Parks and Gardens, Published 4 May 2026
Step back in time to the 1860s, where the stones of the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens hold a secret past. Following the closure of the Petrie Terrace Gaol in 1883, the city salvaged its sturdy stone…
Step back in time to the 1860s, where the stones of the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens hold a secret past. Following the closure of the Petrie Terrace Gaol in 1883, the city salvaged its sturdy stone - originally quarried for the prison - to build the elegant retaining walls and gate pillars we walk past today. It is a classic Brisbane twist: taking a place of confinement and turning it into the foundations of our most beautiful escape!
If these gates could talk, they would tell you about the great "Park Divide." Until 1916, the area was split in two. The Alice Street side was Queen’s Park, a bustling hub for cricket and football matches, while the riverside was the formal Botanic Gardens. The gates acted as the grand thresholds between the cheering sports fans and the quiet, scientific world of rare tropical plants. It wasn't until the mid-WWI era that the dividing fence finally "came down" and merged them into the iconic parkland we love today.
Look closely at the entrances, constructed between the 1860s and the late 19th century under the direction of the colonial architect’s office and superintendent Walter Hill. These sandstone and iron gates were built to impress and serve as thresholds for visitors strolling from nearby Old Government House. Every pillar and wrought-iron curve signaled that Brisbane had arrived as a sophisticated colonial capital, far removed from its rough-and-tumble penal beginnings.
Next time you take a riverside stroll, touch the 160-year-old masonry. From surviving the Great Flood of 1893 to witnessing the city’s skyline rise around them, these gates are silent witnesses to our history. They have stood firm through it all, proving that in Brisbane, even the gates have a legendary story to tell!
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