Wyllie Park Upgrade

Located in the suburb of Petrie near outer Brisbane, heritage listed Wyllie Park is one of the few remaining historic roadside rest areas in Queensland. Wyllie Park has long been a popular area for travellers to stop and refresh during their road trips between Brisbane and the north coast. Having likely been used as a roadside rest area since the 1930s, the park is intrinsically linked to the rapid rise of motor transport in the second half of the 20th century and in turn, the development of Queensland’s tourism industry.

More recently, adjacent road and rail infrastructure projects have incrementally impacted Wyllie Park. Additionally, many of the Slash Pine Trees in the park – originally planted in the 1940s – were in a state of accelerated decline and needed to be replaced for safety reasons.

As a result, in 2019, Moreton Bay Regional Council developed a Master Plan to reinstate the former heritage values of the park and enhance the site as a roadside rest area of state significance.

The Council engaged Tonkin in late 2019 to design upgrades to the park. This included concept design, geotechnical investigation and detailed design for vehicle access, car parking, drainage, and pedestrian facilities.

The upgrades provide park visitors with improved access roads and parking for cars, caravans, trucks, and semi-trailers, in addition to enhanced paths for pedestrians and cyclists.

Together with Moreton Bay Regional Council, our the Tonkin team delivered a solution that integrates with the landscape design for the historic site, while also maintaining intuitive and safe vehicle and pedestrian flows.

The Stage 1 construction tender was awarded to Civil Contractors. Construction began in June 2020 and was completed in October 2020.