South Brisbane Memorial Park is a small, shady, terraced park of lawns and war memorials at 459 Stanley Street in South Brisbane, open since 1920. It is a quiet place to see Brisbane’s interwar memorial architecture and sit under the trees close to the city.
Brisbane City Council lists it as a local heritage place and describes it as a cool, shady oasis in a busy urban area.
History of South Brisbane Memorial Park
The park opened in 1920 and was gazetted in 1925 in recognition of South Brisbane citizens’ efforts in the First World War. It was originally much larger and was reduced over time for civic improvements.
Works turned a series of barren cliffs into a grassy, terraced area that became a popular spot for local recreation. Its role as a memorial was more widely recognised from the 1930s.
A park that asks what it remembers
Historian Bill Metcalf wrote an article about the park in the journal Queensland Review under the title “South Brisbane Memorial Park: a memorial to what?”. It describes a small triangular park where Stanley and Vulture Streets meet, with a grand staircase rising from Stanley Street, and asks what the park commemorates and why it is not called a war memorial park by name.
How it looked in the 1930s
A photograph taken on 22 January 1936 and held by the State Library of Queensland shows palm trees lining a path through Memorial Park in Vulture Street, with the Brisbane River visible beside it. The Second World War memorial was added later, in 1955, so the park has kept changing since that photo.
Why it is worth a stop
It is not a big attraction. What it offers is a shaded, grassy break among the busy streets of South Brisbane, with memorials from three different decades in one small space.
It pairs well with a longer day around South Bank, West End or the State Library.
Why council lists it as a heritage place
The council’s heritage register lists the park for several reasons at once: its historical value, its rarity, how well it represents interwar memorial parks, its aesthetic appeal, its social value and its historical associations. In plain terms, the formal layout of paths, lawns and planted beds, the terraces and the memorial structures together make a good example of how Brisbane remembered the First World War in the 1920s and 1930s.
The listing has been in force since 1 January 2004, and the register’s description of the site was last revised in June 2022.
Memorials and things to look for
- Memorial arch (1934): a memorial arch and a sweep of stairs mark the corner nearest the South Bank Parklands.
- Second World War memorial (1955): a porphyry memorial put up by the 2/31st Infantry Battalion.
- General Memorial: a black granite and white marble memorial listed on the heritage register.
- Drinking fountain: an early wrought iron fountain cast in 1888.
Walking around the park
The park has a formal layout of paths, lawns, planted beds and memorial structures, and the ground rises in terraces with a sweep of stairs.
Planning your visit
- Good to know: this is a memorial site, so keep voices low and stay off the monuments.
- Opening hours, toilets and dogs: check with Brisbane City Council before you go, as the heritage register does not list them.
Getting there and parking
The park is at 459 Stanley Street, South Brisbane, about 3.6 km from the Brisbane CBD and about 10 minutes by car. Plan a bus, train or ferry trip with the Translink Journey Planner. Council’s page does not list car parks for the park, so check street signs for time limits and fees.
More on the park’s heritage listing is on Brisbane City Council’s heritage register.
Nearby
- South Bank Parklands – the riverside parklands in the same part of Brisbane.
- Anzac Square – Brisbane’s best-known city memorial, for a longer memorial walk.
- State Library of Queensland – a free indoor stop nearby.
- Mowbray Park – a riverside park on the south side for a longer picnic.
- West End Markets – markets in the neighbouring suburb.
Browse more history and landmarks and the Brisbane guides.
You might also like
- Woodford (Moreton Bay)
- Cape Moreton Lighthouse (Moreton Island)
- Caloundra Lighthouse (Sunshine Coast)
Quick answers
Where is South Brisbane Memorial Park?
At 459 Stanley Street, South Brisbane, about 3.6 km from the Brisbane CBD.
When did South Brisbane Memorial Park open?
It opened in 1920 and was gazetted in 1925 in recognition of South Brisbane citizens’ efforts in the First World War.
What is in South Brisbane Memorial Park?
A memorial arch from 1934, a Second World War memorial from 1955, a General Memorial, an 1888 wrought iron drinking fountain, lawns and shady paths.
Is South Brisbane Memorial Park heritage listed?
Yes. It has been a Brisbane local heritage place since 1 January 2004.
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