Fergusson Square, Toorak Gardens Playground

Review by Susannah Marks

Fergusson Square in Toorak Gardens is a popular meeting point for local kids; tucked away in the beautiful tree-lined streets of Toorak Gardens. The 2019 playground upgrade provides even more reasons to visit.

Unless you were driving through the heart of Toorak Gardens it’s unlikely you’d come across this tranquil spot. Fergusson Square is hidden away from the busy thoroughfares of Portrush Road and Greenhill/Kensington Roads and nestled in a “picture-frame” of quiet suburban streets in Adelaide’s Toorak Gardens.

Its formal garden design featuring lawns, roses and established trees gives it a slightly ‘old-fashioned’ charm. There are paths from each corner of the reserve that meet in the middle under a wisteria-covered rotunda.

Fergusson Square Playground 2019 Upgrade

The 2019 upgrade has given locals even more reasons to visit Fergusson Square. Aimed at children from 3-6 years old, the playground upgrade at Fergusson Square includes:

• an in-ground trampoline
• cubby house with slide/slippery dip
• basket/birds-nest swing
• climbing frame; and
• rubberised soft-fall surface

In-ground trampoline

Kids will have fun on this in-ground trampoline. It’s also perfect for toddlers to explore as it’s embedded in the soft-fall rubberised surface.

Cubby house with slide/slippery dip for imaginative play.

Fun brightly-coloured hand-holds are perfect for small climbers.

My kids love a good birds-nest swing whether it’s for relaxing in the breeze, or challenging their balance (look Mum no hands). It’s amazing how many kids can fit on one all at once.

Parts of this climbing frame would probably be too challenging for younger toddlers but the four year old and the five year old were able to get to the top reasonably easily.

The six year old and eight year olds enjoyed playing a version of “the floor is lava” designating any parts of the playground coloured green as the lava, with the legal loophole that shadows could be stood on. Hours of fun.

Things we like about Fergusson Square

• It’s a beautiful quiet spot for a relaxed get-together
• You’ll find shady spots to sit with a coffee or picnic lunch
• The numerous established trees and flowers
• The play equipment is not overly complicated, but is fun for kids of all ages

Much as our kids enjoyed the new playground upgrade, they also really liked playing amongst the trees at Fergusson Square.  They established forts at two of the trees with secret passwords for entry, and gathered sticks as *ahem* weapons to defend their bases. Some of the trees lend themselves nicely to becoming secret bases, as small people can climb right up inside the trees and among the branches.

All of this is good wholesome fun, especially if you have the right password to gain access to the fort. However it did become problematic at home-time when some younger children were not keen on leaving their fort and had to be extracted from the trees.

There are some benches dotted through the park, some of which are in the shade. You’ll also find a drinking fountain, with a second water spout at dog height.

Things to consider

• It’s not fenced.  Yes it’s bounded by quiet streets but no fencing means you will need to be vigilant if you have toddlers that like to run.
• Fergusson Square has no public toilets. We witnessed a man mowing the lawns (presumably a council worker) getting caught out and having to resort to the bushes at the park…

Coffee and food spots nearby

Popular coffee spots nearby include White Picket Coffee House on Stuart Road, and GGs and Dulwich Bakery – both on Dulwich Avenue.

There’s also the IGA in Dulwich for snacks and Now or Never for delicious Thai food.

Map link

This review was written and photographed by Susannah Marks. Originally from New Zealand, she now calls Adelaide home and loves getting out and about and exploring all the fabulous things for families to do in Adelaide. See her blog Seesaws & Cellar Doors for more of her work.

Our list of the best playgrounds for toddlers

See our top parks and playgrounds around Adelaide

At Play & Go Adelaide we make every effort to provide accurate information to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication. We recommend confirming times, dates and details directly before making any plans as details may be subject to change.

As per all our Play & Go reviews, this is not a sponsored post and our review is done completely independently. All photos are by Susannah Marks for Play & Go. See her blog Seesaws & Cellar Doors for more of her photographs.

Want to get all the latest events and activities straight to your inbox?

Subscribe to our weekly email newsletter below to keep up to date with our latest posts and find out what’s on, where to go and what to do with the kids in and around Adelaide. Newsletters are only sent once a week, and you may even get the odd ‘special offer’ exclusively sent to our newsletter subscribers only!