If you love being in a gorgeous green expanse in the heart of a city, then Roma Street Parkland is the place for you. Adjacent to the Brisbane Transit Centre and Roma Street Station, according to Wikipedia it’s “the world’s largest subtropical garden in a city centre”.
It may be lesser known than Brisbane’s City Botanic Gardens on Gardens Point, but it is just as magical in that it allows you to escape to a completely different world away. It features a variety of themed gardens and recreational areas, with a web of pathways and boardwalks traversing cascading waterways and rocky outcrops.
Hopefully these photos from our recent visit will inspire you to visit the wonderful 16 hectares of Roma Street Parkland sometime soon…
Gorgeous Garden Beds
The Spectacle Garden at Colin Campbell Place shares a vivid array of gorgeous garden colour all year and includes a collection of flowers, herbs, water features and art works as pictured below…
Gorgeous gardens at Roma Street Parkland, Brisbane © GreenSocks
Gorgeous gardens at Roma Street Parkland, Brisbane © GreenSocks
Gorgeous gardens at Roma Street Parkland, Brisbane © GreenSocks
Artistic Garden Sculpting and Hedging
We admit to being a tad jealous of the garden sculpting and hedging artistry. A true garden pro deserves applause for these parkland features. The Aussie kangaroo was easy to identify. Not too sure what the other animal was. Any ideas?
Garden sculpting and hedging at Roma Street Parkland © GreenSocks
Garden sculpting and hedging at Roma Street Parkland © GreenSocks
Garden sculpting and hedging at Roma Street Parkland © GreenSocks
Hidden Herb Garden
A lot of work has gone into building and cultivating their beautiful herb garden. We loved how every herb was named, which allowed the kids to enthusiastically teach us everything growing in the ground.
Herb Garden at Roma Street Parkland © GreenSocks
Playgrounds for Kids
In amongst the lush, green, recently mowed lawns, we found a few kids’ playgrounds that kept the kids (and adults) busy for a while. Equipment for swinging, climbing, chasing, balancing. All the essential ingredients to a fun play session!
Playground for ids at Roma Street Parkland © GreenSocks
Another playground for kids at Roma Street Parkland © GreenSocks
How do you get into Roma Street Parkland?
If you’re travelling by bus or train, Roma Street Parkland is easily accessible via the adjacent Brisbane Transit Centre and Roma Street Station.
If you’re travelling by foot, there is pedestrian access from Albert Street and from the section of the Parkland which used to be called Albert Park, in Wickham Terrace.
There is also a car park area, with road access from the intersection between Wickham Terrace, College Road and Gregory Terrace.
An entrance to Roma Street Parkland Brisbane © GreenSocks
The main road and pedestrian entrance to Roma Street Parkland Brisbane © GreenSocks
Free Guided Walks at Roma Street Parkland
If you’re keen to visit but want to learn more than what you can discover on your own, good news… the Brisbane City Council offers a free one-hour guided walk through Roma Street Parkland, with one of their experienced and knowledgeable volunteer guides. More details about Roma Street Parkland and the guided walks here.
History of Roma Street Parkland
Pre-1825 – Local indigenous community used the area for meetings and ceremonies
1825 – Roma Street Parkland area was part of the original Brisbane settlement
1875 – Adjacent train station built as part of the main western railway to Brisbane linking Ipswich to Toowoomba
1911 to 1934 – Extensive redevelopment in the area, to support the increase in services
1920 – Massive excavation removed 554,300 cubic metres of earth, permanently altering the steep terrain creating the current day artificial escarpment and the boundary of the former Albert Park
World War II – Roma Street train station used for transporting war materials and military personnel up north
2000 – Construction of the current Roma Street Parkland
2001 – Updated Roma Street Parkland opened to the public