Thomas Park Bougainvillea Gardens is a heritage-listed former private garden and now public park at 151 Harts Road, Indooroopilly, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Henry Thomas and built from 1914 to 1918. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 10 October 2014.
History The Thomas Park Bougainvillea Gardens, located on Harts Road, Indooroopilly, in Brisbane, were created as a large residential garden by landowner, Henry Thomas from about 1900. For four decades the gardens were a tourist attraction, bringing visitors from throughout Australia and overseas to see their spectacular display of bougainvilleas in flower. During the almost 60 years that Thomas tended the gardens he bred a number of bougainvillea cultivars, which were displayed there. Converted to a park after 1958, the garden's plan and many of its plants are retained and comprise a good example of a large urban-residential garden from the Federation period.
The Long Pocket area of Indooroopilly, in which the gardens are situated, was used for agricultural purposes from the 1860s. Robert Jarrott established an orchard on Portion 67, Parish of Indooroopilly, County of Stanley (about 22 acres or 8.91ha) in 1867, which his son continued after Jarrott's death in 1879. It was subdivided into seven allotments, transferred to Jarrott snr's children and subsequently sold, between approximately 1888 and 1906.
Thomas Park Bougainvillea Gardens, or "Somerset", as it was originally named, comprised Subdivisions 1, 2 and 7 of Portion 67. Sub. 1 of Portion 67 was purchased by Henry Thomas in 1898 or 1899; Sub. 7 was purchased in 1900; and Sub. 2 at an unknown date. The property comprised 7 acres 2 roods 22.7 perches (3.093ha) on the banks of the Brisbane River.
Born in Wellow, Somerset, Thomas arrived in Brisbane on 14 September 1883, as a 19-year-old, unassisted passenger on SS Nowshera. He worked as a groom for the clerk of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly in Sydney, trained racehorses for the Dangar pastoralist family in Armidale and worked as a coachman at Baroona Homestead, Singleton, New South Wales. He returned to Queensland by 1889 when he married his first wife, who died soon afterwards. At the time of his second marriage in August 1894, again in Brisbane, Thomas was employed as a gardener. From about May 1897 until 1909 Thomas operated a livery stable in Adelaide Street, Brisbane.
Thomas created his gardens on the Long Pocket site around the turn of the century. The Australian Women's Weekly in 1950 reported that he had planted a purple bougainvillea 49 years previously. A 1956 newspaper article stated that the mature trees in the gardens, including an tall Norfolk Island pine, a Moreton Bay fig and several bottle trees, had been planted 60 years previously. This was a slight exaggeration, but photographic evidence from -10 shows the garden had established palms and bougainvillea; while Thomas' development of a bougainvillea cultivar named after him, Bougainvillea spectabilis "Thomasii", pre-dates 1905. The Bougainvillea Gardens' beauty was first reported by a newspaper in 1926, implying that they had been planted quite some time before.
The Thomas property included a wedge-shaped residential garden to the north of the site, comprising about a third of the total area, while the remainder of the property was fenced into paddocks leading down to the Brisbane River. A large dam was situated in the top half of the property, below the residential garden.
Located centrally in the western half of the residential garden was the Thomas' house. The gardens were laid out in a formal manner with the boundaries and specific areas within them (drying area, tennis court and vegetable garden to the south east of the house) defined by bougainvillea hedges. This geometric formality was reinforced by linear access ways from Harts Road – a pedestrian pathway and two driveways – all of crushed gravel. The main driveway ran east–west to the house, ending in a turning circle circumscribing a staghorn-bearing palm tree. The pedestrian pathway ran north–south to the front of the residence, while a secondary driveway similarly ran north–south along the western boundary.
The Harts Road frontage was fenced. The earliest known version was a picket fence (), replaced later by a painted timber and wire fence ().
The Bougainvillea Gardens comprised evergreen trees, such as palms, Ficus, mango and bottle trees; with colour provided primarily by bougainvillea, at least one of which Thomas bred himself, supplemented by crotons, orange crucifix orchids, poinsettia (red and cream), and annuals planted in two garden beds centrally placed in the lawn on either side of the pedestrian footpath.
The pedestrian and main driveway entries were emphasised by archways covered in bougainvillea and a pergola spanned the pathway near the pedestrian entry. Pergola and arches, covered by bougainvillea stood along the west side of the house leading to the rear service area and stables; and steel trellises supported bougainvillea in front of the north side of the house. Large urns stood at the foot of the entry steps to the residence.
