Roly Chapman Bushland Reserve – Day Excursion, Sat 21st June, 2025 at 9am

Description: The Roly Chapman Bushland Reserve is a small area of remnant bush belonging to the Brisbane City Council. It is adjacent to the Upper Mount Gravatt State School on its south-eastern corner. The Reserve is relatively small in area; about 400 m from east to west and about 600 m from the south-east to the north-west.

There are only gentle elevations except for near the creek. A 1000 m concrete walking path extends from the north entrance to that on the eastern side. It is easy to exit this track for a closer inspection of the forest ecosystem. There are even some foot trodden tracks.

The forest is dominated by several species of Eucalypts with some rainforest tree species, especially near Mimosa Creek, that flows through the Reserve to become a tributary of Bulimba Creek. Much of the ground is covered by beautiful stands of Graceful Grass Ottochloa gracillima. Unfortunately, as is so common in public parks, there are many weeds. However, there is plenty to draw the attention of a field naturalist. The locals are proud of their koala sightings.

The Queensland Naturalists’ Club has some affinity with this reserve. Roly Chapman was a Senior Teacher and Deputy Master at the nearby Upper Mount Gravatt State School from 1959 until he retired in 1987. As a naturalist he was aware of the educational value of this nearby forest and used it often as an outdoor classroom. Roly was a very active QNC member during those times.

Registration: Register for this event by filling out the online registration form below. Complete all fields of the form and submit. Once you have successfully registered you will receive an automatic email confirming your registration. If you are not a club member you may attend as a guest by contacting the excursion secretary at excursion@qnc.org.au 

Meeting details: It is expected that there should be ample parking in the Klump Road Park and Ride which is near the northern entrance to the reserve. Fortunately, there is easy access by traffic lights. (UBD Map 201, A8). The entrance is between the Hibiscus Sports Complex and Clairvaux MacKillop College, to the east.

What to bring: Closed footwear, hat, water, morning tea and lunch, depending on how long you would like to stay.

Amenities: Unfortunately, there are no toilets on-site.