Memorial Park, Gympie

Memorial Park Draft Conservation Management Plan Jan 2013

“Gympie's Memorial Park was established in 1919-1921 as the Gympie and Widgee District Fallen Soldiers' Memorial Park, with a landscape design prepared by Brisbane's Parks Superintendent Henry (Harry) Moore and a focal timber bandstand designed by Brisbane City Council's architect Alfred Herbert Foster"

from the Entry in the Queensland Heritage Register 2009

The park is significant for a number of reasons. Firstly it demonstrates the importance of the Boer and Great Wars on the history of Queensland, and has become a lasting tribute to the fallen in those wars as well as in subsequent wars.

The second area of significance is the design by Moore and Foster. The citizens of Gympie who conceived and funded the park as a memorial wanted to provide a restful and beautiful place where people could relax, meet for recreational purposes, and enjoy the freedom which cost the lives of so many. For this reason, they sought out the preeminent Queensland designers of their time for the park. The plantings were based on horticultural knowledge which had, through experimentation, discovered the native and exotic plant species best suited for southeast Queensland. It is the best remaining example of their work.

The park is recognized for its beautiful and picturesque attributes. Conservation of this aspect of the park is allied to the preceding aspects of its significance. It is beautiful by design, and has added meaning because the mature vegetation evidences the passing of time.

The final area of significance is because of its strong association with the people of Gympie as a focus for war memorial events.

To retain the significance of the park, a number of actions are necessary, including:

• Respecting the original Moore design

• Looking after the poor health of some of the trees,

• Having a plan to replace trees which will eventually need to be removed

• Closer monitoring and regulation of the view lines and the immediate environment,

• Instigation of a conservation focused wholistic management system,

• Conservation of the Fernery and possible adaptive reuse,

• Conservation works to the bandstand

• A policy regarding suitable memorials for the park

• Continued facilitation of public functions in the park

• Interpretation/promotion.

Gympie Memorial Park

Newstead Park bandstand shown below

The planning included comparisons with the Newfarm Park and Bown Park, Brisbane, Parks designed by Foster & Moore

Planning influences

Bowen Park was about to undergo repairs but in 2012 still had it's original fibre cement shingles

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