "surviving", the risk averse society we live in and particularly the importance of kids taking risks in their development, and am proud that I contributed something to make a difference that has been noticed. So restricting access to the upper levels was the compromise, not the concern that kids might not come down. Kids always come "down" but sometimes its long after their parents would prefer...and whats wrong with kids being kids? (at least some of the time). Regards Craig Murray
ReplyDelete