Bracken Ridge Ward

MAP OF BRACKEN RIDGE WARD

Bracken Ridge ward takes in the northern most parts of Brisbane City, including the suburbs or part of the suburbs of: Bald Hills, Bracken Ridge, Carseldine, Fitzgibbon and parts of Aspley, Geebung, Zillmere and small parts of Bridgeman Downs and Deagon.

PARKS AND RESERVES

BALD HILLS PARKS AND RESERVES

Barungwarra Bushland Reserve
This stretch of reserve runs to the north of Bald Hills' Canterbury Estate along the Pine River between the Gympie Arterial and Canterbury Park.  You can access the reserve from the northern end of Bald Hills Road and also from various walkway entrances from the Canterbury Estate.
This area offers flat walking trails and an informal boat ramp access for small boats.

An unfenced dog off-leash area is located at the north-eastern section close to the Highway where dogs cano roam free, but under the control of their owners.

A picturesque bikeway path circuit travels along the Pine River from Barungwarra Reserve to Canterbury Park and loops back to the boat ramp carpark.

Barungwarra Reserve is the home of the bushcare group, the Bald Hills Bushies. The Bald Hills Bushies celebrated their 10th Anniversary in October 2005. The Bald Hills Bushies was founded in October 1993 and meets on the third Saturday of each month, planting and weeding to beautify and restore this once-ravaged area. The area had previously been a sand and gravel extraction site and when the company moved on there was not a blade of grass in sight. Rocks the size of a man’s fist covered the ground and the coarse sand left behind was so salty that nothing would grow. This area is now transformed into bushland with walking tracks. The transformation brought about by the Bald Hills Bushies is nothing short of amazing. Rick Natrass has told the Bushies that they have created one of the most diverse bird habitats in Brisbane.

Bert Wolfe Park
This small park between Ulva and Treen Streets offers playground equipment for the children.
History: This park was named after long-time resident of Bald Hills, Bert Wolfe, who had lived in the same house backing on to the park for 34 years when it was named in 1986.

Canterbury Park
Wide open spaces stretching from Feurriegel Road, Rushworth Street to the Pine River. This is a beautiful area with plenty of green open space and it has a long flat walking path for exercise enthusiasts.  It has several large lagoons that are abundant with a variety of wildlife and is a pleasant place to sit and enjoy a family picnic. It provides an unfenced dog off-leash area with dog exercise equipment in the northern end facing the Pine River to allow pets to roam free. Other facilities include exercise bases along the walkway, a half court basketball, playground equipment, picnic shelter, tap and wheelchair access. This park is used to provide the Council’s Active Healthy Parks programmes, which offer fitness walks (medium/fast) and other activities. For more information go to Active Healthy Activities for Bald Hills.
Canterbury Park is also the home of the Bald Hills and Lawnton Cricket Club. The cricket fields and amenity block are located to the west of the lagoons with access from Feurriegel Road.

Eaton Reserve
An open space reserve off Elstree Street named in the honour of this pioneering family.

History: The land where the park is situated was once farmland owned by the Eaton family. The family operated a dairy farm and were descendants of the original Eaton family who first settled at Eaton's Crossing in 1858. The sign depicting the name of the park is situated near a Silky Oak tree, which is the only remaining tree left from the farm. A plaque has been erected in memory of Bill and Elsie Eaton and their family.

Gus Davies Park
A popular park for local families off Charlock Road and Kyeema Crescent offering a basketball facility, bbq, picnic shelter, playground equipment, rebound wall and small bicycle jumps.
There is also a fenced offleash area so you can bring man’s best friend for a play too.
History: Augustus (Gus) Davies was born in 1883 of Aboriginal heritage and lived in the Bald Hills area for most of his life. He was popularly known as “Digger” Davies because of his outstanding record of military service, having enlisted in the army in both World Wars. In his later years he operated a very popular hire-boat business along the Pine River and Wyampa Road. He was tragically drowned in 1965, at the age of 72 years, after a heart attack while walking along the river.

