August 1, 2013
South Burnett Regional Council workers have spent the past few months giving Kingaroy’s Apex Park a major makeover and the former “rocket park” is almost ready to be relaunched … but a suggestion it should also be renamed has provoked anger in the local community.
The suggestion hasn’t come from Council; it came from a media outlet which suggested on Facebook that as there was no longer a Kingaroy Apex Club, perhaps it was time the name of the park should be changed.
Former Apexians and Kingaroy residents immediately sprang to the defence of Apex:
“It’s a legacy – part of the history of the town.” “Ridiculous” “Leave it as it is.” “Everyone knows what park is what…. Stop thinking of ways to waste money” “Those long ago Apexians worked hard to give the community a park, I think it’s insulting to remove their legacy by renaming things. We should remember that someone else worked hard to provide the community with a park we still enjoy today.”
Apex life member John Box, who has been restoring the brass name plate at the entrance to the park, contacted southburnett.com.au to express his concerns.
He said the Kingaroy Apex Club had provided exceptional service to the Kingaroy community during its 47 years of operation.
“The Apex Club of Kingaroy held its first meeting on October 14, 1954, and was chartered on November 19, 1955, as club 146 in Australia and the 16th club in Queensland,” he said.
“The Apex Park site is Kingaroy’s original hospital location and was handed over to Kingaroy Apex to develop in 1961.
“The site was cleared, the grass was burned and the ground ploughed by club members in 1962.
“There were hundreds of hours of volunteer service work put into the site – with the steam train, various play equipment including the rocket – for many years until the site was handed back to Council.”
He said Apex Park was just one of many service projects completed by Kingaroy Apex for the benefit of the community.
“Should the ludicrous suggestion to remove the Apex name from the park proceed, would it also be considered to expunge the history of the Senior Citizens Centre and lake beside it and many other projects that were constructed by Kingaroy Apex for our community?” Mr Box said.
“What about the various buildings and parks named after politicians and eminent community members from our town? Should these facilities now be renamed due to the passing of that person?”
Mr Box said there were 24 Life Members, seven senior active members and 47 Past Presidents of the Kingaroy Apex Club.
“We would be more than delighted to assist a group of 18 to 45-year-old mixed gender community members who are prepared to give something back to their community in reforming the Kingaroy Apex Club,” he said.
Mr Box said he was at Inskip Point with seven life members of Apex on their annual fishing trip when he heard about the Facebook story.
“They were all ropeable,” he said.
“On behalf of all past Kingaroy Apex Club members, ‘no’, we don’t want the name of our park changed and we look forward to the reopening ceremony of our park to take place in the near future.”
Cr Kathy Duff told southburnett.com.au there was no plans to rename the park and that all work should be completed by the Christmas school holidays.
She said that although there were no plans as yet to overhaul the lookout higher up the hill, Council was also undertaking a review of this area.
* * *
The name won’t be changing, but the name plate at the park entrance definitely needed an overhaul after being targeted by vandals.
Mr Box has cleaned, sanded and polished the brass Apex name and painted it with clear lacquer so it won’t deteriorate again.
Apex State President Jim McNall, from Hervey Bay, who visited the park to view the upgrades, has agreed to supply a new Apex triangle to replace the damaged one.
“I plan to pressure clean the rocks and attach the new triangle just prior to the reopening,” Mr Box said.
“We will be looking at making the event a reunion of all Kingaroy Apex past members.”
* * *
Council workers are nearing completion of the major facelift to Apex Park.
A parking area, complete with solar lighting, has been formed.
Two new barbecues have been installed, and a former one overhauled.
A new toilet block has been constructed and a pavilion erected on the hill with a landscaped staircase leading to the summit. Picnic tables will be installed in this building.
Some of the playground equipment has been relocated and a “flying fox” will be installed at the lower end of the park.
Council employee Michael Wall, who has been supervising the work, said all the construction and landscaping had been done “in-house” by council workers.
UPDATE January 28, 2014: The “flying fox” has now been installed at the park.
|
|
|
Footnote: Apex Park is also known as “rocket park” by some locals who recall the former playground rocket which was installed there. This was removed for safety reasons years ago.
