Wilson Park Lawson

Wilson Park in Lawson is great dog friendly picnic spot. It's a site of local heritage significance, originally known as "Snake Gully" and later named after Percy Wilson, a notable local councillor and publisher active from 1920 to 1937. The area is bounded by St Bernard’s Drive, Evans Street, and Park Road, and features a spring-fed creek that was historically important for supplying water to Lawson's steam trains. The creek was dammed in the early 1870s to provide water for railway operations, and the site gradually became a community recreation area.​ By 1915, the land was officially leased for public recreation, and in 1932 it was gazetted as a public reserve. Wilson Park is home to Lawson’s historic swimming pool, opened in November 1931, and a unique concrete relief Map of Australia constructed in May 1932 by local resident Frank Higgison, who carved it to scale on a natural rock outcrop. The park’s continued recreational development during the Great Depression was led by Percy Wilson, with relief workers improving facilities for the Lawson community.​ Lawson town itself grew after the railway arrived in 1867, with plentiful water supplying both rail operations and local enterprises. The northern precinct where Wilson Park stands was historically important, housing council chambers, schools, and medical facilities. It remains a key picnic destination, featuring playgrounds, pool, and heritage sites, making it both a practical and historical gathering place for families and visitors today.