Creswell Gardens

The Creswell Gardens are a located in the Adelaide Park Lands between the Adelaide Oval, War Memorial Drive, King William Road and St Peter's Cathedral. They were established in 1909 and named after South Australian sportsman John Creswell. The gardens contain a number of Adelaide's landmark features.

The gardens have been rearranged many times during their history; probably the only constants since the 1920s are the WWI Memorial Oak Tree and the statue of Sir Ross Smith. An undated aerial photo of the gardens (circa 2014) can be found on page 5 of the South Australian Heritage Council's description of The War Memorial Oak tree. Since then there have been significant changes to the Adelaide Oval eastern stands and many associated changes to the layout of the gardens.

The State Library of South Australia has several collections of photos of the area, dating from 1916, showing how as the surrounding roads and footpaths have increased in size, the area has changed from a rambling garden with a summer house and a southern boundary of the River Torrens to an area of lawn and large trees.

The War Memorial Oak tree was planted on 29 August 1914 about 25 metres from War Memorial Drive. By 2014 the tree had a canopy approximately 30 metres in diameter, and a life expectancy of 500 years. The tree, and a plaque immediately adjacent to the base of the tree (c.1917), are both heritage listed. The plaque states: "The War Memorial Oak planted by His Excellency the Governor Sir Henry Galway on Wattle Day August 29th 1914."

c.2017

Looking north c.2017

Looking west c.2017

About 20 metres south-east of the oak tree trunk stands a memorial to Sir Ross Macpherson Smith, KBE, MC & Bar, DFC & Two Bars, AFC (1892–1922). In 1919, he and brother Keith, Jim Bennett and Wally Shiers were the first to fly from England to Australia. Ross (and Jim Bennett) were killed when a plane they were testing crashed.

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