Addresses
Type of place
Reserve
Period
Interwar 1919-1939
This is an image of the local heritage place known as Banks Street Reserve
Banks Street Reserve
Addresses
Type of place
Reserve
Period
Interwar 1919-1939
The land which forms the Banks Street Reserve has been gradually acquired by the Brisbane City Council since 1939. Now comprising more than 83 acres, the Reserve is bounded by Enoggera Creek, and Banks, View and Quandong Streets. In the mid twentieth century, part of the land was used for the cultivation of Chinese market gardens, however these were destroyed in the 1974 floods and were not revived. The land is now maintained as a nature and recreation reserve and is a popular spot for local residents.
Lot plan
L467_S3121; L2_RP102392; L36_RP54609; L1_RP46739
Key dates
Local Heritage Place Since —
Date of Citation —
Criterion for listing
(D) Representative; (E) Aesthetic; (G) SocialInteractive mapping
Lot plan
L467_S3121; L2_RP102392; L36_RP54609; L1_RP46739
Key dates
Local Heritage Place Since —
Date of Citation —
Criterion for listing
(D) Representative; (E) Aesthetic; (G) SocialInteractive mapping
History
In 1939 more than 26 acres of land were donated to the Council by the estate of W.J. Jackson and in the same year another acre was sold to the Council by the Jackson estate for the nominal price of £2. In 1940 the firm of Banks Brothers donated just over 31 acres. The land donated by Jackson and the Banks Brothers had been acquired by them in 1915 and 1920, but only the extremities were ever developed upon, probably due in part to the frequent occurrence of floods on the low-lying plains adjacent the creek and the difficulty of accessing the steep and heavily forested land behind Banks Street.
Land fronting Banks Street was built upon from the late nineteenth century and W.J. Jackson himself lived on Banks Street in a house named Ortano. Additional land fronting Banks and View Streets was sold for residential development following the release of the Ridgelands Estate in October 1938.
In 1945 Miss D.F. King made a submission to the then Lord Mayor of Brisbane, proposing that the large parcel of land at Banks Street be reserved for the purpose of a park and bird sanctuary. This suggestion was investigated by the Council’s Administration Board which formed the opinion that the natural features of the area made it ideal for such a purpose. It went further to recommend that the area be extended to take in a privately-owned adjoining portion of more than 24 acres which had frontages to Enoggera Creek and View Street. The Council’s unimproved valuation of this land was £1,560, and it was this amount that the private owners S.J. Alick and J. Goong accepted for the land. This area has been used to cultivate market gardens and was known by the locals as the “Chinaman’s Gardens”. The rich soil, flat topography and access to water made the site a natural choice for a market garden. It continued to be leased from the Council by Chinese gardeners until 1974 when the tenant’s crops and farming equipment were destroyed in the devastating floods of that year. Further portions of land were acquired in 1975 and 1983.
The reserve now comprises more than 83 acres and it attracts an abundance of birds and other wildlife. In 1975 a Brisbane City Council proposal to establish a sporting oval at the reserve was met with vehement opposition from local residents. Protesters fought a fierce campaign to preserve the park as a bird sanctuary and public park, and ultimately succeeded in having it retained as a nature reserve. The reserve is used by district schools as a biology/geology studies centre and by scouting groups for a variety of educational activities. It is highly valued by the community, particularly for the birdlife it attracts on a seasonal basis, and is used for recreational purposes by residents from throughout the district.
Statement of significance
Relevant assessment criteria
This is a place of local heritage significance and meets one or more of the local heritage criteria under the Heritage planning scheme policy of the Brisbane City Plan 2014. It is significant because:
References
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Brisbane City Council Minutes of Proceedings - 1940, 1945, 1970, 1974
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Brisbane City Council Parks History File – Banks Street Reserve
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Banks Street Reserve: an environmental study, North Brisbane College of Advanced Education, 1981
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Courier-Mail, July 26 1975
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Post Office Directories
Citation prepared by — Brisbane City Council (page revised June 2022)