The Adelaide Crows Football Club is under fire as a local community uncovers a potential heritage tree avenue on the site set to become the club’s new headquarters. OTR journalist Paris Kemp reports. (Image: Paris Kemp)
By Paris Kemp | @pariskemp02
West Torrens residents have discovered something that could stop the Adelaide Crows’ new Thebarton headquarters build in its tracks: an avenue of peppercorn trees, along with a lone pine tree, all believed by locals to be planted as a memorial by returned World War I servicemen.
Locals have been fighting against the Adelaide Football Club and West Torrens Council’s plans to develop the proposed Crows HQ on Kings Reserve since a second oval was announced in late 2022.
After series of disagreements between the council and residents, the community may be able to use these trees to bring the development to a halt.
Thebarton Oval’s history
In 1917, Charles C. Reade, who was appointed the first “Town Planner” of SA by the State Labor Government, proposed his plans for the “Thebarton Recreational Park”.
According to the City of West Torrens’ history page on Thebarton Oval, a Federal Government scheme at the time allotted £10,000 (pounds was the currency used at the time) to the council for employing returned World War I soldiers to bring the plans to fruition.
The Thebarton Soldiers’ Memorial and Recreation Ground was officially opened by then State Governor Sir Archibald Weigall on October 29, 1921.
In recognition of the soldiers that built them, the oval’s grandstands became State heritage-listed on December 13, 2001.
The revised plans released by the Crows in February feature a roadway between the original memorial oval and the newly proposed second oval.
Creating this roadway would result in the removal of an avenue of peppercorn trees.
While researching the area’s heritage, local resident Kyla Young found evidence to suggest this row of trees was planted as a memorial avenue.
“We think it was planted by ex-servicemen,” Ms Young said.
Not only was the site built by those who served in World War I, but within the avenue of peppercorns sits a singular lone pine — reminiscent of the lone pine at Gallipoli.
Locals do not think the planting of this pine is a coincidence and are working with Avenues of Honour, a group that aims to document, preserve, promote and reinstate historically significant and commemorative trees, in hopes of authenticating what could be a historic memorial.
This discovery is the latest in a series of clashes between the Adelaide Crows, the West Torrens Council and local residents, with disagreements dating back to 2018 when talks of development began.
What tensions have occurred in the lead up to this discovery?
In 2018, the council began a consultation process to find out what locals wanted in a new park development.
This led to the initial Kings Reserve 2018 Masterplan, which included facilities like a new playground, skate park, cricket nets and wetland as well as upgrades to the carparks, community centre, canteen and bathroom facilities.
Meanwhile, the Adelaide Crows were looking for a new home ground and were consulting with City of West Torrens Mayor Michael Coxon, locals said.
During caretaker period, the time before council election where no big financial decisions can be made, Mr Coxon asked Geoff Brock, Minister for Local Government, for a Memorandum of Agreement allowing discussions with the Crows about the lease of Thebarton Oval to commence.
These discussions, when followed through on, dropped existing plans for the highly popular upgrades to Kings Reserve.
As promised, the council began a community consultation process with a ‘Your Say’ survey notifying locals about the new oval plans via letterbox drop.
The leaflet given to residents was written only in English and contained a scannable QR code directing users to an online survey.
With West Torrens having a high immigrant and elderly population, locals were disappointed with the poor accessibility of the survey, of which they said approximately 5 per cent of the community participated in.
Community appointed head petitioner Richard Parton collected 622 signatures in campaigning for the council to “undertake a more meaningful consultation”.
The council then agreed to a meeting with locals, but left residents blindsided as they announced the Crows’ plans to build a second, MCG-sized oval on Kings Reserve.
Devastated, the community rallied together, prompting a second survey to be released by the council asking for residents’ thoughts on the matter.
Ms Young said the local community funded and conducted their own letterbox drop notifying residents of the survey, reaching approximately 2000 people.
With plans for a second oval, locals became concerned about the number of trees that would need to be removed.
In response to this, the Crows released amended plans in March this year claiming that by shortening their second oval, they would be preserving 4600 square metres of tree canopy.
What this did not account for was the space allocated for new facilities, which the community was promised, that would now require additional tree removal.
Ms Young said that, on an information day regarding the development, the infographics shown only highlighted significant trees to be removed and did not disclose all trees in the area up for removal.
Additionally, concerns from locals regarding increased traffic in the area prompted a post on the Crows website stating entry to the park will be from South Road, ensuring that backstreets will not see a spike in traffic.
What the club failed to mention is that while entry may be off the main road, exits from the park flow directly onto backstreets.
The state government maintained the development will be great for local business and an economic boost to the area.
Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Tom Koutsantonis said the development will “not only provide local employment but see wider economic benefits for local businesses, with the greater influx of people”.
Ms Young disagreed with Mr Koutsantonis’s branding, saying that although more people are in the area for the football, they tend not to supplement their trip with shopping.
“People don’t say, ‘Oh, I’m going to the footy. I’ll pick up a set of towels when I’m there.’ They just don’t do it,” Ms Young said.
Mr Koutsantonis said ultimately the decision on whether the build will go ahead will be made by the City of West Torrens council.
ontherecordunisa.com 
