Woodstock Sensory Garden
LOCATION
Woodstock Community Centre, Burwood, NSW
YEAR
2025
CLIENT
Burwood Council
TEAM
Umbaco Landscape Architects | Perfection Landscape Services
Woodstock Community Centre has been at the heart of the Burwood community for over 50 years, with a rich history dating back to 1871 when the building was established by Edwin Thomas Penfold. The project set out to transform an underused, steep section of the adjoining park into an accessible sensory garden—a place where the community can relax, connect, play, and learn about the site’s history.
The garden experience unfolds as a meandering walk through flowering gardens, with each node offering something new to discover. At its centre stands a special sculpture of Sissy the Elephant, referencing a memorable moment in local history when, in 1933, Sissy escaped from Wirth’s Circus and wandered through the surrounding streets. Her legacy lives on in this bespoke landscape, capturing a sense of playfulness and curiosity.
Along the winding path, visitors are invited to pause and sit on gently curved walls, experience period plantings, and engage with accessible elevated corten steel planters framed by carefully detailed sandstone paving. Interpretive signage is strategically placed to complete the journey of historical storytelling.
A rich palette of flowering and perfumed groundcovers and shrubs—combining native species with feature plantings—creates a multi-sensory experience, further enhanced by colourful musical instruments integrated throughout the garden.
Visitors are invited to explore this inclusive and welcoming garden, where landscape, history, and community come together.
