A Bardon backyard that slowly transformed into a place of laughter, rest and chance encounters is about to disappear, as Brisbane urban designer David Engwicht prepares to sell the home where, for more than two decades, his private space, known as Civosity Park, became everyone’s.
Where a front fence once stood, something else took its place
It didn’t begin with a grand plan. Mr Engwicht started by pulling down his front fence, opening up what had been a closed-off yard to the street. In its place came sculptures, a small library, a drinking fountain. These were small gestures that invited people to pause rather than pass by.
What happened next grew over time. People stopped, and some stayed longer, while others returned.
The backyard followed, opening onto a nearby bike path. What had once been an unused patch of land became layered with greenery, timber decks, a small creek, bridges and spaces to sit. Children climbed and played. Cyclists slowed down. Conversations started between people who had never met before.
A place shaped by use, not design
Mr Engwicht, known for his work in urban design, approached the space without rigid plans. Plants went into the ground where they seemed to fit. Some thrived but many didn’t. Structures were built, adjusted and rebuilt again.
Over the years, the garden grew not just through one person’s effort, but through the presence of others. Visiting artists added colour to walls and fences. The space changed as people used it, each visit leaving a small mark.
His daughter, Jodi Stojanov, later gave it a name — “Civosity Park” — a blend of civility and generosity that reflected what the space had quietly become.
A rhythm of daily life
There was no gate, no sign-in, no schedule. The park moved to its own rhythm.
In the afternoons, students would stop by on their way home. Families arrived with children who made quick use of the open space. Riders along the bike path slowed to rest in the shade. At different times of day, the garden filled and emptied again, never fully still.
For many, it became part of their routine without needing to be announced.
Recognition beyond Bardon
The garden eventually reached a wider audience. It was featured on Gardening Australia in 2025, where its story of trial, error and openness stood out among more conventional garden designs.
It also appeared on local “must-see” lists, though its appeal was never about polish. It was the feeling of the place. It was informal, evolving, shaped by people rather than rules.
The decision that changes everything
Now, that chapter is ending. Engwicht and his family have made the decision to sell the property, meaning the space that so many have wandered through will return to being private once again.
There is no plan to relocate it. What existed here was tied to this patch of land, built slowly over years in ways that cannot be easily repeated elsewhere.
A final gathering
As word has spread, those who spent time in the park have begun to circle back. A farewell gathering has been organised, giving people one more chance to walk through the space, sit where they once sat, and see it as it is before it changes.
Alongside this, a community-led effort through Creative Communities International is collecting contributions for a thank-you gift, acknowledging the years Engwicht spent building something that asked for nothing in return.
The closing gathering is scheduled for May 16 from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
What remains after the gates close
Soon, the footsteps will stop. The path from the bike track will no longer lead into a shared space. The creek, the decks, the scattered seating — all will remain, but not in the same way.
For those who came through, what lingers is less about what was built, and more about what happened there — brief conversations, familiar faces, and the simple act of being welcomed into a place that did not have to be shared.
