Roma Street Parkland is a much loved public space within the heart of the city of Brisbane. This virtual multi cache will take you on a tour through some of the gardens and precincts of the Parkland, where you will have an opportunity to experience some of the history and culture of the area. If you are lucky, you might even get to see the cheeky Eastern water dragons who make their home in the Parkland's gardens. The listed coordinates will bring you to a convenient place to park your car and begin your caching adventure, which will take you about 2 hours if you don't rush between waypoints.
Acknowledgment
In keeping with the spirit of Reconciliation, I would like to respectfully acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land where we gather, and recognise their continuing connection to land, water and community. I wish to pay respect to their Elders - past, present and emerging - and acknowledge the important role Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people continue to play within the community. I also recognise those whose ongoing effort to protect and promote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures will leave a lasting legacy for future Elders and leaders.
A Little Bit of History
The site on which Roma Street Parkland stands today has had a varied history. For thousands of years prior to European settlement in 1825, the area was home to the Turrbal people who used the site for hunting, camping and recreation. It was also a major gathering place for Aboriginal groups across south-east Queensland and is still a place of cultural significance today. Since 1840, when the first plan of Brisbane Town was laid out, the land has been used for public recreation and as a home to the Diamantina Orphanage, Brisbane Grammar School, sale yards, markets and the Roma Street rail yards. January 2000, saw a major redevelopment of the site into a sub-tropical garden planted with over 100,000 shrubs, 1,200 mature trees, 1,800 unique specimens and 250 ferns, which reopened in April 2001 as the Roma Street Parkland (Information from A Historial Overview of Roma Street Parkland Precinct (2004), The State of Queensland Department of Public Works, http://www.thomblake.com.au/downloads/HistoryEBrochure.pdf).
Roma Street Parkland Today
Roma Street Parkland covers an area of 16 hectares, making it Brisbane's largest green space and one of Australia's best contemporary display gardens. It was designed to be a family-friendly, public garden that would excite the imagination and encourage visitors to the city. The Parkland consists of a series of precincts whose microclimates represent those of sub-tropical Queensland and provide environments to showcase a wide-range of Queensland's amazing plants. As well as its gardens, the Parkland has a number of community spaces, where events are held throughout the year. It is also a fantastic place to come have a barbecue or picnic or to view the 26 different artworks dotted throughout the site. You might also like to come find a geocache or two!
Come for a 'Virtual' Tour
Since its opening, Roma Street Parkland has become my family's go-to special place, whether it's somewhere to visit for a lazy Sunday afternoon walk (and to wear out a small, active child) or a place to take family and friends visiting from overseas or other parts of Australia. This virtual multi cache (inspired by GC4756 - Woozle Hunt v2.0), has been designed to take people of all abilities past some of our favourite parts of the Parkland. We wanted to give visitors an insight into the history of the area (even for the Brizzy locals there are some hidden gems), the Parkland's interesting art installations and why Brisbane and Queensland are such wonderful places to live. There's a couple of great playgrounds for the kids (big and small), wheelchair access and the Parkland is easy to get to by car and public transport. So what do you need to do to claim the find?
For this virtual you will need to visit 8 waypoints within the Parkland (see below). The waypoints can be visited in any order, however I have listed them in a sequence which should avoid lots of backtracking. At each waypoint, you will need to answer a multiple-choice question. The correct answer will provide you with a number required to determine the coordinates of a final destination within the Parkland, which is located at S 27 2A.BCD', E 153 0E.FGH'. You will also need to record some information at Waypoints 2 and 5 to be sent to the CO to log the cache. To be able to claim your find, make your way to the final destination and answer the following questions:
- Q1. What is the full name of the person awarded an honour in 2017 for being an equality advocate?
- Q2. What is the shape of the plaques?
- Q3. At Waypoint 2, there is a small survey marker. What is the number stamped on the top?
- Q4. At Waypoint 5, what type of tree has been planted at this spot?
Feel free to log the cache ONCE you have sent these answers to the CO via Message Centre, I will contact you only if I need clarification of your answers.
