Botanic Gardens master plan makes no firm decision on famous fountain or location for a long-awaited cafe
The new 10-year Wollongong Botanic Gardens Master Plan was adopted unanimously.
The future of the Illawarra Mercury Five Islands Fountain in Wollongong's Botanic Garden remains in limbo, despite Council endorsing a detailed master plan for the Garden at its meeting on Monday night.
As The Illawarra Flame first reported in August, 45 years ago the man regarded as Australia's pre-eminent creator of fountains, Robert (Bob) Woodward, designed a magnificent fountain for the heart of Wollongong's CBD, which was officially opened in November 1980.
Known as the Five Islands Fountain, it was gifted to the city by the Illawarra Mercury to mark the newspaper's 125th anniversary.
A few years later the fountain was relocated to the Botanic Garden to make way for a big new shopping centre in the city.
The popular Rest Park fountain on Burelli Street at night in the early 1980s before the park demise and its move to the Wollongong Botanic Garden. Photos: Jim Tuvik and Vic Weir
Should the famous fountain flow again?
Over time, the fountain fell into disrepair and successive councils have let it lie empty for decades.
During the current master planning exercise for the Botanic Gardens, there has been debate over whether the fountain should be repaired, allowing it to flow again. Council staff suggested it would be better not to restore the fountain but instead place a sign nearby showing what it looked like in its heyday.
But during the master plan consultation process, Bob Woodward's daughter Jane pleaded with Council to bring the Five Islands Fountain back to life.
"Every one of dad's fountains was different and designed for a specific sight, so the Wollongong fountain was unique, created to be installed on a sloping site," Jane said. "It was the only one of its type that dad created, so it is significant."
Most people supported fountain restoration
In a report to this week's Council meeting, it was said "the majority of submissions supported the full recommissioning of the fountain rather than just interpretation."
The report also said that during previous Council terms the fountain project was nominated for funding but wasn't supported due to issues of sustainability (water and energy use), capital, maintenance and operational costs.
"The Woodward family's offer of support will be collaboratively investigated with them," the report to Council said. "It is proposed to commence in-situ interpretation as a short-term masterplan objective and based on community feedback continue to have the full refurbishment of the fountain considered via Council's annual budgeting process, including consideration of external funding opportunities."
Where to locate a new Garden cafe?
The other hot topic in the Botanic Garden's master plan was the provision and potential location of a cafe and possibly a visitor's centre. The draft master plan report favoured historic Cratloe Cottage in the heart of the park as the best cafe option. Community feedback, however, including from the Friends of the Botanic Garden, Neighbourhood Forum 5 and the Keiraville Residents Action Group, strongly backed a cafe location close to the Murphy's Avenue entry to the Garden.
Speaking at Monday's Council meeting, the head of Destination Wollongong, Jeremy Wilshire, spoke strongly in support of a cafe, but not so much about a full-blown visitors' centre. He preferred a "hybrid" or "digital kiosk".
"Yes, there needs to be a commercial activation... we have a beautiful parkland but it is chronically under-utilised," Jeremy said.
He didn't offer outright support for a cafe at the entry or in Cratloe Cottage when addressing councillors but said "it needs to be unique, bespoke, and championing the natural asset it sits within."
Cafe plans will go to market
Councillors were also supportive of a cafe, agreeing it was long overdue. Lord Mayor Tania Brown said: "Most botanical gardens around the world have a cafe. As long as the cafe has scones on the menu, I'll be very happy."
The master plan's recommended course of action for a cafe was to go to market with an expression of interest document.
Cr Kit Docker said he supported the EOI process "to test what the market will tell us about which is the best location".
The new 10-year Wollongong Botanic Gardens Master Plan was adopted unanimously.
