Bulimba Memorial Park

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Posted 2021-10-22 by May ⇒ follow

Even in our busiest suburbs, a rich tapestry of history can be found - if you keep your eyes open.

The bustling suburb of Bulimba is less than 5kms out of the Brisbane Central Business District and is renowned for its cafes, restaurants, boutiques and other specialist stores. It's the kind of suburb that attracts outsiders to visit with its Ferry Terminal, shady trees and a retail vibe with a definite buzz. With its mix of multi-storey dwellings and old Queenslanders on big blocks of land, many of which are heritage-listed, it is an interesting area to visit with its compilation of the old and the new.

is located on Oxford Street, Bulimba's main drag, surrounded by the retail precinct. Initially, this parkland was known as early as 1904 as Jamison Park, having been purchased from an early settler by the name of Robert Jamieson.

However, following the First World War, the area was officially opened in 1919 and named Bulimba Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Park, dedicated to Bulimba servicemen and women who had served in the Great War. The Oxford Street entrance included the memorial gates to the parkland.

Between 1919 and 1923, trees were planted along the Stuart, Godwin and Oxford Street frontages. Each tree bore a commemorative plaque honouring a local serviceman killed in action. Most of the surviving memorial trees are dotted along Oxford Street, though there is a fascinating honour board in place courtesy of the Bulimba District Historical Society detailing the fallen soldiers.

The area has since evolved providing both formal and informal recreational areas for locals and visitors alike. Roughly ten acres in size, the provides a green oasis with facilities for numerous interest groups in an area in close proximity to Brisbane City. It too has been heritage-listed since 1992.

Have a wander around the park at 196 Oxford Street, Bulimba, before you treat yourself to some well deserved retail therapy. Reflecting on earlier days just might enhance your experience of today.