[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Eaglehawk is an outer suburb of Bendigo and its most famous resident is fictional! Remember Mulga Bill, as imagined by Australian poet A.B. Paterson in his poem ‘Mulga Bill’s Bicycle’?
The Eaglehawk Playspace is a huge playground built beside Lake Neangar that’s inspired by the Banjo Paterson poem and the name of the suburb.
The playground is shaped like an eaglehawk (or wedge-tailed eagle) and the custom play equipment features Mulga Bill’s house, his rolling bicycle (getting out of control!) and lines from the poem etched into logs.
If you look out on the lake you’ll even see poor Mulga Bill’s coming to an undignified end after tumbling off his bike!
The designer, Greater Bendigo’s landscape architect Gary Lantzsch, received permission to use the 1896 poem and iconic illustrations by Kilmeny and Deborah Niland from the 1973 edition throughout the playground.
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The playground has different zones for children of different ages, making it a great destination for all the family.
Junior kids will enjoy the fenced playground Where Angels Play, which is dedicated to the life of baby Zayden Veal Whitting.
Inside there are smaller swings, sand play, a small pump with rivulets, a wooden cubby house and colourful butterfly shade sails.
You can even sit in a wooden chair carved by a local artist from an old ironbark stump and hear the story of Mulga Bill’s Bicycle from a giant talking book.
Older kids can get adventurous on the big climbing fort ‘Mulga Bill’s Tower’ and slide out of his surprised face…
…run inside the giant hamster wheels and slide down the back of the ‘Silver Streak’…
…traverse the ropes course….
…and swing on the double flying fox and carousels.
Super climbers can even clamber all the way up to the eaglehawk sculpture and ring a bell!
Lake Neangar and the perimeter of the playground offers scooter/bike tracks and parking.
There are shaded picnic tables, barbecues, water taps and toilets within walking distance.
Eaglehawk Playspace, or Mulga Bill’s playground, is a wonderful example of how you can build a playground to engage kids in the space around them, to join in imaginative play, encourage literacy and physical play all at once.
Click here for more things to do in Bendigo with kids
Click here for more free water play in Melbourne and Regional Victoria
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text el_class=”thon-hot-tips-panel”]HOT Tips:
- Suitable for toddlers;
- Suitable for older kids;
- Sand play;
- Water play;
- Some shade, particularly over junior sand play areas and metal slide;
- Free barbecues;
- Picnic tables and shelter
- Water tap;
- Free street parking;
- toilets nearby;
- No fence around main playground, junior playground is fully fenced;
- Bike and scooter track around Lake Neangar and perimeter of playground.
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