Upgrades to improve access and visitor experience at Ipswich’s much-loved Denmark Hill Conservation Reserve will begin in the coming months.
The 11.5 hectare reserve in the heart of Ipswich is steeped in history, having been founded in the 1880s, and offers short walk trails and panoramic city and country views.
It remains sacred to the Traditional Owners of Ipswich and is a site where fossils have previously been found.
In the 1920s some eight tonnes of material was excavated from the site and sent by rail to the University of Queensland with thousands of fossils uncovered dating back to the Triassic Age more than 200 million years ago.
Today, a Triassic Park display contains replicas of some of the fossils.
It will be one of the areas enhanced by these latest works by Ipswich City Council that are being funded under the Enviroplan initiative, which provides for the development and enhancement of the city’s conservation areas.
The existing Triassic shelter will be repurposed as a new interactive play area providing fun activities such as treasure hunts, interpretive artworks and storytelling opportunities.
A new boardwalk connecting the carpark to the recreational hub is also planned.
The trailhead on the corner of Chelmsford Avenue and Outridge Street will be upgraded with new signage, picnic shelter, bench seating and shade trees.
During the works, Denmark Hill will be closed to visitors for certain periods of time and there will be selective vegetation clearing to accommodate the upgrades.
Ipswich City Council has written to residents living near the reserve to advise them of the works.
Also read: Enviroplan responds to Ipswich’s changing conservation needs
The works planned.
Triassic Park at Denmark Hill Conservation Reserve.
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