Mini Titanic, 2007. Photos: Supplied.
FROM JILL GREENHILL, WYNNUM MANLY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Way back in 1922, the Town Council of Wynnum drew up a plan to extend an area of the local foreshore and develop a pleasure park. But the Town of Wynnum could not afford to construct the project.
Wynnum became part of Brisbane in 1926, and the Lord Mayor of Brisbane, Ald. William Jolly was intent on introducing and developing public parkland and improving the foreshores of Wynnum, Manly and Sandgate.
The first jetty at Wynnum had been a simple timber structure built in 1884 by local landowner Andrew Keating. Intended to attract buyers to his land sales, Keating’s jetty was very basic and soon became weatherworn. By the late 1890s, the structure had deteriorated significantly. Around 1897, a more substantial structure known as No. 2 Jetty was constructed, which became a popular promenade for visitors and a key feature of the growing seaside community.
By 1958 the timbers were rotten and the Brisbane City Council rebuilt the jetty with solid rock materials. The Rotary Quandamooka project of 2005 resulted in the erection of three jetty timbers at the entrance, transported from the disused Hamilton Wharves as a remembrance of the original No 2 Jetty and signifying Past, Present and Future. Tiled pictures of Indigenous sayings, with seasonal messages, are inlaid on the walkway.
Nearby is the Wynnum Wading Pool, constructed in 1932 as part of a Depression-era relief project, providing employment for local men and recreation for families. Officially opened in 1933, the pool filled naturally with seawater at high tide, which was retained at low tide, and offered a safe, shallow environment for children to swim. The original design has remained largely intact, with concrete walls and a sandy bottom. In 2008, the slippery slide was moved to the southern end of the pool, and the water is now internally filtered. Recorded as the most hilarious event was the finding of a car parked in the centre of the pool one morning in 2007. The Wading Pool was added to the Queensland Heritage Register in 1998.
Adjacent to the pool is the Aqua Park, a more recent addition in the late 1990s, which has become a much-loved destination for families. The centrepiece is a large suspended bucket which, in the warmer months, tips its wet contents out at regular intervals, delighting the children below. With picnic tables, shade shelters, and open green space, the park complements the historic and natural charm of the foreshore.
Together, the Jetty, Wading Pool, and Aqua Park represent Wynnum’s blend of heritage, recreation, and community spirit, making the area a treasured destination for locals and visitors alike.
