Published on Tuesday, 7 August 2018 at 3:37:58 PM
The transformation of the Olive Street Reserve brownfield site into a landscaped public open space featuring a WW1 Memorial was celebrated today at the official opening of the Leonard T. Green Memorial Park.
The Hon. Mark McGowan MLA Premier of Western Australia joined City of Greater Geraldton Mayor Shane Van Styn, Councillors, members of the Green family and the Geraldton City RSL in commemorating the WW1 Memorial located at the Olive Street entrance to the park.
Mayor Van Styn said the creation of the parkland and completion of the Memorial marks the end of the City’s longest standing legacy project.
“In 1961, Frank Green gifted land in Mahomets Flats to the City to be used for recreational purposes and at the time requested a memorial be created on the land that recognised his son Leonard T. Green and other citizens of the Geraldton district who lost their lives in active service in the First World War,” he said.
“At a later date, the gifted land was needed to facilitate traffic management and Eldred Green, Leonard’s brother, agreed to exchange the land with the Olive Street Reserve.”
The eight-hectare parkland located across from the Back Beach Surf Life Saving Club features an ephemeral wetland, which uses diverted stormwater to recharge the groundwater and a 1.5km long walk and cycle trail around the perimeter of the park.
The Memorial, which is located at the trail head, includes the names of those fallen during the war in a typical battle front setting featuring trees stripped bare of branches and a raised timber boardwalk above a muddy landscape and laid out from east to west to align with the position of the setting sun every year on 25 April ANZAC Day.
Mayor Van Styn thanked the Green family for their substantial contribution to the community and their patience over the years.
“I’d like to thank the Green family for their generosity and for working with various Councils over the years to help us see this project to completion,” he said.
“Although it’s been 57 years since the original agreement was made, we have finally been able to fulfil the bequest.”
“Now we can all step back and watch the site grow into a typical coastal parkland for everyone to enjoy.”
The City allocated $3.4 million in the 2016/17 Budget for the remediation of the Olive Street Reserve, which included the construction of the WW1 memorial. The remediation works were completed ahead of schedule and $1 million under budget.
PICTURE CAPTION:
From left, the Hon. Mark McGowan MLA Premier of Western Australia, City of Greater Geraldton Mayor Shane Van Styn and Frank Green (Junior) at the official opening of the Leonard T. Green Memorial Park located on Olive Street in Mahomets Flats.
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