BRM 5.9 Parklands in Bracken Ridge

Parklands in Bracken Ridge

Albion Park (Ascot Park)	11 Cluden Place
Bald Hills Creek Park	239A Bracken Ridge Road
Barbour Road Park	17 Canterbury Street	Activity space (basketball half court), playground (The Oaks), water (bubbler/tap)
Barrett Street Park (water reserve) (Barrett Street Reserve, Bracken Ridge Reserve)	20 Snooker Street	Barbecue (electric), basketball/netball facility (half basketball court), bikeway, dog off-leash area including area for small dogs, picnic area, playground, toilet, water (bubbler/tap/dog bowl)
C. Slaughter Park	21 Ranes Court	Playground
Denning Road Park (no. 30)	30 Denning Road
Enbrook Parkland	30 Telegraph Road	Playground, shared pathway, water (bubbler/tap)
Eucalypt Place Park	2 Eucalypt Place	Shared pathway
Ewan Place Park	27 Ewan Place	Playground
Fabian Place Park	27 Fabian Place
Ferguson Park (Bracken Ridge) (Utah Foundation Playground)	201 Barrett Street	Ferguson Park Community Centre, playgrounds (Barett Street, Ferguson Park Community Centre), sporting facility, water (bubbler/drinking fountain)
Fred Francis Park	280 Bracken Ridge Road	Barbecue (electric), basketball/netball facility (basketball half court), bikeway network, picnic area (Brookvale Place), playground (Brookvale Place), shared pathway, skate park, water (bubbler/tap), wetland
Gawler Crescent Park	219 Norris Road
Harold Dean Park	93 Gawain Road	Playground
Isaac Best Park	70C Wickfield Street	Basketball/netball facility (half basketball court), bikeway, playground, water (bubbler/tap)
McPherson Park	146 Denham Street	Bracken Ridge District Cricket & Athletic facility, Bracken Ridge Guides, Bracken Ridge Scouts, Model Train Club, barbecue (electric), basketball half court, car park (Denham Street), picnic area, playground, shared pathway, toilet, water (bubbler/tap)
Mensforth Bushland	122 Childs Street	Shared pathway
Michael Place Park	70 Barbour Road	Shared pathway
Nicole Street Park	22 Nicole Street
Peter Gaskell Park	9 Maple Close	Playground
Quinlan Street Park	54 Barrett Street
Strowe Place Park	35 Strowe Place
Talltrees Street Park	17 Talltrees Street	Playground
Telegraph Road Park	Telegraph Road and Whitby Street, near Norris Road
Wendy Turnbull Park	47 Enbrook Street	Playground
Woodcroft Street Park	107 Barrett Street
Woodcroft Street Park (no. 67)	67 Woodcroft Street

http://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/facilities-recreation/parks-venues/parks/parks-suburb/bracken-ridge-parks

All sorts of people from all sorts of lives, have contributed in their own particular way for the advancement of the suburb.

Many are recognised on the parks throughout the suburb.  Local people who have contributed in their own way to create a community.

Martin Quinlan after whom Quinlan Street was most probably named  was the Mayor of Sandgate he was elected in 1893.   Mayor Quinlan died in 1916

(There are quite a few other long standing families mentioned)

Mr Isaac Best was a butcher in Sandgate, and the Best owned property on Board Street.  Mr Best was a racehorse trainer at the Deagon Racecourse.

Fred Francis attended the Methodist Sunday School in Sandgate

Harold Dean was the Alderman and State Member

Wendy Turnbull was a Sandgate local, who excelled in Tennis.

Wendy Turnbull was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 1984. In December 1993, the city of Brisbane named a public park in her honour. She was inducted into the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame in 2009

There was much excitement in Bracken Ridge the day the park was opened.  We used to have "picnics" in the park when some of them were opened.

Bill Brown Oval

There is one park that is now classed as being located in Fitzgibbon, which owes its beginnings to Bracken Ridge Cricket Club.  The land was originally the old rubbish tip.

It is the Bill Brown Oval.  Not named after any resident, but in memory of Bill Brown a well known Australian cricketer who died aged 95.

Excerpt from a story by Michael Crutcher, 18 Mar 2008

Cricket fans, especially from the younger generation, treasured any conversation with Bill Brown.
Not only was he one of 41 men to call themselves an Australian Test captain, but Brown had a wit and memory to match that most prestigious of titles.

Before his death on Sunday, aged 95, Brown was Australia’s oldest surviving Test cricketer, providing an irreplaceable link to one of the nation’s most famous cricketing eras.

Brown played alongside the likes of Bradman, Ponsford, O’Reilly and Grimmett and his career stretched into the famous Invincibles tour of England in 1948.

But he also played against some great names, like Hutton, Hammond and Hobbs, and he could provide insight into those players unmatched by textbooks and film reels.

Before Australia played England at The Oval in 2001, Brown’s wit and memory was typically sharp.
“If you’re watching that game on television, make sure you have a look for my footprints at short fine-leg,” Brown said.

“Because I’m sure they’re still there from 1938. That’s where I was fielding when Len Hutton batted and batted and batted.

Boy, weren’t they a tough few days.”



Hutton made a world record 364 and Australia collapsed to its worst ever Test loss despite the efforts of Brown, who made 69 as the tourists battled without the ill Don Bradman.

That was one of just two losses Brown suffered in his 22-Test career, which would have been much greater if the second World War had not intervened.
Brown served in the Pacific as a flight lieutenant in the Royal Australian Air Force after marrying Barbara Hart in 1940 – a union that endured until his death.

When Brown resumed Test cricket in 1946 after an eight-year break, he led Australia in its first ever Test against New Zealand.



Bracken Ridge today
Compared to the 1984 map, there is one thing missing  -  open undeveloped land!

From the Scottish immigrants, the speculators, the settlers, the farmers, those who fought in two Wars and countless other battles, the developers, those who have given their time working on community projects, coaching sporting teams, all of them called Bracken Ridge home.

Memories are history.  The key to the past.  This History of Bracken Ridge can be expanded with the help of those other clubs and organisations who have not, as yet, written about their contribution to the suburb.   

This publication is a compilation of resourced material,  particularly relative to the landowners of Bracken Ridge from 1845 for the purpose of research and education..  Existing authors and existing web links are acknowledged with links provided for additional research.    

Copyright © 2016 Kristine Margaret Herron

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non commercial uses permitted by copyright law, and the holder of the copyright acknowledged. No part of this publication can be used for the financial gain of a third party.  

Discussion and requests"   brackenridgehistory@gmail.com