Toohey Forest Park

Toohey Forest Park is a 260-hectare bushland reserve in southern Brisbane, Queensland, spanning suburbs including Tarragindi, Nathan, Salisbury and Moorooka. Managed by Brisbane City Council, it preserves open eucalypt forest and is notable as one of Brisbane's largest intact forest remnants. The park offers an extensive network of walking and mountain biking tracks, picnic areas and wildlife habitat close to the city centre.

Visitors can expect open eucalypt forest with a network of marked walking and mountain biking tracks of varying difficulty, natural bushland surroundings, and picnic areas with barbecues. The terrain is undulating with ridges and gullies, featuring native flora and fauna including koalas and diverse birdlife. Facilities are concentrated at main entries such as Toohey Road and Griffith University, Nathan, while interior tracks are natural earth surfaces for bushwalking and nature observation.

The forest is named after James Toohey (1826-1885), an Irish-born settler who acquired the land in the 1870s. The area was used for timber and grazing before being reserved for public purposes. Brisbane City Council acquired the land progressively from 1945 to protect the bushland as a forest reserve for recreation and conservation.

Toohey Forest Park is a significant urban bushland remnant valued for recreation, environmental education and conservation. It is used by the community for bushwalking and mountain biking and by Griffith University for ecological research and education through the Toohey Forest EcoCentre, reflecting its role as an important natural and educational asset for Brisbane.