Mansfield, Queensland
Encyclopedia
Mansfield is a suburb of Brisbane
, Australia
, situated approximately 11 kilometres south-east of the CBD
. It is located in the region of the city which is now colloquially known as the "Bible Belt" due to the large number of people who have settled there to be close to Fundamentalist Christian
schools and churches. It was named in 1967, after the Queensland
governor of the time Sir Alan Mansfield. The suburb has a moderate Greek presence with over 3% of the population speaking Greek
as a first language.
past, consisting mainly of dairy cattle and sheep grazing. Original fencelines can still be found in remaining pockets of bushland
. There was also light development of industries related to agriculture, such as wool processing and scouring. Also the quarry once located on Ham and Wecker Roads, excavated large amounts of sandstone used throughout some of the historic landmarks of Brisbane
, such as the Brisbane City Hall
.
Recently reopened, the "Rock Arena" at the Mansfield Tavern was in its heyday a popular venue for touring musical acts and has starred such acts as The Offspring
, Hunters & Collectors
, Madness
, Hoodoo Gurus
, The Angels
and great British rock band The Cult
.
There is a medium-sized industrial estate situated in the northern part of the suburb, in which an Australia Post
mail delivery centre is located.
and Christian Outreach College. The first of these schools to open was Mansfield State Primary School in 1970 and Mansfield State High School
in 1974.
Garden City shopping centre
at Upper Mount Gravatt
.
areas and children's play equipment. Adjoining this parkland is a large bushland reserve which follows the course of Bulimba Creek
(a tributary of the Brisbane River
).
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...
, 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...
, situated approximately 11 kilometres south-east of the CBD
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
. It is located in the region of the city which is now colloquially known as the "Bible Belt" due to the large number of people who have settled there to be close to Fundamentalist Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
schools and churches. It was named in 1967, after the 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...
governor of the time Sir Alan Mansfield. The suburb has a moderate Greek presence with over 3% of the population speaking Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
as a first language.
History
The suburb has an agriculturalAgriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
past, consisting mainly of dairy cattle and sheep grazing. Original fencelines can still be found in remaining pockets of bushland
Bushland
Bushland is any area in Australia that is predominantly indigenous flora and fauna.Bushland is the term commonly used by conservation protection groups and other environmental groups as a blanket term for natural vegetation, which may cover any kind of habitat from open shrubby country with few...
. There was also light development of industries related to agriculture, such as wool processing and scouring. Also the quarry once located on Ham and Wecker Roads, excavated large amounts of sandstone used throughout some of the historic landmarks of Brisbane
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...
, such as the Brisbane City Hall
Brisbane City Hall
Brisbane City Hall, in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, is the seat of the Brisbane City Council. It is located adjacent to King George Square, where the rectangular City Hall has its main entrance. The City Hall also has frontages and entrances in both Ann Street and Adelaide Street...
.
Recently reopened, the "Rock Arena" at the Mansfield Tavern was in its heyday a popular venue for touring musical acts and has starred such acts as The Offspring
The Offspring
The Offspring is an American punk rock band from Huntington Beach, California, formed in 1984. Known as Manic Subsidal until 1986, the band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Dexter Holland, lead guitarist Kevin "Noodles" Wasserman, bassist Greg K. and drummer Pete Parada...
, Hunters & Collectors
Hunters & Collectors
Hunters & Collectors were an Australian rock music band formed in Melbourne in 1981, fronted by singer-songwriter and guitarist Mark Seymour, they developed a blend of pub rock and art-funk...
, Madness
Madness (band)
In 1979, the band recorded the Lee Thompson composition "The Prince". The song, like the band's name, paid homage to their idol, Prince Buster. The song was released through 2 Tone Records, the label of The Specials founder Jerry Dammers. The song was a surprise hit, peaking in the UK music charts...
, Hoodoo Gurus
Hoodoo Gurus
Hoodoo Gurus are an Australian rock band, formed in Sydney in 1981, by the mainstay Dave Faulkner and later joined by Richard Grossman , Mark Kingsmill , and Brad Shepherd...
, The Angels
The Angels (Australian band)
The Angels are a hard rock band that formed in Adelaide, Australia in 1970. The band later relocated from Adelaide to Sydney and enjoyed huge local success until well into the 1990s. For the purposes of international release, their records were released under the names Angel City and later The...
and great British rock band The Cult
The Cult
The Cult are a British rock band that was formed in 1983. They gained a dedicated following in Britain in the mid 1980s as a post-punk band with singles such as "She Sells Sanctuary", before breaking mainstream in the United States in the late 1980s as a hard rock band with singles such as "Love...
.
Housing and land use
Large portions of Mansfield were originally constructed as government housing estates, however these have progressively been replaced by more modern private residences. Due the increasing unavailability and expense of land closer to the CBD, the area is currently experiencing a period of socio-economic growth and renewal.There is a medium-sized industrial estate situated in the northern part of the suburb, in which an Australia Post
Australia Post
Australia Post is the trading name of the Australian Government-owned Australian Postal Corporation .-History:...
mail delivery centre is located.
Education
There are three schools within Mansfield; Mansfield State Primary School, Mansfield State High SchoolMansfield State High School
Mansfield State High School is a co-educational government secondary school of approximately 1500 students. It is located in Mansfield, a suburb in the south of Brisbane, Australia...
and Christian Outreach College. The first of these schools to open was Mansfield State Primary School in 1970 and Mansfield State High School
Mansfield State High School
Mansfield State High School is a co-educational government secondary school of approximately 1500 students. It is located in Mansfield, a suburb in the south of Brisbane, Australia...
in 1974.
Transport
Mansfield has regular bus services to the CBD and to the WestfieldThe Westfield Group
The Westfield Group is an Australian shopping centre group undertaking ownership, development, design, construction, funds/asset management, property management, leasing and marketing activities...
Garden City shopping centre
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...
at Upper Mount Gravatt
Upper Mount Gravatt, Queensland
Upper Mount Gravatt is a suburb in Brisbane, to the south of Mount Gravatt. It has increasingly become an important centre in the last 15 years...
.
Parks
Arguably the greatest asset of the Mansfield area is its remaining pockets of bushland and parklands. The largest public park in Mansfield, Broadwater Park, is a reasonably large open space with barbecueBarbecue
Barbecue or barbeque , used chiefly in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia is a method and apparatus for cooking meat, poultry and occasionally fish with the heat and hot smoke of a fire, smoking wood, or hot coals of...
areas and children's play equipment. Adjoining this parkland is a large bushland reserve which follows the course of 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...
(a tributary of the Brisbane River
Brisbane River
The Brisbane River is the longest river in south east Queensland, Australia, and flows through the city of Brisbane, before emptying into Moreton Bay. John Oxley was the first European to explore the river who named it after the Governor of New South Wales, Thomas Brisbane in 1823...
).