Originally used for horseracing, by 1860 the site was being dug for its clay and had become the Government Brickworks. Bricks from here were used in a number of Perth buildings, including the Town Hall on Barrack Street. Eventually the old pits became filled with stagnant water and were thought to be a health risk to East Perth residents.

In the 1890s, Perth City Council decided to obtain the land and convert it into a landscaped reserve, with the stagnant pits linked by running streams to form a series of picturesque lakes. Combined with the planting of ornamental trees and flowers, Queen’s Garden was the most beautiful public space in Perth at the time.

It was officially opened by the Mayor of Perth, Alexander Forrest, in 1899, and despite occasional development over the next century, Queen’s Gardens still retains much of its original layout and late nineteenth century charm.