CONTRIBUTED BY DALEY DONNELLY – QUEENSLAND PARKS
Fort Lytton National Park is situated on the Brisbane River, just a 10-minute drive from central Wynnum. It is the site of a major military base and a Federal quarantine station.
The fort was built in colonial times to defend Brisbane from attack by enemies of the British Empire. Lytton Quarantine Station was built in the twentieth century to defend the population from disease. The fort played a significant role in the Boer War and the First and Second World Wars. The first death from the Spanish Flu in Queensland occurred in Lytton Q Station.
The area was declared a National Park because of its cultural heritage values back in 1989, but 34 years on, local people still don’t know where or what it is.
The site is managed by the Heritage Parks Unit of the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, and amongst its many roles, high-level historic interpretation is top of its agenda. At Fort Lytton National Park, this includes a night show: Fort Lytton at Night; a school holiday program: Carry On Fort Lytton; and education programs, such as History in a Box and Immigration.
The site is open to the public for free on Sundays between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm. But why not experience Fort Lytton at Night one Friday evening, or Carry On Fort Lytton with the kids in the holidays? Phone 3393 4647 for more information.
