Jamestowns' Maze

[Susie]

Did you know that Jamestown has a maze?  Where you might say?
In the parklands opposite Dunure Tce.  However it is in a state of neglect, and rather overgrown.  It is difficult to find your way around the paths. You can see the defined paths when looking on google earth but that picture is about 5 years old.

Does anyone know when it was planted and who is responsible for its upkeep.  If the trees were trimmed and reshaped it would be a good little tourist attraction for the town.

[Dykey]

Ray ought to put a "Google" map of it on.

[Ray]

Here y'go,....



Now, I know you wouldn't use this photo to cheat your way through the maze,... would you?

[utegirl70]

Must be a fairly new addition? Sure wasn't there when were up there. Guess the horses would've eaten it! 

[Susie]

You won't be able to cheat your way through it.  It is so overgrown that none of those paths are even recognisable!

[Ray]

I reckon it must have been the best kept secret in Jamestown. It had been there for years before I even heard of it.

I'll go and have a closer look in the next day or so. I think it was just another excuse to prevent horse owners from using the park lands for the purpose they were put there for.  

While we are on the subject, I have noticed that there are always sheep now in the park lands, one of the uses that is specifically forbidden in the council by-laws. It's amazing what some people are allowed to do.

[Reg21]

The maze is actually a project the Jamestown Apex Club have been working on for some time now. We are in the process of getting someone to come in and trim it up, as it is quite a task, so at the moment looking at our options.
Unfortunately we haven't spent as much time on it as is required due to other projects, but I believe it is at the forefront of all members minds and we are hoping to get it in much better shape in the next couple of months. We couldn't trim the trees during winter as it can kill them.
Hopefully in the next couple of months you will see changes to it!

[Ray]

I never did get to go and have a look, I'll have to put it on the "To Do" list

[Fonchie]

My spouse and I visited this site today, and I must say how disappointed we were, is this (Apex) club still going, perhaps if they are, one should make a representation to them or the shire council, to make Resurrection of the site.

[Ray]

I really have no idea what the state of play is with The Maze, or for that matter our parklands as a whole, which for the most part have been turned from their original purpose of being provide as Common land for the town's people to have a horse or cow, into sheep yards. One animal that I have been told is expressly forbidden to graze in these paddocks.

A number of years ago I was along with many others, a horse owner, and kept a horse in the parkland. The Council fought tooth and nail to remove the horses out of the parklands and when they finally succeeded, they immediately turned them into sheep paddocks. I was not happy about it and objected strenuously, to both the council and the Apex Club who were pushing to take over the use of the parklands,   as has been seen in more recent times, to argue with the Council is pointless.  They gave the excuse of it being contrary to town planning laws, something that does not seem to apply in Adelaide where horses may be found grazing in several Parks including opposite Robe terrace Medindie and along the lower edges of the Torrens. The Apex Club got their way and after successfully lobbying for the removal of the horses, now seem to have forgotten what they wanted the parklands for.

Several years ago a family moved here from Adelaide expressly for the country lifestyle, but after years of fruitless efforts to agist their children's horses locally they moved to Saddleworth where it seems the state's Town Planning Laws are interpreted differently.

If I sound bitter about it, it's probably because I am.

[hatchbackgirl75]

Child visited it the other day and had a good complain about it.

Then launched into how boooooooooooooooooooooooring it is in Jamestown.

Grandma had to sit her down and tell her the same thing has been said in Whyalla and Pt Pirie for ages and they keep making new things for the kids and the kids keep complaining its booooooooooring.

You make your own fun. Kids, eh? Who'd have em 

[Ray]

Make the most of your kids (as I'm sure you do), they don't remain kids for long and even though it's very satisfying to watch them grow up, we've found that we most often look back on the times when they were really young with the most affection.  Yep,... even the dashes to the doctor, and times they use a purple Texta* to draw in your prized books or put a low level frieze around the bedroom walls

*It rolled of the mantlepiece,  honest,...

We sometimes now see your youngest confidently making his way up and down the front steps, only stop and think how little time ago it was, since you were in those anxious last weeks. Surely it was only a few months ago?.... but then, I suppose we're not changing all those nappies either.

I don't know if it was just a matter of my poor timing or what, but a few months ago the Skate Park always seemed deserted whenever I went past. Maybe it was the weather, but I have noticed of late that the patronage is starting to rise again with usually half a dozen or more kids, and often several groups of parents looking on.  

It's good to see.