[1] A Temporary Reserve for Public Recreation of 18 acres (7.3 ha) 3 roods (33,000 sq ft; 3,000 m2) 34 perches (860 m2), bounded by Anne, Deane, Bridge and Church Streets, Charters Towers, was proclaimed on 15 May 1883.

The field was proclaimed a town in 1877, and by the early 1880s was a prosperous settlement which made a major contribution to the social, political and economic development of North Queensland.

Concern that the environment was being destroyed led to protests about the loss of vegetation from leading citizens, including Anglican Bishop Gilbert White and Isidore Lissner MLA.

As a result of the devastation and in keeping with the prevailing belief that the development of gardens improved the moral character and social well being of the community, Lissner encouraged the Charters Towers Municipal Council to request that a reserve be set aside for recreation and botanical purposes.

[1] The park was named after Isidor Siegfried Lissner who arrived in Charters Towers in 1873 after living for some time on mining fields in southern Australia.

He took a keen interest in community affairs and pushed for the establishment of sporting facilities and public amenities such as Lissner Park.

An honour board, erected at the western end of the kiosk, contains the names of those soldiers from the district who lost their lives during the Boer War.

In another meeting in the park in July 1889 2500 miners and local people assembled to discuss and give support to the strikers at the Day Dawn PC Mine who were out on strike over measures taken by the owners to prevent gold being stolen.

A gathering in August 1889 gave support to the government's proposal to introduce an eight-hour day and a meeting, called by the Charters Towers Branch of the Australian Labor Federation, met in the park on 1 March 1891.

[1] A small zoo, which was constructed at the northern end of the park along Plummer St, is now being slowly removed because the care of animals is costly and time consuming.

[1] A memorial to Joseph and William Hann, early explorers and pastoralists in the Kennedy District, was erected in 1959 to celebrate the centenary of pastoral settlement.

[1] The recreation reserve was reduced in size in 1971 when a swimming pool was constructed at the northern end of the park on land bounded by Plummer and Church Streets.

[1] The bandstand has recently been repaired and painted and the installation of an irrigation system to water the whole park has created a pleasant, cool environment which is being utilised by the local community and travellers.

The fountain has a crucifix form in plan, is constructed from folded "tin" sheets, and exhibits evidence of removed decorative elements.

[1] Other elements of the park include a playground, the 1959 memorial to William Hann, the 1988 fernery, the 1988 animal enclosure and the 1972 Rotary centenary pond.

The roof is punctuated with three small louvred dormers to each side, and has ridge ventilators, cast iron cresting and flagstaffs at each end.

Above the benches are three marble plaques facing east, with gilded lettering naming some eighty local soldiers who served in the Boer War.

[1] Boer War Veterans Memorial Kiosk and Lissner Park was listed on the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992 having satisfied the following criteria.

The Boer War Veterans Memorial Kiosk, constructed in 1909, is significant because it exemplifies a widespread social movement expressing Australian patriotism and nationalism during the early twentieth century and belongs to a class of commemorative memorials which record local community response to events such as war.

Lissner Park has retained its fine Victorian character as a result of the survival of many of the trees supplied by Ben Gulliver, Townsville nurseryman and botanist.

The park has been a focus for community cultural and social activities since its inception and was the venue for commemorative events and for political gatherings during the turbulent years of the rise of the Labor Party during the last decade of the nineteenth century.

The park, developed as a response to the prevailing belief that gardens improved the moral character and enhanced the social well being of the community, was established with the support of Lissner.