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Statement of Significance

The site of Brisbane City Botanic Gardens was selected as a public garden in 1828 by New South Wales Colonial Botanist Charles Fraser three years after the establishment of the European settlement. Originally the garden was planted with food crops to feed the convicts. In 1855, a portion of the land was declared a 'botanic reserve' and Walter Hill was appointed as curator. The Queensland Heritage Register describes the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens as 'the most significant, non-aboriginal cultural landscape in Queensland having a continuous horticultural history since 1828, without any significant loss of land area or change in use over time.' It incorporates Brisbane's most mature gardens and features many rare and unusual species of plants.

In 1919, the Queen’s Park sports field was filled in and the reclaimed land (approximately 12,000 cubic yards/9,175 cubic metres) was planted with exotic shade trees and this existing circle of Royal Palms. Three Royal Palms were taken from the circle and were placed in front of the City Hall as mature trees to replace three which had died during major work in King George Square. These were replaced by younger palms which are significantly smaller than the rest in the circle. One of the City Hall palms has been incorporated into the Brisbane City Council’s logo.

The circle of palms marks the sports field in the area of the Gardens that was formerly Queen's Park. They form an iconic and distinctive part of the landscape of these heritage gardens, marking an area where the Brisbane community would gather for cricket and football games in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The circle can be clearly seen from the air and is a unique feature of these gardens.

They are located inside the Alice Street entrance to the Gardens, to the right of the path.