Graceville Memorial Park

As one of few surviving recreational grounds from the 1880s, Graceville Memorial Park began and grew with the suburb of Graceville, which itself flourished as a result of the railway station that was established here in 1886.

Initially used as a lacrosse field, it was officially gazetted as the Graceville Recreation Reserve in 1904, whereupon a croquet and tennis club followed while during World War I the Graceville Methodist Church held Sunday School classes in a shed on the grounds. Then during the 1920s aviators used the fields as an aerodrome and a bridge club formed in the croquet premises.

It was after World War I with the outpouring of extreme grief at the losses of so many lives with no chance of home burial that the park was selected as a Memorial Park and a copper memorial scroll handmade by local Ernest Gunderson for the 51 dead Sherwood residents was unveiled (and still stands encased in sandstone and granite). Additionally a row of 52 memorial trees – a mix of cotton trees and bunya pines was planted along Plumridge and Appel Sts, some 40 of which survive today.

Also after WWI the park became a centre for cricket, with 3 ovals. The ornamental cricket grandstand hails from the Great Depression, built in 1936, and is one of 3 that still remain in memorial parks throughout Brisbane.

The other historical remnant building is the croquet club, built between 1924 and 1929 and still operational today.