Maylands Waterland is a much-loved water play park on the Maylands Peninsula overlooking Derbarl Yerrigan (the Swan River) in Perth, Western Australia. Originally built in the 1970s, Waterland was redeveloped in 2022 to provide a new family-friendly aquatic playground with new facilities, fresh landscaping and animal sculptures by Natureworks.
The upgraded attraction includes a wading pool, splash pad, water play sculptures, a waterfall, seasonal landscaping and improved visitor facilities. Designed by Josh Byrne and Associates and jointly funded by the City of Bayswater and the Australian Federal Government, this project demonstrates how a leisure facility designed in harmony with the environment benefits the local ecosystem as well as the community.
Inspired by local flora and fauna
For the water splash play area, Natureworks provided animal play sculptures based on local fauna. These include ten larger-than-life frogs that squirt water, and an educational 3D model depicting the lifecycle of a frog. We also created an impressive giant golden orb spider for the dry playground area.
“The design of the redeveloped Maylands Waterland is inspired by the Swan River, local native species and fauna. This theme is incorporated within the facility through custom made play elements, artworks and sculptures.”
Fun frog squirters
Ten cute green amphibians mounted around the perimeter of the splash pad squirt water on delighted young visitors. Each frog sits on a rock base plate with pipework underneath connected to the water system.
Our frog squirter sculptures are based on the Motorbike Frog (Litoria moorei), which is commonly encountered around waterways, ponds and suburban backyards in the south-west of WA. Its unusual name is due to the male’s mating calls sounding like a motorbike changing gears. The frog is also referred to as the Western Green and Golden Bell Frog, Moore’s Frog and the Western Green Tree Frog (although it mostly lives on the ground, rather than in trees).
These frogs can grow up to around 10cm, but our sculptures are around three times that size for extra impact! Because the frog’s colour varies considerably in nature due to individual traits and changing weather conditions, each of our ten frogs is individually hand-painted with a unique set of colours and patterns.
Photo gallery – Frog squirters at Waterland
“The little frogs squirt water towards the centre of the pool and there are showers sneakily spraying you horizontally. The most diabolical thing is that these sprays alternate with each other, so you’re never quite sure where you’re going to get hit next!”
Nadia Haniff, Perth Happenings
Educational feature – the lifecycle of a frog
Another feature of Maylands Waterland is our life-sized 3D fibreglass model showing a frog’s life stages from egg to tadpole to adult frog. Designed to be installed at ground level and viewed from above, the simulated environment shows a self-contained world within a rock pool.
This educational feature shows frog and tadpole replicas at different stages of metamorphosis, together with artificial vegetation and pebbles. Clear resin at the top represents the water in the pond and provides a clear view of the scene inside.
As shown in the simulated scene, the motorbike frog’s lifecycle starts when a female frog lays eggs on vegetation in ponds and other permanent water sources. These hatch into tadpoles, which grow to 8cm long (or larger, if in deep, cool pools) before metamorphosing into frogs.
Encouraging kids to care and learn about frogs is important for future (and current) generations, because frogs are very good indicators of the health of local ecosystems.
“If you see or hear frogs (Kyooya) in an urban area, it means the local environment is doing well.”
Giant golden orb-weaving spider
Adding a touch of drama in the play area at Maylands Waterland is Natureworks’ giant replica of a golden orb-weaving spider in its web. The golden orb-weaving spider (Nephila edulis) weaves large webs that shine like gold in the sunlight. Found all over Australia, it is harmless to humans.
The larger-than-life spider sculpture is over a metre long, mounted overhead onto steel cables representing the spider’s web. This web is cleverly designed so the giant spider appears to have woven its web between the shade structures.
Our spider replica is made of fibreglass formed over a foam core strengthened with a lightweight steel armature. It is realistically painted with the spider’s distinctive markings and coated with epoxy resin for weather protection. Bolts at the end of each of the spider’s eight legs secure the spider to its steel ‘web’.
An exciting, safe, environmentally sensitive water playground
The sculptures Natureworks provided for the revitalised aquatic park beside the Swan River helped to contribute to the landscape architect’s vision for the space as an interface between land and river.
By reflecting local flora and fauna in the design, the revitalised Maylands Waterland feels an integral part of the local landscape and remains a much-loved leisure attraction for the community.
“Maylands Waterland was inspired by Swan River ecology. Key elements of the design include interpretations of local native flora and fauna, many of which are depicted as custom play elements, feature fencing, artworks and sculptural pieces.
Project details
| Client | City of Bayswater (Designer: Josh Byrne and Associates) |
| Project | Maylands Waterland redevelopment |
| Audience | Families with children, residents and tourists |
| Location | 32 Clarkson Road, Maylands WA (see map) |
| Date | 2022 |
| Related products | Green & Golden Bell Frog, Amphibians, Insects & Invertebrates |
| Related catalogues | Child’s Play, Amphibians, Water Play Creatures |
| Similar projects | Water play at Broadwater Gold Coast, Splash park at Broome, Waterhole at Taronga Zoo Dubbo, Water playground in Exmouth WA |
Reinvigorating aquatic play spaces
If you would like to bring an old water park back to life – or develop a new one – we hope you are inspired by this project! Natureworks can provide creative concepts and advice for projects like these, as well as custom sculptures and installation services.
Many of our animal sculptures and themed props can be adapted for water playgrounds and splash parks with the addition of water fittings, strong substructures and waterproof finishes. For examples of water features, take a look at our other playground and water play projects.
To find out more details or discuss your project, please contact Natureworks
