Sunnybank, Queensland
| Sunnybank Brisbane, Error: unknown |state= value (help) | |||||||||||||||
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 Sunnybank lowlands with Typha (rushes) in foreground and Sunnybank Railway Station in background. Site was originally part of Sunnybrae farm. | |||||||||||||||
| Population | 16,442 (2004 census) | ||||||||||||||
| • Density | Lua error: Unable to convert population "16442 (2004 census)" to a number. | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 4109 | ||||||||||||||
| Area | 4.4 km2 (1.7 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Algester, Stretton, Mt Gravatt | ||||||||||||||
| Federal division(s) | Moreton | ||||||||||||||
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Sunnybank is both an area or district and a suburb in Brisbane,Queensland, Australia. The suburb of Sunnybank is only a small part of the area generally known as Sunnybank, which also includes Banoon, Nathan, Robertson, MacGregor, Runcorn, and Sunnybank Hills. [citation needed]
Rolling hills and the headwaters for both Stable Swamp Creek and Bulimba Creek have drawn people and wildlife to the Sunnybank area.
History
The Jagara Indigenous people are believed to be the first to inhabit the area. The Sunnybank district was a farming area from the mid 1800s. With rich, red soil, it was highly productive.
Sunnybank in the 1800s was part of a much larger area known as Coopers Plains. 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 two acres 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.[1]
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 Ridge, 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.
Asian influence on culture
In the mid 1990s, 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 new land releases rare in the region, developers have turned to building higher density residential and commercial projects.
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.
Society and education
Sunnybank has many churches, including Catholic, Anglican, Uniting, and Churches of Christ.[2] Schools in the area include Sunnybank State High School and St Thomas More College (Catholic).
Recent Events
On Thursday 29 March 2007, a fire burnt the large shopping complex of Market Square on the Corner of Mains Road and McCullough street. The incident happened around 5:30pm and the flames engulfed around 10 shops. It is believed an electrical fault started the fire.
Facilities
A shopping centre, Sunnybank Plaza, is located at the intersection of Mains Road and McCullough Street. Other retail areas include Sunny Park Shopping Centre, Sunnybank Hills Shoppingtown and Calamvale Central. Sunny Park Shopping Centre was previously anchored by a Big W discount department store, which has since closed. Kmart is trading in Mains Road across from where the Big W store used to be.
Sunnybank is also the home of the Sunnybank Dragons Rugby Club and the Souths Sunnybank Magpies Rugby League Club.
The two local pubs are the Sunnybank Dragons Rugby Club and Sunnybank Hotel.
Sunnybank plaza has a large bus station, which serves as one of the major stops on most bus routes in the area. Queensland Rail operates a train service through the Sunnybank area. The Beenleigh railway line runs through the area, and in the Sunnybank area the train stations include (in order, going out-bound) Banoon, Sunnybank, Altandi and Runcorn. The bus stop outside Altandi train station is also a popular bus stop along Mains Road.
References
- Australian Bureau of Statistics (19 November 2002). "2001 Community Profiles: Sunnybank (Statistical Local Area)". 2001 Census of Population and Housing. Retrieved 2007-06-30.
Famous Residents
- Johnathan Thurston, Queensland Maroons halfback.
- Len Ardill, Politician.
- Ken Ham, President of Answers in Genesis.