Bell Yett Reserve - the past and the future
The name Bell Yett was chosen by the 1877 owner of the property, Ellen Barham Black. Ellen migrated to South Australia with her three children from Wigtown, Scotland. In Wigtown there was a field named Bell Yett, which was named after the field’s gate (yett) which had a bell on top of it. The Wattle Park property was named after this, therefore the name literally means Bell Gate.
Helen Foster Barham Black shared about her childhood at Bell Yett (1981):
“Bell Yett was a wonderful place for children, with a creek running from one end to the other through the paddocks and garden; there were two ponds where we used to play a good deal. We usually had at least two horses and two cows; calves of course were an annual event. There were fruit trees of great many sorts and plenty of grape vines. We practically lived outside except when it was raining.”
Excerpt from Elizabeth Warburton, The Paddocks Beneath: A History of Burnside From the Beginning
In 1948, the property was sold to the Sisters of the Convent of Mercy, it was used for teaching, studying and social work.
In 1971, the property of Bell Yett was subdivided and the City of Burnside purchased the ‘old cow paddock’ for a public reserve.
A large Bunya Pine at the western end of the Reserve is believed to be one of the last remnants of the original Bell Yett garden.
The future of the reserve
Today Bell Yett Reserve consists of a car park, two netball / tennis courts, a basketball hoop, a storage shed, a playing field, biodiversity zones in the south and west sections, a playground, amenities block, bench seating, drinking fountain and rubble pathways. Stonyfell Creek runs through the Reserve.
To ensure that the future maintenance and improvement of the Reserve are sensitive, planned, purposeful and complementary, a new master plan for Bell Yett Reserve is being developed and Council wants your input. This is a community-led master plan and we encourage you to join the working group to be involved.
A master plan will also provide a basis for scheduling works in a financially sustainable way.
Have you say by completing the online survey below by 5 pm Monday 18 October 2021.
Community Information Session
There will be an Information Session in Bell Yett Reserve from 9.30 am - 11 am on Saturday 16 October 2021.
This will be an opportunity to have your say in person, as well as gather more information on the Bell Yett Reserve Master Plan.
