Muston Park
Wisteria Wonderland
This hidden gem came across my Instagram feed last year and I was stunned by its breathtaking beauty. I was too late for the short-lived display that time around, so I added it to my seasonal calendar for this spring. Hidden away just off Penshurst Street in Chatswood, the wisteria walk a beautiful shaded tunnel on a hot summers day, but it really comes to life in the spring bursting into colour like a living work of art.
Muston park is named after William Thomas Muston, the original owner of the land and Mayor of Willoughby 1890. The land was subdivided in 1921 and in 1926 the Council purchased it to create a public park. There is no parking on Penshurst Street but there are two other entrances to the park on Douglas Avenue and Eden Street. Eden Street is the one you want to head to for easy access to the wisteria tunnel.
We had returned from our big trip to Cape York in early September and I suspected the wisteria would already be blooming. Timing my visit with natures fickle fancies could be tricky and the wet weather in Sydney continued to dampen my enthusiasm for outdoor activities. But I knew if I left it too long, I would miss out again. Donning my gumboots, I headed out to see how the blooms were looking.
It was indeed very wet and muddy underfoot but that didn’t detract from the stunning purple and white flowers draped from every side of the wooden pergola. The wisteria tunnel winds its way around the southern end of the park. A long timber and wire structure skirts the edge of the grounds and is laden with wisteria vines that must be decades old. As you walk through the tunnel delicate booms hang from the vines above, creating a magical atmosphere and filing the air with a wonderful perfume. It conjures up visions of ladies in romantic dresses carrying parasols (or umbrellas on this soggy day). I am glad I didn’t leave my visit any longer as the wet weather will probably bring the flowering season to a close sooner rather than later.
Muston Park also includes a fully fenced playground with a rocket ship slide (bringing back childhood memories for me). There is plenty of open grass for the kids to run around, barbecue facilities, picnic tables and public toilets. Scotts Creek runs through middle of the park and a lovely walkway and bridge joins the two sections. Put this one in the diary for September and make it a day out for the whole family.
Muston Park is located at 375-389 Penshurst Street in Chatswood.
