Friends of Ewen Park – Vision Statement

EWEN PARK, in the suburb of Hurlstone Park, combines a landscaped picnic and play area with two sporting fields. Situated on a particularly beautiful stretch of the Cooks River, it has been used for a variety of recreational purposes by local residents for the last ninety years.

Active since the year 2000,THE FRIENDS OF EWEN PARK are committed to the balanced use of the resources of Ewen Park for varying community needs. We believe that the environmental capacity of this flood plain area must not be over-stretched.
Our objectives include raising environmental awareness through the organisation of community activities in Ewen Park, especially events that provide opportunities for residents of all ages and social groupings to get together.

Over a number of years the Ewen Park Spring Picnic has provided a chance for community to get together in the peaceful surroundings of the park, and for local children to engage in fun environmental activities. Special guests at the picnics have included The Hon Linda Burney MP, Member for Canterbury, and East Ward Councillors Ian Latham, Bill Kritharas and Linda Eisler. For many children, the highlight of the picnics has been the chance to meet award-winning children’s authors and illustrators such as Jeannie Baker, Libby Gleeson, Ursula Dubosarsky, Julie Vivas, Catherine Jinks and Richard Tulloch.

Since early 2009 volunteers from Friends of Ewen Park have worked in partnership with the Mudcrabs, the CRVA and Canterbury City Council in the planting and weeding of the Ewen Park Revegetation Site. This has transformed a large area beside the river into a zone full of indigenous plants ranging from swamp mahoganies and acacias to various grasses and groundcovers. It provides habitat for birds and lizards, and a cool zone for fish. The monthly working bees are a chance for community to get together.

As well, the organisation has played an active role over more than five years in the development of the Plan of Management for Ewen Park.  Liaison with Canterbury Council was ongoing until the State Govt abolished Canterbury Council & amalgamated it with Bankstown Council in April 2016. We still wait for the provisions of the Plan to be implemented.

Hard at work in Ewen Park

As one of the groups affiliated with the Cooks River Valley Association, the Friends of Ewen Park can be contacted via the CRVA postal address, or directly at:
ewenpark@gmail.com