The Grange Reserve Playground, Osborne Avenue, Clayton South
The playground has a UFO theme to recognize a UFO sighting in the reserve on April 6, 1966. Students and teachers from the nearby Westall High School and Westall Primary School rushed to see the hovering flying saucers in the reserve and this sighting has never been explained. We visited the area and also saw a UFO - it is a huge saucer shape hovering above the ground with access via a rope ladder and a rigid frame hooped ladder. Inside are two steering wheels with control panel including the requisite flux capacitor. If the aliens scare you too much, you can escape via a fireman's pole, short quick tunnel slide or a twisty spiral slide. If you're brave have a ride on the alien wobbly springer boards near the spaceship.
The playground has a range of less scary equipment including a cup with hand wheel, structure with horizontal rope nets and hanging disks, standard swings, birds nest swing and a big sandpit with digger and wooden carvings of Australian animals (watch out for the blue-tongue lizards). There is also a long fixed frame flying fox and a series of wooden platforms connected by rope nets and bridges plus a climbing wall, hanging climbing rope, wave slide and shop fronts (watch out for the green tree python).
There are two shelters with tables, shaded BBQ, toilets, water tap, unshaded seats and some sloping grassy area dotted with pine trees.
There are also some very interesting information boards about the UFO sighting - the hairs on the back of your neck stand-up when you read the information.
Photos:
Location
135 Osborne Avenue, Clayton South 3169 Map
Web Links
→ Westall UFO 1966 -Mass sighting at Westall High School - Full (YouTube)
→ Academic throws light on 40-year-old UFO mystery (The Age)
