Commissioned:      Design and Construct

Nature Play Elements:   ELC AREA: Timber cubby climber, decking, sand and water play timber troughs, ground and balancing logs, climbing logs, steppers.

FaFT (babies) AREA: Water play timber troughs and rocks; abacus, timber cradle swing, cubby shelters (2), ground logs and rocks, steppers, sand; fire and smoking circle, baby timber rocker with carved coolamon.

Entry Statement Elements:         Large Lizard timber sculpture (Mulyurlinji), 3 Steel Sculptures totem Artworks (Marlu, Aboriginal Woman with baby in Coolamon, Yankirri) with rock surrounds, vertical and ground logs.

Nature Based Play was approached in 2017 by the Central Desert community of Yuendumu to design and construct a Nature Playground for the Yuendumu Primary school in Northern Territory. Due to the success of this project, NBP were asked to design and build a Nature Play area and Artistic Entrance statement for the Yuendumu Child and Family Centre.

The Masterplan was collaboratively designed onsite with the local community and elders to ensure their desired cultural, amenity and play elements were incorporated into the overall design. The Master Design allowed for the 2 different playgrounds – one for the Family area, and one for the Early Childhood Centre, plus an Artistic Entry Statement. For this construction project each playground had up to 3 distinct Nature Play elements completed from the Master Plan. The cultural elements incorporated into these design works included baby smoking circle with fire rocks and ground logs, artistic Entrance statement representing local animal totems and mothers, plus a Coolamon style baby rocker. These designs were led by the local community.

As a large and complex project, there were remote logistics to manage. As part of the process, the NBP team pre-finished and manufactured the majority of play elements for the project in our factory, and assembled and finished the playground onsite.

The NBP construction team of 5 experienced workers spent 3 solid weeks completing the project, staying onsite, with the assistance of the local community machinery and workers. They finished the Nature Playgrounds and artworks to the master design, safety and high quality requirements. The result was beautiful natural and intricate Nature Playgrounds and Artworks that enhanced the existing Centre; quite an achievement given the remoteness of the location.

Yuendumu is a stunning natural outback location, and the new Nature Playgrounds blend in beautifully to the natural and cultural surroundings, and add amazing new Playground amenities to the Family Centre, ELC and local community. The local elders were very supportive and extremely satisfied with the final outcomes of the Nature Play for their community. NBP is very proud to be part of bringing quality and much needed nature playground amenities to this remote community.

OUTCOMES: Remote Area Nature Playground and Cultural representation artworks.