Development of the old Tobruk Park pond site underway!

Once a hazardous pond full of debris and unsustainable habitat, the Council made the decision to turn this space into something special for the community. This is where the development of a sensory garden and dementia healing space came about. 

There is a significant amount of research that supports the healing and beneficial effects of sensory gardens, and dementia healing gardens specifically. Sensory gardens can reduce anxiety in patients, may assist with symptom reduction, and provide remedial assistance in conjunction with traditional medical practices.

The proposed Sensory Garden is to provide a stimulating journey through all the senses: sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste. The garden will be wheelchair accessible to enable individuals of all abilities to use and enjoy the garden with ease.

Council have cleared the weedy vegetation, and the landscaping elements are going in. The circular inner and outer pathways have been laid out, poured, and back filled with topsoil in readiness for planting. Mulching is now underway to suppress the growth of weeds, and the dry creek bed feature has been carefully sculpted and filled with bluestone.

The transformation from overgrown pond to healing garden is one that our team is really enjoying, and their effort is certainly shining though. The concept of this sensory garden is to draw inspiration from the surrounding environment, as well as support drainage of the garden into the natural wetland.