Back to Top

Parks and Recreation Collection – Narratives

Category: Human resource management

workplace health and safety; staff training; personnel management

“People Gardening”

Updated on date by author

Long-term recreation professional Peter Nicholls of Adelaide has generously agreed to provide the substance of materials on his website Australia’s People Gardener for re-presenting and curating on PaRC. Peter’s professional qualifications in the fields of leisure and recreation planning and development include:

 

  • Bachelor of Arts ANU Canberrra 1965
  • Graduate Diploma in Recreation Planning: Canberra University 1975, making him one of the pioneers of the professional recreation movement in Australia
  • Senior Recreation Planner (and various other managerial positions) with the South Australian Department of Recreation and Sport, 1976 – 1994
  • Recreation Planner City of Tea Tree Gully, Adelaide 1994 – 2002
  • Life Member and a past National and State President of his professional association, Parks and Leisure Australia.

A profile of Peter is also preserved on PaRC under the category “Inspirational People“.

NOTE: AS AT 4 SEPTEMBER 2025 THERE HAS BEEN A TEMPORARY SOFTWARE GLITCH WITH THIS PAGE. APOLOGIES TO PETER NICHOLLS AND READERS WHILE PaRC REPAIRS THE PAGE.

THE BENEFITS OF CREATIVE LEISURE INTERESTS

LIST OF LEISURE/RECREATION IDEAS. Although this document includes 2005 in its heading, that is the date it was commenced. Activities have been added continuously since then.

BEING WHO YOU REALLY ARE IS A RISK WORTH TAKING

BEWARE OF THE RETIRED HUSBAND SYNDROME

DARE TO HAVE FAITH IN YOUR DREAMS

DON’T THROW YOUR ABILITIES AWAY. RECYCLE THEM

EMPLOYERS OF CHOICE WHY THEY ATTRACT STAFF LOYALTY

FEAR AND COURAGE THE ODD COUPLE

HOW MUCH WOULD YOU TRUST YOUR TRUE SELF

I WISH I WAS THE ME I ONCE WANTED TO BE

IT’S TIME TO TEAR DOWN THE WALL THAT SEPARATES WORK AND LEISURE

LIFE AFTER WORK WILL BE LIKE NOTHING YOU HAVE EVER KNOWN BEFORE

MY APPROACH TO EXPONENTIAL PERSONAL GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

MY DREAM FOR THE WORLD

MY LEFT FIELD PERSPECTIVE

SETTING THE STAGE

SPACE THE SEPARATION THAT KEEPS US TOGETHER

THE CHANGING ROLE OF BUSINESS IN MAKING SENSE OF WHY WE ARE HERE

THE ENQUENCHABLE YEARNING TO FOLLOW YOUR HEART

THE GLORIOUS ENIGMA OF UNCERTAINTY

WE NO LONGER ACCEPT LIFE IS OVER WHEN IT

WHY I WANT TO BE A KID AGAIN

WHY IT’S TIME FOR A PARADIGM SHIFT TO CONTINUOUS DEVELOPMENT

 

The above 23 files AGGREGATED

To be continued.

Review Status: Pending
Posted in Health, fitness and well-being, Human resource management, Leisure activities, Narratives | Leave a reply

Use of Public Open Space by Commercial Fitness Trainers Policy

Posted on date by author

MCC Policy – Use of Public Open Space by Commercial Fitness Trainers Policy

MCC Procedure – Use of Public Open Space by Commercial Fitness Trainers Policy

 

These two documents, the Policy, and the Procedure, set out Council’s position on the management of commercial fitness trainers in their use of public open space in MidCoast Council area.

Review Status:
Posted in Health, fitness and well-being, Human resource management, Leisure activities, Natural resources and environment, Open space and recreation areas | Tagged , , | Leave a reply

Sport and Recreation Officer – Noosa as a model

Updated on date by author

These two papers from 1980 (one file) outline the justification for a Sport and Recreation Officer in Noosa Shire and sketch the outline of a position description/role statement.

 

(Disregard the “not found” sticker on the cover. PaRC”s Librarian was noting that she could not find another copy online)..

 

We have attempted a conversion of the document to Word so that users could extract text for their own work, but the conversion has been imperfect.

 

Review Status:
Posted in Human resource management | Leave a reply

Peter Nicholls: Life Enjoyment Mentor

Updated on date by author

Peter Nicholls, of Adelaide, a long-term Trustee of the AIPR Trust Fund-Education (forerunner and originator of PaRC), has described himself as “Australia’s People Gardener”. His inspiring life story has been summarised in his “Manifesto“, a challenge to people enslaved by an economic  worth ethic to substitute “life enjoyment” for “work” as their purpose in life.

