Your Neighbourhood Budget delivers Little Library to Webb Street Reserve

In Rose Park tucked away in Webb Street Reserve, is the newest community project as funded by the 2023 Your Neighbourhood Budget. Full of books for all ages stands the Little Library, the latest in a lineage of community projects funded through the program.

Webb Street Reserve is known for its red fire truck play equipment and is bordered by Rose Park Preschool and Rose Park Norwood Scout Group. Both Rose Park Community Childcare and Rose Park Primary School are also within a stone throw.

Submitting the proposal in 2023 for the Little Library was Rose Park resident of 57 years Joy Shepherd. The submission also covered the restoration of the fire truck play equipment.

Joy’s idea was sparked after comments from her grandchildren regarding the lack of play equipment in the park for older children, and after seeing an advertisement for Your Neighbourhood Budget, she set to work.

With assistance from her daughter, Joy letterboxed all the houses along Watson Avenue and Hewitt Avenue asking for suggestions of equipment to help widen the appeal of the park.

Joy said she was thrilled with the engagement from residents in the area.

‘Some people replied with quite clever ideas, one of them was the little library.’

After deciding on the Little Library, Joy reached out to Rose Park & Toorak Gardens Council Member Lilian Henschke to assist her with the submission process. During the following community voting period the Little Library received the most votes of all proposed projects.

‘We had the support of the kindergarten, the parents and members of the community, they all voted for us. We hope this will appeal to people of all ages in the community,’ Joy said.

Following approval, the Little Library was constructed by members of The Shed on Conyngham Street, before being handed over to local artist Sarah Moller, who in collaboration with the children at Rose Park Preschool designed the artwork for the exterior of the Little Library.

‘I came in and spoke with the kids about some designs,’ said Sarah who is also a parent of the preschool. ‘We incorporated designs from various picture books including Garden Stew by Carrie Gallasch.’

‘We have a pear tree on the box that is inspired by the pear tree at the back of the preschool and the lemon-scented gum from Webb Street Reserve. It took about 20 hours over one month to paint.’

Director of Rose Park Preschool Marie Kelakios said after working with Sarah the children were extremely excited to see the new installation and to be able to read the books inside.

Known as a community hub for the area, Webb Street Reserve is utilised daily by the preschool parents, Scouts group, nearby businesses and a local mother’s group.

In attendance for the installation of the Little Library that she assisted the paperwork for, Council Member Lilian Henschke said community initiatives like those from Joy were important for community and youth development.

‘When we hear from the community, ideas emerge, especially from the youth,’ Cr Henschke said. ‘This time it was from the grandchildren of a long-term resident.’

‘Spots like this where a child can walk out into the open air near a playground and then to be able engage with a book in play is so important for their development and their growing love of reading.

‘The experience of where you read is really important. We all reflect on our first memories of when we started reading, it is fundamental to create that foundation.’

The Webb Street Reserve Little Library is now available for your reading needs. Residents are encouraged to take and leave appropriate books for all reading levels.

You can find other Little Libraries located across the City of Burnside including: Bell Yett Reserve, Chapel Street Reserve, Constable Hyde Memorial Garden, Hazelwood Park, Laurel Avenue Pirkurna Wirra, Tusmore Park and Webb Street Reserve.

Standing next to the newly installed Little Library in Webb Street Reserve, Rose Park (left to right): resident Joy Shepherd, artist Sarah Moller, Director Rose Park Preschool Marie Kelakios and Cr Lilian Henschke.

Shed member prepares the Little Library