FAMILY and friends of Zayden Veal-Whitting are eagerly awaiting the opening of the city’s $1.3 million new play space in Eaglehawk, a month from tomorrow.
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The 165-metre long play space at Lake Neangar features a butterfly-themed junior play area called Where Angels Play, which celebrates the life of the baby boy and other Bendigo children taken too soon.
Zayden was murdered in his cot six years ago. He was 10 months old.
His aunt, Angie Whitting, said Where Angels Play was initially intended to be a small playground.
It is now part of the broader Eaglehawk Regional Play Space, the design for which was inspired by the community it will serve.
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The play space is shaped like a giant eagle hawk and features equipment custom-built to reflect passages from Banjo Patterson’s poem about “Mulga Bill from Eaglehawk”.
They include Mulga Bill’s Tower and ‘The Silver Streak’.
“We’re all very excited,” Miss Whitting said.
She said family and friends were keeping track of the progress, especially those who regularly attended the nearby Peter Krenz Leisure Centre.
Miss Whitting said the degree of detail put into the play space and the equipment was impressive, as was the scale of the butterflies.
Three of the butterflies serve as shade shelters.
Other shaded areas include an eagle barbeque shelter and a cantilever shade shelter.
The play space includes nine custom picnic settings, five barbecue hotplates, two drinking fountains and 12 bench seats.
Play equipment consists of seven swings, five slides, a carousel, a book stand, a fairy house, a hammock, a sand pit and a double flying fox.
The official opening is scheduled for Sunday, September 16 at 11am.
The Eaglehawk Regional Play Space is funded by the City of Greater Bendigo.
Community groups contributed $120,000 towards the project, including Empowering Eaglehawk, Borough Club, Eaglehawk Rotary, Eaglehawk UFS Dispensary, Bendigo Regional YMCA, Y Service Club of Eaglehawk, Y Women Service Club, Eaglehawk Lions Club, Bendigo Bank, Villawood Properties and the Family and Friends of Baby Zayden Veal-Whitting.
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