Graceville Memorial Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Graceville Memorial Park |
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War memorial, 2014
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| Location | 173 Oxley Road, Graceville, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1900 - 1914 (early 20th century) |
| Built | 1904 |
| Official name: Graceville Memorial Park, Graceville Recreation Reserve | |
| Type | state heritage (built, landscape) |
| Designated | 5 September 2006 |
| Reference no. | 602443 |
| Significant period | 1904-1950s (fabric, historical) 1904 - (social) |
| Significant components | staircase/stairs - divided, sports field/oval/playing field, memorial - column, memorial - tree/avenue of trees, basement / sub-floor, croquet lawn, memorial - drive/road, grandstand, machinery/plant/equipment - transport - road, clubroom/s / clubhouse, flagpole/flagstaff |
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Graceville Memorial Park is a special park in Graceville, Queensland, Australia. It's located at 173 Oxley Road in the City of Brisbane. This park was first opened in 1904. It's also known as Graceville Recreation Reserve and the Sherwood War Memorial. Because of its important history and features, it was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 5 September 2006. This means it's a protected site that tells us a lot about the past.
Contents
What's the History of Graceville Memorial Park?
Graceville Memorial Park is in a flat, low area of Graceville. It officially became the Graceville Recreation Reserve in 1904. By 1926, people started calling it Graceville Memorial Park. The park got a bit bigger in July 1979 when some empty land was added to create a path to Churchill Street.
How Did Graceville Area Begin?
From 1840 to 1859, the land where Graceville is now was used for sheep and cattle. After 1859, it was divided into farms, usually about 30 to 40 acres in size. Farmers grew crops like maize, potatoes, and bananas. They even tried growing cotton and sugar cane for a while.
The area was quite isolated until a railway line was built in 1875. This line connected Ipswich to Brisbane. Graceville started to be divided into blocks for homes in the 1880s, and the Graceville railway station opened in 1886.
How Did the Park Become a Sports Hub?
In the late 1880s, people in Queensland became more interested in healthy outdoor activities. The grassy, flood-prone land where the park now stands was used for lacrosse games in the 1890s. As more sports clubs formed, local councils were asked to provide places for them to play.
In May 1904, the Queensland government officially made 14 acres of this grassland the Graceville Recreation Reserve. The local council, Sherwood Shire Council, was put in charge of the park. Since then, the park has mostly been used for team sports like cricket and hockey. Other sports like soccer, rugby league, and Australian Rules football have also been played here.
A croquet club and a tennis club also started using the park. Even aviators might have used the park as a landing strip in the 1920s!
Remembering Heroes: The War Memorial
After World War I, many Australians felt deep sadness because 60,000 service members had died overseas. This led to many memorials being built across the country.
When Was the War Memorial Built?
A special memorial was unveiled in Graceville Recreational Reserve on 28 November 1920. Lieutenant E.M. Little, who was the chairman of the local R.S.S.A.L.I.A., led the ceremony. People donated money to pay for the memorial, which cost £225. It was designed by Mr. I. Bennet and built by Andrew Lang Petrie Monumental Works.
The memorial has a copper scroll with the names of 51 soldiers and one nursing sister from the Sherwood Shire who died in the war. Later, between 1985 and 1996, a low sandstone wall was built around the monument. Three flagpoles were also added. Plaques for each of the three armed services have been placed on the monument since 1985. In 2004, sandstone pavers replaced the old bitumen around the memorial.
What Are the Memorial Trees?
Before the memorial was unveiled, 52 memorial trees were planted. Bunya pines and cotton trees were planted in a single row along Plumridge Street and Appel Street. Today, 29 bunya pines and 11 cotton trees still stand. Some people say there were plaques on these trees, but they were gone by the 1950s.
An avenue of bauhinias, cabbage tree palms, and Chinese elms was also planted. These trees lined a drive from Oxley Road to the memorial. Another line of figs and camphor laurels continued west from the memorial.
A field gun, captured by Australian soldiers in France during World War I, was also placed near the memorial in the 1920s. However, it was removed before 1952.
Sports Facilities at the Park
In 1925, the Sherwood Shire became part of the City of Greater Brisbane. The park continued to focus on sports. By 1924, it had three cricket ovals, with shelters and changing rooms. It also had three croquet lawns and two tennis courts.
Graceville Croquet Club
The Graceville Croquet Club started in March 1919. Many wives of soldiers who had returned from the war wanted their own sports activities. The Sherwood Shire Council leased part of the park to the croquet club in May 1919. The croquet clubhouse was likely built between 1924 and 1929. The Brisbane City Council still leases the building to the club today.
Western Suburbs District Cricket Club
The Western Suburbs District Cricket Club formed in 1921 and has been linked to the park since 1924. In 1928, the Queensland Cricket association leased the main playing ovals.
The Cricket Grandstand
The grandstand facing the number one oval was opened in September 1936. It was built by H. Sanham, with the Brisbane City Council as the architect. This brick and timber building cost £1000. The changing rooms and storage area inside have been updated over time.
