The Queens Park Ceremonial, Healing and Remembrance Place will acknowledge the history and cultural significance of this area for Indigenous people and provide a dedicated space for reflection, education and healing for the whole community.

The land has been set aside, and the preliminary concept developed.

Working within the bounds of this site and the concept design we asked the community to help us develop the space.

Thanks for your feedback on the concept designs and your ideas on how the space should look and feel.

Your feedback will be used in the next stage of designing the space.

Queens Park is a significant area to the Yagara People. Two bora grounds were located within Queens Park, one inside the current boundary of the park (towards Milford Street) and the other across Queen Victoria Parade (Ipswich Girls Grammar School). Bora grounds were traditionally used for a variety of functions including dispute settlement, councils of war and social organisation, initiation, rituals, ceremonies and corroborees.

Ritualised fights played an important part in traditional Aboriginal society and dispute resolution. Ritualised fighting usually occurred after a bora council and often related to illegal hunting on another clans territory. The ritualised fights took place in Queens Park. Frequently, the man who had committed an illegal act would be invited to step forward and take the blame - such an invitation could never be refused. There were rules and rituals to the fights. What ever the outcome of the fight, it signified the end of the dispute.

Reference

Strong, M. H. & S. Maurer, 2011. Rebuilding the Campfires: Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Investigation of Queens Park, Ipswich, Southeast Queensland Report TA-72 for Jagera Daran P/L Sandstone Point, Turnstone Archaeology