Queens Park, Ipswich facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Queens Park, Ipswich |
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View south from Limestone Hill Lookout, 2015
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| Location | Milford Street, Ipswich, City of Ipswich, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1840s - 1860s (mid-19th century) |
| Built | c. 1864 - 1960s |
| Official name: Queens Park | |
| Type | state heritage (built, landscape) |
| Designated | 27 September 2002 |
| Reference no. | 602356 |
| Significant period | c. 1864-1960s (fabric) 1858, 1862, 1893 (historical) 1858-ongoing (social) |
| Significant components | incinerator, tennis court, memorial - cairn, memorial - obelisk, gate - entrance, bushhouse/fernery, bowling green, clubroom/s / clubhouse, residential accommodation - staff housing, pathway/walkway, terracing, garden - bed/s, memorial - rotunda, trees/plantings, steps/stairway, croquet lawn, wall/s |
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Queens Park is a very old and important park in Ipswich, Queensland, Australia. It's known for its beautiful plants and green spaces. People have enjoyed this park since around 1864. It was officially added to the Queensland Heritage Register in 2002 because of its special history and features.
Contents
A Look Back: The History of Queens Park
Queens Park started as a special area in 1858. It was meant to be a botanic garden and a fun place for everyone to relax.
How the Park Began
Back in 1842, a man named Henry Wade first set aside land for a park in Ipswich. But people wanted a different spot. In 1856, a public meeting was held to choose the current park location. In 1858, the new park area was approved. It was much bigger than Queens Park is today. It even included two big limestone hills and a spring where Aboriginal people used to camp.
Early Days and Important People
In 1859, a group of important men from Ipswich became the first "trustees" for the park. They were like managers who looked after it. In 1862, they officially took charge of the land. The next year, they made rules for the park. These rules helped protect the plants and keep animals from grazing there.
Walter Hill, who was in charge of the Brisbane Botanic Gardens, helped design Queens Park in 1864. He also sent special trees like araucarias and cupressus for planting. By 1876, the park had a drive, entrance gates, and a fence. It was looking good! The park also got fruit trees and flowering shrubs. A house was built for the park's manager. Later, a bush house was built in 1890 and a band rotunda in 1891. Ipswich was famous for its bands, and many people came to listen to concerts in the park.
A Place for Science and Plants
Queens Park was not just for fun. It was also a place for science! It was like a plant testing station. They grew plants for Arbor Day and even sent some to the Brisbane Botanic Gardens. They even tried growing clover in 1891. The government gave a lot of money to the Ipswich gardens. This shows how important the work done there was.
How the Park Changed Over Time
Over the years, the park got smaller. A part of it was used for the railway, which opened in 1874. Two roads were also built through the park. This split the park into three parts. In 1893, the Ipswich City Council took over Queens Park. The southern part of the original land is now called Limestone Park.
Sports and Recreation in the Park
Different sports clubs also used parts of the park.
- The Ipswich Croquet Club started in 1902 and got a space for their game.
- The Ipswich Bowling Club began in 1910 and opened a bowling green in 1912. They built a clubhouse in 1914.
Turley's Influence: New Plants and Designs
In 1915, a man named F. W. Turley became the park's curator (manager). He had trained at Kew Gardens in England. Turley planted many more trees. He also planted bougainvillea flowers all over the park. He made them so popular that bougainvillea became Ipswich's flower symbol in 1930! One special red bougainvillea is even named "Turley's Special" after him.
Building During Tough Times
During the 1930s Depression, many big projects were built in the park. Walls, gates, and terraces were added. These were built by people who needed work. The park manager's house was moved to its current spot. In 1936, animal enclosures were built for a small zoo. It had emus, kangaroos, and ducks. At one time, it even had koalas and dingoes!
The sports clubs also built new clubhouses. In 1933, a clubhouse was designed for the Croquet Club. In 1934, one was built for the Ipswich Lawn Tennis Association.
The Incinerator Theatre
In 1935, a special building called the Walter Burley Griffin Incinerator was built in the park. It was designed by a famous architect, Walter Burley Griffin. It was used to burn the city's rubbish until 1960. But don't worry, it's not used for rubbish anymore! It was turned into a theatre in 1969 and is now home to the Ipswich Little Theatre. It's one of only a few like it left in Australia.
