Maple Grove’s new park design inspires endless adventure

Dreamed up during lockdown and inspired by the classic Aussie backyard – the design of Maple Grove’s new park brings the magic of suburban adventures and an endless playground of open spaces for kids play freely.

Set within a one-hectare space and centrally located on Pergola Street, the Council approved design includes a towering cubby fortress, a Hills Hoist-inspired helicopter, a flying fox and billy carts.

Julian Hill, Satterley’s Development Director for Victoria, explains, “We wanted to capture the essence of places where kids have room to roam, explore, and play freely. This design reflects that spirit, blending elements of suburban and rural life to create something truly unique.”

The park’s design is inspired by Maple Grove’s location on the edge of Melbourne’s growth corridor, where suburban meets rural. “Some kids here grew up with big backyards and open paddocks, while others haven’t had that same experience,” Julian says. “The park creates a space where all kids can feel that sense of freedom.”

The four-meter-high, sprawling cubby fortress set on a gentle rise, creates spaces to climb, explore, and imagine. “We wanted it to look as though it could have been built by kids themselves, where every detail adds to the experience of adventure,” Julian says.

Julian adds while the park will give the impression it’s been built by children and purposely engineered to appear structurally unsound, the reality couldn’t be more different.

“All the play equipment and will be meticulously designed and engineered by expert custom playground firm, Agency of Sculpture, who designed our award-winning Dragon Park at Arcadia in Officer.”

Julian who combines a former career as a landscape architect with development management said, the starting point for any Satterley park is “what’s the best thing we can offer our community”?

“Given the success of Dragon Park in Arcadia Estate at Officer, it was a no brainer to do something different and bespoke for Maple Grove.”

“Melbourne is renowned for its creativity, art spaces and public sculptures but that doesn’t always extend to the growth corridors. We want to change that by creating unique and interesting spaces that inspire communities and tell a story about the local area, “Julian said.

Satterley expects construction of Maple Grove’s Stage 3 park to commence in June 2025 and take an estimated 12 months to complete.

Stay tuned for progress updates and images, as we bring the classic Aussie ‘dream’ backyard to life!