Davies Park

Davies Park is a substantial heritage-listed park at the corner of Montague Road and Jane Street in West End, with views towards the Milton and Toowong reaches of the Brisbane River. Its main role is as a sporting and recreational space, with two ovals, seating, club facilities, beach volleyball courts, car parking and rowing sheds along the river edge. Riverside Drive now separates much of the park from the water, but the site remains closely connected to Brisbane’s sporting and riverside history.

The park’s largest oval, Bill Tyquin Oval, is the home ground of the Southern Suburbs Rugby League Club. The second oval is also used for rugby league and soccer, and is associated with the Tugun Sporting Club. Between the ovals, beach volleyball courts add another organised activity, while the rowing facilities accommodate Brisbane Grammar School and other rowing clubs. These features make Davies Park particularly suited to players, spectators, club groups and visitors interested in seeing how a suburban park supports several sports in one open setting.

Mature landscaping gives the venue a distinctive character beyond its playing fields. A prominent row of Moreton Bay figs lines Montague Road, with further fig plantings and other established trees around the park. Open ovals, shady greenery, sports stands and club buildings create a practical, lived-in atmosphere rather than a formal garden setting. A historic drinking fountain stands near the Montague Road entrance, and the early Gas Stripping Tower remains at the park’s western corner.

Davies Park was officially opened in 1901 after local residents campaigned for a combined sports ground and public reserve. It was named after alderman John Davies in 1909, recognising his role in securing the site. The park has since hosted cricket, football, tennis, rowing, public baths, fetes, concerts and a motorcycle speedway, as well as wartime military facilities. Its long association with rugby league began in the early twentieth century and continues through the Southern Suburbs Club. For solo visitors, groups and families, the park offers space to watch local sport, explore a notable West End landmark or enjoy its mature trees and open grounds, with the heritage story adding depth to an otherwise everyday recreational visit.