Group convenor: Alaia Bereziat
Bowman Park is on Simpsons Road, Bardon. It borders Ithaca Creek and includes three frog habitat sites – Ithaca Creek, an ephemeral pond and Frog Creek, a tributary running parallel to Bowman Parade. Phil Bird started rehabilitation and revegetation work in 1993 with the aim of preventing mowing in a grassy rain-filled depression where frogs had been observed to breed.
Bowman Park is famous in SOWN folklore as the place where in 1996 local resident and SOWN legend, Terrie Templeton, staged a sit-in in front of Council bulldozers to stop the extension of a concrete drain along Frog Creek. This led to Brisbane City Council ceasing channelisation of creeks throughout the City.
In 1995 the Bowman Park Frog Habitat Bushcare Group was formed by members of the Queensland Frog Society. Phil Bird ran the group for 30 years and retired in 2025. Phil planted many Richmond Birdwing vines Aristolochia praevenosa in the park which are now mature.
Activities of the group include weeding, mulching, and planting.
This bushcare site is supported by the Brisbane City Council Habitat Brisbane program. Members of the local community are welcome to come along and join in working bees which are held on the first Sunday of every month from 2 to 3.30 pm. For more information email Alaia at BowmanParkBC@proton.me.
Frog Creek after revegation. It was a concrete drain in 1993. Photo: Anne Jones
Frog Creek before it was revegetated. Photo: Men Of The Trees
Terrie Tempteton who was instrumental in stopping channelisation. Photo: Mark Crocker
