Toowong Memorial Park is a heritage-listed park on Sylvan Road in Toowong, with a 1922 Soldiers’ Memorial on the hilltop, a palm avenue, sports ovals and a playground. It is about 10 minutes by car from Brisbane CBD and free to visit.
Most people know it as the place for Toowong’s Anzac Day Dawn Service, but the rest of the year it works as a quiet local park: a short wander past the memorial, then a play at the playground or a barbecue on the grass.
The Soldiers’ Memorial
The memorial stands about 12 metres high on the hilltop, built from Helidon freestone with a marble drinking fountain. Marble tablets list the names of 101 Toowong residents who enlisted in the First World War.
It was paid for by public donations and unveiled by Governor Sir Matthew Nathan on 2 July 1922. The design came from a 1919 competition won by George Rae, a young draftsman working in Lange Powell’s Brisbane office. The park itself was set aside by Toowong Town Council in 1918 and became Toowong Memorial Park once the memorial was dedicated.
The park was added to the Queensland Heritage Register in 2007.
The memorial gates and palm avenue
The brick and wrought-iron memorial gates are in the south-east corner off Sylvan Road. They were moved there from the middle of the Sylvan Road frontage in 1959. Just inside the gates, the RSL cairn marks where people gather on Anzac Day.
A commemorative avenue of palms was planted in September 1918 and still leads through the park. Part of it was moved in 1993 to make room for a second rugby oval, and the Anzac Day processions still march along it.
Anzac Day Dawn Service
The Toowong RSL Sub Branch holds a Dawn Service at the park each Anzac Day, and the processions gather at the cairn. Times change from year to year, so check the RSL Queensland events page for the current start time.
Trees and old buildings
A row of mature fig trees marks the car park, and on the slope towards Dixon Street there are remnants of an old hoop pine avenue. The former Toowong Scout hall sits in the south-east corner, and the former Auchenflower Girl Guide hut is along the north-west boundary. Both are part of the park’s heritage story rather than places to go inside, so enjoy them from the path.
The park started life as Toowong Park, a park reserve declared by Toowong Town Council on 7 September 1918. After Toowong joined Greater Brisbane in 1925, Brisbane City Council took over looking after it, and it has been a neighbourhood park ever since.
Playground, barbecues and sport
There is a playground and public toilets between the main oval and the far western corner. There are two single-plate electric barbecues and several drinking fountains with taps around the park. The toilets are open in daylight hours, with an accessible toilet.
The main oval is the home ground of the Western Districts Rugby Football Club, and Vince Hickey Basketball Stadium hosts Brisbane Basketball League games. If you are visiting on a Saturday in the winter footy season, you will probably have company.
Planning your visit
- How long: 30 to 45 minutes to see the memorial, gates and avenue; longer with a barbecue or the playground.
- Cost: Free.
- What to bring: Water and a hat; the memorial hill is open to the sun.
- Accessibility: There is an accessible toilet and accessible parking near it. The hilltop memorial is up a slope, so check the paths before you go if you use a wheelchair or pram.
Getting there and parking
The park is at 65 Sylvan Road, Toowong. It is about 10 minutes by car from Brisbane CBD without traffic. There is a car park off Sylvan Road, marked by a row of mature fig trees, and accessible parking near the toilets.
By public transport, Translink has a bus stop on Sylvan Road (Sylvan Rd at Bulldogs, stop 13) and other stops nearby on Milton Road. Services change, so plan your trip with the Translink journey planner.
Nearby
- Toowong – the village, cafes and cemetery are close by.
- Anzac Square, Brisbane – the city’s shrine and memorial galleries.
- Mt Coot-tha Lookout – city views a short drive away.
- Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mt Coot-tha – a bigger garden day out.
- Milton Markets – Sunday markets in neighbouring Milton.
- Indooroopilly – river bridges and parks the other way along the river.
More like this: browse History and landmarks or Brisbane.
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Quick answers
Where is Toowong Memorial Park?
It is at 65 Sylvan Road, Toowong, in Brisbane’s inner west, about 10 minutes by car from the CBD.
Is there a playground at Toowong Memorial Park?
Yes. The playground and public toilets are between the main oval and the far western corner of the park.
When was the Toowong war memorial unveiled?
Governor Sir Matthew Nathan unveiled the Soldiers’ Memorial on 2 July 1922.
Is there a Dawn Service at Toowong Memorial Park?
Yes. The Toowong RSL Sub Branch holds an Anzac Day Dawn Service at the park. Check RSL Queensland for the current start time.
Is parking free at Toowong Memorial Park?
There is a car park off Sylvan Road, with accessible parking near the toilets. See the signs for any time limits.
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