The grandstand is a rectangular building with a timber roof. It has tiered seating supported by an orange brick base. This base holds two changing rooms, toilets, and a storage area. A scorer's desk is in an upper row of the seating. A divided timber staircase leads up to the viewing area.
Cricket Ovals and Other Facilities
The park's three original cricket ovals were later combined into two main ovals. These now have turf wickets. A concrete wicket is located where the third oval used to be. The cricket clubhouse, east of the grandstand, started as a refreshment stall around 1946 and was expanded in the 1960s.
Other Sports and Features
The Brisbane Hockey Association has used the ovals in winter since 1941. The Graceville United Soccer Club also used the park for winter games in 1955. Floodlights were installed around the park by 1961 for night training.
Other buildings in the park include a toilet block built in the late 1960s. The playground was there by 1961, and its equipment has been updated several times. A bikeway path was built around the park's edge in 1991.
The Historic Steamroller
In 1996, a steamroller that had been in the playground since the 1960s was moved. It was restored and placed inside a special roofed shelter. This steamroller is an "S" type, built between 1923 and 1925 in England. It's listed as an "Engineering and Industrial Heritage Site" because it's an important piece of history.
What Does Graceville Memorial Park Look Like Today?
Graceville Memorial Park is bordered by Oxley Road to the east, Plumridge Street to the north, and Appel Street to the west. It's just east of the Ipswich to Brisbane railway line and covers about 6.6 hectares (about 16 acres). You can drive into the park from Oxley Road along the memorial drive. Pedestrians can enter from any side.
The park is flat and features many trees and buildings. The main cricket oval is near Oxley Road, the second oval is in the middle, and a concrete wicket is in the northwest corner.
Trees and Green Spaces
Mature memorial bunya trees and cotton trees are planted along the northern and western edges of the park. The avenue of bauhinia, cabbage tree palms, and Chinese elms runs from Oxley Road to the war memorial. A single row of figs and camphor laurels continues west from the memorial. Behind the grandstand, there are two large Moreton Bay fig trees and two more bunya pines. The Oxley Road side still has some old fig and palm trees, along with newer ones.
The War Memorial
The war memorial is at the western end of the memorial tree avenue, on the south side of the park. It's a polished grey granite column on a pedestal, sitting on a stepped base. Sandstone tiles and a low sandstone fence surround the 5.5-meter (about 18-foot) tall monument.
The column has a gold laurel wreath on its north side and is topped with a polished ball etched with a map of Australia and the word "ANZAC." The north side of the pedestal lists the names of fallen heroes from the Sherwood Shire. It also has plaques for World War I, World War II, and later conflicts like Korea, Malaya, Borneo, and Vietnam. Badges for the Royal Australian Navy, Army, and Air Force are also displayed. Three flagpoles stand to the west of the monument.
Croquet Clubhouse
The croquet clubhouse and its three playing lawns are along Appel Street. Small shaded areas with seating are around the lawns. The clubhouse is a rectangular timber building with a gabled roof. It has a modern shade structure at the southern entrance and an extension at the northern end. Inside, it has a timber floor, and the walls and ceiling are covered with fibrous cement sheeting. It's used for tables and chairs, and has a small kitchen and toilet. Two timber honor boards are displayed inside.
The changing shed for the number two oval is a timber building with a skillion roof. It has an extension that serves as a small garage.
Why is Graceville Memorial Park Important?
Graceville Memorial Park was listed on the Queensland Heritage Register because it meets several important criteria.
Showing Queensland's History
The park helps us understand how Queensland's history has changed. Its use for team sports from the 1890s until today shows how much people cared about healthy recreation. The park also shows how many sports clubs grew after World War I. The fact that the Brisbane City Council spent money on a cricket grandstand during the Great Depression shows how important sport was to Queenslanders even during tough times.
The park's War Memorial, with its memorial avenue and rows of bunya and cottonwood trees, shows how people grieved after World War I. It represents both community sadness and national pride.
Unique Features
Graceville Memorial Park has features that are now rare in suburban parks. This includes the beautiful and strong grandstand built between the World Wars. The large formal plantings of memorial bunya trees are also very uncommon.
A Great Example of a Park
The park is a good example of its type. It has open spaces for recreation, sports facilities, clubhouses, and a grandstand. The War Memorial is the main focus, and memorial trees border the park.
Beautiful and Meaningful
As a large open space with lovely mature trees, the park is a landmark. The memorial avenue of trees creates a special path to the War Memorial and clearly marks the park's southern edge. The mix of cottonwood and bunya trees creates a striking look with their different sizes and shapes. The well-designed cricket grandstand adds to the park's beauty and is a great example of the Brisbane City Architect's work from the 1930s.
Strong Community Connection
The war memorial in the park has a strong and ongoing connection with the community. It reminds people of a major historical event and is a central place for remembering it. The park is also important to the local area as a place for sports and recreation for many generations. It has a long history with the Graceville Croquet Club and the Western Suburbs District Cricket Club.
Images for kids
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Grandstand, 2014
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Playground, 2014