Harold Kielly Park
A picturesque park off Hoyland Street and Bracken Ridge Road West overlooking the lagoons where swans nest each year along with other waterbird and marine life.
This park offers the community facilities of electric bbq, flying fox, fitness exercise equipment, playground equipment for children and picnic shelter.
This park is home to the Bracken Ridge West/Bald Hills Scouts and their clubhouse.
History: Harold Keilly was born to Patrick and Ellen, who both worked on the railway, Patrick as a ganger and Ellen as a gatekeeper at the Taigum level Crossing. Harold attended Sandgate State School and in 1909 went to work for Shepherd & Co Cordial makers, and subsequent owners of the company, delivering soft drinks by horse and wagon around Brisbane and Redcliffe until being made redundant in 1928 at the approach of the Great Depression. He married Nellie Weeks in 1915 and had three children, Margaret, William and Patrick. Harold continued to work in the Sandgate area, mainly as a bread carter, until he turned 65 in 1959. He died in 1961, and he and his wife are buried in the Bald Hills Historical Cemetery.

John Stewart Park
A small popular picturesque park with quaint flowering native gardens nestled between Gympie Road and Fairway Street.  This park offers beautiful views overlooking the Bald Hills Flats and South Pine River and out to the mountains beyond.
This park has recently been upgraded with new playground equipment, a rebound wall, gas bbq, picnic shelter and is fully fenced for children's safety.
History: John Stewart came out from England in the 1840s on a ship called the ‘Anne Milne.’ He settled in the Hunter region and decided to move north and join the friends he met on the voyage, including Thomas Grey, following a flood in 1856. It was Thomas who recommended the area around Bald Hills for them to settle.

Kluver Street Lions Park
A small park on Kluver Street nestled in between Chervil and Bergamot Streets and has playground equipment for children. The playground is fenced and offers lots of shade.

Stanley Day Park
A popular community park with a sporting heart, is accessible from Grand Street with playground equipment for children adjoining soccer playing fields.
This park is home to the Ridge Hills Soccer Club and their clubhouse.  The eastern part of the park is part of the wetlands belt which joins the Tinchi Tamba wetlands

Thomas Grey Park
This park is on Sanicle Street nestled between Arnica Crescent and Tahini Street.  Its facilities for the community include a picnic bench/table, sporting court and playground equipment for children.
History: Thomas Grey came out from England in the 1840s on a ship called the ‘Anne Milne.’ He went on to become a bootmaker with a shop in George Street in the 1850s. When friends he had made on the voyage moved north from the Hunter region following a flood in 1856, it was Thomas who recommended the area around Bald Hills for them to settle.
Tinchi Tamba Wetlands Reserve including Deep Water Bend
Tinchi Tamba Wetlands lies between the Pine River and Bald Hills Creek and is bounded by Bracken Ridge Road, Gateway Arterial Road and the Bruce Highway. Mangroves fringe the waterways and Saltmarsh and Tidal Wetlands cover about half of the 380 hectares while the rest is woodland, native lowland vegetation and includes a park area at Deepwater Bend. The mangrove lined estuary is an important nursery for many of Moreton Bay’s marine species.  Bird species include some rarely seen in Brisbane like jabiru, avocets and magpie geese to name a few. The wetlands also provide important resting and feeding grounds for migratory shore birds.

Deep Water Bend and the Wetlands are accessed from Wyampa Road off Bracken Ridge Road West. An increasingly popular area for family outings the reserve offers excellent opportunities for fishing and boating enthusiast, with access to the upgraded boat ramp and new launching pontoon. However please note fishing is not permitted from the boat ramp as fishing platforms are provided.
This reserve has something for everyone from play equipment for young children, picnic shelters, toilets and car park at Deep Water Bend to a bird hide and boardwalks in the wetlands, or just that peaceful place to read your favourite novel.  A new bikeway link connects from Harold Keilly Park through to the east of Bald Hills' Northwind Estate to Deepwater Bend.

BRACKEN RIDGE PARKS AND RESERVES

Barrett Street Reserve
This park has big open spaces and is accessible from Barrett and Snooker Streets and is well known as the water reservoir with beautiful views of the city and Fishermans Island.  The park is popular with dog owners as it offers a fenced off-leash area.   Families enjoy the many facilities on offer including bikeway/walkway, playground equipment for children, half-court basketball, skating, picnic shelter, barbecues, tap, toilets and car park. This park is used to provide the Council’s Active & Healthy Parks programmes offering Group Fitness, Tai Chi lessons and other activities from time to time. For more information go to Active & Healthy Activities in Bracken Ridge.

C. Slaughter Park
This piece of parkland located between Phillips Street and Ranes Court, adjoining the back of St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School.  The park offers playground equipment for children.
History: The Slaughter family settled in Sandgate in 1859. After the death of his father, 16-year-old Charles was appointed to take charge of the first telegraph office in Sandgate. After he resigned from the Postmaster-General's Department, he moved to Bracken Ridge with his wife Mary Ann. He became a successful pineapple farmer in the Phillips Street area. Charles and Mary Ann celebrated 50 years of marriage while living at Bracken Ridge. They are buried in the Bald Hills Historical Cemetery.

