Home Hill Eyes Its Own ‘Plantation Park’ in Gardners Lagoon Revival Plan

By Jacob Casha

Once a popular haven for kids in Home Hill, Gardners Lagoon could be set for a revival under a new park proposal put forward by Home Hill Chamber of Commerce President Uli Liessmann.

The plans were developed after Council sought the Home Hill Chamber’s input on potential projects for its 2026 budget, with Liessmann citing the park as an opportunity to boost tourism, community wellbeing and flood mitigation on the town’s western side.

“This park is about bringing something to Home Hill that it doesn’t already have—a place that people of all ages can enjoy,” said Liessmann.

“I’m yet to find someone that’s against this idea.”

According to preliminary plans, the proposed park will feature seats, tables, sheltered barbecues, playground equipment, and an amenities block, with purpose-built walkways, biking trails, and a major tree planting scheme to provide shade and enhance the area’s natural character.

The plan also explores options for interactive elements, such as night-time illumination and digital features aimed at making the proposed landmark more engaging and memorable for visitors.

Liessmann said the idea emerged as he weighed up what kind of project would have the broadest appeal across the community.

“I thought, ‘what can I come up with that everybody’s going to like, and that people from five through to 105 can enjoy?’” he said.

“I thought maybe a new footpath, or a new road… then I thought, ‘hang on, we’ve got this lagoon at the back here, where the potential is limitless—you can just do anything with it.”

Liessmann cited a fusion of practicality and nostalgia as the driving forces behind the selection of the long-dormant, once-booming site.

“Gardners Lagoon was the lagoon to go to when you were a kid,” he said.

“Kids used to catch little fish there, everything. If you were a kid from Home Hill and you didn’t go down to Gardners Lagoon, you didn’t really come from Home Hill. I want to bring it back.”

Should the plan come to fruition, the proposed park would join Arch Dunn Memorial Park, Ford Park, Watson’s Green Park, and Lloyd Mann Gardens as one of Home Hill’s public parks.

Liessmann said the new park would offer a different dimension to the existing parks in the area.

“There’s no place big enough [in Home Hill] to entertain all age groups,” he said.

“There's no walking trails, there’s no bikeways. The new park will have all of that.”

He admitted that while the idea has received widespread public backing, it remains at an early stage, with council approval, funding and a master plan all still required before plans can proceed.

‍

Once a popular haven for kids in Home Hill, Gardners Lagoon could be set for a revival under a new park proposal put forward by Home Hill Chamber of Commerce President Uli Liessmann. Photo credit: Jacob Casha

‍