Belair National Park turns 125

For most South Aus­tralians, Belair Nation­al Park is a famil­iar place. It’s a park rich in his­to­ry and full of mem­o­ries of pic­nics, walks and barbecues.

Belair was ded­i­cat­ed as a Nation­al Park on 19 Decem­ber 1891, and is the sec­ond park to be estab­lished in Aus­tralia fol­low­ing the Roy­al Nation­al Park near Syd­ney in 1879.

Belair quick­ly became pop­u­lar as a plea­sure resort for tourists and pic­nic par­ties from the city, and ear­ly pho­tographs depict park vis­i­tors dressed in their Sun­day best, sport­ing top hats and hoop dress­es enjoy­ing large group picnics.

Belair still retains much of its ear­ly his­to­ry, with Old Gov­ern­ment House and the her­itage gar­dens attract­ing many vis­i­tors to its Sun­day and pub­lic hol­i­day tours.

So what’s on for Belair’s 125^th anniver­sary?

Grey box Day – 1 May. All day event.

Pick up your pre-ordered​‘Back­yard for Wildlife’ plants then take a walk or ride with a ranger to dis­cov­er the park’s nat­ur­al wonders.

SA His­to­ry Fes­ti­val – 15 May, 22 May and 29 May 1.30 pm – 3.00 pm

Step back in time and enjoy guid­ed his­tor­i­cal walks.

Cub­by Town – 21 and 22 July. All day event.

Dis­cov­er with your kids how to build cub­bies from nat­ur­al mate­ri­als with Nature Play SA. Free entry.

For a sneak peek of what to expect, check out Nature Play SA’s blog sto­ry on last year’s event.

Guid­ed Walks – 26 April, 24 May, 28 June, 26 July, 23 Aug, 27 Sep and 25 Oct.

Dis­cov­er the park with those who know it best, the Friends of Belair Nation­al Park.

Belair Open Day – 11 Sep­tem­ber. All day event.

Join the rangers in fam­i­ly activ­i­ties and free guid­ed tours.

Hap­py Birth­day Belair – 3 Decem­ber. All day event.

Enjoy the park with free activ­i­ties for the fam­i­ly host­ed by a social club run by past and present parks staff.

All event par­tic­i­pants will receive free entry to the park on the day of the event. For more details vis­it the Nation­al Parks web­site.

What are your fond­est mem­o­ries of Belair Nation­al Park? Tell us in the com­ments below.

Main image: A group of hun­gry pic­nick­ers at Belair Nation­al Park (image cour­tesy of State Library of South Australia)