Darra, Queensland
| Darra Brisbane, Queensland | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Shops in Darra. | |||||||||||||||
| Population | 4,343 (2016 census)[1] | ||||||||||||||
| Established | 1864 | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 4076 | ||||||||||||||
| Location | 14 km (9 mi) from Brisbane GPO | ||||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | City of Brisbane (Jamboree Ward)[2] | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | |||||||||||||||
| Federal division(s) | Oxley | ||||||||||||||
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Darra is a suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is located about 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) southwest of Brisbane central business district. The first subdivisions in the area occurred in 1864.[3]
The houses are mainly of the Queenslander style built in the 1940s and 1950s. The majority of blocks in Darra are large enough to be subdivided, which is becoming popular in the suburb, hence making room for more modern homes. In the last few years, a property developer bought a vast tract of vacant, government land. As a result, there are now many new homes and townhouses built in Darra, which has increased its population and its geographical boundaries.
Surrounding suburbs include Seventeen Mile Rocks, Oxley, Sumner, Richlands, and Jamboree Heights.
History
A portion of Darra comes from the Wolston Estate, consisting of 54 farms on an area of 3000 acres, offered for auction at Centennial Hall, Brisbane, on 16 October 1901.[4] Wolston Estate is the property of M. B. Goggs, whose father obtained the land forty years previously in the 1860s and after whom Goggs Road is named.[5] Only three of the farms sold at the original auction.[6]
In 1879, the local government area of Yeerongpilly Division was created. In 1891, parts of Yeerongpilly Division were excised to create Sherwood Division becoming a Shire in 1903 which contained the area of Wolston Estate. In 1925, the Shire of Sherwood was amalgamated into the City of Brisbane. [7]
In 1954, the Darra RSL Memorial Hall was opened.[3] Sumner was known as Darra until 1969 when it became a separate suburb. Vietnamese refugees began to settle in the area in 1975. The origin of the word Darra came from the Aboriginal word for 'stones'.[8]
Transport
Darra railway station provides access to regular Queensland Rail City network services to Brisbane CBD, Ipswich, Rosewood and Springfield. The Darra railway station is the name given to the suburb it came to serve. As the railway was built through the area a stop was allocated at a distance of "nine miles forty four chain", halfway between the planned Oxley railway station and Wacol railway station. The station was one terminus for the first of Brisbane's electric rail lines, linking to Ferny Grove railway station in 1979.[3]
The Centenary Freeway and the Ipswich Motorway provide access to the Brisbane CBD. There are also buses that travel to surrounding suburbs such as Inala and Mount Ommaney.
Schools
Darra has two primary schools, one state and one Catholic private school ('Darra State School' and 'Our Lady of the Sacred Heart'). Both occupy blocks fronted by Darra Station Rd and Scotts Rd, and both are conveniently located near the railway station. Because the suburb has two primary schools, it is becoming more popular with younger families moving to the area.
Urban planning
Overall plans include the further redevelopment of the industrial park, which should provide an injection of capital into the community and further upgrade local infrastructure and community facilities. The Brisbane City Council has been active in rejuvenating the streetscapes of the Darra suburb as well as neighbouring recreational and parkland facilities in Jindalee and Sinnamon Park.
Demographics
In the 2016 census, Darra recorded a population of 4,343 people, 48.2% female and 51.8% male.[9] The median age of the Darra population was 32 years of age, 5 years below the Australian median. 48.1% of people living in Darra were born in Australia, compared to the national average of 69.8%; the next most common countries of birth were Vietnam 15.8%, New Zealand 3.4%, India 2.9%, Philippines 2%, Samoa 1.2%. 45.1% of people spoke only English at home; the next most popular languages were 23.1% Vietnamese, 4.1% Arabic, 2.2% Samoan, 1.3% Tagalog, 1.3% Spanish.[9]
See also
References
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Darra (Brisbane City) (State Suburb)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 February 2008.
- ^ "Jamboree Ward". Brisbane City Council. Brisbane City Council. Retrieved 12 March 2017.
- ^ a b c Mynott, Wicki (2009). 150 years: Richlands, Inala & neighbouring suburbs in Brisbane's South West. Richlands, Inala & Suburbs History Group. pp. 62–64.
- ^ "Plan of the Wolston Estate". State Library of Queensland. 1901. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
- ^ "SALE OF WOLSTON ESTATE". The Brisbane Courier. Vol. LVIII, no. 13, 651. Queensland, Australia. 12 October 1901. p. 4. Retrieved 21 May 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "LATEST NEWS IN BRIEF". The Queenslander. Vol. LXI, no. 1353. Queensland, Australia. 26 October 1901. p. 780. Retrieved 21 May 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ Fones, Ralph (1 January 1993). "Suburban conservatism in the Sherwood Shire 1891-1920". UQ eSpace. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Secret History of Brisbane's suburbs from A to Z". Courier Mail.
- ^ a b Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Darra (Brisbane City) (State Suburb)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 February 2008.
External links