More Changes and New Additions
After World War II, a kindergarten was built in the park. In 1960, the park's entrance gates became separated from the main park due to a new one-way street system. The bowling club got a new clubhouse in 1967.
Queens Park is still growing and changing. In 2001, a beautiful Japanese garden called Nerima Japanese Garden was created.
Exploring Queens Park: What You'll See
Queens Park is a large area with many interesting features.
Natural Features and Stone Work
The park has two ridges made of a special type of limestone. This limestone has been used to build many cool stone features in the park. You'll see walls, steps, terraces, and gateways with round posts. They all have a unique style.
Near Brisbane Street, there's a hill with amazing limestone paths and terraces. It looks a bit like a stepped pyramid with trees on top. There are two memorials here. One remembers Allan Cunningham, a botanist and explorer. The other is for Thomas Glassey, an early politician from Ipswich.
Plants and Gardens
The park has many old trees. You can see hoop and bunya pines near the Chermside Road gates. There are also very old grass trees near the lookout. These trees might have been there when the park first started! Other planned plantings include fig trees, bottle trees, and bamboo. Many of F.W. Turley's bougainvillea plants are still there, making the park colorful.
Buildings in the Park
Queens Park has several buildings:
- The Curator's House: This old timber house has a corrugated iron roof. It's on a small hill. Inside, it still has some original features. Outside, a hedge is trimmed to spell "Queens Park"!
- The Incinerator Theatre: This building, once an incinerator, is now a theatre. It's known for its cool design and how it was saved and reused for the arts.
- Ipswich Lawn Tennis Association: This club has several tennis courts and a timber clubhouse with a tiled roof.
- Croquet Club: This club has a lawn for croquet and a timber clubhouse.
- Ipswich Bowling Club: Located in the northern part of the park, it has bowling greens and a two-story brick clubhouse.
Memorials and Other Features
You'll also find several memorials in the park:
- The Macfarlane Memorial (1894): This is a tall stone monument (obelisk) that remembers John Macfarlane, a former Ipswich mayor.
- The WB Darker Memorial Rotunda (1949): This is a hexagonal (six-sided) shelter with a metal roof. It's dedicated to Walter Darker, an important community leader.
- The Naval Monument (1967): This is a stone pile (cairn) with a metal anchor on top. It honors naval service members from the Ipswich area.
Other fun things in the park include an outdoor wedding chapel, a modern snack bar (kiosk), and a children's playground.
Why Queens Park is Special: Heritage Listing
Queens Park was added to the Queensland Heritage Register in 2002 for many important reasons.
A Glimpse into Queensland's Past
The park shows how Queensland developed. It was one of the first park reserves meant to be both a scientific botanic garden and a place for public fun. It also shows the history of sports in Ipswich, with croquet, bowls, and tennis clubs using the park for a long time.
A Unique Part of Our Culture
Queens Park was one of only a few government-run gardens in early settlements like Ipswich. This makes it a rare and special part of Queensland's history.
A Great Example of a Park
It's a wonderful example of an early "Queens Park." It started under the care of the Brisbane Botanic Gardens and local trustees. Later, the local council took over. It still has old plants, garden designs, stone walls, and other park structures that show how parks have changed over time.
Beautiful and Important to See
Queens Park is a major landmark in Ipswich. Its gentle hills and high location make it a beautiful part of the town. You can get great views from and to the park. It also has well-designed buildings, like the Walter Burley Griffin Incinerator and the sports clubhouses. The stonework made from local limestone is also very beautiful.
A Place for the Community
The park is very important to the people of Ipswich. It's a place where they can relax, visit the zoo area, play tennis, bowls, or croquet, listen to music at the rotunda, or even get married! It also provides plants for homes in Ipswich.
Connected to Important People
Queens Park is linked to the work of important people in Queensland's history. This includes Walter Hill, the first director of the Brisbane Botanic Gardens. It's also connected to F. W. Turley, the curator who planted many of the trees and designed parts of the park we see today. The park is also associated with the important Ipswich men who were its trustees and the architects who designed its buildings.
Images for kids
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Main entrance, Queens Park, Ipswich, 1940s
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A Tiger quoll at Queens Park, 2010
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Kangaroo and joey sculpture, 2010
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Curator's House, 2015
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Bush houses, 2015
