Tag: Headfort Street

One Step Closer: Headfort Street Park Moves Nearer To Reality

A planned community park on Headfort Street in Greenslopes is inching closer to reality, with a key construction milestone just reached on the neighbouring Brisbane Legacy House project.

Read: Legacy House for Veterans Takes Shape in Greenslopes

Brisbane has been planning the new park as part of a broader redevelopment of the site, which sits within the Greenslopes Hospital Precinct. The project is linked to the construction of Brisbane Legacy House, a $9.2 million multi-disciplinary care centre for veterans and their families, which is being built on part of the same land. Brisbane has confirmed park works will begin once Legacy House construction is complete.

Photo credit: BMD Group

That moment is now drawing nearer. Builder JMac, part of the BMD Group, recently held a topping-out ceremony for Legacy House, a traditional milestone in the construction industry. According to BMD Group, the project is expected to be finished later this year, which brings the park one step closer to breaking ground.

A site with deep roots

The Headfort Street site carries a long history tied to the area’s military past. The former Red Cross Centre at the corner of Headfort and Newdegate Streets was built around 1945 as a recreation centre for service personnel recovering at what was then the 112th Australian General Hospital, funded by money raised through the Australian Red Cross Café in Brisbane. 

The Department of Veterans’ Affairs later sought approval to remediate the contaminated site and sell it to Brisbane for the purpose of constructing a public park and Legacy House. The site sat largely abandoned for years before that process got underway, with the prospect of a community park there as far back as 2020.

Photo credit: BCC

Brisbane’s plans for the park include both new community amenities and nods to the site’s heritage. Proposed features include shade trees and structures, seating and picnic areas, pedestrian pathways, and open green spaces for informal recreation. The plans also call for the inclusion of heritage features, specifically the site’s original gates and facade.

Community input and next steps

Community input was sought during the project’s planning phase. Council ran engagement on proposed park features in November and December 2023, with a final concept plan released in mid-2025.

Read: New Community Park Planned at Former Red Cross Site in Greenslopes

The park falls within the Coorparoo Ward and is classified as a planned Council project. Residents wanting to stay across progress or provide feedback can contact Council on 07 3403 8888 or email the project team at parks@brisbane.qld.gov.au. 

Published 20-May-2026

New Community Park Planned at Former Red Cross Site in Greenslopes

The former Red Cross site on Headfort Street in Greenslopes could soon become a new community park following almost seven years of abandonment. 

Councillor Fiona Cunningham confirmed in a Facebook post that Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner and the Council agreed to buy the land from the Federal Government. 

Discussions are ongoing about redeveloping the precinct for community use, given that there are no nearby playgrounds or family recreational facilities in the area. 

Read: Greenslopes Librarian Says Kids Reading More During Lockdown

“Council has also had discussions with Legacy, an organisation with deep connection to this site, about a portion of the land being used for their services for the families of our veterans,” Ms Cunningham said. “Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) will also provide Council with a heritage strategy for the park so this can be considered in the design.” 

Photo Credit: Stewart Ross/Google Maps

For years, Greenslopes residents have been asking the government to act on the idle space. The former Red Cross hall has been riddled with disintegrating asbestos and is in the advanced stages of disrepair.

The property, owned by the DVA until its lease expiration in 2013, has been tagged as a health risk and a waste of property. The site stands across the Greenslopes Hospital. 

Read: Greenslopes Private Hospital’s Expansion Gets Underway

Built in early 1945, the Red Cross hall consisted of two heritage-listed timber buildings. The site was used as a recreational facility for military personnel receiving medical services across the street. 

Events like film screenings, concerts and dances were often hosted in the community hall, which also had a library and a room filled with billiard tables. The other building served as a hostel for visiting relatives and friends of the patients. 

MP Richard Marles confirmed that the Federal Government will hand over the Red Cross property to the Brisbane City Council.

“The hope is that now works can commence to make the site safe again and that it could be restored to its former glory for use again by local Brisbanites,” Mr Marles said in a post.