From the 1920s until at least 1958, Thomas' Bougainvillea Gardens were a popular tourist destination for locals and visitors to Brisbane from around Australia and overseas; and the site of large garden parties held for funding-raising purposes. In July 1926, Thomas' garden at Indooroopilly was already recognised as a "sight of Brisbane" with interstate dignitaries taken there to admire the "wonderful bougainvillea hedges". In 1927 monies raised from visitors were donated to the Children's Hospital Fund. The first reported garden party was held in September 1929 for St Andrew's Church of England, Indooroopilly, of which Thomas was a member. This annual event continued until at least 1939. These occasions brought hundreds of visitors to the gardens. One garden party to raise money for the St John's Cathedral Fund attracted nearly 3000 people to the gardens in August 1933, and a fete for the Indooroopilly-Taringa branch of the Red Cross Society in 1940 raised £180. By 1940, the Queensland Government Tourist Bureau conducted regular trips to the gardens during the winter tourist season. Visitors included delegates from around Australia visiting Brisbane for conventions; politicians, often bringing guests, such as Elsie Curtin, wife of Prime Minister John Curtin; and notables like photographer Frank Hurley, artist Margaret Preston and actress, Shirley Ann Richards.
In their heyday, Thomas' Bougainvillea Gardens were reported on and featured in newspapers, magazines and books published throughout Australia. Colour spreads appeared in The Queenslander, the Australian Women's Weekly and The Land newspaper. Cinesound produced a newsreel of actress Shirley Ann Richards in the Bougainvillea Gardens in 1937. Photographs of the Gardens were used in photographer Frank Hurley's post-World War II publication Australia Calling! Camera Studies by Capt. Frank Hurley: A Souvenir of Interesting Views and Scenes from All Parts of Australia and as the cover and frontispiece of DA Herbert's early book on sub-tropical gardening, Gardening in Warm Climates published in 1952. Photographs of the gardens were also included in The Queensland Calendar 1961 and the publication, Australia Land of Sunshine.
Henry Thomas was a renowned figure in Brisbane due to his development of the Bougainvillea Gardens and a number of bougainvillea cultivars. On different occasions the media called him "Mr Bougainvillea" and "the Bougainvillea King". Bougainvillea spectabilis "Thomasii", his most well-known cultivar, was distributed around the state and overseas. As one horticultural writer stated, "the variety Thomasii is too well known to need description".
Thomas' Bougainvillea Gardens influenced garden plantings in Brisbane, Queensland and overseas. Newspapers reported other gardens growing B. "Thomasii", e.g. at Glen Kedron and Annerley in Brisbane, and at Gracemere Homestead, and for road beautification on the Rockhampton-Yeppoon Road. B. "Thomasii" was sold by nurserymen who collected cuttings from Thomas' garden. Photographs and media stories also influenced gardeners to grow bougainvillea.
Post-World War II, as part of its programme to increase Brisbane's parkland, the Brisbane City Council (BCC) proposed the purchase of the Bougainvillea Gardens for £5000. Acquisition of the property was part of the Lord Mayor's Long Pocket riverside boulevard and park scheme. Thomas agreed in March 1947, on the condition that the property be acquired for the use of the public and that he be allowed to remain in occupation, as caretaker, for as long as he desired. He also offered his "experience in the preparation of any further plans to beautify the site, without compensation other than full occupation of the house and the paddocks for grazing house cows". The BCC accepted this offer stating that "the property is ...acquired for park purposes for the use and enjoyment of the citizens of Brisbane and visitors to this City and your offer of advice in connection with proposals for the further beautification and development of the area is greatly appreciated". A newspaper report at the time said the show garden had a "world-wide reputation as a beauty spot".
After BCC's acquisition, the Bougainvillea Gardens continued to be used for fund-raising events such as the University of Queensland Women's College Garden Party in August 1948 and its Appeal Fete in August 1950. Afternoon teas also continued to be served daily. Prunings were given to visitors and to a local nurseryman for propagation.
Henry Thomas died in April 1958, ending his curatorship of the gardens. Subsequently, A E Wilson, the BCC's newly appointed landscape architect, was granted a lease of the property, conditional upon his making the Gardens available free to visitors during weekends and on holidays.
By 1962 the BCC had new plans for the gardens and the management of the Long Pocket land it had resumed to form the Sir John Chandler Park. During 1962–63 the Council invited tenders for the development of land forming part of the park, for golf and other recreational facilities. A lease of 20 years was proposed on the understanding that such facilities were to be made available to all sections of the public.
Only one tender was received - from the Indooroopilly Golf Club (IGC) - which did not fully conform to the requirements laid down by the BCC. It was approved in principle and referred for further investigation. Subsequently, in 1962, the Council Administration Board recommended that the IGC be granted a 10-year lease over that portion of Sir John Chandler Park described as Portions 67–73, 75, 77 and 78, Parish of Indooroopilly (about 86 acres or 35ha) on the southern side of Long Pocket. The area known as Bougainvillea Gardens (Lots 1, 2 and 7), along with its residence, was included in the area leased by the IGC. The residence was to be used as a Club House, or for any purposes approved by the Council associated with the development of the Golf Course "during the first 10 years of the golf course's operation, or from 1 January 1964, whichever was the sooner", conditional upon the IGC maintaining all bougainvillea propagation, along with the gardens and their surrounds. At the end of the 10-year lease, the planted area of Bougainvillea Gardens and residence were to revert to the BCC and be excised from the lease.
Brisbane's Lord Mayor, Clem Jones, opened the Indooroopilly Golf Club Long Pocket course on 8 March 1964.