Minnippi Parklands

Minnippi Parklands, comprising beautiful lush hectares of meadowland on Brisbane’s eastside, features one of the rare surviving ancient lagoons from pre-settlement days. Back then, low lying areas around the city fringes featured hundreds of them but since white man’s arrival, most have been filled in.

While the parklands are stretched across the suburbs of Carindale, Cannon Hill, Carina and Tingalpa, the lagoon is located in the Tingalpa area, along with walking trails and Porters Paddock, featuring an aeroplane-themed kids playground.

Today the lagoon, festooned with lilypads in season, is a drawcard for both a host of water birds and members of the public who soak up the beauty from the viewing decks.

Ringing the entire area is a flat path for cycling or walking, which circumnavigates the lagoons and takes around 45 minutes to walk. It also make a great place for young learner bike riders.

Dotted around the lagoons are a smattering of public barbecues and picnic shelters, that are well spaced out and good for large group gatherings, with plenty of open space for kids to run around.

Atop the hill overlooking the lagoons is the Imagination aviation-themed playground complete with sculpted control tower and whimsical stone is-it-a-bird-is-it-a-plane figure, a throwback to the days when a small flying strip operated below in Porter’s Paddock. (Today it is a model aero club, over-ridden with small whizzing aircraft on weekends).

Interestingly Porter’s Paddock was so named after a 1954 tragedy in which Stan Porter, the flying-enthusiast grandson of the local pioneering Stanton family, was killed along with one of his young sons in a plane crash at nearby Bulimba Creek. Ironically the purpose of his flight was to scatter the ashes of another prominent family son, Tom Kelly of the nearby Kelly’s Quarry.

Stan Porter’s grandfather Emanuel Stanton who arrived in Australia aged 5 in 1857, is buried at the nearby Pioneer Chapel in Tingalpa.

Good to know - You can walk or cycle from Carindale (about 4km each way) through to Minnippi Parklands on a track that follows Bulimba Creek.

Need to know - There is plenty of parking available at Minnippi Parklands. Entry to the parklands is via Stanton Rd West, which also leads to Tingalpa Aero Club.