Beatson Park, Wollongong
Google street view The Spreading Figtree, Beatson Park, 5 May 2011. Photo: Neil Whitfield. Why, and what for? During November 2024 the writer was contacted regarding the history of Beatson Park, Wollongong. This small public reserve is located on the northern side of Crown Street, the main arterial road through the city. It contains a magnificent Moreton Bay figtree and is surrounded on three sides by buildings, with a busy road on the fourth, to the south. The correspondent had spent some time there with a child and was interested in the site's historical background - when was it set aside? What was it set aside for? Who was Beatson? And what of the magnificent figtree located at its very heart? Some of these questions will be answered below. According to information provided by Wollongong City Council , J.A. Beatson Park is a Crown Reserve and Public Park, located between 370 and 372 Crown Street, Wollongong. Within the reserve there is a picnic table, a park sign, fencing,...