Brisbane would soon be home to a fourth inner-city parkland following Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner’s announcement to create the city’s biggest public park in about 50 years.
Under plans released by the Brisbane City Council, the 26-hectare council owned Victoria Park Golf Course, which is currently used as a ‘pay and play course’ would be transformed into large scale public parkland.
In recent years the golf course has seen a decline in patronage and a reduction in revenue.
“I am committed to protecting and expanding Brisbane’s precious green space, giving people more to see and do in a clean and green Brisbane,” Cr Schrinner said.
(BrisbaneDevelopment.com mock concept image)
“That’s why I’m announcing we’re turning Victoria Park Golf Course into the biggest park we’ve seen in 50 years, more than double the size of City Botanic Gardens in the CBD.
“The Victoria Park Vision will double the size of the existing park and deliver a green link that boosts the connectivity of the city fringe, including Kelvin Grove, Herston, Bowen Hills and the Brisbane showgrounds.
“When you think of some of great parklands across the globe, Central Park in New York City, Lumphini Park in Bangkok and Hyde Park in London come to mind for their hundreds of trees, free attractions and for offering people a green sanctuary within a busy capital city.
“People love and value the existing putt putt course and driving range, with more than 180,000 people using these facilities in the past financial year.
“Council is working collaboratively with the current tenants on this project to ensure the function centre, wedding venue, putt putt course and driving range continue to be the perfect destination for visitors of all ages at this fantastic location.
“During 2019-20, $1 million has been allocated to kickstart the community consultation and design for the Victoria Park Vision that will protect greenspace for future generations and help make Brisbane an even better place to live and relax.”
Cr Schrinner said the first step in his parkland vision was to consult with the community to find out what they want to see in Brisbane’s biggest inner-city park.
“Council will involve the community in every step of this planning process and will hold forums and public consultation as well as engage experts to create the best design for this green space,” he said.
“Other successful parklands across Brisbane have pop-up cinemas, different types of markets, community events and include revolutionary play areas for all ages. These are all options we will explore with the community.”
Cr Schrinner said car parking was available at Victoria Park, which is also accessible via the Herston busway station, with works already underway for improved direct access to the park from several points.
“Both lines of the high-frequency Brisbane Metro will transport passengers directly to the parkland via the Herston and Kelvin Grove stations in the future,” he said.
“The Victoria Park Vision will add to great new lifestyle opportunities that continue to see people flocking to the city to enjoy our sunny and laid-back lifestyle.”
From 2021, Council will begin works will start to transform the golf course into public parkland.
Victoria Park History
- 1800s – The Turrbal People used the land for ceremonies, to hunt, fish and perform corroborees until the 1850s.
- 1875 – The land was formally reserved as a significant park for Brisbane.
- 1922 – Municipal golf courses were being established across Australia and Queensland Golf Association asked Council to establish a golf course at Victoria Park.
- 1926– Lord Mayor William Jolly accepted the golf course proposal.
- 1931– Victoria Park Golf Course opened.
- 1942 – The US Army constructed temporary housing at the park during and after World War II. The housing was removed in the 1970s.
- 1959– Queensland celebrated its centenary, which included the construction of the popular Centenary Pool.
Parkland Size Comparisons
- Mt Coot-tha Botanic Gardens – 52 hectares – works started 1970, completed in 1976, extension opened in 2015.
- Victoria Park Vision – 45 hectares
- Brisbane City Botanic Gardens – 20 hectares – opened in 1855.
- South Bank Parklands – 17 hectares – opened for World Expo 88, it officially opened in 1992.
- Roma Street Parklands – 16 hectares – opened in 2001.
- New Farm Park – 15 hectares – opened in 1914.
Victoria Park Golf Course
Between 2009-10 and 2017-18:
- Putt putt patronage increased 60%
- Driving range patronage increased by 14%
- Golf course patronage decreased 16%
2017-18 patronage:
- Putt putt – 111, 677
- Driving range – 70,209
- Golf course – 34,890
- There will be a two-year transition, and Victoria Park Golf Course will remain open until 2021.
- Council also owns St Lucia Golf Links and a new public golf course at Cannon Hill is due for completion by the end of 2021.
- There are a further 15 golf courses in Brisbane.
Are they keeping the Putt Putt?
Yes the putt putt, function spaces, bistro and driving range are staying. It’s the actual 18 hole golf course that is becoming parkland. The wedding and function side of Victoria Park is too successful to get rid of. I suppose this way a park allows even more of the public to access and enjoy the area at one time. Even if you pay for golf, there’s a limit to the number of golfers or persons on the course at one time, including for weddings.
Can we keep 9 holes of golf. Or at least a Chip and putt like Bulimba.
leave Vic Park alone
There is no other public golf course on the north side of Brisbane
Its almost like St Lucia doesn’t exist at all….
I kinda of agree with you mate. Love the golf course.
Erm 10km away Ashgrove Golf Course
Fantastic Idea! Just returned last week from our last visit to Singapore, the Marina Bay park/gardens there (pictured in your article) are truly spectacular.
Great idea, making this area accessible to all rather than just golfers who have plenty of other options.
I agree with Brian. It needs to stay as a Golf Course. There are plenty of other regions in Brisbane that could do with a revamp. If the Mayor pursues this, he won’t be getting my vote at the next election that’s for sure.
Graphics are heavily influenced by (a complete copy-paste of) Singapore’s ‘Gardens By the Bay’ but it isn’t even mentioned in the article. I’d be very impressed if Brisbane could pull off something approaching the quality of that.