Albion Park
This park is for the local residents to enjoy and is situated on Caulfield Street, Cluden and Doomben Places.

Enbrook Parklands
This expansive parkland is a popular park with the local families and is located on Telegraph Road with walkway access from Enbrook Heights estate adjoining the Bracken Ridge Plaza shopping centre. the walkway has lights for safety and convenience.
The park offers a boardwalk, picnic shelter, playground equipment for children and for the wildlife enthusiast it has bird nesting boxes, frog boxes and a frog pond.

Ferguson Park
This park is on the corner of Barrett and Bracken Streets and ideally located behind the Bracken Ridge Neighbourhood Centre, in particularly behind the Library, Ward Office and carpark.  It is a popular park for young families with playground equipment for children. Tennis Courts at the rear are available for hire by contacting Our Place on phone (07) 3269 4853.
History: The Ferguson family (Richard, Susan and their 18 children), farmed this area between the present Jude Street and the top of the ridge which overlooks Sandgate and the Bay. The land was reputed to cost seventy seven pounds and was named Bracken Ridge by its owners.

Fred Francis Park
This park can be accessed from Bracken Ridge Road, Bracken Street, St John Fisher Drive and from Sungate Estate via Greendale and Brookvale Places.  It offers a bikeway and skating, BMX and rollerblading facility.
History: Fred Francis came to Bracken Ridge with his wife, Isabella, around 1895. They had four children, John, Robert, Fred and Kathleen. Their farm was at the top of the ridge west of Slaughter Street.

Gawler Crescent Park
This small park is located on Gawler Crescent south before Gawler meets Whyalla Close.

Harold Dean Park
A small popular park accessible from Gawain Road, Lynette and Torre Streets.  It offers families a fenced playground area for children.
History: Harold Dean was an Alderman on the Brisbane City Council (Sandgate Ward) from 1952 to 1961. He served on the Works Committee and the Health Committee.

Isaac Best Park
This park in David Street offers a nice location for the nearby residents and their families to make use of the playground equipment for children, a half-court basketball and a picnic setting.
History: Isaac and Ann Best arrived in Australia in 1885. He operated the first transport business in Sandgate using horse-drawn vehicles and cabs.

McPherson Park
This park is well known for the Bracken Ridge Central Steam Railway, proudly run and operated by the Lions Club of Bracken Ridge Central. Steam Trains depart for fun and adventure on the fourth Sunday of the month between 10am and 3pm. Timetables are available by contacting Graham on 3261 1573/ 0408 082 971 or by calling into the Bracken Ridge Ward Office.
This park offers a variety of activities from trains to sporting and service groups. It is the home for Bracken Ridge Central Lions Club, Bracken Ridge District Cricket Club, Bracken Ridge Central Little Athletics, Bracken Ridge Scouts Group and Bracken Ridge Guides and their clubhouses.
The park is ideally accessible from Denham Street, Yaraan Street or Tomah Road. It adjoins Bracken Ridge State School and is conveniently located within easy walking distance from the tavern and shops.
This is a family orientated park offering playground equipment for children, walkway/bikeway, electric bbq, picnic shelter, cricket practice nets, half-court basketball, wheelchair access, tap and carpark. It was the first venue for ‘Movies in the Park’ in the Bracken Ridge Ward in 2006, a programme of entertainment for families in the suburbs introduced by Lord Mayor Campbell Newman.
McPherson Park is also the venue for 'Backyard Bonanza'. This annual event started in 2005 and provides a fun day out for families with entertainment, activities, stalls and a carnival atmosphere. It is held in conjunction with the Lions Steam Train rides. It is held in the first half of the year.
History: The McPherson family arrived in Australia in 1855. They were among the original settlers in the Bracken Ridge area having purchased 93 acres in 1862. John McPherson and his wife are buried in the Bald Hills Historical Cemetery. Their son, Russell continued farming until he was 87 years old and passed away in 1993.
Part of the estate was resumed in 1957 for the establishment of the Bracken Ridge State School. In 1976 5.5hectares of land between the school and the Tavern was designated as being reserved for recreational, playground and sporting facilities.

