Sunnybank, Queensland
Encyclopedia
Sunnybank is now a suburb in Brisbane
, Queensland
, Australia
much reduced in size from the previous suburb of Sunnybank. The separate Town of Sunnybank was absorbed into the City of Brisbane. This older Sunnybank area is still known locally as Sunnybank. Rolling hills and the headwaters for both Stable Swamp Creek and Bulimba Creek
have drawn people and wildlife to the Sunnybank area.
Indigenous
people were the first to inhabit the area well over 20,000 years ago. Early settlers noticed the Sunnybank district was gifted with good rainfall and a beautiful loamy soil, somewhat sandy in character that produced beautiful displays of natural wild flowers. From the mid-19th century it developed into a farming area with prosperous fruit and poultry farms and gardens of every kind.
Opening in 1938, The Oasis, with lush gardens, swimming pools and a mini zoo became Brisbane’s most popular tourist attraction. The Oasis was located at 141 Station Road, Sunnybank.
The Town of Sunnybank in the 19th century was part of a much larger area known as the Parish of Yeerongpilly, but a distinct town outside of the area known as Brisbane. In 1885, the railway line was extended from Yeerongpilly, and names had to be given to the railway stations along the line. Sunnybank got its name from a local farm, Sunnybrae, owned by the Gillespies, when 2 acres (8,093.7 m²) of land were taken over for the railway. Brae is Scottish for the English word bank, so the area was given boundaries and named Sunnybank.
, creating a major source of employment for the entire city of Brisbane.
With the Commonwealth games being held in 1982 at the Queen Elizabeth II sporting complex (QE II), now known as the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre
(QSAC), and Expo 88 years later, Brisbane and its suburbs like Sunnybank were shown to the world.
With new land releases rare in the region, developers have turned to building higher density residential and commercial projects.
Sunnybank is today a thriving multicultural suburb, with strong Asian influences in design, food and culture. Many of the suburb's shops and businesses are owned and run by Asian people, with most business signs written in Chinese and a small subscript of English. The suburb has affectionately been called "China Town" by the locals.
Banoon railway station, Sunnybank railway station and Altandi railway station provides access to regular Citytrain
services to Brisbane and Beenleigh
.
, St Thomas More College
(Catholic), Macgregor State School and Macgregor State High School.
, Coles
and an AMC cinema complex. Sunny Park shopping centre is located across the road from Sunnybank Plaza and features a Woolworths
& Aldi supermarket. The centre was previously anchored by a Big W
discount department store, which is the only Big W
store in Brisbane that has closed, and a Sam's Warehouse store, which has also since closed. Market Square, located across from these two centres, is a community-based centre that is Asian-focused, featuring numerous Asian shops and restaurants. Other shopping centres that are nearby to Sunnybank include Westfield Garden City
, Sunnybank Hills Shoppingtown and Calamvale Central.
.
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
much reduced in size from the previous suburb of Sunnybank. The separate Town of Sunnybank was absorbed into the City of Brisbane. This older Sunnybank area is still known locally as Sunnybank. Rolling hills and the headwaters for both Stable Swamp Creek and Bulimba Creek
Bulimba Creek, Queensland
The Bulimba Creek catchment has it sources in the marshy parts of the suburbs of Runcorn and Kuraby in the south of Brisbane. It then flows in a northerly direction through the suburbs of Mansfield, Mackenzie, Carindale, Murarrie and Lytton, before meeting the Brisbane River along the Lytton Reach...
have drawn people and wildlife to the Sunnybank area.
History
The JageraJagera
Jagera is a genus of 4 species of small tree in the soapberry family Sapindaceae. Three are found in the rainforests of eastern Australia, the other is found in the Moluccas and New Guinea....
Indigenous
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
people were the first to inhabit the area well over 20,000 years ago. Early settlers noticed the Sunnybank district was gifted with good rainfall and a beautiful loamy soil, somewhat sandy in character that produced beautiful displays of natural wild flowers. From the mid-19th century it developed into a farming area with prosperous fruit and poultry farms and gardens of every kind.
Opening in 1938, The Oasis, with lush gardens, swimming pools and a mini zoo became Brisbane’s most popular tourist attraction. The Oasis was located at 141 Station Road, Sunnybank.
The Town of Sunnybank in the 19th century was part of a much larger area known as the Parish of Yeerongpilly, but a distinct town outside of the area known as Brisbane. In 1885, the railway line was extended from Yeerongpilly, and names had to be given to the railway stations along the line. Sunnybank got its name from a local farm, Sunnybrae, owned by the Gillespies, when 2 acres (8,093.7 m²) of land were taken over for the railway. Brae is Scottish for the English word bank, so the area was given boundaries and named Sunnybank.
Development
By the first part of the 20th century, farmland increasingly gave way to suburbia. General Motors Holden established a car manufacturing plant on Bradman Street at Acacia RidgeAcacia Ridge, Queensland
Acacia Ridge is a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Acacia Ridge is south of the central business district. The population in the 2001 census was 6648....
, creating a major source of employment for the entire city of Brisbane.
With the Commonwealth games being held in 1982 at the Queen Elizabeth II sporting complex (QE II), now known as the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre
Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre
The Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre , more commonly known by its former names ANZ Stadium or QE II, is a major sporting facility on the south side of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia...
(QSAC), and Expo 88 years later, Brisbane and its suburbs like Sunnybank were shown to the world.
With new land releases rare in the region, developers have turned to building higher density residential and commercial projects.
