Environment and Resource Management

About Fort Lytton

Getting there and getting around

From central Brisbane: travel east along Lytton Road. Drive through the Hemmant Industrial area, then swing left to South Street and through the gate to Fort Lytton.

From Wynnum: drive west to the end of Tingal Road, left into Pritchard Street towards Brisbane and right into South Street to the park entrance.

Wheelchair accessibility

There are wheelchair-accessible toilets. The grass pathways at Fort Lytton are not easily accessible for wheelchairs or strollers. Contact us for further information about accessibility.

Park features

Fort Lytton is one of several coastal fortifications built along Australia's coast in the 19th century to safeguard shipping lanes and ports from possible enemy raids.

From 1881 until the 1930s, Fort Lytton was Brisbane's front line of defence and is regarded as the birthplace of Queensland's military history. Regular training camps in military warfare were a highlight of Queensland's political and social calendar.

This classic example of a coastal fortress was surrounded by a water-filled moat, and its heavy armaments were concealed behind grassy ramparts connected by underground passages. After World War II, the fort had outlived its usefulness and fell into disrepair until petroleum refining company Ampol took over the site in 1963. The fort became a national park in 1988 which today protects this important link with our military past.

Camping and accommodation

Camping

To protect the cultural values of the site, camping is not permitted at Fort Lytton National Park.

Other accommodation

Brisbane offers a wide range of holiday accommodation. For more information see tourism information links.

Things to do

Guided tours and events

The Go Back in Time program provides exciting and innovative ways to visit and experience some of the premier heritage sites in Moreton Bay. A wide range of activities and events are available, including annual festivals, cannon firings and guided tours of colonial prisons, forts and quarantine stations.

The program has a strong educational focus, with many activities using theatre-in-education techniques designed to engage students' imagination. To ensure a high quality program, all school activities and tours are accredited and developed in conjunction with Education Queensland.

Caltex Australia is a proud sponsor of the theatre-in-education programs at Fort Lytton National Park.

Exploring Fort Lytton

The fort is open every Sunday and most public holidays. You can walk around Fort Lytton with a guided tour or at your own pace. Fort Lytton is closed to the general public on weekdays but group tours can be arranged. Admission fees are payable for weekday tours.

Picnic and day-use areas

A picnic area is provided by the banks of the Brisbane River. If you plan to have a barbecue, please bring a portable gas barbecue, as open fires are not permitted in the park.

Other things to do

Visit the museum to discover more of Fort Lytton's stories and the exhibition ‘Going to the gums’, which tells the story of the Peel Island Lazaret. Fort Lytton National Park includes Lytton Quarantine Station.

Things to know before you go

Essentials to bring

Wear a hat and sunscreen while walking around the site.

If you plan to have a barbecue, bring a portable gas barbecue, as open fires are not permitted in the park.

Opening hours

Permits and fees

Pets

Domestic animals are not permitted in Fort Lytton National Park.

Climate and weather

Brisbane enjoys a mild, subtropical climate. The average daily temperature range is 22 to 30°C in summer and 12 to 22°C in winter. For more information see tourism information links.

Fuel and supplies

Tea, coffee and souvenirs are available at the visitor information centre run by volunteer guides at Fort Lytton. Fuel and supplies are available in Brisbane. For more information see tourism information links.

Staying safe

For information, please read the guidelines on safety in parks and forests.

Looking after the park

See Caring for parks for more information about protecting our environment and heritage in parks.

Park management

The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) manages Fort Lytton National Park to conserve its natural and cultural resources, to present these resources and their values, and to ensure that use of these resources is ecologically sustainable. A management plan for Fort Lytton National Park will be prepared in the future.

Tourism information links

For all educational enquiries, please contact:

For more information about the history, activities and tours of Fort Lytton, please contact:


For more information about activities, tours and accommodation in the Brisbane region, please contact:

For tourism information for all regions in Queensland see www.queenslandholidays.com.au

Further information

Fort Lytton National Park
South Street, Lytton
PO Box 293, Wynnum QLD 4178

Contact us

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Last updated 29 July 2011

Fort Lytton National Park

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