Sheila Ireland Reserve Fenced Dog Park

Sheila Ireland Reserve's fenced dog park sits at 25 Fernbrooke Boulevard in Redbank Plains, one of the newer dog parks in Ipswich City Council's stable and open around the clock. It is part of a well-kitted suburban reserve that also carries agility gear for humans and dogs, gazebos, picnic benches and a drinking water supply.

The dog setup

The dog park is fully fenced with a double-gate entry, and off-leash applies inside the enclosure only. Council's standing rules apply: an adult stays inside and supervises, the dog stays under effective voice or hand control, bags and bins get used, and a dog showing aggression is leashed and taken straight out. There is dog agility equipment inside, a water tap, bag dispensers and bench seating.

Worth noting: this is a single open enclosure rather than a split small-and-large-dog park, so if your small dog needs a gentler crowd, pick your times carefully or use one of the smaller suburban parks nearby.

Worth knowing

The wider reserve has paved recreational pathways, strength and agility stations and open kick-around lawn, so a dog day here can be a circuit rather than a single stop. Being new and heavily used, the ground inside the fence wears fast and goes to mud after rain; take a towel. It is lit for evening visits, which the after-work crowd makes good use of.

Getting there and parking

Redbank Plains is about 35 minutes south-west of Brisbane via the Ipswich Motorway. Parking sits beside the reserve on Fernbrooke Boulevard, including accessible spaces near the entry. Bus services along Redbank Plains Road connect back to the Ipswich line, but the suburb is car country.

Close by with the dogs

Redbank Plains holds three fenced parks, so rotate your dog's playmates: the Rex Hawkes Park Fenced Dog Park and the Redbank Plains Recreation Reserve Fenced Dog Park are both short drives away.

Sunday afternoons and weekday evenings are the busiest windows; mid-morning on a Tuesday is a different, quieter park. More options are on the Queensland dog-friendly parks guide and the Redbank Plains destination page.

Max: the ground turns to soup after rain and this park is popular enough that soup is the default. Bring the towel, trust me.