Friends of Cobbler Creek Recreation Park

The Friends of Cobbler Creek Recreation Park is a community based group of volunteers. We work with the Department for Environment and Water to protect and restore the natural environment of Cobbler Creek Recreation Park.

• Friends of Cobbler Creek was formed in 1990 with some of the original members having campaigned for the conservation of the area for many years.
• The birds on the logo are White-browed babblers which have not been sighted since a serious park fire some years ago.
• FOCC are passionate about our local environment and we want to share this passion with our community. We know from our own personal experiences that people who spend time in nature are happier and healthier. We want to give the local community the opportunity to spend time in Cobbler Creek Recreation Park so that they will benefit as we do, and become aware of the recreation and conservation values of the park.
• FOCC Activities include:
  Weeding group - 3rd Friday of the month 10am - 12pm
  Native Garden group - Fridays 10am - 12pm
  Propagation Group - Tuesdays - time advised by group leader
  Junior FOCCer events - events for children to participate in caring for their park with their families and FOCC members.
  Community events - Clean Up Australia Day, Planting events, Walk in the Park, Events with other groups - Rotary, Schools
  Mellor Patch volunteers - volunteers adopt a patch in the Park and receive training to undertake weeding and revegetation tasks in their patch.
  Quarterly Meetings - 1st Tuesday of the month, Feb, May, August (AGM) and Nov. 7:15pm at Salisbury East Neighbourhood Centre, 28 Smith Rd, Salisbury East.
• Three bridges, built in 2007, have been named after past and present FOCC members in recognition of the contribution of the Carter, Mellor and Taylor families to the park.
• Park furniture - built by the FOCCers - has been installed in various locations. The Mitchell picnic setting named in recognition of the work of FOCC Past President, David Mitchell and his wife, Margie and the Mellor setting, named after the late John Mellor who was one of the first members to 'adopt' a patch in the park, are now situated in the FOCC Native Plant display garden next to the Kites and Kestrels play space. Newer settings made from recycled plastic can be found at the eastern entrance to the park, donated by Paula Luethan, previous member for King and at the Teakle ruins site, donated by FOCC, Blair Boyer and Rhiannon Pearce, current members of King and Wright.
• One of the shared use trails has been named the ‘Kafnarfa’ Circuit after FOCC member Kathie Seager and her late husband, Arthur - who was a FOCC Past President and also a keen cyclist.
• Cobbler Creek is believed to derive its name from a shoemaker (cobbler), William Pedler, whose property “Trevalsa” was situated on the flatter western section of the park near the intersection of the Grove Way with Bridge Road. A plaque now marks this site - where the Pedler family lived from 1850 – 1916.
• On the top of Cobbler Hill sit the “Teakle’ ruins which have been partially restored by the FOCC. This property is named after its last occupants, who left the house around 1900and very little has been found about the origins of this building.
• CCRP covers 280 hectares, approx 65% in the City of Tea Tree Gully with the remainder in the City of Salisbury and is bisected by the Grove Way at Golden Grove. There is a tunnel where you can walk or cycle underneath the Grove Way.
• The main entrance – with car parking, picnic and BBQ facilities, toilets, the Kites and Kestrels play space and the FOCC Native Plant Display Garden - is on the corner of Smith Road and Bridge Rd at Salisbury East. Three entrance gates – with limited parking – can be found along the Grove Way ‘up track’ [from Bridge Road] and another gate is located on the opposite side of the road at the top of the Grove Way.
• Public transport - via bus – from the city terminates at the Golden Grove Shopping Centre and the CCRP entrance [at the top of the Grove Way] is about a ten minute walk away.
• Major problems in the park, apart from water quality, are weeds (olives, coolatai grass, artichokes, nightshade, brambles, horehound), rabbits, vandalism and occasional fires.