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Barrett Street Reserve

This park has big open spaces and is accessible from Barrett and Snooker Streets and is well known as the water reservoir with beautiful views of the city and Fishermans Island.  The park is popular with dog owners as it offers a fenced off-leash area.   Families enjoy the many facilities on offer including bikeway/walkway, playground equipment for children, half-court basketball, skating, picnic shelter, barbecues, tap, toilets and car park.

This park is used to provide the Council’s Active & Healthy Parks programmes offering Group Fitness, Tai Chi lessons and other activities from time to time.  For more information go to Active & Healthy Activities in Bracken Ridge.

C. Slaughter Park

This piece of parkland located between Phillips Street and Ranes Court, adjoining the back of St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School.  The park offers playground equipment for children.

History: The Slaughter family settled in Sandgate in 1859. After the death of his father, 16-year-old Charles was appointed to take charge of the first telegraph office in Sandgate. After he resigned from the Postmaster-General's Department, he moved to Bracken Ridge with his wife Mary Ann. He became a successful pineapple farmer in the Phillips Street area. Charles and Mary Ann celebrated 50 years of marriage while living at Bracken Ridge. They are buried in the Bald Hills Historical Cemetery.

 Albion Park 

This park is for the local residents to enjoy and is situated on Caulfield Street, Cluden and Doomben Places.

Enbrook Parklands

This expansive parkland is a popular park with the local families and is located on Telegraph Road with walkway access from Enbrook Heights estate adjoining the Bracken Ridge Plaza shopping centre. the walkway has lights for safety and convenience.

The park offers a boardwalk, picnic shelter, playground equipment for children and for the wildlife enthusiast it has bird nesting boxes, frog boxes and a frog pond.

Ferguson Park

This park is on the corner of Barrett and Bracken Streets and ideally located behind the Bracken Ridge Neighbourhood Centre, in particularly behind the Library, Ward Office and carpark.  It is a popular park for young families with playground equipment for children.

Tennis Courts at the rear are available for hire by contacting Our Place on phone (07) 3269 4853.

History: The Ferguson family (Richard, Susan and their 18 children), farmed this area between the present Jude Street and the top of the ridge which overlooks Sandgate and the Bay. The land was reputed to cost seventy seven pounds and was named Bracken Ridge by its owners.

Fred Francis Park

This park can be accessed from Bracken Ridge Road, Bracken Street, St John Fisher Drive and from Sungate Estate via Greendale and Brookvale Places.  It offers a bikeway and skating, BMX and rollerblading facility.

History: Fred Francis came to Bracken Ridge with his wife, Isabella, around 1895. They had four children, John, Robert, Fred and Kathleen. Their farm was at the top of the ridge west of Slaughter Street.

Gawler Crescent Park

This small park is located on Gawler Crescent south before Gawler meets Whyalla Close.

Harold Dean Park

A small popular park accessible from Gawain Road, Lynette and Torre Streets.  It offers families a fenced playground area for children.

History: Harold Dean was an Alderman on the Brisbane City Council (Sandgate Ward) from 1952 to 1961. He served on the Works Committee and the Health Committee.

Isaac Best Park

This park in David Street offers a nice location for the nearby residents and their families to make use of the playground equipment for children, a half-court basketball and a picnic setting.

History: Isaac and Ann Best arrived in Australia in 1885. He operated the first transport business in Sandgate using horse-drawn vehicles and cabs.

McPherson Park

This park is well known for the Bracken Ridge Central Steam Railway, proudly run and operated by the Lions Club of Bracken Ridge Central. Steam Trains depart for fun and adventure on the fourth Sunday of the month between 10am and 4pm. Timetables are available by contacting Paul and Lea Kliese on 3869 0861 or by calling into the Bracken Ridge Ward Office. 

This park offers a variety of activities from trains to sporting and service groups.  It is the home for Bracken Ridge Central Lions Club, Bracken Ridge District Cricket Club, Bracken Ridge Central Little Athletics, Bracken Ridge Scouts Group and Bracken Ridge Guides and their clubhouses.