Mensforth Bushland
This a newly established parkland area. the is a bikepath running along the side of the park.
History: Edward and Jane Mensforth were original settlers in the area.
Ipswich born Edward Mensforth had problems with his legs and had to wear callipers.  He was nine years old before he could walk.
When Edward left school, he worked as a Moulder in the Ipswich Railway Workshop. He married Jane Denning. When work became scarce the couple moved to Botany Bay, eventually returning to Ipswich and then to Verney Street, Sandgate, with their children Edna and Edward Jnr. The Mensforth Family swapped their house in Ipswich for 15 acres of land on the corner of Quinlan Street and Barrett Streets, which belonged to Ann’s father, Henry Denning.
Mr Mensforth built a shed in Quinlan Street to provide accommodation until they arranged for a house to be moved from Deagon to Quinlan Street. They lived there for 20 years.
The Mensforth Family grew vegetables, corn sorghum and cow cane, which they chaffed.  The vegetables were taken to the markets by a carrier, Harold Aubury.  They also had cows, horses and one sheep. Occasionally they sold cow’s milk.  A swaggie camped on their property from time to time and Mr Mensforth and Edward Jnr would go and talk with him. The Mensforth’s house has been replaced with a brick home.  The family moved from Bracken Ridge in 1948, after buying a diary at Jimboomba.
Assistance with research kindly supplied by Mrs Grace Beecher of "Pearl-Haven", Joyner and the Sandgate District Historical Society Museum.

Oaks Park
A park for the locals to stretch their legs, is located on Barbour and Denning Roads, Canterbury and Randwick Streets and offers basketball/netball facility and playground equipment for children.

Peter Gaskell Park
A small park for the locals to enjoy. It is located on Elm Crescent and Maple Close, off Childs Street and offers playground equipment for children. History: Peter and Ellen Gaskill moved to Bracken Ridge in 1895 and purchased land on the eastern side of Jude Street. He farmed small crops and pineapples. Prior to that he worked for Isaac Best. In 1902 Peter bought more land in Bracken Street opposite the Uniting Church. Ellen was the sister of Fred Francis.

Talltrees Street Park
A family orientated park situated on Cardell Place and Talltrees Street, off Quinlan Street with playground equipment for children.

Wendy Turnbull Park
A park for local families on Caruso Place, Corvette Crescent and Enbrook Street with playground equipment for children. This park is a pleasant place to relax with views over the suburbs.
History: Wendy Turnbull attended Sandgate State High School. Wendy won nine Grand Slam Doubles and Mixed Doubles Championships and eleven Senior Grand Slam Titles in tennis and was nicknamed "Rabbit" because of her on-court speed.

BRIDGEMAN DOWNS PARKS AND RESERVES

Travorten Drive Park
This newer family park has some interesting play equipment for children including a hanging glide carousel, waterfall and chain, balance beam and picnic shelter. It is located on Travorten Drive.

CARSELDINE PARKS AND RESERVES

Allira Crescent Park
A small park for the locals and their families to enjoy located on Allira Crescent and Balcara Avenue.

Aspley Rest Park
A small popular park on the banks of Cabbage Tree Creek located on the corner of Gympie and Graham Roads, Carseldine. The park offers a picnic shelter, electric BBQ, tap, playground equipment for children, toilets with disabled access and bitumen car park.

Balcara Avenue Park
This park gives locals and their families somewhere to stretch their legs and is easily accessible on Balcara Avenue, off Beams Road.  There is also a walkway connecting the estate to Carseldine railway station.

Bensara Place Park
This residential park on the corner of Bensara Place and Salito Street offers playground equipment with shade for children.
Bowden Street Park
This park offers the local residents a place to stretch their legs along a flat walking path meandering along Cabbage Tree Creek.  It is accessed from walkways in Bowden Street and Kahli Place.

Canadel Street Park
A natural area adjoining Cabbage Tree Creek and located on Canadel and Kentia Streets, off Graham Road.
Chateau Street Park
This is a quiet residential park the runs from Chateau Street and Moselle Place.  The park has playground equipment for children to enjoy

