Historical Playgrounds - Seagull Paddock, Geelong North
Seagull Paddock was an iconic playground in Geelong in the 80's and early 90's. It was awesome but a definitely on the dangerous side with many injuries resulting from the rides - OH&S rules would never allow it to operate now-a-days. It was a free playground and targeted towards older kids.
In the 1980's, the Ford Motor plant, located across from Seagull Paddock, had financial troubles and laid off workers including welders. Apparently, the newly unemployed welders used their welding skills to create play equipment and rides. Safety standards were not a key element of the designs and the equipment was eventually removed in the early 1990's due to safety concerns.
There are some photos below showing some of the play equipment which included massive scary metal slides with lots of air time, rocking giraffe, huge circular spinner for lots of people, flying fox, rockers, see-saws and roller coaster.
Some dare-devils would carry their bikes up to the top of the slides and ride them down and many would ride down the slides on hessian sacks, especially in summer when the metal was searingly hot.
The video which is circa 1988 shows all the wonderful and quirky rides at Seagull Paddock. Note: A few people have expressed doubt that this is actually Seagull Paddock but these were the rides which were at Seagull Paddock.
A few of the slides were relocated to "Happy Hens Egg World" near Meredith for a few years beside the "Big Egg" perched on top of the visitors Centre. Unfortunately, despite protestations that the hens were indeed happy, combining an adventure playground with a battery hen farm proved problematic, especially when Animal Liberation Victoria were breaking into the complex on a regular basis and rescuing injured chickens. The tourist complex closed down and the massive slide was decommissioned. They still have various pieces throughout their garden as garden ornaments.
Photos from Geelong Regional Library and Geelong In Historical Pictures.
There is a brilliant playground at B.J Robertson Memorial Park in Tempy, northern Victoria which has some play equipment reminiscent of that at Seagull Paddock. There is a metal horse which moves back and forth like a jockey would experience on a real horse and two examples of a wonderfully created seat on a spring to bounce up and down on.
Snakes 'n Ladders in Mildura was another playground with quirky equipment like this.
