Celebration to mark Taylor Park's centenary

MORE than a dozen community groups and organisations will gather in Torquay tomorrow (Saturday, February 24) for a special celebration of one of the town’s most popular and important outdoor spaces.

Tomorrow will officially mark 100 years since Taylor Park opened as a public space, with local volunteer groups paying homage to the history of the location.

Friends of Taylor Park coordinator Ian Convery said there was a rich history of fighting to conserve the 27-acre location from development, and the day would be a chance to pay respects to those who fought hard for the park.

“Taylor Park has always been really important to the fabric of this town. You don’t have to spend five minutes there to see just how many people use the park.

“The size of backyards in Torquay continue to get smaller and smaller, which means our outdoor spaces continue to get more and more important.

Ken Farrow, Chris Barr, and Ian Convery.

“We hope as many members of the community can make a quick visit to our celebration and continue to learn about some of the work our local organisations are doing to preserve this wonderful park.”

Other organisations taking part in the celebrations include Torquay Bowls Club, Torquay Community House, Lions Club of Torquay, and Torquay RSL.

The parcel of land is just one of a few to have never been subdivided for public sale, according to the Torquay Historical Society.

An aerial shot of Taylor Park in the early 20th century.

Even today Taylor Park continues to be Crown land, now managed by the Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority.

Historical traces of Taylor Park date back to one of the earliest inhabitants of the area, Felix Rosser, who had been issued a licence for a fisherman’s hut on Yellow Bluff as early as 1865.

Torquay Museum Without Walls president Chris Barr said three names, including Mr Rosser, should be synonymous with the park’s origins.

“The second was John William Taylor who was on the foreshore committee and the TIA [Torquay Improvement Association] and saw the park as very important and fought back against several attempts to subdivide the park. He was very instrumental in the planting of the trees too, which has helped build the park into what it is today.

“The third is Carl Voss, who was the leaseholder of the land in the early 20th century. He ploughed and cleared a lot of the areas that are more the ‘parky’ areas, which are used by the public today.”