Anstead Bushland Reserve, at over 130 hectares, is Brisbane City Council’s largest nature reserve on the river. It is comprised of several different regional ecosystems and provides habitat for a number of threatened species including koalas. The Reserve has excellent sheltered BBQ and picnic facilities and is a popular location for recreational users. There is a network of short-distance walking tracks, regularly used by bushwalkers, dog walkers, bird watchers and horse riders.

A highlight is the Quarry Lookout, a 1-kilometre walk from the main carpark, which offers views of the Brisbane River and west to the D’Aguilar Range. Located at the historically significant site of the old Moggill Quarry, this area still retains relics and reminders of the past. There is a history display panel at the Lookout which illustrates aspects of the local area’s (and particularly the quarry’s) history. At the base of the quarry, there is another lookout closer to the banks of the Brisbane River. It can be accessed via a walk down a steep track, which must be used with caution. There is another panel near the lower lookout with additional historical information. 

The main entrance to the Anstead Reserve is from Hawkesbury Road, a short distance from the Mount Crosby Road intersection (UBD 195 N4).

Bushcare Activities

The enhancement of ecosystems within Anstead Bushland Reserve has been actively pursued over many years by Anstead bushcare groups with support from the Brisbane City Council and assistance from the local community. The current group, Friends of Anstead Bushland (FOAB), has three projects in train in the Reserve. These are elaborated in a Site Plan devised in collaboration with Brisbane City Council with projects tracked in yearly reports. They include:

(1) Enhancing ecosystems through natural bush regeneration (for further details see Jim Williams’s overview of the Enhancing Ecosystems through Natural Bush Regeneration in Anstead Bushland Reserve);
(2) Maintaining and enhancing the condition of previously replanted high visibility areas;
(3) Improving habitat for the vulnerable Collared Delma (Delma torquata). 

Come along to a bushcare session and join the Friends of Anstead Bushland in putting their projects into action. Bushcare sessions are held on the first Sunday of each month except January, from 7-9:30am in the summer months (from October to March) and from 8:30-11:00am from April to September, with morning tea provided. Additional sessions (on Saturday afternoons and Friday mornings) are also held during the year. For more information on bushcare sessions and other events in Anstead Bushland Reserve see our Events Calendar, or contact Friends of Anstead Bushland coordinator, Gillian Whitehouse by emailing contactus@pullenpullencatchments.org.au or gillianmw1949@icloud.com.