Everything about Nundah Queensland totally explained
Nundah is an inner suburb in the city of
Brisbane,
Australia, located approximately 8
kilometers north-east of the
Brisbane central business district, in the local government area of the
City of Brisbane.
Prior to European settlement, Nundah was inhabited by
Aboriginal people from the
Turrbul tribe. Nundah is primarily a residential suburb, which straddles
Sandgate Road, one of the major arterial roads of Brisbane's north. It was first settled by Europeans in the mid-19th century, although the suburb remained primarily a rural area until it was connected to Brisbane via railway in the 1880s. Originally considered a working-class suburb, the area has become gentrified in recent years, and today features a mix of traditional worker's cottages and modern high-density apartment blocks.
The name "Nundah" means "chain of water holes" in the local Aboriginal dialect. This name is probably a reference to the nearby natural water sources at
Kedron Brook and the marshy areas formerly to the east of the suburb.
Geography
Nundah is a mixed-density residential suburb, with some light industry and a commercial retail area concentrated on Sandgate Road. It is adjacent to the suburbs of
Clayfield,
Northgate and
Wavell Heights, and is dominated by a large ridge that runs from the northeast to the southwest. The "Nundah Village" shopping district and Nundah State School are on this ridge, while the Nundah Tunnel bisects it along Sandgate Road.
The suburb includes the locality and formerly distinct suburb of Toombul, which is centered in the south of Nundah, around Sandgate Road. Various facilities in Nundah are named after this locality, including the large shopping centre
Centro Toombul,
Toombul Bus Station and the
Toombul Train Station.
Schulz Canal runs through Nundah, bisecting the Toombul Shopping Centre Carpark. The low elevation of the carpark makes it particularly susceptible to
flash flooding during peak storm seasons - often claiming the cars of unwary shoppers inside the centre and those attempting to cross the Melton Road bridge. The estuary of the canal is a moderately popular recreational fishing spot.
History
Aboriginal History
Like most of Northern Brisbane, the area around Nundah was dominated by the
Turrbul tribe. There were a number of
bora rings in the area, indicating that the Nundah area was densely populated by Aboriginal people before European settlers arrived.
European Settlement
The first permanent European settlement in the area was a mission built in
1838 by German
Lutheran missionaries, under the guidance of Reverend
Carl Wilhelm Schmidt and later Reverend
Christoph Eipper with the aim of bringing Christianity to the local Aboriginal people. They first called the area "Zion",. It later became "German Station" and then "Nundah", derived from the
Aboriginal name for the area. The explorer
Dr. Ludwig Leichhardt visited the area in 1843, and spoke very highly of the mission, but despite this the mission met with limited success and was closed at the behest of the colonial government in
1846. This first settlement is nonetheless commemorated with a monument at the corner of Sandgate Road and Wood Street unveiled in
1938 by the then
Premier of Queensland William Forgan Smith. The names of these German settlers can be seen in the names of streets in Nundah and surrounding suburbs such as Rode Road and Gerler Road.
Nundah remained an agricultural area until the
1880s, when the construction of a railway between Brisbane and
Sandgate in
1882 resulted in a suburban residential construction boom on Brisbane's northside. Nundah became known as a suburb where working-class families could obtain cheap housing on reasonably-sized lots not too far from the city.
In
1909, Surrey Street in Nundah became the site of the first
public housing dwelling in Queensland. In the early
twentieth century, Nundah became a major suburban centre, due to its location on Sandgate Road, one of Brisbane's busiest arterial roads, and the adjacent
Nundah railway station. Sandgate Road and nearby streets were lined with shops, pubs, cinemas and other commercial premises. Nundah was also the seat of Toombul Shire, which was absorbed into the City of Greater Brisbane in
1925.
Nundah's commercial precinct suffered a precipitous decline from the
1970s with the construction of the nearby Westfield Shoppingtown (Later
Centro)
Toombul shopping centre. Increasing motor traffic along Sandgate Road also reduced Nundah's appeal as a shopping precinct. However, in recent times a road tunnel has been constructed under nearby Bage Street, diverting through traffic away from the suburban centre. A
Brisbane City Council suburban renewal programme has seen new art installations, cafés and commercial enterprises open in Nundah, creating a village-like atmosphere along the now-quiet Sandgate Road.
