Stirling Park

by Dave Walsh (subscribe)

Situated adjacent to the popular Woorabinda Lake Reserve in leafy Stirling is another park having quite a different nature.

Where Woorabinda has been landscaped to ensure that even the elderly or very young can enjoy the sights, Stirling Park is traversed more by tracks that gently meander low hills.

Its vegetation is rather more dense and at times dominated by towering gums. Instead of water birds like ducks, you are more likely to be greeted by the wild jackass cry of a kookaburra hidden in the tree tops.



There are no facilities or seats in Stirling Park, just a lush green valley where the Aldgate Creek flows, and tracks suitable for walking. There is plenty of bird and animal life, although these are best seen towards the beginning and end of the day.



Some trees have even been planted to encourage Koalas, which are not native to this area.



There are at least three ways into the park. Entering via Woorabinda Lake means a short walk to the water channel exiting the lake before you encounter Stirling Park. Otherwise you can enter directly via Ethel Street or Branch Road. The entrances each have a little shelter with maps and other useful information.



The land in this area was originally owned in the 1850's by the Halliday family (seen here in 1918), and called Halliday's Gully. Mr C.A Halliday's fascinating and sometimes shocking recollections were published in the Register in 1924. The family clearly were good market gardeners as this 1924 Register article describes their prize winning produce.



The area had rich and fertile black soil which was well suited to market gardening, but in the 1970's it was compulsorily acquired by the State Education Department to build a school. The school was never built, and the land was sold to the Council in the 1980's. Plaque 21 is mounted on a post to indicate the market garden area.



For an explanation of all the marker posts, download a copy of the Woorabinda Lake Self Guided Walk from the website of the Friends of the Stirling Linear Park. It also contains names and drawings of local birds that you may encounter on your walk.

It's probably a good idea to also download a copy of the Stirling Parks map from the Adelaide Hills Council site.



Stirling Park is a fascinating place to explore, exercise, walk your dog (on leash only), or spy on birds and animals as they do their own thing. If you want to stay awhile, then perhaps call back to Woorabinda and take a seat to have a relaxing picnic. Stay quiet and you may well be rewarded with a display when you least expect it.

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Why? Trek through a wilderness

When: Anytime

Website: users.esc.net.au/~slp/stirlingpark.htm

Where: Woorabinda Drive, Stirling, South Australia

Cost: Free

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Stirling Park (article)

by Frank Pryor on 29/11/2013