Do you use it?

Do you know where it is located?

King George V Memorial Park is about two hectares and managed by Gloucester Shire (now MidCoast Council) since before 1938.

It is located west of Ravenshaw Street between Cook and Manning Streets and runs down onto the Gloucester River. Originally a stock route on the Manning Street end linked the flats across the river to the old rail cattle trucking yards north of the station.

A sawmill operated from the turn of the century until around 1926, the foundations were visible for many years but have since been covered with fill. A coal mine operated in the 1930s and supplied coal to local residents. The inclined adit was located immediately west of the Apex shed and settling of the entry has required occasional filling. At one stage in the 1950s one of the seams near the river was burning for a period of time.

A grandiose plan dated 1938 is held within the Archive Centre at the Museum. Proposed development included tennis courts, toilets, bandstands and an amphitheatre. Paths and gardens, fountains and fences with numerous tree plantings.(If interested you can have a look at these plans by visiting the Museum during opening hours). Presumably the development never eventuated due to impending World War 2 and lack of capital afterwards.

The playground equipment was originally installed by Gloucester Rotary Club in 1950s. a storage shed by Apex in 1960/70s and a toilet block constructed. In more recent times the Rivercare Group has revitalised the river bank with the removal of exotic weeds and trees, especially privet, which were hampering the native plant regeneration. The group then planted over 150 native trees and plants. The major wildlife benefit is provision of bird habitat for roosting and nesting in larger trees, together with the river and river oaks forms a wild life corridor.

Currently the park is used for active and passive recreation, with access to the river for fishing,swimming and picnicking as well as town beautification value