ACT Heritage Library Manuscript Collection

HMSS 0298 Royal Australian Institute of Parks and Recreation ACT Regional Division Records

The Royal Australian Institute of Parks and Recreation (RAIPR) was founded in 1926 as the Victorian Tree Planters' Association. it provided a meeting place for local government park curators and a means of drawing attention to the importance of parks and recreation facilities in mostly urban areas. Annual conferences were held to provide a forum for discussion of issues.

It went through a number of name changes, the most significant of which came in 1962 when the organisation became a national body, following the founding of Regional Divisions across the country.

Prior to the ACT Division's establishment, a number of Canberra members prepared a submission in 1966, for the establishment of a course in park administration a the future Canberra College of Advanced Education (now University of Canberra). A course similar was established in the late 1960s.

The ACT Regional Division was founded in May 1970. The key players were the then RAIPR national President, David Shoobridge, and Harry Oakman who was the founding President of the Division.

The Division was very active in in its 28 years. Membership reached almost 100 at its height. its achievements included the organisation of a number of a national conferences, forums and workshops in Canberra, the mounting of a large number of local public forums and field trips for the discussion of key issues, the granting of awards, the establishment of a Weston Memorial Fund and the publishing of several books.

The division existed until 1998 when the national body merged with another national organisation to form Parks & Leisure Australia. Despite opposition from a number of senior RAIPR members, the decision was made not to have an ACT Region of the new body.

The records in this collection do not include the period 1970 to 1985. The donor, Dr John Gray, feels it unlikely that the material continues to exist. A summary history for the period 1970-1983 is on file in the ACT Heritage Library.
 

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