Understorey: Boo Park’s Six Seasons

Booyeembara Park is widely know as a haven for its greenery-filled walkways through and around areas of gentle wetland, lake, grassed open spaces, and so much more ‘bushy’ development, for two decades growing out of an old quarry and sump site – but much less well known as a notable Indigenous gathering place. Now “Boo Park” locals have planted a new area of a “Six Seasons” design, reclaimed from another previously-closed section of the park’s 17 hectare footprint, informed by much research about Noongar culture and life in the area. Thousands of indigenous plants, with signage to come, show care and energy for reconciling an area of neglect and abuse, making for a welcoming acknowledgement of the distant past for future generations.

With help from Commonwealth Environment program funding, guidelines about remediated sites from the Health Department and the Department of Environment, as well as design from Apace Natural Design, and help from SERCUL (South East Regional Centre for Urban Landcare) and the City of Fremantle, with insights by Aboriginal elder Neville Collard, and many keen locals from the Friends of Booyeembara Park, this grassroot-led project inspires, restores, and refreshes.

Photos: Booyambara Park: E PO’ and A Glamorgan