Waterholes

Brisbane City Council is transforming Victoria Park / Barrambin into an iconic parkland with something for everyone. Victoria Park / Barrambin will become a natural retreat and urban park for adventure, discovery and reconnection.

The Master Plan for the park is Council’s long-term roadmap for the park’s future, formed by your ideas and feedback. Following community feedback, Council has refined the Draft Master Plan released in 2022.

Explore the transformation of Victoria Park / Barrambin below and learn more about exciting projects in the park.

Statutory consultation on the Local Government Infrastructure Designation (LGID) for Victoria Park / Barrambin is now closed. Council will consider all submissions and will publish a report summarising matters raised and how they have been addressed, as part of any decision to make a designation. Find out more.

Artist impression: Tree House

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Download the Master Plan and Community Engagement Report

Master Plan

The Master Plan provides a guide for the park's growth and development over the coming years. It includes artist impressions of what the park could look like, with maps of key features, spaces and connections.

Download the Master Plan

Community Engagement Report

Council has engaged extensively with residents, neighbouring organisations, industry stakeholders and Traditional Custodians. Your ideas and feedback have shaped the vision and final plans for the park.

Download the Community Engagement Report

Master Plan overview

The transformation of the park includes restoring the natural landscape, revitalising wetlands and waterholes, increasing tree canopy cover from 10% to 60% and creating unique spaces such as the Tree House and nature water play gully.

For a visual overview of the Master Plan, download the:

Flythrough video

Discover what’s planned by taking a flythrough tour of the future parkland.

Aerial transformation video

Explore the Master Plan and see an indicative illustration of the park’s long-term transformation over time.

You can also watch this video via Council's YouTube channel.

Read the video transcript

Brisbane is Australia’s greenest capital city and Brisbane City Council is transforming a 64 hectare inner-city greenspace into a destination parkland.

The Victoria Park Master Plan is Council’s long-term roadmap for the park’s future, formed by your ideas and feedback.

This expansive inner-city greenspace will encourage visitors to reconnect with the natural environment and the park’s rich cultural heritage.

Rewilding the park is at the heart of the transformation, with tree canopy cover to increase to 60% to enrich our connection with nature.

Revitalised waterholes and wetlands will restore natural cooling and draw native wildlife back to the city.

While community events and unique features within the park will encourage people to create new memories with their loved ones.

Getting to the park will be even easier, with a range of public and active transport options, including new and upgraded bridges, more than 18 kilometres of paths and trails and the nearby Brisbane Metro stations.

With ample greenspace, Victoria Park will remain a place for the community to discover, explore and connect with family and friends in nature.

Victoria Park will become a landmark Brisbane destination with something for everyone.

You can also watch this video via Council's YouTube channel.

Design principles and strategies

Your ideas have inspired the design framework, which is formed by three principles and key strategies to guide the delivery of the Master Plan in the years ahead.

Principles

Recognition

Creating a place that honours and celebrates the connections between Country, culture and history across past, present and future generations.

Restoration

Healing the landscape by reinstating and reintroducing the interconnected ecosystems unique to the region.

Reconnection

Creating transformational connections that weave the park into Brisbane’s city fabric.

Strategies

Download the technical maps to find out more about the park's key features and design. Alternatively, you can download the full Master Plan document.

Cultural landscape — A natural space that celebrates Country and Brisbane's shared Aboriginal and European heritage.
 

Artist impression and map

Room for water — Re-established waterways, wetlands and waterholes will restore natural cooling, cleansing and drainage, as well as habitat for wildlife.

Artist impression and map

Connected habitats — Revitalised ecosystems and restored habitats will increase canopy cover to 60% and draw wildlife back to the city to enrich our connection with nature.

Artist impression and map

Health and recreation — A retreat in the heart of the city with something for everyone that promotes healing, wellness and connection to nature.

Artist impression and map

Artist impression: Adventure Valley with mountain bike track and high ropes course

Adventure Valley with mountain bike track and high ropes course

Download the Health and recreation strategy technical map (PDF - 3.7Mb)

Connections — Making the park easier to get to by supporting public and active transport choices and improving pathways and connections within.

Artist impression and map

Unique places and experiences — Creating drawcard destinations and experiences, and expressing Brisbane's distinctive outdoor lifestyle.

Artist impression and map

Creative expression — Community events and unique public spaces will create opportunities for memories and for people to share their own stories.

Artist impression and map

Partnerships and relationships — Well-located links to neighbours and future partnerships will invite people into the park, adopting its spaces and places as their own.

Artist impression and map

Timeline of Vision and Master Plan

Phase
  • Have your say: Ideas for Victoria Park
  • Have your say: Draft Victoria Park Vision
  • Victoria Park Vision released

completed

Phase
  • Detailed technical site assessments and master planning
  • Have your say: Draft Master Plan
  • Finalise Master Plan based on community feedback

completed

Phase
  • Master Plan released
  • Land Management Plan approvals and planning pathway for the Master Plan
  • Implementation of the Master Plan including early projects

2023 onwards

Land management planning

A large portion of land within the Master Plan area is managed by Council as trustee to the Queensland Government under a Deed of Grant in Trust (DOGIT). The permitted primary purposes for the land under the DOGIT are for park and recreation.

