Duck pond at Fountain Gate Shopping Centre at Narre Warren

As many of you are aware, the City of Casey is building Bunjil Place at the Fountain Gate Shopping Centre at Narre Warren. This is a 125 million dollar project and will house the Council Offices, the Library, an Exhibition space, 800 seat theatre and an Art Gallery amongst other community facilities. You can read about Bunjil Place here http://bunjilplace.com.au/project

Many people have asked about the duck pond which was a feature on the corner of Magid Drive and the Princes Highway. Sadly, the duck pond has now gone, the new Complex will be built over it, but I sure that the ducks have all safely moved on to other ponds in the area. There has also been some discussion about how long the duck pond has been in existence.

Narre Warren c. 1900 - this land is now the site of Fountain Gate Shopping Centre. There is clearly a natural low spot in the undulating landscape but no lake.

Narre Warren 1974

The photo, above, is a 1974 aerial of Narre Warren which shows the future site of the Civic Centre and Fountain Gate Shopping Centre. The old Narre Warren oval is bottom right on the corner of Narre Warren North Road and the Princes Highway. Left of the oval is Webb Street and left again is Brechin. Then we see the vacant land that became the Fountain Gate Shopping Centre but there is no duck pond or dam or natural lake.

I believe the duck pond was built in conjunction with the Civic Centre which opened December 8, 1978. This is a 1979 photograph of Magid Drive and the Princes Highway and the duck pond appears on the left.

So, here is a nostalgic look at the dear, late departed duck pond, play ground and Rotary Club BBQ shelter.