Ron Barassi Snr Park kicks goals

Visiting Docklands’ latest park had been on my mind for a while.

So one lunch break last week, I got away from the desk and made the trek to Ron Barassi Snr Park.

My colleague, Tam, was pleased to join me. We office workers need to get out into the greenery every now and again!

Getting to the park was half the fun as we got to take in the many intriguing sculptures along the way.

We strolled along the soon-to-be-revamped Harbour Esplanade docks. Hopefully the Cow Up A Tree sculpture – a unique talking point for many Docklands visitors – stays put. Docklands wouldn’t be the same without it.

Meandering our way along NewQuay Promenade, we caught a glimpse of a few kids climbing over the concrete wonders known as Monument Park. I wonder if the sculpture’s creator had envisioned this kind of interaction with their masterpiece? Hmmm ….

Finally, we sauntered past the crouching red men – or Meeting 1 – an intriguing sculpture to say the least. While I find this one quite soothing, I often wonder what they’re pondering.

A twist and a turn later, Tam and I had reached Ron Barassi Snr Park.

I can’t quite recall whether Tam’s first words were “oh wow” or just “wow”, but either way she was pretty impressed. So too was I.

On arrival, the Bolte Bridge practically hit us in the face (in a good way). It makes for a wonderful entrance to the park.

One of the first things we admired was the native Australian landscape. It was so nice to see a city park dotted with nothing but local plant species. With Docklands’ gusty winds and sometimes up-and-down weather conditions, I guess it makes sense to plant only the hardy Aussie stuff.

The grass was green. Wintery green, in fact. Perfect condition for a game of footy.

The kids’ park is practical, high quality and futuristic. I reckon its sand and water features will keep kids happy for hours. The developer deserves a pat on the back.

The other thing which stood out for us was the car park under the bridge. Yes, you read right, the car park.

Situated directly underneath the Bolte, it makes great use of an area that would otherwise have been a dusty wasteland where nothing flourished. On a hot day, your car keeps cool as your family has fun in the park.

Simple, but awesome.

It’s pretty obvious that a lot of time, money and effort has been poured into this park – and deservedly so. Ronald James Barassi Snr, the Melbourne Football Club player whom the park is named after, served in the army and was killed in action in 1941.

Barassi would have been proud of this park.

As time ticked away, Tam and I realised that we had to get back to the office. Our warm and imaginative thoughts of Barassi dissipated as the reality of shuffling papers and attending meetings took over.

We plan on taking regular walks to this unique part of the Docklands. The park, like Barassi himself, won’t be forgotten.