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The History of Stanley Children's Playfield By John Allan In recent years I have heard the King George V Memorial Playing Field referred to as the Saint Mary's Playing Field. Present and future administrators, law makers, historians etc. should remember that since July 21, 1938 that parcel of land rightly belongs to the children of the Falkland Islands. The story began on June 3, 1936 when the British Prime Minister addressed the nation on the subject of an institution throughout the United Kingdom and Colonies set up to provide playing fields for children in memory of King George V. Later that month an eleven member committee, chaired by the Colonial Secretary, was appointed in Stanley for the purpose of recommending a site and of raising the necessary funds in order that a memorial of this nature might be established in the Falkland Islands. Two years later, although some funds had been raised, the Committee had been unable to obtain a suitable site, but on July 21, 1938 Governor Henniker-Heaton suggested they use the plot of land known as Old School Green on Saint Mary's Walk which was unanimously agreed as most suitable for the purpose and the work of putting the playing field in order was proceeded with almost immediately. At that time, the amount in the fund was £282 and the estimate necessary to create the field complete with all necessary playground apparatus including ornamental gates was £1,000. (This sum equated to the cost of building two houses in Stanley at that time.) The Committee then appealed to the general public for subscriptions towards defraying the costs, "…. of a playing field which the children of the Colony will always have as their own as a memorial to the King." A total of £564 was raised and credited to the fund with the Government Savings Bank and, after paying for the levelling of the site and the ordering from the UK of two pre-cast stone panels intended for each side of the entrance gate, the sum of £275 was left in the Bank. World War Two interrupted any further developments and the Stanley children continued to play on it always referring to it as 'The Green' although during the war years the Agricultural Department had hay stacks on the east end which were a great asset for us kids to play on, and during the early years of the army garrison, canteen and cookhouse facilities were built there in the form of Nissen huts. By July of 1946 the Colonial Secretary's office was again asking for ideas on how to complete the project. The lads of Naval Party 8901 (Royal Marines) kindly erected the first fence around the field and set up playing apparatus but I do not know who authorised the Government to site the Electricity Sub Station on the east end of the field in recent years. The stone castings for the intended gate were still stored in the Government Central Store in the mid-1960s. The facilities offered on the field today are a credit to the community and much appreciated but, children of Stanley, never forget that the field is your in perpetuity. Our thanks to the author John Allan for kindly allowing us to publish this article
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Introduction, Brief
History, Timeline, 1982
Timeline, 1982 Documents, Articles,
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