Tennyson Power Station was opened in 1955 and for three decades it supplied coal-fired electricity to much of metropolitan Brisbane. It sat by a bend in the Brisbane River, utilising millions of litres of river water per hour as coolant, until being decommissioned in 1986. Its hulking brick form remained looming over the southside landscape for a further 20 years until it was finally demolished in 2006 to make way for housing development and the construction of the Queensland Tennis Centre.
The power station has been memorialised across the road from Pat Rafter Stadium by this stunning park and playground, named after Brisbane-born tennis champ and philanthropist Ken Fletcher. The playground mimics the form of a power station, with two towering 'smoke stacks', yellow steel piping, tangles of climbing rope that are like wiring and circuitry, and mock control panels. Steel girders from the original powerhouse have been repurposed as bridges over a creek bed, and there are bits of original brickwork nearby together with informative plaques about the history of the site.
There is a water-play sandpit (ideal in the the searing heat) and the usual swings and barbecues as well as a spanking new accessible toilet block and on-site parking. The park is shiny, scads of fun and perfect as a playdate location with two cafés within 100 metres for flat whites and babycinos. Add to that some lovely river views over the mangroves and you've got one of the very best playgrounds in Brisvegas. Electrifying!