Roma Street Parkland

Roma Street Parkland covers 16 hectares in the centre of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

The Roma Street Parkland is adjacent to Brisbane Transit Centre and the Roma Street Station.

There is pedestrian access to the Roma Street Parkland from the Roma Street Station, as well as 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, for motorists, with road access from the intersection between Wickham Terrace, College Road and Gregory Terrace.

Roma Street Parkland is the world's largest subtropical garden in a city centre [ [http://www.romastreetparkland.qld.gov.au/ Roma Street Parkland ] ] .

The parkland features a variety of themed gardens and recreational areas, with a web of pathways and boardwalks traversing cascading waterways and rocky outcrops, and also "in situ "artworks by 16 local artists.

Roma Street Parkland also has an open air amphitheatre (which was previously called the Albert Park Amphitheatre).

There is also a special "ride-on train" to take visitors around the parkland.

History of Roma Street Parkland area

Local Indigenous people used the area for thousands of years conducting meetings and ceremonies.

In 1825 the Roma Street Parklands area was part of the original Brisbane settlement. In 1875 a terminal station in Roma Street was constructed as part of the main western railway to Brisbane linking Ipswich and Toowoomba.

The terminal grew to become a major goods yard for Brisbane and, between 1911 and 1934, the area was extensively redeveloped to support its increase in services. In 1920 extensive excavation, removing 554,300 cubic meters of earth, permanently altered the steep terrain creating the current day artificial escarpment and the boundary of Albert Park. During World War II, the termnal was vital for transporting war materials and military personnel north.

Continuing to grow, the Roma Street Station was redeveloped to service a metropolitan and long-distance train network. Because of limitations of the site revealed through the increasing mechanization of freight handling and the use of containers, the facility was eventually relocated to Acacia Ridge in 1991.

Construction began of the current Parklands in 2000 and the parklands opened to the public in 2001.

Gallery

References

External links

* [http://www.romastreetparkland.qld.gov.au Roma Street Parkland] - the official website

* [http://www.romastreetparkland.com/history.asp Roma Street Parkland] - the history of Roma Street Parkland

* [http://www.romastreetparkland.com/06_AboutUs/historyEBrochure.pdf Roma Street Parkland] - Historical overview of Roma Street Parkland (.pdf file)

* [http://www.carlngray.com.au/panorama/rsp_spectacle/index.htm Roma Street Parkland] - panorama photographs of the Spectacle Garden

* [http://www.carlngray.com.au/panorama/rsp/index_gardens.htm Roma Street Parkland] - panorama photographs of the sub-tropical gardens

* [http://www.carlngray.com.au/panorama/rsp/index_bridges.htm Roma Street Parkland] - panorama photographs of the bridges and walkways

* [http://www.carlngray.com.au/panorama/rsp/index_activity.htm Roma Street Parkland] - panorama photographs of the activity areas

* [http://www.ausstage.edu.au/indexdrilldown.jsp?xcid=59&f_venue_id=128&f_event_id=321 plays presented at the amphitheatre]

* [http://www.brisbane.world-guides.com/brisbane_parks_gardens.html Brisbane parks and gardens]