My Mum Leaving Rowe Playground

Rowe Playground is at the end of our street it was established in 1936. It was created as part of the Playground and Parks Movement that began in 1930. (See below for more details.)

I have a photo of my mother and her sister out shopping in the city at around the same time. (My mum was born in 1915.) In the old photo they look like they are skipping along the street so I decided I would have them skipping out of the playground!

The Parks & Playground Movement was formed in 1930 and in 1932, it wrote the Basic report in present and future requirements of parks and playgrounds in the Sydney Metropolitan District. This group had considerable power and influence. Subsequent to this report, the Movement’s representatives would inspect and give the tick to each local government area. The ‘playground’ movement was at its height during the 1930s, it started prior to the First World War with Maybanke Anderson, the founder of the Kindergarten Union of NSW, having considerable involvement. Maybanke Anderson was a feminist and educationalist.