Old Gum Tree Reserve

For those who love a little history, this is the «site of the original reading of the Proclamation founding South Australia on 28^th December 1836» as described by the City of Holdfast Bay. Of course the Indigenous Australians found it long before that but for those who enjoy White Australian history, there’s a re-​enactment every year as part of the Proclamation Day ceremonies.
For those who love playgrounds, this isn’t a bad little set up for suburban streets. It’s fully fenced and would suit older children as well as toddlers for a while. It’s not the biggest playground in the world but for the space, they’ve managed to fit in some fun stuff. There’s also some shade built into the playground itself which is always a nice touch seeing as City Councils don’t like to provide shade.
For those who love electronic toilets, there are those here too: D
*Dogs allowed*
*Fully Fenced*
*Some shade*
*Drinking fountain*

Even though the song tells us the ‘kookaburra sits in the old gum tree’ I’m sure he doesn’t spend too much time sitting The Old Gum Tree at Glenelg because its as crooked as a dog’s hind leg and surely wouldn’t be too comfy for the old kookaburra or any of his feathered friends. They say the tree was blown over in a storm many years ago and it just continued to grow that way. Nevertheless it has been an endless source of fascination for locals and tourists alike for many years.
The Old Gum Tree in MacFarlane Street, Glenelg is actually the site where Governor John Hindmarsh proclaimed the colony of South Australia on December 28, 1836. Back then they say there were around 200 of the original settlers there to witness the proclamation. Now and every year since on Proclamation Day, a ceremony is held to re-​enact Governor Hindmarsh’s original speech with the current Governor doing the honours. The reading open to anyone to attend.
Despite its bent over and sad appearance, the Old Gum Tree still holds a special place in the hearts of most South Aussies who visited the tree as children. My most recent visit certainly took me back to my primary school days.
The tree itself is actually long dead. It died back in 1963 but such is its significance that the outer surface has been encased in concrete so it will remain there for future generations.