Wells Park

Child Places

• 12109 SS Kwinana - Shipwreck, Wells Park

Statement of Significance

Aesthetic Value: The place is an attractive urban park, in a prominent location along Kwinana Beach, and features a number of mature trees including tuarts, palms and pines, which contribute to the appearance and amenity of the place. Historic Value: The place is associated with Clara Wells, the former postmistress who first marked mailbags ‘Kwinana Wreck’ at her nearby store when the old ship drifted ashore. Social Value: The place is valued by the community as a public park adjacent to the beachfront of the main swimming beach at Kwinana. Representativeness: the place is a typical suburban park will a well maintained landscaped area that has developed over the decades it has been in use. Level of significance: Considerable.

Physical Description

The place comprises a large public foreshore park at Kwinana Beach, bounded on its southeast boundary by Rockingham Beach Road. The park comprises a large expanse of grass, interspersed with mature tuart trees and Canary Island Date palms. There are also a number of Norfolk Island Pine trees, peppermints and sheoaks occurring in clusters throughout the park. Steel-framed shade structures incorporating fixed table and chair seating are located throughout the park, as are brick gas bbq’s and rubbish bins. A large sandy childrens' playarea is located close to the parking area and abultions block close to where the grassed area meets the sandy beach. A hard playing court is located to the northern end of the park. Recent improvements include a brick and iron ablutions block, paving and other amenities, and is in good condition. The section of beach adjacent to the park is noteworthy as the only designated swimming beach in the town of Kwinana, and features the wreck of S.S. Kwinana, and a short jetty and boat ramp. Heavy industry surrounds the park on all sides.

History

In 1966, Kwinana Councillor Charles Mitchell put forward a motion that the beach front reserve adjacent to the Kwinana wreck should be named Wells Park in honour of Clara Wells, the well-known post-mistress who in 1922, rather flippantly scrawled the words ‘Kwinana Wreck’ across the mail bags to be despatched from her nearby store. The park was finally named in December 1970, after Kwinana Beach residents agreed that the resting place of the Kwinana wreck should be called Wells’ Park. The name was formally adopted in 1974. This area had been an informal park from the 1950s when Kwinana was a popular holiday destination. The land on the opposite side of Kwinana Beach Road was the location of a caravan park and guest houses. The Rockingham Road Board established a playground on the site in 1951 and it continues to be maintained by the City of Kwinana, and its preceding authorities, the Shire of Kwinana and Kwinana Road Board. The reserve was formally created in 1956 for public utility and is now designated for public recreation. Aerial photographs indicate that one on the initial facilities on the park was a tennis court built in the early 1960s. A large area of carparking was provided from the late 1960s parallel to the beach which was modified in mid 2012 to create the current paved pathway across the park. These works created more landscaped areas north of the pathway.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: High Authenticity: High

Condition

Good

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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