Through engagement for the Draft Master Plan, Council consulted the community on secondary uses for the park, which includes the Victoria Park function centre, putt putt, driving range, bistro, Centenary Pool, community leases for the community sport facilities, managed car parks, food and beverage cafes and kiosks, and a high ropes course.

Council will lodge the final Master Plan as a Land Management Plan for the park to the Queensland Government’s Department of Resources.

Vision and Draft Master Plan

The Victoria Park Vision and Draft Master Plan were the starting point for the transformation of Victoria Park / Barrambin. Council has incorporated the community's feedback, alongside extensive technical investigations to deliver the final detailed Master Plan.

Download documents

Frequently asked questions

About the park

Where is Victoria Park / Barrambin?

Victoria Park / Barrambin sits across Herston, Kelvin Grove and Spring Hill. The Inner City Bypass (ICB) and railway runs through the southern section of the park.

When did Council decide to convert the area to parkland?

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner announced on 9 June 2019 a proposal to transform the Victoria Park Golf Course into a new 64-hectare inner city parkland to make it more accessible to the Brisbane community. 

Is the park heritage listed?

Yes, part of Victoria Park / Barrambin is a Queensland Government heritage-listed park and was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 3 December 2007. Part of the park is also listed as a Local Heritage Place under Brisbane City Plan 2014.

Is there a strong connection to Country at the park for local Aboriginal groups?

The park is a known place of high significance to the Aboriginal people of greater Brisbane. 

Barrambin (meaning ‘windy place’) and Walan / Woolan (meaning ‘bream’) comprised the areas now known as Herston and Bowen Hills. The land was undulating, with hills punctuated by a chain of waterholes and gullies. Barrambin and Walan were meeting and gathering places for groups travelling to and from other parts of South East Queensland, as well as dance and corroboree sites, and hunting and fishing lands for local Aboriginal people of Brisbane.

The area now contained within the park was an extensive Aboriginal camp and is a significant European contact and cultural site. In 2008, Victoria Park was given the dual name of Barrambin following engagement with the local Turrbal group.

What sporting facilities are currently in the park?

The park is a popular location for organised sport and informal recreation containing many sporting facilities such as cross country, cricket nets, tennis courts, bikeways and a swimming pool. Golf is no longer a permitted activity in the park outside of the driving range.

What happened to the Victoria Park Golf Complex and Golf Course?

The golf course closed when the greenspace opened as public parkland. The driving range, putt-putt mini-golf, function centre and bistro remain open.

About the Victoria Park / Barrambin Master Plan

When did Council release the Victoria Park Vision and Master Plan?

The final Victoria Park Vision was released in December 2020 following two extensive rounds of community engagement. More than 35,000 people viewed the draft vision online with more than 2000 submissions, surveys and pieces of feedback. Overall there was 86% community support for the vision for the park.

The Draft Master Plan was released in September 2022, receiving 78% overall support from the community following five weeks of extensive community engagement.

The Victoria Park / Barrambin Master Plan was released on 14 June 2023.

How is the Master Plan different to the Vision?

The Master Plan for the park is a more detailed plan for the park’s future. 

The community-led Victoria Park Vision was the starting point for the transformation of the park, providing an aspirational framework for its future design. This Master Plan builds on the vision, with the results of technical investigations, and includes artist impressions of what the park may look like and spatial maps that show key features, spaces and connections that will be delivered throughout the park.

Did the community get to have their say on the Master Plan?

Community consultation for the Draft Master Plan was open from 27 September and closed on 30 October 2022.

The Master Plan incorporates community feedback from the Victoria Park Vision and Draft Master Plan, and detailed technical site investigations, to bring the shared vision for the park to life.

How has community feedback been used?

Community feedback influenced key changes reflected in the Master Plan.   While some elements have been removed or designs refined, many of the key elements that received strong community support in the Victoria Park Vision have been retained in the final Master Plan.

You can read about the key changes to the Master Plan resulting from community feedback, in the Draft Master Plan Community Engagement Report.

Will Council sell off any land or allow high-density living within the park?

Council has no authority or plans to allow high-density living within the park. The land on which Victoria Park / Barrambin sits is mainly owned by the Queensland Government and Council is the trustee of the land under a Deed of Grant In Trust (DOGIT). The primary purpose of the trust is for park and recreation purposes. The land is under Council’s custodianship and under the Land Act the trustee is not authorised to dispose of the trust land.

Will the park be a venue for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games?

The park has been named as the temporary venue for the equestrian cross country and BMX freestyle events.

When will the Master Plan works commence?

The Master Plan is a long-term plan and roadmap for future elements and features in the park.

Council has progressed early works in the park to create more to see and do sooner. Furniture and shelters have been delivered in the park, with construction to start in late 2023 on the Spring Hill Common, the urban pump track and the opening of an entrance into the park from the QUT Kelvin Grove busway station.

What are the next steps for the Master Plan?

Council has released the final Master Plan and also endorsed a Local Government Infrastructure Designation (LGID) as the planning pathway for the park.  Statutory consultation on the LGID closed on 15 September. Council will now consider all submissions and will publish a report summarising matters raised and how they have been addressed, as part of any decision to make a designation. 

How can I keep updated about the project?

More information

For more information about Victoria Park / Barrambin and the Master Plan, you can:

Last updated:

Brisbane City Council acknowledges this Country and its Traditional Custodians. We pay our respects to the Elders, those who have passed into the dreaming; those here today; those of tomorrow.