JC Trotter Memorial Park is located on the south east side of Brisbane. The park is accessible from Cherbon Street, off Mt Cotton Road, Burbank. The drive takes about 40 minutes from South Brisbane. Unfortunately, there are no bus services to the park.
The park has a sheltered shed equipped with an electric BBQ but strangely there are no public toilets.
The gates at the entrance of the park is open at 8am and close at 6pm. The car park is approximately 50 meters from the road entrance.
JC Trotter park is named after a European landowner in the area who donated 28 hectares of bushland in 1958 to help establish the core of the reserve.
JC Trotter Park is part of the Brisbane Koala Bushlands, a important eastern wildlife corridor that stretches its way to Daisy Hill Conservation Park. There are two walking trails in the park, both follow the banks of a water reserve lake that is part of Tingalpa Creek.
JC Trotter park consists mainly of eucalpyt forest with melaleuca or paperbarks trees growing amongst the bushland.
The paperbark trees are more common on the water's edge of Tingalpa Creek.
The paperbark tree was very useful for the Aboriginal people who used the bark as bandages, medicinal purposes, cradles, sleeping mats and wrapping food when cooking. It is also known that the paperbark tree is highly flammable because of the paper-thin bark.
The path I explored was the 2.5 km circuit Tingalpa Creek Trail. The trail offered many beautiful views along the creek. This part of Tingalpa Creek is a water reserve so swimming, fishing, or any water activity is not allowed.
The place is rather isolated and does not see many visitors during the week. On one occasion when a friend and I visited this park there were a couple of creepy people wondering around, so explore this park with a number of people by your side and not alone for your own safety. With camera in hand I had a strange guy following our movements when he stopped us and asked us what we were doing? I thought it was obvious so I answered 'taking photos'. "Of what" he responded. "The bush" I explained. When we thought he had gone he suddenly reappeared out of the bush and stopped next to us again while we were taking photos of a butterfly. We decided to head back quickly to the carpark.
Can you see the Goanna in the Paperbark Tree!
JC Trotter Memorial Park is a peaceful place to visit to venture and explore around the tracks to see natural Australian bushland. Sadly it is not recommended as a touristy place to visit but rather a quiet bush walk with a few friends and family.
This map gives a rough guide on the two bush trails. The black trail is the 2.5 km Tingalpa Creek Circuit. The white trail is the 7.5 km Venman Circuit that starts along the Tingalpa trail, go straight ahead after crossing the small bridge.
