HISTORY

Streets for Peace
In the International Year of Peace in 1986, two Forest Road residents, Rachel Cocks and Joan Fitz-Nead, initiated a Community Project Streets for Peace with funding from the Department of Foreign Affairs.  The project aimed to build community engagement in Peace issues and included 
  • a petition for World Peace and a Nuclear Free Environment 
  • the printing and distribution of “Streets for Peace” stickers and pamphlets
  • creation of a Peace Banner by local residents and students from Goulburn Street Primary School.  
All residents of Forest Road, Prospect Place and Roberts Street signed the Petition.  The Banner was proudly carried in a number of Peace marches in Hobart, and was ultimately housed at the Hobart Environment Centre.
In 1987 the Tasmanian Peace Trust supported extending the Streets for Peace project to enable preparation, printing and distribution of a Streets for Peace kit made available to all Tasmanian schools.  This was completed in mid 1987, and the National Museum of Australia included a selection of Streets for Peace project documents in its Peace Movement Memorabilia collection. 
Picture
© Mercury Hobart
Streets for Peace kit
Community Peace Park
Hobart City Council was asked in 1986 to designate an area in the Forest Road vicinity to establish a park to commemorate the commitment of the local residents to Peace. The Council generously designated the area between Prospect Place, Roberts Street and Liverpool Crescent as a Peace Park.  This site is a major thoroughfare from Forest Road to Liverpool Crescent, and is a popular viewing spot for the end of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race, and other river activities.
Picture
© Mercury Hobart
Parties, plants and plaques
To celebrate the establishment of the Peace Park, a community party was held on Saturday 28 February 1987, when children from Goulburn Street Primary School and others planted shrubs, and were encouraged to monitor their progress.
Since that time, a number of organisations have installed remembrance plaques in the Peace Park, including 
  • the Chinese Students 100th Day Memorial Committee (in memory of the Beijing Massacre in 1989), 
  • the Baha’i Faith, 
  • the Hobart Buddhist community, 
  • Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF),
  • Australia Cuba Friendship Society.  
The Hobart City Council has now taken over responsibility for maintaining the Peace Park, members of the community continue to celebrate and support the park, including Harmony Day celebrations.
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Picture
© Hobart Mercury


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​Community projects



​Members of the community group have supported a number of Peace Park development and promotion projects such as
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  • The peace rose arbour, established with a generous grant from Master Wang of the Hobart Buddhist community.

  • A sandstone sculpture, In Blanket, by Tom Coley, the result of a Hobart City Council competition for an art installation for the Park.

  • In 2013, students of Goulburn Street Primary School raised money to build a seat for passers by to rest and enjoy the beautiful views. The seat is dedicated to Joan Fitz-Nead who has played such an important part in establishing the Park and promoting peace in the community.

  • In 2016 and 2017 a group of West Hobart neighbours around the Peace Park raised money and worked with Hobart City Council to install a memorial to remember animals killed in war.