Construction to begin on Queens Park Interpretive Shelter

Toowoomba Regional Council (TRC) will start construction of an interpretive shelter in Queens Park on Monday 2 March 2020. The location of the new structure is adjacent to the site of the historic Queens Park Conservatory which existed from 1909 to the late 1950s.

TRC Portfolio Leader, Environment and Community, Cr Joe Ramia said the project is part of the Stage 6 upgrade works of the Queens Park Master Plan.

“The new interpretive centre remembers a significant structure that helped to form Toowoomba’s Garden City reputation,” Cr Ramia said.

“The site of the old ‘hot-house’ was excavated by members of a University of Southern Queensland archaeological dig after the discovery of the outline and remnants of the former structure. Students investigated and located the footings of the former glasshouse.

“The interpretive shelter will be a lightweight structure that will function as a visitor information guide and shade structure.

“The design will incorporate the form of the former conservatory in a new framework. The inspiration for the concept design was the idea of ‘honouring’ the demolished building.

“The walls inside the shelter will feature interpretive panels with photographs and text detailing the history of Queens Park.

“The new shelter will incorporate an excavated area to allow visitors to view the original footings of the former conservatory.”

“Queens Park attracts tens of thousands of visitors each year for community celebrations, sporting activities and family outings. The park has a long and proud history, and Council has carried out extensive planning to preserve the park’s distinctive cultural heritage values.

“The Stage 6 works are the latest in ongoing improvements outlined in Council’s $12 million Queens Park Master Plan Implementation Project, designed to enhance public facilities while maintaining the unique features of the city’s premier park.”

For more information on the project go to http://www.tr.qld.gov.au/our-region/major-projects/environment-community/13791-queens-park-upgrades

Historical background:

The mid-1890s onwards saw a range of different structures built in the Botanical Gardens, including a curator's cottage, kiosk, bandstand, the Alfred Thomas Memorial (moved from the intersections of Margaret and Ruthven Streets in 1891) and the hothouse/conservatory constructed at the Campbell Street entrance in the late 1800s.

During the 1950s to the 1970s, development in the park saw a dramatic overhaul of the existing facilities and the replacement of many of the earlier buildings including the building of an amenities block, and the municipal baths replaced with a garden and toilet facilities.

One of the most notable changes that occurred during the 1970s was the replacement of the timber fence on the Lindsay and Campbell Street sides of the Botanic Gardens with a low sandstone footwall. In addition to these changes saw the removal from the park of the 19th Century kiosk, bush-house and bandstand (Queensland Heritage Register website, accessed 18 July 2015).