Wilson Reserve
78-100 The Boulevard IVANHOE, BANYULE CITY
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Statement of Significance
What is significant?
Wilson Reserve, containing 2.8 hectares of riparian and grassy woodland, remnants of a 1968 Ellis Stones playground (including plantings), 1945 Ivanhoe Sea Scouts Memorial Den, commemorative cairn,obelisk and plaques, and mature exotic trees, is significant.
How is it significant?
Wilson Reserve is of local historical, aesthetic and social significance to the City of Banyule.
Why is it significant?
Wilson Reserve is of local signifcance as the site of the first training camp for scout leaders in Victoria, and for its long association with one of Victoria's first scout troops - 1st Ivanhoe Troop (1908) - later becoming the Ivanhoe Sea Scouts (1918). This signifcance is demonstrated by the concrete building constructed on the site of the camp in 1945 as a memorial to the sea scouts who died in World War Two, and associated plaques and commemorative structures in the reserve. (Criterion A)
Wilson Reserve is of historical significance for its exotic oak and poplar plantings dating back associated with the area's early European history. (Criteria A & E)
Wilson Reserve is of social significance for its long association with early community and environmental groups from the 1920s until the present day. It is also significant for the close and enduring involvement of noted landscape designer and environmentalist Ellis Stones in various construction works including memorial cairn (1940s), remnant rock works, slide placement and plantings associated with his pioneering playground design from 1968. (Criteria G, H, E)
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Wilson Reserve - Physical Description 1
Wilson Reserve comprises 2.8 hectares of parkland of predominantly riparian and grassy woodland. It is bordered along its southern edge by the Yarra River, and is accessed via a number of informal paths. It contains a recent children's playground which largely replaces an earlier (1968) playground designed and implemented by noted landscape designer and local resident Ellis Stones. The placement of a long slide set into the hillside, together with a number of eucalypts including Spotted Gum (Corymbia maculata) in the playground / car park area, are remnants of his playground design.
The large infestation of Wandering Jew (Tradescantia sp.) in the Reserve is believed to have been introduced by 'Skipper' Wilson as an ornamental border planting around the c.1910 Sea Scout Hall (also known as the boathouse), and fishermen digging for worms were responsible for its spread throughout the Reserve (Friends of Wilson Reserve, n.d.). The approximate location of the now lost Sea Scout Hall is marked by another building - the extant 1945 'Memorial Den'. This is a simple low concrete structure with a flat roof. It has a storage area attached to one side, accessed by a cyclone wire gate.
In addition to its indigenous vegetation, Wilson Reserve also contains a number of mature exotic trees such as poplars and oaks associated either with the Chelsworth Estate or the Sea Scouts' early use of the Reserve. A number of memorials, in the form of plaques, cairns and obelisks aassociated with the Sea Scouts are located within the Reserve.
Heritage Study and Grading
Banyule - Banyule Heritage Review
Author: Context P/L
Year: 2009
Grading: LocalBanyule - Banyule Heritage Study
Author: Allum Lovell & Associates
Year: 1999
Grading:
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WALLER HOUSE AND COLLECTIONVictorian Heritage Register H0617
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HODDLE SURVEY TREE, KEW GOLF CLUBVictorian Heritage Register H2340
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MACGEORGE HOUSEVictorian Heritage Register H2004
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