After more than two years of planning and ten months in the construction phase, the Kings Park Ceremonial Walk was officially opened on 21 April 2010 by the Minister for Environment; Youth, the Hon. Donna Faragher.
The aim of the project was to be provide a safer environment for visitors and further enhance the dignity and significance of this important historical precinct without compromising the original intent of the Park’s founders over 110 years ago.
The Ceremonial Walk provides a paved pedestrian link between the State’s War Memorial precinct, the Western Australian Botanic Garden and the park’s premier tourism facilities, and is surrounded by open grassed areas and landscaped gardens making it a more tranquil space for the community to enjoy.
Vehicle traffic has been re-routed away from the State War Memorial behind the restaurant precinct along a new road named Wadjuk Way that recognises the connection with the Indigenous people that used to occupy this land.
The new Acacia Toilets were also opened to the public for the first time, offering modern amenities with much increased capacity to cater for the high number of visitors in this busy precinct. Their name was derived from the spectacular artwork that adorns the external walls, depicting local Acacia foliage and flowers. These artworks, and the suite of decorative steel gates that depict other Acacia species found in Kings Park bushland, were created by local artist Mark Datodi.
More than 7,000 Western Australian native plants have been planted in the new gardens, almost all of which were grown in the Kings Park nursery. The Floral Clock has had a facelift with its surrounding picket fence now replaced with a bronze handrail, and a broad staircase and Karratha stone wall on its southern edge lead up towards the Visitor Information Centre and Aspects of Kings Park gallery shop.