Description
This is the rollicking tale of Australia’s first adventure playground, where children thrived by being allowed to use a patch of public land in Fitzroy, Melbourne as their own backyard, to play in freely as they wished, not as adults directed them.
They escaped their everyday lives by scavenging materials, building cubbies, experimenting with fires and gardens, launching boats and never giving up their conniving efforts to keep pets.
It’s also a slice of life in the Whitlam era, when change was in the air, hope sparkled, and Fitzroy was transforming from run-down shabbiness into a hip neighbourhood.
Told through personal experience and observations by Joan Healey – who brought the idea for the playground to Fitzroy from London – this is a story of railing against ‘those who knew best’ who tried to stop it, and battling with police and the Catholic church, but also of the unexpected support from visionary politicians and bureaucrats. Despite the trials and tribulations, the adventure playground survived, inspiring the rise of others around the country.
Today, in our risk-averse times of rules and regulations, The Cubbies is a powerful reminder of what kids can do when trusted and given the freedom to explore and follow their dreams.
Specifications:
Publisher: Monash University Publishing
Year: 2024
Format: Paperback
Pages: 281pp
ISBN: 9781922979698
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