Raymond Park history – revisited April 2022
With Raymond Park currently in the news re its proposed use as an Olympic Warm-Up track, let’s re-visit its fascinating history.
Beautiful Raymond Park is a large 5.09 hectare park in Kangaroo Point. It is bounded by Main Street to the west, Wellington Street to the east, Baines Street to the south, and Sinclair Street in part to the north.
Estate map showing allotments to be sold by John H. Todd, auctioneer on 31 March 1890. The estate was surveyed by Hamilton & Raff. The map includes a local sketch of the area. The land covers an area adjacent to Baines Street, Wellington Road and Jane Street. (State Library of Queensland)
The park was originally called Pineapple Sports Ground and then Pineapple Park because of the Pineapple Hotel in the south-western corner of the park on the corner of Main Street and Baines Street.
The heritage-listed Pineapple Hotel, fondly known as ‘The Piney’ was established in 1864. It was named after the many pineapple plantations located in the Kangaroo Point area up to the early 1900s when they were rezoned residential (see estate map ). The pineapple is also a symbol of hospitality associated with warmth and friendliness.
The first association football games ever recorded in Brisbane were played in Pineapple Park in 1884 and since then it has been the home of the Kangaroo Point Rovers for over 100 years.
In July 1913 Brisbane City Council bought over six acres of land on Wellington Road for £4,600 to establish a park.
In April 1915 the new park was officially named Raymond Park after Alfred John Raymond (1856 – 1935) for his contribution to Kangaroo Point. He was a successful timber merchant and alderman for Kangaroo Point for 19 years over three terms between 1894 and 1924. He was mayor of Brisbane in 1912. In the 1890s he lived at 22 Salstone Street near the park in “Avonmore”, a house named after his family home in Bristol, England, which was near the river Avon. About 1900 he moved to a larger home , “Clifton” at 178 River Terrace on the corner of Walmsley Street to accommodate his large family. He died on 14 October 1935 at the age of 79.
Raymond Park. (supplied)
In 1942 during World War II two air raid shelters were built at the eastern and western end of the park due to concerns about air raids by the Japanese. Designed as reusable park shelters they are part of 17 of the original 37 of this type remaining, their outer walls have been removed and they are now used as shade shelters. They were entered on the Queensland Heritage Register in 2005 as a visual reminder of the impact of WWII on the civilian population of Brisbane.
Today Raymond Park is a popular family venue for locals and visitors as it has something for everyone: a playground, dog park, two cricket pitches, full basketball court, skate ramp, soccer pitch , community garden, bbq and picnic facilities and outdoor gym equipment.
(State Heritage Registers/ Trove news articles/SLQ)
RAYMOND PARK, Kangaroo Point
‘Raymond Park is roughly rectangular in shape and bounded by Main Street to the west, Wellington Street to the east, Baines Street to the south, and Sinclair Street in part to the north. The irregularity in shape is due to the presence of the Pineapple Hotel in the south-west corner and housing at other locations, presumably existing prior to the establishment of the park.’ (Wikipedia)
It was originally known as Pineapple Park or Pineapple Ground /Pineapple Sportsground due to the presence of the Pineapple Hotel in the south-west corner of the park, corner Main Street and Baines Street, which was established in 1864.
It has been home to soccer clubs since 1884 and has been the home of the Kangaroo Point Rovers (previously the Pineapple Rovers) for over 100 years.
The park was officially named Raymond Park in April 1915 after Alfred John Raymond who had been alderman for Kangaroo Point for many years and mayor of Brisbane in 1912.
During World War II two air raid shelters were built in the park due to concerns re air raids by the Japanese.
(sources: Wikipedia / Trove / SLQ)