If you usually take the kids to Thornton Reserve in Bellevue Hill, you will need to find a new weekend park spot for a few months while local planners completely revamp the grounds.
Months of local consultations turned blue-collar blueprints into a bespoke neighbourhood hub. Why did the initial drafts get scrapped in favour of something better? Parents spoke up, demanding three traditional swings instead of a solitary round alternative.
Planners listened, ensuring every original shade sail remained fully intact overhead while shifting picnic tables to sunnier spots for weekend celebrations.
A towering three-metre slide now anchors the embankment, daring older children to test their bravery on the steep drop. Elsewhere, timber hopping logs, a dry creek bed lined with native flora, and sandstone balancing rails invite unstructured outdoor exploration.
Grown-ups are not forgotten either, thanks to an upper-body fitness station tucked near wide-open grassy stretches designed for impromptu football matches.
Construction crews officially locked the gates to begin the heavy lifting on August 3, 2026, sending local kids on a brief hunt for alternative weekend energy burners. Lyne Park, Bellevue Park, and Cooper Park are stepping up as temporary substitutes while the heavy machinery does its work. Could the upgraded reserve possibly meet its ambitious timeline? If the weather holds firm, eager runners and climbers will flood back through the newly accessible entrance when the park reopens in December 2026.
Published Date 24-August-2026
