Roma Street Parkland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Roma Street Parkland |
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Roma Street Parklands looking towards the Brisbane CBD
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| Location | Brisbane, Australia |
| Area | 16 hectares (40 acres) |
| Created | 6 April 2001 |
| Operated by | City Parklands Transition Services Pty Ltd through Brisbane City Council, |
Roma Street Parkland is a huge park covering 16 hectares right in the middle of Brisbane, Australia. It's next to the Brisbane Transit Centre and the Roma Street train station, which is where it gets its name. You can easily walk into the park from the train station, Albert Street, and an area that used to be called Albert Park near Wickham Terrace.
There's also a car park if you're driving. You can get to it from the intersection of Wickham Terrace, College Road, and Gregory Terrace. Roma Street Parkland is known as the world's biggest subtropical garden located in a city centre! The park has many different themed gardens and fun areas. There are lots of paths and boardwalks that go over flowing waterways and rocky spots. You'll also find cool artworks by 16 local artists throughout the park.
Contents
History of Roma Street Parkland
Ancient Times and Early Settlement
For thousands of years, local Aboriginal people used this area for important meetings and ceremonies. It was a special place for them.
In 1825, the Roma Street Parkland area became part of the very first Brisbane settlement. Later, in 1875, a train station was built at Roma Street. This station was part of the Main Line railway, which connected Brisbane to Ipswich and Toowoomba.
Growth of the Railway Yard
The train station grew into a major place for moving goods around Brisbane. Between 1911 and 1934, the area was changed a lot to handle more trains and services. Around 1920, a huge amount of earth was dug up. This digging permanently changed the landscape, creating the steep edge you see today, which was once the boundary of Albert Park.
During World War II, the train station was super important. It helped move war supplies and soldiers to the north.
From Railway to Parkland
The Roma Street train station kept growing to serve both local and long-distance trains. However, the site became too small for modern freight handling, which uses large containers. Because of this, the railway facility eventually moved to Acacia Ridge in 1991.
In February 1995, the State Premier, Wayne Goss, announced that the old railway goods yard would be turned into a park. Construction started in 2000, and the park opened to the public in 2001. Even before it opened, the project won an award for its cool and unique concrete designs!
Amphitheatre
Roma Street Parkland has an outdoor theatre called an amphitheatre. This theatre was actually part of Albert Park for many years before Roma Street Parkland was created.
Movies and Shows
During the summer, a company called Moonlight Cinema sets up an outdoor movie experience here. You can enjoy hot food, drinks, and film festivals.
Many plays are performed at the Amphitheatre. The Queensland Theatre Company and the Queensland Shakespeare Ensemble often put on shows, including many plays by William Shakespeare. Other theatre productions and even orchestral concerts have also been held here. For example, a concert with music by Johann Strauss called "Strauss Beneath the Stars" was performed in 1983.
Before Riverstage was built in the City Botanic Gardens, Brisbane's big Christmas carols concert, "Lord Mayor's Christmas Carols," was held at the Albert Park Amphitheatre.
Images for kids
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Mosaic map of the park
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Map of the park
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Fern Gully
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Water feature
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Eastern water dragon in the park.
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Rainbow lorikeet (Trichoglossus haematodus) in the parklands.
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Juvenile Eastern water dragon in the park.
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Common brushtail possum in the park.
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Black flying fox - Pteropus alecto - feeding on a palm tree in the parklands.
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Cuddles the Carpet Python local resident in the Spectacle Garden.
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Roma Street Parklands in c. 2000 before construction began
