A retro playground rocket in regional NSW has just received a major heritage upgrade, striking a nostalgic chord far beyond Moree.
The NSW State Heritage Register has officially added the Moree Rocket, a gleaming 1970s play structure that has loomed over generations of local childhoods. Installed in Kirkby Park in 1972, the galvanised steel rocket now stands as a rare surviving relic of Australia’s space-age playground boom.
At a time when the world fixated on the Moon landing and the possibilities of space travel, rockets like this appeared in parks across the state—from Sydney suburbs to country towns. Today, only two remain in their original locations: one in Moree and another in Deniliquin.
Moree’s link to the Moon landing
The Moree Rocket ties closely to the town’s own place in space history. In 1969, Moree played a quiet but crucial role in broadcasting the Apollo 11 Moon landing, with its Overseas Telecommunications Commission (OTC) satellite, now Telstra, helping relay footage captured by the Parkes telescope to the rest of the world.
Metal fabricator Dick West built the rocket and created 38 similar structures across NSW during the height of space-race enthusiasm. Most have since disappeared, making the Moree installation an increasingly rare example of mid-century playground design.
NSW Heritage Minister Penny Sharpe said the listing recognises the structure itself, but also the memories and shared experiences it represents. She said the Moree Rocket is a symbol of childhood in Australia, capturing the time people spent running around parks and playing with friends.
“These iconic playground structures speak to shared experiences across regional towns, city parks and road trips. They remind us of a time when the world was racing towards the Moon.”
She added that the listing challenges traditional ideas of what qualifies as heritage. “Our state’s history is in grand buildings and also lives in the everyday places, like the park down the street.”
A nostalgic centrepiece still standing
While the original rocket is no longer open for climbing due to modern safety standards, it remains a centrepiece of Kirkby Park, which now also features a towering 14-metre “Big Rocket” installed in 2009 alongside picnic areas, bike tracks and family-friendly facilities.
For many, though, it’s the smaller, older rocket that carries the most weight—a steel time capsule of an era when space felt closer, playgrounds were bolder and imagination did the heavy lifting.
