Things to Do in Chelmer: River Views, Walter Taylor Bridge and Parks

Things to do in Chelmer revolve around the Brisbane River: walk to the Walter Taylor Bridge, stroll tree-lined Laurel Avenue and spend an hour in one of the local parks. Chelmer is a quiet riverside suburb about 9 km south-west of the Brisbane CBD, with a train station on the Main Line.

It is a short, easy outing rather than an all-day attraction, and it pairs well with Indooroopilly across the bridge.

Walter Taylor Bridge

The Walter Taylor Bridge links Chelmer with Indooroopilly. It opened on 14 February 1936 and replaced the Chelmer to Indooroopilly ferry. It was privately funded and tolled until 1965, when Brisbane City Council took it over. Taylor Bridge Reserve, at 9 Honour Avenue, is the small council park beside the bridge approach. Our Walter Taylor Bridge guide covers walking across it.

Laurel Avenue and the streets

Laurel Avenue is lined with camphor laurel trees and heritage houses, and it was voted Brisbane’s Best Street in 1999. Chelmer also has many heritage-listed sites, including St David’s Anglican Church and Swain House.

Jacarandas colour the streets and parks purple in October.

Chelmer by train

Chelmer station is staffed and has four platforms, two of them island platforms. The railway line and station split the suburb into an eastern and a western half, so decide which side of the line your park is on before you walk.

The river forms the suburb’s boundary, between the Chelmer Reach and the Indooroopilly Reach. Four bridges cross to Indooroopilly: the Walter Taylor Bridge, the Indooroopilly Railway Bridge, Albert Bridge and the Jack Pesch Bridge for walkers and cyclists.

Parks in Chelmer

Brisbane City Council’s park data lists these parks in and around Chelmer:

• Chelmer Recreation Reserve, 83 Oxley Road: a large reserve, and one of the council parks with a BMX facility.
• Gordon Thomson Park, 59 Rosebery Terrace: a large park of more than a hectare.
• Queenscroft Street Park, at 112 and 132 Queenscroft Street: two smaller neighbourhood parks.
• Taylor Bridge Reserve, 9 Honour Avenue.
• Faulkner Park, 183 Leybourne Street (council files it under Graceville): includes a fully fenced, lit dog off-leash area on Waratah Avenue with a small-dog enclosure and agility equipment.
• Chelmer Children’s Playground Park, 68 Park Drive (also filed under Graceville).

The council’s park finder is the place to check toilets, shade and playground equipment at each park on the day.

Which park for which visit?

For a bike session, Chelmer Recreation Reserve has the BMX facility. If you have a dog, Faulkner Park’s fenced off-leash area is the one to know. For a quick riverside stop on a walk, Taylor Bridge Reserve sits by the bridge.

Heritage worth a look

Swain House in Chelmer was listed on the Queensland Heritage Register in 2003, and St David’s Anglican Church is another local heritage site. These are best seen from the footpath as part of a slow walk between the station, Laurel Avenue and the river.

Across the bridge and along the river

Chelmer links neatly with its neighbours. Cross the Walter Taylor Bridge to Indooroopilly for river bridges, parks and shops, head upstream to Sherwood and Sherwood Arboretum, or go to Graceville Memorial Park for another park stop.

Planning your visit

• How long: 1 to 2 hours for a bridge view, a park and a walk along Laurel Avenue.
• Best time: morning or late afternoon for the light on the river; October for the jacarandas.
• Cost: free.
• Dogs: Faulkner Park has a fenced off-leash area.

Getting there and parking

By car, Chelmer is about 9 km from the Brisbane CBD, about 15 minutes without traffic.

By train, Chelmer station is in fare zone 1 and is served by Queensland Rail’s Ipswich and Rosewood and Springfield lines. Check times on the Translink Journey Planner or call 13 12 30.

Nearby

• Walter Taylor Bridge – the heritage river crossing from Chelmer to Indooroopilly.
• Indooroopilly – the river bridges, parks and shops across the water.
• Graceville Memorial Park – a playground and war memorial one suburb along.
• Sherwood – the next riverside suburb.
• Sherwood Arboretum – walks and playgrounds by the river.
• Toowong – village cafes and the cemetery.

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