The park is ideally accessible from Denham Street, Yaraan Street or Tomah Road.  It adjoins Bracken Ridge State School and is conveniently located within easy walking distance from the tavern and shops.

This is a family orientated park offering playground equipment for children, walkway/bikeway, electric bbq, picnic shelter, cricket practice nets, half-court basketball, wheelchair access, tap and carpark.  

It was the first venue for ‘Movies in the Park’ in the Bracken Ridge Ward in 2006, a programme of entertainment for families in the suburbs introduced by Lord Mayor Campbell Newman.

McPherson Park is also the venue for 'Backyard Bonanza'. This annual event started in 2005 and provides a fun day out for families with entertainment, activities, stalls and a carnival atmosphere. It is held in conjunction with the Lions Steam Train rides. It is held in the first half of the year.

History: The McPherson family arrived in Asutralia in 1855. They were among the original settlers in the Bracken Ridge area having purchased 93 acres in 1862. John McPherson and his wife are buried in the Bald Hills Historical Cemetery. Their son, Russell continued farming until he was 87 years old and passed away in 1993.

Part of the estate was resumed in 1957 for the stablishment of the Bracken Ridge State School. In 1976 5.5hectares of land between the school and the Tavern was designated as being reserved for recreational, playground and sporting facilities.

Mensforth Bushland

This a newly established parkland area. the is a bikepath running along the side of the park.

History: Edward and Jane Mensforth were original settlers in the area. 

Ipswich born Edward Mensforth had problems with his legs and had to wear callipers.  He was nine years old before he could walk.

When Edward left school, he worked as  a Moulder in the Ipswich Railway Workshop.  He married Jane Denning. When work became scarce the couple moved to Botany Bay, eventually returning to Ipswich and then to Verney Street, Sandgate, with their children Edna and Edward Jnr.

The Mensforth Family swapped their house in Ipswich for 15 acres of land on the corner of Quinlan Street and Barrett Streets, which belonged to Ann’s father, Henry Denning.

Mr Mensforth built a shed in Quinlan Street to provide accommodation until they arranged for a house to be moved from Deagon to Quinlan Street.  They lived there for 20 years.

The Mensforth Family grew vegetables, corn sorghum and cow cane, which they chaffed.  The vegetables were taken to the markets by a carrier, Harold Aubury.  They also had cows, horses and one sheep. Occasionally they sold cow’s milk.  A swaggie camped on their property from time to time and Mr Mensforth and Edward Jnr would go and talk with him.

The Mensforth’s house has been replaced with a brick home.  The family moved from Bracken Ridge in 1948, after buying a diary at Jimboomba.

Assistance with research kindly supplied by Mrs Grace Beecher of "Pearl-Haven", Joyner and the Sandgate & District Historical Society & Museum.

Oaks Park

A park for the locals to stretch their legs, is located on Barbour and Denning Roads, Canterbury and Randwick Streets and offers basketball/netball facility and playground equipment for children.

Peter Gaskell Park

A small park for the locals to enjoy. It is located on Elm Crescent and Maple Close, off Childs Street and offers playground equipment for children.

History: Peter and Ellen Gaskill moved to Bracken Ridge in 1895 and purchased land on the eastern side of Jude Street. He farmed small crops and pineapples. Prior to that he worked for Isaac Best. In 1902 Peter bought more land in Bracken Street opposite the Uniting Church. Ellen was the sister of Fred Francis.

Talltrees Street Park

A family orientated park situated on Cardell Place and Talltrees Street, off Quinlan Street with playground equipment for children.

Wendy Turnbull Park

A park for local families on Caruso Place, Corvette Crescent and Enbrook Street with playground equipment for children. This park is a pleasant place to relax with views over the suburbs.

History: Wendy Turnbull attended Sandgate State High School. Wendy won nine Grand Slam Doubles and Mixed Doubles Championships and eleven Senior Grand Slam Titles in tennis and was nicknamed "Rabbit" because of her on-court speed.