Adelaide Park Lands: Golden Wattle Park clubrooms rebuild, $1.5m state

The City of Adelaide announced on 7 April 2026 that construction would begin within weeks on a new community sporting facility at Golden Wattle Park / Mirnu Wirra, also called Park 21W, off Goodwood Road, the first upgrade under a new council building program for the Park Lands. The council’s release is more than six months old and does not report progress since, so this article covers what was announced, not the current state of works.

Why it matters

A 1960s-era building is being swapped for a modern one. Footy, cricket, soccer, ultimate frisbee, netball and school teams that play at the park are expected to move in. The council is working on it with the Adelaide Community Sports and Recreation Association (ACSARA).

Lord Mayor Dr Jane Lomax-Smith said the project followed a long review of how council-owned community buildings in the Park Lands should be used. She said the council built a co-funding model because those buildings had seen several decades of low investment.

The numbers

The Office of Recreation, Sport and Racing (ORSR) said it had contributed $1.5 million through its funding programs. ORSR chief executive Kylie Taylor said the facilities “will support a wide range of users” and help more South Australians take part in sport.

The new building is to include:

• six unisex change rooms
• a kitchen and common area
• sheltered outdoor space
• public toilets and a kiosk
• umpire facilities and first aid rooms

It is to carry sustainability features including natural light, ventilation, a cool roof and native plantings. The release gives no total project cost and no completion date.

What’s next

Preliminary site works were due to start in April, with construction in two stages. Stage one builds the new facility while users keep using the existing building. Once they move in, work starts on a second adjacent structure.

Park 27B, home to the West Adelaide Soccer Club’s ageing facilities, is the next site the council named after this one. Dr Lomax-Smith put Golden Wattle Park first in the queue. ACSARA president Mark Borgas said the project followed several years of negotiations and planning, and credited the time and money put in by ACSARA members. He thanked the City of Adelaide, ORSR, the SANFL and SACA for their support. Separately, central Adelaide’s private construction is covered in our report on the Catherine House topping out.