McCaskie Park is a shady, heritage-listed park on Kelvin Grove Road, with a playground, a toilet block and a collection of old fig trees. It sits about 10 minutes by car from the Brisbane CBD.
Locals also know it as E. E. McCaskie Oval. It is a good spot for a picnic under old fig trees or a run-around on the open lawn.
What is at McCaskie Park
The park is mostly open grass, with tree cover around the edges and along Kelvin Grove Road. Photos show a covered stage beside the lawn, and paths run through the park.
- Children’s play equipment
- A public toilet block
- Signs with historical photos and details of the park’s history
Shade and space
The lawn is open, so on a hot day the shade is under the figs around the edges.
Things to do for all ages
The playground is for the kids, and the open lawn is good for a kick of the ball.
The fig trees and the park’s history
The park was gazetted as a park reserve in 1891. It was renamed in 1950 after Eddie McCaskie, a father of amateur cycling in Queensland, because it began as an amateur cycling track. The velodrome was filled in during the early 1960s.
The trees are a big part of the park today. In 1963 Harry Oakman, the first Director of Parks for Brisbane City Council, designed a plan with 19 ficus species, and a rare one, Ficus roxburghii, is still there. Weeping figs line the Kelvin Grove Road edge. Two large fig trees were moved into the park from Kelvin Grove Road in 1996 after community lobbying, when road widening threatened them.
Over the years the grounds have been used for more than cycling. Council’s records list women’s basketball in the late 1950s, tennis, and circus performances, including Ashtons’ Circus in 1972. After the sporting facilities were cleared away, the park was opened up as grassed parkland surrounded by shady trees, which is the park you see now.
The older and rarer figs grow at the back and along the sides of the park, while the weeping figs along Kelvin Grove Road were chosen to match the ones in Marshall Park across the road. Walk the edges if you want a close look at the different trunks and root systems.
Signs with historical photos and park history are set up in the park, so it is easy to read up on while the kids play. The park is a local heritage place, listed since 2002 as McCaskie Park (Landscaped Precinct 1) for its trees and its history.
A short fig tree walk
You do not need long to see the best of the park. Start at the Kelvin Grove Road edge, where the weeping figs (Ficus benjamina) were planted to match the ones in Marshall Park opposite. Then follow the sides and the back of the park, where the older and rarer figs grow, and look for Ficus roxburghii, one of the rare species from the 1963 planting plan.
Along the way, the history signs with old photos tell the story of the cycling track, the circus visits and the trees that were moved in 1996. The signs are easy to read while the kids play.
Is McCaskie Park good for kids?
Yes. There is children’s play equipment, a toilet block, shade from the figs and plenty of open lawn. The park sits opposite Marshall Park at the corner of Kelvin Grove Road and Blamey Street, so you can cross the road to a second park.
Planning your visit
- Toilets: there is a public toilet block in the park.
- What to bring: food and drinks for a picnic, a ball for the lawn, a hat and sunscreen.
Getting there and parking
The park is at 137 Kelvin Grove Road, about 10 minutes by car from the Brisbane CBD without traffic.
By bus, Translink lists a stop beside the park: Kelvin Grove Rd near McCaskie Park, stop 12. Use the Translink Journey Planner for current services.
For the park’s heritage listing, see the Brisbane City Council heritage register entry.
Nearby
- Frew Park, Milton – another Brisbane park with play areas for kids.
- New Farm Park – a bigger riverside park with shady trees.
- Roma Street Parkland – gardens and walks in the city.
- Highgate Hill Park – a hillside park to add to a Brisbane park crawl.
- State Library of Queensland – a free indoor stop in Brisbane if the weather turns.
Browse more parks and playgrounds.
You might also like
- Banks Street Reserve (Alderley)
- Sir John Chandler Park (Indooroopilly)
- Murarrie (Brisbane)
Quick answers
Where is McCaskie Park?
At 137 Kelvin Grove Road, Kelvin Grove, opposite Marshall Park at the Blamey Street corner.
Does McCaskie Park have a playground?
Yes, with children’s play equipment, and there is a public toilet block in the park.
Is McCaskie Park the same as McCaskie Oval?
Yes. It is also known as E. E. McCaskie Oval.
How do you get to McCaskie Park by bus?
Translink lists a stop beside the park, Kelvin Grove Rd near McCaskie Park, stop 12. Check the journey planner for services.
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