Rafting Ground Park Archives

Rafting Ground Park Seat to Remember Domestic Violence Victims

A new memorial seat is set to be installed in Rafting Ground Park in Brookfield, commemorating all women who have lost their lives to domestic violence.

Read: Proposals for Heritage Trail and Footbridge at Rafting Ground Park in Brookfield Receive Overwhelming Community Support

The seat, expected to be unveiled in August, has been developed in partnership with the Allison Baden-Clay Foundation and will be located near the park’s existing shelter and playground area. It will feature a plaque carrying an important message about domestic violence.

The project was announced by Cr Greg Adermann, who said the seat would commemorate women who have lost their lives to domestic violence. Allison Baden-Clay lived in Brookfield and according to Cr Adermann, Rafting Ground Park held special significance for her and her three daughters.

The new memorial seat will be installed near the shelter and playground area at Rafting Ground Park, Brookfield (Photo credit: Facebook/Cr Greg Adermann)

The seat will be painted yellow, Allison’s favourite colour, which has since become a symbol of the foundation established in her honour.

The memorial will be positioned near the park’s shelter and playground area and will include a plaque carrying a message about domestic violence.

Allison’s Story

Photo credit: Allison Baden-Clay Foundation

Allison Baden-Clay’s death in 2012 became one of Queensland’s most widely reported criminal cases.

According to information published by the Allison Baden-Clay Foundation, concerns first emerged on 20 April 2012, when Allison was reported missing from her Brookfield home. A major search operation involving emergency services and community volunteers followed, with residents joining efforts to search nearby bushland, dams and abandoned mine shafts.

The search prompted significant community involvement, with many people moved by the fact that Allison was the mother of three young daughters. As the search continued, flowers and cards accumulated outside the family home.

Ten days after her disappearance, Allison’s body was found beneath the Kholo Creek Bridge at Anstead, about 14 kilometres from her home. She was 43 years old.

The Allison Baden-Clay Foundation, chaired by Allison’s sister Vanessa Fowler, was established in her honour and continues to advocate for the prevention of domestic and family violence.

The foundation’s mission is to build a national community that recognises the prevalence of domestic and family violence and supports efforts to eliminate it. Through its education program, Allison’s Gift, the organisation helps individuals recognise warning signs of abusive relationships, including coercive control, and provides practical guidance on how to support friends and family members experiencing violence.

Read: Kenmore Village Encourages Everyone to be Extra Kind on Strive To Be Kind Day

The foundation has also developed educational resources designed to improve understanding of how domestic and family violence can manifest in different forms. These resources have been distributed across Australia as part of broader efforts to raise awareness and education.

While honouring Allison’s connection to Brookfield, the seat will commemorate all women who have lost their lives to domestic violence.

Published 17-June-2026

Proposals for Heritage Trail and Footbridge at Rafting Ground Park in Brookfield Receive Overwhelming Community Support

Proposals to establish a heritage trail and rename a footbridge at Rafting Ground Park in Brookfield have gathered overwhelming community support.

Proposed Heritage Trail

The proposed heritage trail at Rafting Ground Park is intended to honour the legacy of the bullockies who operated in the area and played a crucial role in sending timber down the river for the early development of the city.

Community sessions were held to seek local inputs and feedback on plans for a proposed path from the park’s entrance to the footbridge; the incorporation of five to six storyboard plaques along the trail to tell the story of the bullockies; and the inclusion of a recognition of the traditional owners on the first sign at the entry to the trail. The type of path, whether a natural rock/gravel path or a concrete path, is also under consideration.

“There was majority support for a heritage trail at the Park and some great suggestions that we will incorporate in the developing a concept for the trail,” Cr Greg Adermann said, while expressing gratitude to those who participated in the community sessions.

Judy Magub, President of the Kenmore and District Historical Society, played a pivotal role in developing the concept for the heritage trail. All of the feedback received have been shared with Ms Magub, who is working on the proposal to be presented to BCC for advice and costing in the coming weeks.

Renaming a Footbridge

In another significant development, a recommendation to name the footbridge in Rafting Ground Park in honour of the late Emeritus Professor Ludvik Bass has received considerable local interest and support. Of the 81 responses received, only 2 were opposed.

Professor Bass had a profound connection with the park, and his family had been associated with the area for over 50 years. The naming of the footbridge stands as a tribute to Professor Bass’s dedication and advocacy for the park.

Professor Bass’s connection with the park dates back to the 1970s when his family frequently visited for picnics and leisure activities. His involvement in advocating for the construction of the footbridge was pivotal in connecting different parts of the park and improving accessibility.

The developments mark a significant step forward in recognizing the historical significance of Rafting Ground Park and ensuring that its stories continue to be shared for generations to come.

Published 23-Aug-2023

Proposal Up For Naming Rafting Ground Park Footbridge After Ludvik Bass

Photo Credit: Nge Le/Google Maps screengrab

Plans are underway to name a footbridge at the Rafting Ground Park in Brookfield after Emeritus Professor Ludvik Bass.

Prof Bass lived in Kenmore and then Pullenvale from the 1970s to his passing in 2022. He raised his children to enjoy the park grounds along Pullenvale Rd and he was a familiar presence among the locals as he was also frequently seen walking the family dogs at Rafting Ground Park.

As mentioned in the proposed naming, the professor made daily visits to the park following his retirement in 1984. He forged friendships among the local community and was the “centre of everything at that park” for more than 50 years.

Prof Bass advocated having a footbridge built on the park grounds to connect two sides of the land and he used this daily until his passing in October 2022.

There is a community consultation about the naming proposal running until the 3rd of March 2023.

“Professor Bass was instrumental at the time of convincing Brisbane City Council of a need for a bridge between both sides of the park and nobody was happier when it was built,” Cr Adermann wrote.

“The request appropriately is for the footbridge to be named in his honour and has the support of his family. So we’re hoping through this consultation process that it is supported by the community.”

He was a Professor of Mathematics at the University of Queensland and had his postdoc with Erwin Schrödinger in Dublin.

He also collaborated with Denmark biomathematicians and researchers and was part of the Foreign Fellow of the Royal Danish Academy. He authored over 30 research papers which were published until 2018.