Queens Park History
Queens Park is woven into the history of Invercargill, established with the founding of the town in 1857. When John Turnbull Thomson, the Chief Surveyor for the Province of Otago, selected the site for Invercargill, he set aside 81 hectares for what would become one of New Zealand’s most loved parks.
The area – known to Māori as Taurakitewaru – was then covered in podocarp and swamp forest.
In its early years, the park was known as Victoria Park. It was a busy and versatile space, used for cattle grazing, hosting the Southland Agricultural and Pastoral Association shows, and home to cricket, tennis, cycling and Caledonian societies. A racecourse was even laid out within the park, with the first meeting held in 1885.
In the early 1900s, the Invercargill Suburban and Beautifying Society began advocating for improvements, and in 1911 Coronation Avenue was planted to mark the coronation of King George V.
Since then, each generation has left its mark on the park, shaping it into the much-loved green space that it is today.
