Twelve months may seem like a long time to come up with an idea, but for Ginninderry’s Community and Cultural Planning Manager, Susan Davis, this is what real community engagement is all about.

In early 2017 Susan began weekly community engagement and place making workshops with a group of year 9 and 10 Kingsford Smith School students.  Together the students decided to run a place making activity at the Charny Carny community event, where an interactive 3D map allowed carnival goers to make suggestions about future parks and open spaces in Ginninderry.

One particularly innovative idea presented by a young student and accepted by the project team was to include a ‘relaxing circle of stones’ as a means for adding visual interest to the landscape, while providing a place of solitude, reflection and rest.

With funding from the Ginninderra Rotary Club, plans for bringing the vision to life are already underway, with a spot in Ginninderry’s first park having been singled out as the ideal location. Nestled into the gentle north western slope towards the top of the park, the circle of stones and existing trees will frame the landscape, providing visitors breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains and valley. Shrubs and trees planted to the east and south east will add an element of discover, while maintaining views from the pathway.

Visitors to the space will be greeted by a circle of granite boulders, designed by artist Bronwyn Berman, set within a circular platform 11 metres in diameter. Level ground of the installation rises to the south-east, providing an amphitheatre style grassy slope on which to sit or lie while enjoying the view. Standing stones will graduate from largest (150cm) to smallest (60cm) and be placed in such a way as to pay homage to the characteristic rocky outcrops associated with the local area.

The circle of stones will be located in Ginninderry’s first neighbourhood Park which is planned to open in December 2019.