Bradbury Park Archives - Kedron Today

Bradbury Park Playscape Wins Big Regional Architecture Awards

Bradbury Park Playscape in Kedron has been named Brisbane’s Building of the Year at the prestigious Greater Brisbane Regional Architecture Awards. The revolutionary anti-screen time playground took home four major honours on Friday night, including the John Dalton Award for Building of the Year and the Greater Brisbane People’s Choice Award.

Designed by Joel Alcorn and his team at Alcorn Middleton, the playscape was conceived to lure teenagers aged 10-15 away from digital devices by providing an adventurous play experience resembling the post-apocalyptic aesthetic of Mad Max films.

“They wanted to cater for that age bracket to get them back in the world because they’re so digitally focused now,” said Alcorn.

With features like a 6m high balancing beam, climbing walls, tunnels evoking hollowed logs, and a massive slide, the jury praised the “pioneering approach” that “reimagines the traditional playground.” They highlighted how it builds risk-taking into play in an innovative way.

Alcorn explained, “We’ve never designed a playground before so we came in with a unique perspective and challenges. We had to entertain a certain age group so what we offered had to be more adventurous than your typical playground.”

The jury lauded it as “a new benchmark for both government and private industry in the provision of innovative play for older children”.

The unconventional Bradbury Park Playscape captivated judges and public alike, setting a new standard for playground ambition in Brisbane.

Published 6-May-2024

Walk the Plank: Bradbury Park Challenge Goes Viral Despite Safety Concerns

The ‘Walk the Plank challenge’ in Bradbury Park’s new $10 million adventure playground has become a viral sensation on TikTok, attracting families from all over Brisbane.

The new playground at Bradbury Park provides a unique play environment aimed at older children, but with plenty of fun for younger, more adventurous children. It features challenging elements such as the walk the plank installation, a 20cm wide beam with a grippy surface over a soft mat.

According to a local mother’s online post, her child fell 3m from the plank and injured his spine. She complained to the council that the feature was too dangerous. Viral TikTok videos, however, have only encouraged more people to try it.

While the Council states that Bradbury Park upgrade meets Australian Playground Safety Standards, it recognizes that the playscape has some very challenging aspects that some children may not feel ready to navigate.

Local parents found in the park said the playscape was safe with supervision. Older children crossed the plank while younger ones watched nervously. All parents agreed that it provided a unique, challenging play experience not found in many other Brisbane parks.

Should you let your kids test their bravery at the plank walk? Visit Bradbury Park and decide for yourself, but be sure to provide close supervision.

Published 7 October 2023

Experience Thrills For the School Holidays at the Futuristic Playscape in Bradbury Park

Kedron’s Bradbury Park has undergone a remarkable transformation just in time for the school holidays, with a new, futuristic playscape for older kids, updated play areas for activities that include cricket and netball, and spaces for the whole family to gather, pets included.

Located at 91 Kitchener Road, Bradbury Park has long been a popular recreational spot for the community. Designed to cater to children aged 10 to 15, the park now boasts a revitalised playscape, complete with climbing towers, bridges, and whimsical play structures. The exciting additions to the park aim to provide older kids with an engaging and thrilling outdoor experience.

Aside from the new playscape, families can enjoy a range of amenities, including shady spots for picnics, electric barbecue facilities, and various sporting facilities like cricket nets and a netball facility.

The introduction of the futuristic playscape fills a gap in the recreational offerings for older kids in the area. With indoor play centres often being expensive, this innovative outdoor play area provides a more accessible and affordable option for families.

Bradbury Park Kedron — Photo Credit: BrisbaneCityCouncil

The park also features a dog off-leash area, making it a suitable destination for the entire family. Parents and children alike have expressed their gratitude for the addition, praising the park as an amazing and much-needed facility.

However, one visitor did offer a word of caution, advising others to wear dark clothes when visiting the playscape. The wooden structures in the park have been charred, resulting in black residue. Whilst this may not deter the adventurous spirits of children, it’s important for parents to be aware.

The Bradbury Park improvement project is part of Brisbane City Council’s commitment to enhancing and maintaining over 2100 parks across the city. As the Marchant ward continues to grow, it is crucial to ensure that parks can cater to the recreational needs of residents.

The project has been a collaborative effort between Brisbane City Council and the community. Extensive community engagement was conducted in late 2019 to gather feedback and ensure the park’s enhancements align with the community’s desires.

Published 3 July 2023

One-of-a-Kind Bradbury Park Playscape in Kedron Almost Ready

Photo Credit: CrFionaHammond/Facebook

The much-awaited upgrades at Bradbury Park in Kedron, including a unique playscape, are nearly complete and will soon provide local children and families with a diversified space for recreation.

The working team behind the project expects the playscape to open sometime in April 2023, weather permitting, and have been working double time to deliver what may likely be one of Brisbane’s best playgrounds, according to Cr Fionna Hammond.

“Bradbury Park will quickly become a favourite destination of northside families, as well as residents from right across Brisbane,” the councillor said whilst giving locals a glimpse of the project’s progress in a video.

“I can’t wait to see this one-of-a-kind park in action, with kids smiling from ear to ear when they see the gigantic new playscape and take a turn on the winding slide.”

The upgrades are part of Council’s $22 million investment in park improvements across Brisbane. Work commenced in late 2021 after extensive consultation.

Once completed, the massive playscape will feature a “biological city” with tower-like structures (hollows) and bridges (byways) connecting these towers.

