Oxley Creek Common is a flat floodplain reserve at Rocklea, about 7 km from the Brisbane CBD, with easy walking tracks, wetlands and a long bird list. The Common covers about 120 hectares and has over 4 km of walking tracks, and more than 180 bird species have been recorded here.
It feels like the country on Brisbane’s doorstep: open paddocks where livestock graze, mangrove-lined Oxley Creek, two lagoons and a picnic shed beside the car park. The entrance is signposted from Sherwood Road, opposite the Rocklea Markets.
Walks at Oxley Creek Common
The main walk is the Secret Forest walk, about 4.6 km return and roughly an hour. It is graded easy and flat, with a maximum height of about 13 m, and it starts at the picnic area and Red Shed. The walking tracks also lead to Pelican Lagoon and Jabiru Swamp.
The land is low and open, so there is little shade on most of the walk. Go early, take water and a hat, and expect it to get hot by mid-morning in summer.
The stock-proof gate
To reach the trail you pass through a stock-proof gate, because livestock graze parts of the Common (Corinda State High School grazes animals here). Close the gate behind you.
Birdwatching at Oxley Creek Common
The Common is a birdwatching site first. It has woodland, open grass paddocks, creek and wetland habitat between Oxley Creek and Stable Swamp Creek, and migratory birds arrive from Japan and Russia. Dawn and dusk are the best times for birds.
Birds named for the Common include magpie goose, black-necked stork, brown goshawk and Latham’s snipe, and Birds Queensland rates the marshy fields as good for marsh birds, especially glossy ibis, and for raptors. Binoculars are enough; no bird hide is listed.
The Red Shed and picnics
The Red Shed is the visitor hub, beside the car park. It has covered seating, composting toilets and water, and the Common has picnic spots and two barbecues, so it works for a picnic before or after your walk. The Red Shed can also be hired through the Department of Primary Industries.
The Common is owned by the Queensland Government and managed by the Department of Primary Industries. It was once the department’s Animal Husbandry Research Farm, which closed in 2000, and it opened to the public as Oxley Creek Common in 2003.
History of the Common
The Common sits on the traditional lands of the Yugara and Yugarabul peoples, and the creek is known as Benarrawa. Settlers cleared the forest from the 1820s, and by the 1860s the land was mostly used for farming and cropping. Amos Radcliffe tried sugar cane here and built a mill, but frosts made it unprofitable, and the Mumford family later ran a dairy farm.
During the Second World War the United States Air Force installed a radar facility on the property. The Department of Primary Industries bought the farm in 1952 and ran its research farm there until 2000. The area has flooded many times, including in 1974 and in the 2010 and 2011 floods, which put the whole Common under water.
Planning your visit
- How long: About an hour for the Secret Forest walk, longer if you stop to watch birds.
- Best time: Early morning or late afternoon, when it is cooler and the birds are active.
- What to bring: Water, a hat and sunscreen, binoculars and closed shoes.
- Surface: The Secret Forest walk is wide and flat, and one visitor found it pram-friendly.
- Cost: Nil for the Secret Forest walk.
- Flooding: The Common is a floodplain, with posts at the car park marking the height of the 1974 flood, and it went under in the 2010 and 2011 floods, so skip it after heavy rain.
Getting there and parking
Oxley Creek Common is off Sherwood Road in Rocklea, on the Rocklea Markets side of Oxley Creek, about 25 minutes by car from the Brisbane CBD without traffic. Coming from Sherwood, drive east along Sherwood Road, cross the railway line and Oxley Creek, and turn right into the car park in front of the environmental centre.
The nearest Translink stop is Sherwood Rd at Markets, Rocklea. Check the Translink journey planner for services before you go.
Nearby
- Rocklea Markets – Saturday fresh produce market just up Sherwood Road.
- Rocklea – what else is on in the suburb.
- Sherwood – parks and riverside spots a few minutes north.
- Sherwood Arboretum – river walks and playgrounds.
- Rocks Riverside Park – playgrounds and water play on the river.
- Chelmer – riverside village across the river.
- More ideas: nature walks, wildlife watching and everything in Brisbane.
You might also like
- Obi Obi Boardwalk (Maleny)
- Cooyar (Toowoomba)
- Toohey Forest (Nathan)
Quick answers
Does it cost to visit Oxley Creek Common?
No. The Secret Forest walk is listed as nil cost, and the Common is open to the public.
How long is the walk at Oxley Creek Common?
The Secret Forest walk is about 4.6 km return and takes roughly an hour. It is flat and graded easy.
How big is Oxley Creek Common?
About 120 hectares, with over 4 km of walking tracks to places such as Pelican Lagoon, Jabiru Swamp and the Secret Forest.
Are there toilets at Oxley Creek Common?
Yes. The Red Shed beside the car park has composting toilets, water and covered seating, and the Common has two barbecues.
What birds can you see at Oxley Creek Common?
Magpie goose, black-necked stork, brown goshawk and Latham’s snipe are named for the Common, and glossy ibis and raptors suit the marshy fields. More than 180 species have been recorded, including migratory birds from Japan and Russia.
Can you get to Oxley Creek Common by public transport?
The nearest Translink stop is Sherwood Rd at Markets, Rocklea. Check the Translink journey planner for services before you go.
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