Friends of Blackwood Forest Recreation Park

The Blackwood Forest Recreation Park is located in the Mount Lofty Ranges suburb of Hawthorndene, 12 km south of Adelaide. The 21 hectare area of land forms part of the country of the Kaurna people, who possibly used the site for hunting. The park was first acquired by the Government of South Australia in 1908 for an experimental orchard. The Government Experimental Orchard was planted out with a variety of fruit and nut trees. The land was used for horticultural research and development until the 1960s when most the fruit trees were removed.

As the land had been cleared previously for grazing, haymaking and eventually fruit tree cultivation, there is not a lot of native vegetation remaining. However, the remnant exotic plantings (oak, pear and pine, etc) and more recent plantings of local species, provide a pleasant and tranquil environment for the many activities that are possible in the park. There are well-defined tracks throughout the park which are used for walking, jogging, horse riding, bike riding (not motorbikes) and dog exercising.

Blackwood Forest Recreation Park is one of the few Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources (DEWNR) parks where dogs are allowed off the lead, as long as they are under effective control.

Access to the park is either via the main entrance car park off Turners Avenue or there are several pedestrian entrances located around the boundary fenceline. There are no toilet facilities in this park.

The Friends' Strategic Plan guides our activities, including:

• restoration of the historic Orchard Manager's Office for community use - we are crowdfunding, soliciting sponsorship, running community BBQs and applying
  for grants to raise funds
• a plan for ongoing replacement of pines with eucalypts/natives
• retain natives, clear weeds and introduce mosaic plantings of broad acre areas
• continue to improve the health of Minno Creek by removing exotics and reintroducing natives
• improve pathways so they are usable in all weather; and
• ongoing weeding, mowing, trimming, and clearing of areas for community use.