PEOPLE CENTRED HERITAGE // JESSICA HEIDRICH ON NEWSTEAD PARK, BRISBANE

“When we think about heritage management, I think a park isn’t what typically springs to mind. But it’s important to remember that heritage is essentially about people and how people value places over time.” – Jessica Heidrich, Senior Heritage Advisor, Extent Heritage

Right on the banks of the Brisbane River and at the mouth of Breakfast Creek, Newstead Park is one of Brisbane’s most popular leisure spots. Its history is vital to the story of Brisbane.

To local Indigenous groups, this area has long been known as ‘Booroodabin', meaning place of oaks. In 1845, this spot became the garden for Newstead House, a private residence—at this time it would have been home to orchards, fruit and vegetable gardens and paddocks for cows and horses. In 1915, the land was subdivided and the garden became a much-loved public park.

Jessica Heidrich was involved in drafting a Conservation Management Plan for Newstead Park. “As someone who’s lived in Brisbane for over a decade, I’ve always enjoyed coming here, but this project gave me the opportunity to delve deeper into the history and the significance of the place,” says Jessica. “That’s what made it really rewarding for me.”

Preparing a Conservation Management Plan is about not only taking into account its contemporary values and uses, but also its history and heritage significance. The park’s complex history meant that Jessica had to call on the expertise of heritage advisors, landscape architects, planners, arborists, and horticulturists to ensure the park’s future. “It reinforced for me the importance of a holistic approach to managing heritage,” says Jessica.

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