OPTIONAL: It would be fantastic if you could include with your log a photo of your favourite part of the Parkland. The gardens are always changing with the seasons and as the years pass by and it would be nice to have a photo record of the Parkland as it changes over time.
Waypoints and Questions
Waypoint 1: Fossil Art - S 27 27.738' E 153 01.020'
The artwork that you see here is made from:
- Broken crockery - A = 6
- Found metal objects - A = 7
- Recycled glass bottles - A = 8
Waypoint 2: Mairwar Warril - S 27 27.751' E 153 01.005'
Near where you are standing, you will see a number of Aboriginal words inlaid in the concrete beneath your feet. Find the word Mairwar which means Brisbane River. What colour concrete is it on?
- Yellow - B = 8
- Black - B = 9
- Red - B = 0
Don't forget to also record the answer to this question to claim your find:
At Waypoint 2, there is a small survey marker. What is the number stamped on the top?
Waypoint 3: The Lookout - S 27 27.729' E 153 01.069'
Here you will find a large map of the Roma Street Parkland and a great view over the Lake Precinct. What is the map made out of?
- Helidon Sandstone - C = 0
- Bronze - C = 1
- Glass Tesserae - C = 2
Waypoint 4: The Allee Bridge - S 27 27.787' E 153 01.089'
Even though I have visited Roma Street Parkland many times, I had never seen this memorial until my last visit. Who has this memorial been dedicated too?
- Italian Immigrants - D = 2
- Greek Immigrants - D = 3
- Chinese Immigrants - D = 4
Waypoint 5: Ceremonial Tree - S 27 27.806' E 153 01.057'
Another little piece of Roma Street Parkland history is hiding here in plain sight. Who planted this tree?
- Prime Minister John Howard - E = 0
- Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II - E = 1
- Governor General Sir William Deane - E = 2
Don't forget to also record the answer to this question to claim your find:
What type of tree has been planted at this spot?
Waypoint 6: Colin Campbell Place - S 27 27.783' E 153 01.142'
Colin Campbell Place is named after a much loved Queensland radio and television presenter, who was a keen horticulturalist, advocate of gardeners' rights and a major driving force for the creation of the Roma Street Parkland. What country was Colin born in?
- New Zealand - F = 1
- Australia - F = 2
- England - F = 3
Waypoint 7: Sandstone Sculpture - S 27 27.780' E 153 01.173'
There are many beautiful sculptures throughout the Spectacle Garden made from local Helidon sandstone. The one you can see here celebrates some of Australia's amazing native plants. Who does the hoop pine commemorate?
- Robert Brown - G = 3
- Sir Joseph Banks - G = 4
- Alan Cunningham - G = 5
Waypoint 8: Spectacle Garden - S 27 27.744' E 153 01.121'
I enjoy visiting this quiet corner of the Spectacle Garden, it's a nice place to come and sit and watch the world go by. This part of the garden has distinctive plants, that combined make:
- An Australian native garden - H = 5
- A topiary garden - H = 6
- A fernery - H = 7
Now that you have some numbers, make your way to the final location at S 27 2A.BCD', E 153 0E.FGH' to find the remaining information you need to be able to claim a find for the virtual cache (see above for logging requirements).
Useful Information for Visitors
Roma Street Parkland is open all day, every day, however you will need to visit within daylight hours as part of the gardens that you require access to is only open from dawn until dusk (plus you will miss out on the spectacular garden displays and views if you visit at night). Pathways and toilets are wheelchair-friendly in the lower parkland and disabled parking is available at the site.
There are a number of ways that you can get to the Parkland. If you are driving, parking can be found throughout and adjacent to the Parkland (there are 200 spaces, including 9 disabled car parking bays). I find the best car parking is in the College Close Car Park, where you enter the gardens via the Fern Gully entrance. Parking fees vary, depending on whether you visit during the week or on the weekend. There are also a number of public transport options, including buses and trains, with the Roma Street Train Station and Transit Centre located adjacent to the Parkland.
Whichever way you get to Roma Street Parkland, I hope that you enjoy your visit and have fun checking out the many beautiful places within the gardens.
Virtual Reward - 2017/2018
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between August 24, 2017 and August 24, 2018. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards on the Geocaching Blog.