Charlie Lowles Leisure Centre

When Blacktown City Council set out to create a vibrant outdoor splash pad at Charlie Lowles Leisure Centre in Emerton, New South Wales, it enlisted the Waterplay Australia team to help bring the space to life. 

The goal was to add a fresh aquatic play experience to the existing leisure centre, providing families with a welcoming outdoor destination where children could cool off, get moving, and play their way through Western Sydney’s long, hot summers. More than a place to splash, the new space was designed to support active lifestyles, encourage social connection, and give the community another reason to gather at one of Emerton’s key recreational hubs. 

Waterplay designed and built an inclusive splash pad filled with interactive features that invite participation from a wide range of ages, abilities, and play styles. High-energy features like the Sling Soaker and Aqualume Soaker 3 build excitement as children watch the buckets fill before tipping into big, thrilling splashes below. A Spiral Tunnel helps guide movement through the space, creating a fun pathway kids can run through again and again, while a Parasol sends gentle sprays across the pad. 

Designed to spark social play, Splash Blasters invite children to challenge each other to splash battles, while the Water Weaver 2, Wobbly Cannon, and Fun Guy 4 encourage hands-on discovery as waterplayers rotate, aim, and explore different spray patterns. The Fun-Brella, a splash pad favourite, adds a moment of wonder with its smooth laminar water effect, creating a playful shield of water for curious minds to gather beneath. 

Gentler ground sprays placed throughout the splash pad create welcoming play moments for younger children or waterplayers who prefer a lower-energy experience. A Power Post Activator puts control into the hands of the children using the space, allowing them to start the fun when they are ready while helping conserve water when the splash pad is not in use. 

The splash pad surfacing showcases beautiful artwork by Leanne Watson, an Aboriginal artist from the Darug Custodian Aboriginal Corporation. With colourful motifs inspired by the land, local culture, and community stories, the artwork helps root the space in its surroundings while creating a stronger connection between aquatic play, culture, and community. 

Shade sails bring comfort to the splash pad, helping protect children from the intense Western Sydney sun while keeping the space cool, welcoming, and ready for longer play sessions. Around the perimeter, sandstone blocks create relaxed seating where parents and guardians can stay close to the action, connect with neighbours, and watch the fun unfold. 

Creating space for the new splash pad meant relocating the existing beach volleyball courts 50 metres west. The thoughtful shift supported safer site planning, helping reduce the risk of unsupervised children on the splash pad, while opening the door for a bright new aquatic play experience at Charlie Lowles Leisure Centre. 

Funded by the NSW Government’s Western Sydney Infrastructure Grants Program, the splash pad complements the centre’s six swimming pools and broader leisure facilities. Packed with interactive features, inclusive play opportunities, cultural artwork, and refreshing moments of play, the outdoor splash pad at Charlie Lowles Leisure Centre gives children and families a lively place to beat the heat, stay active, and spend time together. The result is a community-minded aquatic play space that strengthens Emerton’s reputation as a premier recreational destination.