Wacol: Pooh Corner Bushland, Wolston Farmhouse and Getting There

Wacol is a south-west Brisbane suburb, about 22 km from the CBD, and the reason to visit is Pooh Corner: a large bushland reserve with walking tracks, a picnic area, toilets and a barbecue. The suburb also has Wolston Farmhouse, a stone homestead from the 1850s that opens to visitors on set open days.

Wacol is mostly an industrial and institutional suburb, home to several correctional centres and a big industrial park, so it is not a place to wander from shop to shop. Treat it as a bush walk and a bit of history, then head on to somewhere busier.

Pooh Corner bushland reserve

Pooh Corner is Brisbane City Council bushland at 205 Wacol Station Road. It has walking tracks, a picnic area with public toilets, a barbecue and a car park, and the Pooh Corner Environment Centre is on Wolston Road next to the reserve.

The reserve was a military exercise area before it became public land, and Wacol was also the site of Camp Columbia, a World War II American military camp. Council advises visitors to stay on the designated walking tracks.

Wolston Farmhouse

Wolston Farmhouse, also known as Wolston House, is at 223 Grindle Road. It opened in 1852, is still intact and is run by the National Trust of Queensland. Inside are six rooms of period items, plus an underground larder, meat room and maids’ quarters. Verandas look out over gardens and tree-lined riverbanks.

The farmhouse is open to the public on set open days only, and on weekdays it is used for school programs, so it is not a place to turn up on any day. The house is wheelchair accessible and has parking.

Check the Wolston Farmhouse page for the current opening days, times and entry prices before you go.

Other things to see in Wacol

• Termination Hill: a 40 m peak in the south of the suburb that John Oxley named in December 1823.
• Golf: Gailes Golf Club and Wolston Park Golf Club are both in the suburb.
• Parks: M. Z. Holland Memorial Park, Newton Place Park and Progress Road Park are small local parks, and Wacol Bushlands on Ipswich Road is a bushland reserve.

A bit of Wacol history

The suburb takes its name from Wacol railway station, which was renamed from Wolston in 1927. During World War II the American military built Camp Columbia here in 1942, and from 1949 to 1987 the site was a migrant reception and training centre. Wolston House is the older story: the National Trust of Queensland stepped in to save it from demolition, which is why you can walk through it today.

The station and the farmhouse are the two places in Wacol that say the most about its past, so they pair well in one trip.

Planning your visit

• How long: One to two hours for a walk and a picnic at Pooh Corner; add an hour for the farmhouse on an open day.
• Best time: Early morning or late afternoon for cooler walking, as the open tracks have little shade at midday.
• Cost: Pooh Corner is free. Wolston Farmhouse charges entry on its open days (see the National Trust page for prices).
• What to bring: Water, a hat, sunscreen and closed shoes.
• Accessibility: Wolston Farmhouse is wheelchair accessible. Council does not publish track surface details for Pooh Corner.

Getting there and parking

By car, Wacol is about 22 km from the Brisbane CBD. Pooh Corner is about 30 minutes without heavy traffic, and Wolston Farmhouse is about the same. Pooh Corner has its own car park, and Wolston Farmhouse lists parking.

By train, Wacol and Gailes stations are both in the suburb on the Queensland Rail City network line between Brisbane, Ipswich and Rosewood. Check the Translink Journey Planner for times and how to reach the reserve from the station.

More detail is on council’s Wacol parks page. Details can change, so check before you go.

Nearby

• Inala – Vietnamese grocers, a library and a skate park, a short drive east.
• Richlands – neighbourhood playgrounds and a tenpin bowling centre.
• Colleges Crossing Recreation Reserve – a riverside park on the Bremer River.
• Robelle Domain – water play and walks in Springfield.
• Browse more Brisbane days out, nature walks and history and landmarks.

You might also like

• Ipswich Nature Centre – free animals and bush walks west of Wacol.
• Pizzey Park (Miami)
• Darra (Brisbane)

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