Asian influence on culture
In the early 1980s, an increasing number of Asian immigrants began to settle in Sunnybank and neighbouring suburbs. When this happened the look of the area changed, especially in the outlying business district of Sunnybank at the intersection of Mains Road and McCullough Street, where Asian restaurants and businesses are numerous.Sunnybank is today a thriving multicultural suburb, with strong Asian influences in design, food and culture. Many of the suburb's shops and businesses are owned and run by Asian people, with most business signs written in Chinese and a small subscript of English. The suburb has affectionately been called "China Town" by the locals.
Climate
Transport
Sunnybank is a busy area, and there have been ever-growing traffic problems in the area. Mains Road can become gridlocked around peak-hour, packed with cars and buses, as commuters make the slow ride home, although construction has widened and improved the Mains Road bridge which crosses the train line at Altandi. Sunnybank plaza has a large bus station, which serves as one of the major stops on most bus routes in the area.Banoon railway station, Sunnybank railway station and Altandi railway station provides access to regular Citytrain
CityTrain
Citytrain is the brand name of urban, suburban and inter-urban electric passenger railway services in South East Queensland, Australia. Its network, centering in Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland, is approximately in route length...
services to Brisbane and Beenleigh
Beenleigh, Queensland
Beenleigh is a suburb in the Logan City area of Queensland, Australia. Beenleigh and adjoining suburbs are located near the confluence of the Logan and Albert rivers...
.
Society and education
Sunnybank has many churches, including Catholic, Anglican, Uniting, and Churches of Christ.http://ministryblue.com/church-sunnybank.html Schools in the area include Sunnybank State High SchoolSunnybank State High School
Sunnybank State High School is a Queensland Government State School located in the suburb of Sunnybank, approximately 15 kilometres south of the city of Brisbane, in Queensland, Australia. The school has its predominant frontage on Turton Street and is also bordered by Gager and Boorman...
, St Thomas More College
St Thomas More College
St. Thomas More College , is a Catholic, undergraduate, liberal arts college located in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, and is a federated college of the University of Saskatchewan.-History:...
(Catholic), Macgregor State School and Macgregor State High School.
Shopping
Sunnybank includes shopping centres along Mains Rd, such as Sunnybank Plaza, which features a KmartKmart Australia
Kmart Australia Limited is a discount department store chain owned by Wesfarmers. It operates 172 stores in Australia and 15 in New Zealand, with its head office located in Mulgrave, Victoria. Wesfarmers uses the Kmart name under licence from Sears Holdings Corporation.-History:Kmart Australia...
, Coles
Coles Supermarkets
Coles Supermarkets is an Australian supermarket chain owned by Wesfarmers. It has 741 stores nationally Coles Supermarkets is an Australian supermarket chain owned by Wesfarmers. It has 741 stores nationally Coles Supermarkets is an Australian supermarket chain owned by Wesfarmers. It has 741...
and an AMC cinema complex. Sunny Park shopping centre is located across the road from Sunnybank Plaza and features a Woolworths
Woolworths (supermarkets)
Woolworths is the largest supermarket chain in Australia, owned by Woolworths Limited.-History:Woolworths Limited was founded in 1924, with the first store opening up in Sydney's Imperial Arcade.-2008 rebranding:...
& Aldi supermarket. The centre was previously anchored by a Big W
Big W
Big W is one of the largest chain of discount department stores in Australia, with over 150 stores. It is a division of Woolworths Limited, the second largest retailer in Australia. Its main competitors are Kmart and Target, both owned by Wesfarmers....
discount department store, which is the only Big W
Big W
Big W is one of the largest chain of discount department stores in Australia, with over 150 stores. It is a division of Woolworths Limited, the second largest retailer in Australia. Its main competitors are Kmart and Target, both owned by Wesfarmers....
store in Brisbane that has closed, and a Sam's Warehouse store, which has also since closed. Market Square, located across from these two centres, is a community-based centre that is Asian-focused, featuring numerous Asian shops and restaurants. Other shopping centres that are nearby to Sunnybank include Westfield Garden City
Westfield Garden City
Westfield Garden City, better known as Garden City, is one of Brisbane's major shopping centres, located in the suburb of Upper Mount Gravatt. The centre is operated by Westfield, and previously operated by AMP Limited before the takeover in 2003...
, Sunnybank Hills Shoppingtown and Calamvale Central.
Sport
Sunnybank is home of the Souths Sunnybank Rugby League Football Club - the second oldest Rugby League club in Brisbane and the Sunnybank Dragons Rugby Union ClubSunnybank Rugby Union Club
Sunnybank are an Australian rugby union club, currently competing in the Queensland Premier Rugby competition. They were established in 1969.The club's players were also available for selection to the Australian Rugby Championship franchise East Coast Aces....
.
Notable residents
- Lote Tuqiri, dual code rugby international
- Johnathan ThurstonJohnathan ThurstonJohnathan Dean Thurston is an Indigenous Australian professional rugby league footballer in the NRL with the North Queensland Cowboys whom he co-captains...
, Queensland Maroons, Australia and North Queensland Cowboys halfback. - Len ArdillLen ArdillLeonard Arthur Ardill was an Australian state politician, representing the Australian Labor Party.Following time as an Alderman in the Brisbane City Council, including serving as the Vice Mayor, Ardill was elected in 1986 to the Queensland Legislative Assembly as the member for Salisbury...
, politician - Ken HamKen HamKenneth Alfred Ham is the Australian President/CEO of Answers in Genesis USA. He is a vocal advocate for a young Earth and a literal interpretation of the Book of Genesis, and his cross-country speaking tours and many books make him one of the better known young-Earth...
, President of Answers in GenesisAnswers in GenesisAnswers in Genesis is a non-profit Christian apologetics ministry with a particular focus on supporting Young Earth creationism and a literal interpretation of the Book of Genesis. The organization has offices in the United Kingdom and the United States...