The Dunstan Adventure Playground is the result of thoughtful planning and collaboration with First Nations people to create a place that demonstrates a strong connection to Country, offers active and nature play for children of all ages and places for families and friends to connect, among a stunning natural landscape.”
Mayor Robert Bria | City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters*
South Australia’s longest stainless-steel slide
Imagine being able to have fun slipping and dipping down a riverbank – but not fall into the water! That’s the experience on offer at Dunstan Adventure Playground, which features a spectacular slide that measures an epic 19 metres.
The curved slide, with its peekaboo tunnel and chute, is a highlight of the award-winning nature play-themed park on the banks of the River Torrens (Karrawirra Pari) on the traditional lands of the Kaurna people.
The playground was named the winner of the Landscape Architecture Award for Play Spaces by the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA) for its strong connection to Country: “The playground design is brave and also encourages children and parents to be brave,” said the judges.
Tales of the riverbank: an award-winning park
Creating South Australia’s longest stainless-steel slide on a sloping riverbank site was an impressive engineering feat. Situated on the banks of the River Torrens, the 19-metre custom tube slide needed to meet detailed design, compliance and flood management requirements, while also responding to difficult footing conditions within the embankment subsoils.
Playground Centre brought its bespoke equipment design expertise to the challenge, working in partnership with Australian-based KSM Engineering to manufacture and install the slide using specialised foundations. The result is a dramatic play experience that feels seamlessly embedded in the landscape, while being engineered for safety, durability and long-term performance.
To match the rugged fun of the slide, Playground Centre also supplied a huge swing – big enough for two young adults to swing extremely high.
The two-bay Super Mega Swing is high-level fun in size and capability as its top bar is set a huge 4.2m above surface level for a giant swing. Secured in place on the riverine with an ultra-heavy duty steel frame, it also features an extra-strong curved top bar.
The intrepid swing and slide are the jewels of the redeveloped Dunstan Adventure Playground, which is the result of collaboration between landscape architects, local First Nations artists and the Kaurna Yerta Aboriginal Corporation.
Set within land which has been a meeting place for generations, the playground is a respectful blend of native landscaping with man-made elements. Everyone is welcome to connect amongst the mature trees, slopes and rocks to enjoy this unique environment.
The playground is named after Don Dunstan, the former premier of South Australia, who improved the rights of First Nations people in the state and beyond. The area’s deep significance has been honoured through the sharing of Kaurna knowledge and stories, which are incorporated into the playground.
Serious about slides
Research carried out internationally shows that almost 90 per cent of children play on a slide at least once during their visit to a park. The experts at Playground Centre have spent decades refining the perfect slide.
Using advanced materials and smart manufacturing, our playground slides work well in demanding outdoor environments because they last longer and are uncomplicated to install.
Step-by-step guide to the perfect slide:
1. Choose from our enormous range of standard slide lengths, styles and colours
2. Or work with us to create a custom slide design
3. Decide on supply-and-install, kitset or supply-only options
4. No compromise: all our slides are designed to Australian standards
Whether you are designing from the ground up or revitalising an existing playground, you’re guaranteed a smooth ride from design to installation to maintenance.
Technical innovation + custom-made capability = creative expertise
One of Playground Centre’s specialties is to custom manufacture slides to suit tricky environments. Our best-practice playground equipment know-how allows councils in South Australia and the rest of Australia to deliver bespoke playground equipment that pushes the boundaries of what is possible in Australia’s challenging landscape.
*Source: Dunstan Adventure Playground wins at the AILA Landscape Architecture Awards (June 2025), City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters
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