Peter’s professional qualifications in the fields of leisure and recreation planning and development include:

  • Bachelor of Arts ANU Canberrra 1965
  • Graduate Diploma in Recreation Planning: Canberra University 1975, making him one of the pioneers of the professional recreation movement in Australia
  • Senior Recreation Planner (and various other managerial positions) with the South Australian Department of Recreation and Sport, 1976 – 1994
  • Recreation Planner City of Tea Tree Gully, Adelaide 1994 – 2002
  • Life Member and a past National and State President of his professional association, Parks and Leisure Australia.

Peter has made his updated Manifesto available to PaRC readers. Further details  of Peter’s vision may be obtained from his website, https://australiaspeoplegardener.com.au/. The substantive documents from his website are being curated on a separate post “People Gardening“.

 

 

Review Status: Pending
Posted in Health, fitness and well-being, Human resource management, Inspirational People, Narratives | Leave a reply

Queensland Ranger Association

Updated on date by author

The Queensland Ranger Association (QRA) is a professional organisation for people who work in wildlife and natural resource conservation across the state. Founded in 1996, it has an active website https://www.queenslandranger.org/ and active program of events. One of its objects is “Assist other States and countries (with a particular focus on Developing Nations) to develop their ranger networks and associations.” This is an objective firmly aligned with PaRC’s. In particular, QRA and PaRC share a focus on knowledge-sharing in the Pacific Islands. In preserving some noteworthy materials in PaRC, we aim to support QRA in its outreach.

QRA is affiliated with Thin Green Line, an international charity based in Victoria dedicated to supporting rangers and their families, notably families who have lost rangers in the line of duty: https://thingreenline.org.au/ . The summary of Ranger deaths globally in 2023/24 makes grim reading.

The QRA is active in promoting World Ranger Day on 31 July each year. Its media release on the occasion of World Ranger Day 2024 explains the mission.

 

At the QRA meeting at Tuchekoi, near Gympie, Queensland, 2023. In the middle is Ron Turner, former Cooloola District Ranger and author of a notable memoir published by PaRC.

QRA has issued a public plea for old uniforms.

 

QRA is affiliated with the Council of Oceania Ranger Associations. Click here for a Summary of the Oceania Ranger Roundtable webinar of October 2023. The Summary includes links to presentations and position papers.

 

 

Review Status: Pending
Posted in Education, outreach and advocacy, Human resource management, Narratives | Leave a reply

Towards a definition of the horticultural professional – c.1990

Updated on date by author

In the words of its author, horticultural eminence Dr James Hitchmough:

“The characteristics of professions, and the need for professionalisation in the landscape and nursery production sectors of horticulture are discussed, and the relationships between professionalisation and professionalism investigated. When compared with the broadly accepted vital attributes of professions, horticulture as a discipline can clearly not be considered as such. The vast bulk of people who currently describe themselves as horticulturists are involved at the occupational or semi-professional level, only a few sub-groups satisfy the criteria associated with true professions. Horticulture contains so many disparate sub-groups both in terms of sector of activity and secondly educational level that it presents the community and other disciplines involved in the landscape with a very confusing picture. This is a particular problem for degree graduates as it “greys” the distinctions between themselves and horticulturists with much more basic levels of training. If horticulture as a discipline does not embrace increasing professionalisation, then it faces the possible loss of management positions and skill areas, traditionally occupied by horticulturists, to more educated disciplines.

“The present and future role of educational institutions, the horticultural industry, and professional bodies in influencing the development of professionalisation, and professionalism in landscape and nursery production horticulture is discussed.”

This paper, of uncertain publication status, is dated about 1990.

Review Status:
Posted in Human resource management | Leave a reply

Vale David Vial, IOSS

Updated on date by author

The parks and recreation profession lost one of its leading lights with the passing on 21 March 2020 of David Vial, Principal of IOSS, Integrated Open Space Services after an extended illness. David was a member of the steering committee that oversaw the strategic planning for the PaRC project. David  supported the PaRC initiative throughout and generously gave password access to his database of significant documents.

In 2008 IOSS commenced a collaborative program with Parks and Leisure Australia termed Parks Base. Parks Base is a web-based portal that collects, organises and reports on information about public open space planning and management. Parks Base is for local, regional, national and international use. There are two subsets:

Knowledge Base, an online database for professionals in the fields of public open space, urban greenery, urban ecology, conservation and protected areas, land management, arboriculture, horticulture, soils, turf, recreation and sport; and associated areas of sustainability and social research. Registration is required.

Comparison Program, a commercial program that enables monitoring of aspects of public open space planning and management by participating government authorities. Registration is required.

The IOSS website includes an index of a substantial body of publications and “Public Realm Research Projects” produced by David and his team. PaRC will endeavour to perpetuate his contribution to the profession by offering access to a selected body of his work.

Continue Reading

Review Status: Completed
Posted in Human resource management, Inspirational People, Narratives | Leave a reply