In recent years the suburb has become popular among
white collar workers seeking relatively inexpensive housing and apartments only a moderate distance from the Brisbane CBD. Since then, along with the rest of the city, housing prices in the area have skyrocketed, pricing most of the traditional working class out of the suburb.
Demographics
Over one third of Nundah households are families with children, while 41% are couples only. A further 20% are single parent families. 41% of dwellings in the area are stand-alone houses, while 45% are units. Many old timber homes in the area have been renovated, while modern townhouses and units have also been built. The median house price in Nundah for the 2004 calendar year was
$352,500.
At the
2006 Australian Bureau of Statistics census, at least 73% of the population was born in Australia. Of the remainder, 5% were born in
New Zealand, 4% in the
United Kingdom, and just over 1% from the
Philippines. There is also a small shopping centre anchored by a
Woolworths supermarket, which was opened in mid-2007, containing over 200 parking spots, a
Subway store, a
Coffee Club, and numerous other small shops.
Politics
Nundah is in the
federal electorate of
Lilley. The seat has been held by
Wayne Swan of the
Australian Labor Party since the 1998
federal election. The suburb lies on the border between the
state electorates of
Clayfield (held by
Liberal Tim Nicholls), and
Nudgee (held by Labor's
Neil Roberts).
Locally, the suburb is part of the Northgate Ward, held by Labor's Kim Flesser.
Landmarks
Bishop Park - Home ground of the Norths Devils rugby league team in the Queensland Cup competition.
Boyd Park - Grounds used by the Nundah State School
Oxenham Park - Home of the Toombul District Cricket Club in the Queensland Cricket Association Grade competition, and contains the Ken MacKay and LaFrantz Ovals
Centro Toombul Shopping Centre
Nundah Criterium Bicycle Track - Located in Hedley Ave/Walkers Way Nundah, next to Albert Bishop Park and the Schultz Canal bikeway.
Nundah Catholic Church
Nundah Historic Cemetery - Contains the graves of many of the original settlers and their families.
Nundah State Library - Adjacent to the Sir William Knox Archives & Resource Centre.
Nundah State School - Established 1865.
Nundah Shopping Village
Nundah Train Station
Prince of Wales Hotel
Ross Park Skate and BMX Park
Royal English Hotel
Schulz Canal
Sir William Knox Archives & Resource Centre - Behind the Nundah State Library.
Toombul Train Station
Toombul Shire Hall - Available for hire.
Tufnell Home Orphanage - Now the Tufnell Child Care Centre.
Parks
Albert Bishop Park - Amelia Street, Hedley Avenue and Nudgee Road, adjoining Schulz Canal
Boyd Park - Bage Street and Boyd, Park and Sandgate Roads
Carew Street - Brook and Carew Streets
Kalinga Park - Jackson and Kalinga Streets, Park Avenue and Sandgate Road, adjoining Schulz Canal
Oxenham Park - Duke, Jenner and York Streets and Melton Road
Plaisted Place - Cavendish, Flower and Maynard Streets
Ross Park - Parkland Street and Sandgate Road, adjoining Schulz Canal
Toombul Terrace - Bage, Gardner and Glenhill Streets, Hamson and Toombul Terraces and Royal Avenue
Upton Street - Upton Street, off London Street
Wood Street (Road Reserve) - Bage and Wood Streets and Sandgate Road
Educational institutions
Corpus Christi College
Nundah State School
St. Joseph's Primary
Churches
Since the earliest days of the Zion's Hill mission, there have been a number of churches in the area. The Lutheran church continues to maintain a presence in the suburb, with a number of facilities, including St Paul's church, a childcare centre, and the Zion Retirement home clustered around the area near the corner of Buckland Road and Atthow Parade.
Other demoninations also have a presence in the area, including the Catholic Church which has a combined church and girl's school on Bage Street. The Presbyterian, Baptist, Uniting and Anglican churches also have places of worship located within the suburb. Historically, the Methodist church and the Salvation Army also maintained churches in the area, although these are no longer active.
Community services
Nundah Combined St John Ambulance Division
Nundah-Northgate Scout Group (Scouts Australia) celebrating centenary in 2009Further Information
Get more info on 'Nundah Queensland'.
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