As explained in the project’s concept: “It is within these ‘hollows’, that lorikeets live, and that is where inspiration is found for the shape, form, and name of describing the playscape. ‘Byways’, meaning a road or track not following a main route. It is the road less travelled, but it also alludes to a sense of mystery.”

The looping playscape is highly suited for kids between 10 to 15 years old but there are also other sections that offer play opportunities for all kids, such as the Magic Forest for 3 to 10-year-old children, completed in July 2021, and the 200-metre scooter track for both beginners and advanced riders, opened a year before the Magic Forest.

For more information about this project, phone 1800 884 681 during business hours or 07 3403 8888 after hours.

Published 30 March 2023

Construction Underway For Miniature Theme Park In Kedron’s Bradbury Park

Works are progressing well for a one-of-a-kind miniature theme park in Kedron’s Bradbury Park as it prepares to open in early 2023.

Read: State Of The Art Playscape Coming To Bradbury Park

The new attraction, which will be located at the central section of Bradbury Park, will include a large playscape to provide challenging play for older children, new picnic shelters and seating, electric barbecues, amenity block, connecting pathways, and a new car park.

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said parents can have a peace of mind with the new playgrounds coming to Brisbane, including the new theme park at Bradbury Park as they are safer, sturdier and designed with features like puzzles and nature play to help kids develop skills away from the iPad or computer screen.

Kedron's Bradbury Park — Plans (Photo credit: Brisbane City Council)

“The days of run of the mill parks and playgrounds are gone, as we embark on world-class improvements in parks right across the city, including new scooter tracks, ninja warrior courses and nature play areas,” said Cr Schrinner.

Prior to these upgrades, the latest improvements to Bradbury Park included the construction of a basketball half-court adjacent to the scooter track, which was completed in July 2021.

The park also features a nature playspace, called “Magical Forest” which was constructed within an existing grove of mature trees and offers an infinite source of adventure especially designed for children ages 2 to 8.

Magical Forest received both the 2021 QLD AILA Landscape Architecture Award for Small Projects and the 2021 National AILA Award of Excellence for Play Spaces.

The award-winning space, which is a collaboration between Naturform landscape contractors and Form Landscape Architects, was composed of simple elements that do not overpower the natural qualities of the site.

Read: Scooter Track, Magical Forest at Bradbury Park in Kedron Win Awards

Aside from the one in Kedron’s Bradbury Park, Brisbane City Council will also deliver more nature-themed parks throughout the city, such as the Hanlon Park, Stones Corner and at Warrill Parkland, Larapinta.

Improved Bradbury Park To Open In 2022

Artist’s impression of Bradbury Park’s playscape (Photo credit: Brisbane City Council)

A central section of Bradbury Park in Kedron will be upgraded to include a raft of improvements, including a large playscape with a unique design that will not be seen in any other park in Brisbane.

Read: Scooter Track, Magical Forest at Bradbury Park in Kedron Win Awards

Works for the improvement project include a large playscape, new picnic shelters with seating, electric barbecues, and a new amenity block. Connecting pathways and a new car park will help facilitate mobility and boost visits to the area.

The large playscape, which is one of the highlights of the final concept plan for the project, has a one-of-a-kind design that will show it emerging out of the ground and reaching up into the treetops, blending into its natural setting in the park with its form and use of materials.

Artist’s impression of playscape (Photo credit: Brisbane City Council)

“The vision for the Bradbury Park playscape is a ‘biological city’ that is made up of a complex series of ‘hollows’ (tower-like structures) and ‘byways’ (bridges that connect the towers) that are surrounded by a series of inclusive and accessible ground-based explorative elements,” Brisbane City Council has stated.

Bradbury Park improvement project (Photo credit: Brisbane City Council)

The Bradbury Park improvement project is part of the Council’s initiative to enhance and maintain the more than 2,100 parks across the city. Construction will take place between Monday and Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Council assured residents that safe pedestrian access will be maintained around the site at all times.

Bradbury Park is scheduled for completion in mid-2022. For the latest updates about the project, visit the Brisbane City Council website.

Magical Forest and Scooter Track Now Open in Bradbury Park in Kedron

The first phase of the Bradbury Park improvement project is now open! Kedron residents can now enjoy the magical forest and scooter track, which were completed in mid-July 2020.

The Magic Forest located on the southern side of the netball courts is a small nature play area nestled among the existing trees. This nature play area is designed to encourage kids’ imagination and curiosity. It is designed for children ages 3-10 years supervised by parents and carers.

The looped scooter track is at the north side of the existing dog off-leash area. It is around 200 metres long and is designed to cater to different abilities. An area is provided for those seeking more challenging scooter run. This part of the scooter track will have a bypass option for the less experienced riders.

We’re focused on actions that boost our local economy by creating new jobs for residents and that’s why we’re rolling…
Posted by Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner on Thursday, July 23, 2020

Contractor Sought for Upcoming Major Upgrades

The council is now seeking a contractor for the next phase of the improvement plan for Bradbury Park. The next phase will involve the design and construction of a playscape and other major improvements.

Proposed changes include:

A large play space for challenging play for children aged 10-15
New grass area with picnic facilities including shelters, seating, and electric barbecue equipment
Car park upgrade with 40-50 spaces
New basketball half-court
New connecting pathways
New driveway off Batten Street
New bus and passenger drop-off zone
New toilet block

Construction of the major upgrades is expected to start in 2021, pending budget allocation.

For more information about the project, contact the city council or the project team:

call the project team on 1800 884 681during business hours
call Council on 07 3403 8888 after hours
email the project team
write to:
Bradbury Park upgrade
City Projects
Brisbane City Council
GPO Box 1434
Brisbane QLD 4001