Excellent idea! To put it into perspective, Centennial Park in Sydney is 189 hectares (470 acres) and Singapore Gardens by the Bay is a nature park spanning 101 hectares (250 acres). Golfing is in decline and the space would be used by many more different types of people if it was repurposed. The community consultation approach with the vision and energy of a new lord mayor is a winning combination. There are still plenty of public golf course options as well as low-cost private golf courses on the north side.
the golf course is fabulous here. as a park its not well connected to anything. It not like people will wander in from the city to have lunch there – you only need to look at the Roma street parklands to see that.
What people would like is a green square returned to the CBD (instead of the concrete that is there now). Vic park is a fabulous asset as a golf course – leave it be.
How can this statement of the CBD being only concrete when Albert Street connects the Botanical Gardens and Roma Street Gardens either end with an EASY walk – try it some time. And of course there’s South Bank and its park/public areas in the supposed concrete jungle – somebody’s out of touch. The Newstead area is now highly developed with high rise accommodation and these people will have easy access to this new park. High praise from me to the council for justifying the existence of a future green space that accommodates families and the majority of people from all walks of life – not just a privileged few (i.e. an underused golf course where those with the money and expensive equipment can use on their once a week or less foray).
This is 1 of 3 sites for the potential Bne 2032 Olympic bid. My concern is for the mature trees. Albion/Mayne railway yards and surrounds offers a more suitable location with rail, closer to the airport and not the undulation of Vic park. Closer to the river also.
Reckon the park concept would benefit more of the community as parkland with innovative practical infrastructure, which could see extended land bridge over the ICB, linking in Spring Hill and the strip of park that runs along Gregory Tce.
Rather see left as is, than the trees going to accommodate an olympic facility.
Well thought out plan. When is the community meeting. . So we can all share knowledge.
The design could do better than copying Singapore. Same concept with an actual original design would be a good idea.
I couldn’t agree more Chloe! We have our own unique climate and culture to draw from. We’re not so deprived of creativity that we need to copy / paste from Singapore (even if their stuff is amazing).
What a joke – the only reason the golf course is losing money is because of the excessive number of Council employees used as green keepers – I witnessed four of them trimming and cleaning one bunker the other day – most private membership based clubs would kill to have that luxury of those staffing levels and, correct me if I am wrong, but most parklands I am aware of do not make any income at all so let’s see a proper business case for this before you rip up one of the most scenic golf courses I have ever seen – proper marketing with its fantastic views across the city would ensure the golf course was fully booked by high fee paying tourists all year round. Save Vic Park Golf Course forever.
Call me a conspiracy theorist but there is always more to any move in changing the use of large publicly owned open green spaces like Vic Park. It must be obvious that the Council would be eyeing off the City Botanic Gardens, or a part thereof to be reallocated to commercial use given it’s value adjacent to the CBD. Once the “new” botanic gardens is created at Vic Park they’ll cite the low visitor numbers using the present gardens as justification for turning it into revenue. Notwithstanding this, the council has no place subsidising/providing golf when there are alternatives within 10km.
Yep you are a conspiracy theorist…????
If you put in some decent parking space people will use it. Kids need green space and the mums and dads, getting out of the house and not on screens might help everyone!
Sorry golfers, it’s a nice course but super hilly… Why don’t council do a deal with Nudgee or Virginia golf course to help with the northside golfers….
For generations my family has lived off Victoria Park road and have so many fond memories, including my first of grandmother (Mummum) feeding the many beautiful loricettees. Now mummums house is full of international students, and I have to take them down to Currumbin santuary for a photo with the birds, or out to walkabout creek. For a photo with a kangaroo. Please can include these attractions to the plans for Victoria Park, for our international tourists. I’ll run it. LOL ???? .
I love the idea of a grand large Park- as long as we don’t end up with intrusions from the RBH, “ Terrace”, “Grammar”, and others pushing in on the space.
I walk there very often and almost never dodge a ball- played my first game there in the 70’s and my most recent too.
A golf space, unused by many golfers is just a grand large rambling park.
It would be good to immediately take out the so called “Singapore Trees” off the Mock Concept Map/Plan for the planned Victoria Parklands Gardens. Sometimes these “Mock Concept” have a way of finding their way of being promoted automatically up the food chain and actually will be built. These “Singapore Trees” are iron and steel frames that go up stories high and simple are externally covered with vines. They have elevators inside them and swing bridges at the top going from one “tree” to the next. A real case of, “Taking all the trees and putting them in a tree museum and charging the people a dollar and a half to see them.” (Joanne Mitchell, “The Big Yellow Taxi.”)
It is a dead set copy of a Singaporean idea. We are better than that We can be real green and have the radical idea of planting REAL trees. Encourage them to be tourist and come to Brisbane and see Real Trees.
We can plant and plan ahead with groves and boulevards of Moreton Bay Figs, Jacaranda Trees and Poincianas. This will continue the real Brisbane character into the future and leave a great legacy of real trees for our grand children and future generations. The Moreton Bay Figs at West End, New Farm Park, White’s Hill Reserve and other Brisbane locations are very characterful. New small block estates with narrow roads can not plant such trees, but the Victoria Parklands Gardens gives the scope for council to plant these real trees to provide these treed refuges for centuries ahead for Ratepayers to come out of their units to enjoy. “Put all the trees in Victoria Parkland and charge the people nothing to see them.” ( Not Widow Makers or Shrubs.)
Thank You.
Kind Regards,
Ron Hamilton.
Looks like gardens by the bay singapore