Hawbridge Street
This small area borders the rare mud springs natural area and is situated at the corner of Graham Road and Hawbridge Street.  There is a picnic shelter there for residents to rest in the shade.
History of the Mud Springs: This is a rare geological land formation of which there are only possibly two in Australian.  Although the formation always existed, in 1946 they started to grow rapidly larger, until there were five mounds 3 metres high.  In 1970 a bore was sunk to 460 metres to look for natural gas.  Further tests showed there was a substantial amount of methane gas at 1300metres.  The mud goes down 30 metres.  A stream of water runs from a sub artesian basin behind Bald Hills. The water hits clay capping which is over a dome of gas.  In 1970 the Brisbane City Council removed the mounds when it excavated to lay a large water main across Graham Road.  As a consequence of excavation a huge amount of mud started to surge up from the hole accompanied by a dreadful smell of hydrogen sulphide gas. Hawbridge Street was isolated for eight weeks while the Council carted away truckloads of mud.  The land area around it then sank.  Sheet pilings were dumped on the mud to form a caisson, the pipes dragged through and 12 truckloads of concrete were placed over the pipes to hold them down.  The crust is only 15cm thick. It is advisable not to enter the fenced off area

Matisse Street Park
This small residential park provides a place for kids to run and kick a ball out in the open.  There is also playground equipment for local residential children to play. The park is located at the end of Matisse Street which is off Dorville Road north.

Matthew Gardiner Park
This park is found at the end of Salim Court and has walkway access from Denver Road.  A small park for the locals and their families to enjoy the open space and also has playground equipment for the children.
Matthew Gardiner came to area in about 1915 with his family, and the park is on or near the land which was farmed by him from 1915 until his death.

Nilkerie Street Park
This family oriented residential park has just received a facelift.
The park is situated between Nilkerie Street and Mulkarra Place. New playground equipment including a rock climbing wall, electric bbq, picnic shelter with lighting and also a tap including bubbler have recently been installed for the enjoyment of families in the area.

Pat Rafter Park (map ref 119 H14)
This parkland surrounds the Bridgeman Downs Country Club Estate. It runs along the western boundary from Medallion Place down behind Accolade Place and around to the northern end of the Estate.  The northern end of the parkland contains playground equipment for children and not far away a fenced “dog off leash area”.  A walkway runs along the western boundary and around the northern end to connect the estate through to the shops and service station on Gympie Road

Philip Vaughan Park (map ref 119 H2)
This parkland adjoins the Cabbage Tree Creek at the end of Nemira Street. The park is a must for active people as it has a cricket practice net, a half-basketball/netball court and children’s playground equipment.
Philip Vaughan and his family farmed land on both sides of Cabbage Tree Creek from 1943 to 1970. The family home was at 97 Albany Creek Rd where they grew grain feed for their Jersey dairy cattle and farmed poultry. The properties remained in the family until 1984 when the Graham Rd residential subdivision started and till the adjacent retirement village was proposed.

Somerset Park
133 Lacey Rd (map ref 109 L13)

Strawberry Farm Park
This park runs between Gympie Road and McCallum Street. There is a Basketball/Netball facility, boardwalk across the low-lying area and playground equipment for children

FITZGIBBON PARKS & RESERVES

Bill Brown Sports Reserve
This parkland runs on the southern side of Telegraph Road from Denham Street to Norris Road.   A section of this parkland adjoins Cabbage Tree Creek. At the eastern end of the reserve you will find Bramble Bay Pony Club with a variety of facilities for their club members.  Further along Telegraph Road is the open area that contains a cricket field, which has the facilities of public toilets, tap water and picnic shelter for shade.   
History: Bill Brown was a regular Queensland and Australian cricket player during and after the Bradman golden era. He was a member of the 1948 Invincibles. Bill played 37 matches for Queensland from 1936 to 1950, captaining the State team until he retired after the second test against South Africa in 1950 in which he scored 190. Bill resides at Carseldine.

Cambridge Crescent Park
The parkland runs along the banks of the Cabbage Tree Creek off Monash Place, Princeton Court and Roghan Road.  There is a pleasant walkway that runs along this area for the keep fit enthusiasts of Fitzgibbon.
The walkway continues under Roghan Road and follows the creek behind the streets of Pepperina Place and Jasmine Court to join up with Pine Tree Close Park and then links by bridge to the Caselgrove Estate and along the creek past the golf driving range to Beams Road.

Iris Place Park
This park offers a bikeway that runs along the Cabbage Tree Creek from Iris Place and Marigold Close around to Azalea Crescent.

Pine Tree Close Park
This playground has some interesting playground equipment consisting of a double swing, horse spring toy, bikeway and fort gardenville – play system.  It has access from Desert Willow Way, Jasmine Court, Pepperina Place and Pine Tree Close.

Silkyoak Circuit Park
This park offers a picnic shelter, play equipment for children including a log runner.  It is located on the corner of Orchid Crescent and Silkyoak Circuit.