Nature play with megafauna theme at Hallet Cove, SA
A megafauna themed playground with a life-size Diprotodon statue and fossil dig was the natural choice for the Cormorant Drive Reserve at Hallet Cove near Adelaide. Why? Because fossils of the extinct Diprotodon optatum – the world’s largest known marsupial – were found there. This direct connection makes the redeveloped nature playground even more special.
Bringing natural history to life
Fossil remains found at Hallet Cove in 1992 were from a juvenile Diprotodon optatum that lived in the area approximately 55,000 years ago. If you’re interested in the details, see the original scientific research paper about the find (A late Pleistocene occurrence of Diprotodon at Hallett Cove, South Australia, Pledge, Prescott & Hutton, 2002).
Believed to be the largest marsupial to have lived, the Diprotodon roamed Australia in the Pleistocene between 150,000-25,000 years ago. It looked like a giant wombat, and was herbivorous, eating up to 100-150kg of vegetation a day! Diprotodons coexisted with Australia’s First Nations people for thousands of years before becoming extinct.
Today, the extinct Diprotodon comes to life in the imagination of people visiting the megafauna themed playground!
Photo gallery – Diprotodon climbing structure
Images: City of Marion and Natureworks
“The Diprotodon is the largest-known marsupial to have ever lived, and to have found fossil remains of this rhinoceros-sized wombat in our own backyards is pretty special.”
Kris Hanna, Mayor of Marion
‘Wartu’ the Diprotodon is part of the community!
To support the launch of the upgraded reserve, the City of Marion Council held a community naming competition for the Diprotodon. Also known as the ‘Giant Wombat’, it has officially been named ‘Wartu’ (the Kaurna word for wombat). The Kaurna people are the original people of the Adelaide plains, and their ancestors are likely to have seen Diprotodons.
As you can see from the images above, the Diprotodon is quite a character, appealing to young and old. The sculpture can be climbed, hugged or ridden on by young adventurers, as it includes colourful climbing holds to encourage active play. These holds are an optional extra (see product info).
For this project, the sculpture was built as an extra heavy-duty model with a 2 pac polyurethane paint system, ensuring durability and longevity for playground and outdoor use. If you’re looking for something similar and aren’t sure what level of construction or finish to specify, please ask us for advice.
“The City of Marion thought it was a fitting gesture to pay tribute to this ancient creature in this playground upgrade and we hope the wider community can enjoy it as well and will come to this hidden gem of a reserve and enjoy the fun.”
Kris Hanna, Mayor of Marion
Fossil dig for budding archaeologists
To continue the Diprotodon theme for this megafauna themed playground, the nature play reserve also includes a Diprotodon fossil dig.
Buried in the sandpit, the replica fossil bones of the extinct Diprotodon emerge as children scrape away the sand. It’s a creative, educational nature play experience for children, developing their cognitive, physical and social skills while encouraging them to learn about our ancient natural history.
Photo gallery: Diprotodon fossil dig sandpit
Project details
| Client | City of Marion |
| Project | Megafauna themed playground at Cormorant Drive Reserve |
| Audience | Families with children, local residents, tourists, nature lovers |
| Location | Cormorant Drive Reserve, 25 Cormorant Dr, Hallett Cove SA 5158 (see map) |
| Date | July 2023 |
| Related products | Diprotodon optatum, Diprotodon Fossil Dig, Megafauna, Fossil Digs & Sandpits |
| Related catalogues | Childs Play, Megafauna |
| Similar projects | Megafauna at Botanic Gardens, Dreamtime-themed playground, Dreamtime Serpent at School |
“It’s fantastic to see funding being used to create such imaginative, engaging spaces in our local area – I’m sure this reserve will be well-loved by local children for many years to come.”
Amanda Rishworth, Federal Member for Kingston and Minister for Social Services
Educational nature play experiences
Nature play spaces like the inspirational megafauna themed playground at Hallet Cove encourage children to explore and interact with the natural environment. As the City of Marion Council said in their community consultation prior to upgrading the Cormorant Drive Reserve, “Playing outdoors grows resilience, self-confidence, initiative, creativity and more”.
We agree! Natureworks loves creating high-quality themed elements that connect kids to the natural world. We also love educating people of all ages about the wonder of nature past and present. Promoting such understanding helps to raise awareness of the need to conserve biodiversity for the future of us all.
Please contact Natureworks to enquire about megafauna themed playgrounds, megafauna and prehistoric natural history displays or other nature theming products.
