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Statement of Significance

The rich, fertile soil, temperate climate, and the interest of many of its citizens in things botanical, has resulted in Toowoomba Region’s ability to grow a wide range of indigenous and non-indigenous plants. In 1860, the area was the first to hold an Agricultural Show in Queensland – 15 years before Brisbane. Walter Hill, the then Government Botanist and first curator of the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens, travelled to Toowoomba to advise with the design and planning of Queen's Park and street plantings in Toowoomba. He subsequently imported many tree species from Europe, Asia and other parts of the world to be planted there. Hill Street in Toowoomba is named in his honour. The town attracts many visitors in September for its famous Carnival of Flowers, where people come from near and far to enjoy Toowoomba’s many parks and gardens. Samuel Stephens (a Toowoomba businessman and major public benefactor) purchased ten acres (4 hectares) of house blocks in 1931 and developed it into planted parkland. He donated it to the citizens of Toowoomba in 1934. Whilst developing the park, Stephens had an interest in plants from south-east Asia and imported plants from Japan, China and the rest of the region. This tree is the largest and oldest bristle-toothed oak in Toowoomba (where this species is a common and significant parkland and street tree) and it is probably (with another adjacent tree of the same species) the seed source of the other trees in the city. It was planted by Samuel Stephens some time after 1934. The tree is an important source of seed or propagating stock as it is the oldest in the area where many of this species grow. It is an outstanding example of the species and the largest of its type in Toowoomba. This tree makes a significant contribution to this historic park's park landscape. It has contemporary association with the community as it is a shady tree in summer in the centre of a very popular, central park. The tree is associated with an important person - Samuel Stephens, the local benefactor, who founded the park. It is a well formed and balanced tree in good vigour.
The tree is the eastern of the two large bristle-toothed oaks to the south of the hall on this site.