Bullrush Root Place

Bullrush Park / Warnpangga (Park 10)

Did you know that this part of the River was the source of bullrush root for the Kaurna people?

Ladies Rowing, City of Adelaide Archives, HP0382, circa 1908

Archery, City of Adelaide Archives, 3554.033.013, circa 1960s

The Kaurna people are the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the Adelaide Plains. This Park is called Warnpangga ('Bullrush Root') in the Kaurna language. The language was last spoken on a daily basis in the 1860s, and has been revived in recent times based on dictionaries prepared by German missionaries around the time of settlement.

This Park is called Warnpangga because the northern banks of the Torrens River / Karrawirra Pari were a source of the 'warna' or 'bullrush root', a staple food source for the Kaurna people. The Torrens River / Karrawirra Pari ('Redgum Forest River') was an important part of Kaurna way of life, and the site of camps, corroborees, ceremonies and burials. The River is also part of the Red Kangaroo Dreaming story.

This Park features the Archery Club which has been located here since 1940. From the mid-1860s a wide range of sports began being played in the Park Lands and that has not changed. Archery first commenced in the Park Lands in 1881.

The City's population reached its peak in 1915 with 43,000 people. This led to an increase in sports grounds, especially for football and cricket. Football was first played in the south Park Lands an cricket has had a home at Adelaide Oval since the 1870s. Golf was first played in the Park Lands on the site of Victoria Park Racecourse in 1870. The City's golf links in the west of the Park Lands have been used since 1907.

City of Adelaide acknowledges the traditional Country of the Kaurna people of the Adelaide Plains and pays respect to Elders past and present. We recognise and respect their cultural heritage, beliefs and relationship with the land. We acknowledge that they are of continuing importance to the Kaurna people living today. We also extend that respect to other Aboriginal Language Groups and other First Nations.

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