Moorooka, Queensland
Encyclopedia
Moorooka is a suburb
of Brisbane
, the state capital of Queensland
, Australia
. Bordering with Toohey Forest Park, it is seven kilometres south of Brisbane's central business district
. The suburb was originally founded as a stop-over for journeys from Brisbane
south (Logan and Albert river valleys) and south-west (Ipswich
and beyond).
The area was occupied by the Australian Aboriginal Jagera
tribe before European settlement. The area was probably a hunting ground with plentiful food and water. There was also reportedly a Bora ring, which older residents of the area recall being shown. The word Moorooka is an indigenous word, either meaning 'iron bark', referring to the numerous iron bark trees in the area, or 'long nose', referring to Mt Toohey at the suburb's periphery.
forms the western border of the suburb. Commuter trains on the Beenleigh line stop at Moorooka railway station
.
Between the 1930s and 1969, tram
s ran along Beaudesert Road, thence along Ipswich Road to the City. The suburb continues to be served by Brisbane Transport
bus
es, namely the 110 Inala-City server, 116 Rocklea-Moorvale service, the 117 Acacia Ridge-City Valley Service, the 124 Sunnybank-City service, and the 125 Garden City-City Valley service. There is a zone border crossing at the Beaudesert Road shops, popularly known as Moorvale, for transport zones 2 and 3.
, and State Government of Queensland
Member for Yeerongpilly Ward the Hon Simon Finn
MP. The office for the Federal Seat of Moreton
is in the nearby suburb of Sunnybank.
The principal Moorooka shopping district on Beaudesert Road, known as Moorvale, features over 100 businesses from takeaways to restaurants and coffee shops, discount stores, newsagents, dry cleaners, locksmiths, second hand and pawn shops, and a new range of businesses that serve the African community including food and groceries, hair salons, furniture shops, and halal butcheries.
Moorvale is also known for its extensive Woolworths Supermarket, at the northern end of the shopping district, which was opened in 1972 and was the largest Woolworths in Queensland at the time.
On the South end of Moorooka near the AFL club and Moorooka State Primary School located off Beaudesert Road is Pizza Hut, Shear Image Hair & Beauty.
s (on posts, with simple one floor, wooden construction), with small apartment blocks scattered through the suburb. As with many older suburbs of Brisbane, Moorooka is becoming gentrified, with many older homes now being either renovated
and extended or replaced by more modern buildings. There are prime real estate
areas on the top of hill
s, with views to the Great Dividing Range
over Archerfield
in the south, Seventeen Mile Rocks
to the west, Mount Coot-tha, St. Lucia
, Indooroopilly
to the north-west and the city to the north.
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
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...
, the state capital 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...
. Bordering with Toohey Forest Park, it is seven kilometres south of Brisbane's central business district
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"...
. The suburb was originally founded as a stop-over for journeys from 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...
south (Logan and Albert river valleys) and south-west (Ipswich
Ipswich, Queensland
Ipswich is a city in South-East Queensland, Australia. Situated along the Bremer River Valley approximately 40 kilometres away from the state's capital Brisbane. The suburb by the same name forms the city's Central Business District and administrative centre...
and beyond).
History
Jagera
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....
tribe before European settlement. The area was probably a hunting ground with plentiful food and water. There was also reportedly a Bora ring, which older residents of the area recall being shown. The word Moorooka is an indigenous word, either meaning 'iron bark', referring to the numerous iron bark trees in the area, or 'long nose', referring to Mt Toohey at the suburb's periphery.
Residents
Moorooka has traditionally hosted a working class population stemming from its history as a manufacturing hub during World War 2. The southern part of Moorooka bordering Salisbury was the location of government built returned servicemen housing. Recently Moorooka has seen immigrants from various places of the world, including people from the ex-Yugoslavia (Bosnia, Croatia, Serbia), Middle East (Iraq and Iran) and recently people from Africa (Southern Sudan and Eritrea), which has brought an influx of new families into the area. Many of these immigrants live in the low-cost housing and units.Zoning
The suburb has mixed uses - large areas, particularly in the elevated eastern side of the suburb are residential. The lower, western side of the suburb is dominated by retail, particularly motor vehicle dealerships along Ipswich Road, known popularly throughout Brisbane as the "magic mile", light industry and warehouses.Transport
The rail line to Robina on the Gold CoastGold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
forms the western border of the suburb. Commuter trains on the Beenleigh line stop at Moorooka railway station
Moorooka railway station, Brisbane
Moorooka Station is a railway station on the Beenleigh Line of Brisbane, Australia. It is part of the Queensland Rail City network.It is in Zone 3 of the TransLink integrated public transport system....
.
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
s ran along Beaudesert Road, thence along Ipswich Road to the City. The suburb continues to be served by Brisbane Transport
Brisbane Transport
Brisbane Transport is a business unit of Brisbane City Council, operating suburban and urban bus services under the TransLink integrated public transport scheme in Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland, Australia. The origins of Brisbane Transport can be seen as far back as 1885 when horse...
bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
es, namely the 110 Inala-City server, 116 Rocklea-Moorvale service, the 117 Acacia Ridge-City Valley Service, the 124 Sunnybank-City service, and the 125 Garden City-City Valley service. There is a zone border crossing at the Beaudesert Road shops, popularly known as Moorvale, for transport zones 2 and 3.
Politics
The Moorvale Shopping district hosts office for the Brisbane City Council Councillor for Moorooka Ward Steve GriffithsSteve Griffiths
James Stephen "Steve" Griffiths was an English footballer who played for Halifax Town, Aldershot, Barnsley and York City in the Football League.-Career:...
, and State Government 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...
Member for Yeerongpilly Ward the Hon Simon Finn
Simon Finn
Simon Finn is an English psych folk musician.Finn was born in 1951 in Surrey, moved to London in 1967, where his first performance was opening for Al Stewart at the Marquee Club in Soho. He released his Pass the Distance LP in 1970, which in later years attained legendary status as it was so hard...
MP. The office for the Federal Seat of Moreton
Division of Moreton
The Division of Moreton is an Australian Electoral Division in Queensland. The division was one of the original 75 divisions contested at the first federal election. It is named after Moreton Bay. The electorate is a bellwether in elections, having voted for the party winning government at every...
is in the nearby suburb of Sunnybank.
Education
Moorooka is serviced by two kindergartens and primary schools, the non-denominational Moorooka State School at Beaudesert Road, and the Roman Catholic St Brendan's at Hawtree Street. Moorooka State School is the oldest of the two, being founded in 1929, and hosts an annual Festival in July. Approximately 700 students attend the School, which features a strong multi-cultural community. Prominent recent headmaster includes Mr Leo Hearn.Religion
Moorooka has two principal churches, the St Brendan's Catholic Church at Hawtree Street (Roman Catholic), and the Church of Christ at Pampas Street and Beaudesert Road. Both feature Sunday services.Shopping
Moorvale is also known for its extensive Woolworths Supermarket, at the northern end of the shopping district, which was opened in 1972 and was the largest Woolworths in Queensland at the time.
On the South end of Moorooka near the AFL club and Moorooka State Primary School located off Beaudesert Road is Pizza Hut, Shear Image Hair & Beauty.
Architecture
Many of the houses are pre-war QueenslanderQueenslander (architecture)
Queenslander architecture is a modern term for the vernacular type of architecture of Queensland, Australia. It is also found in the northern parts of the adjacent state of New South Wales and shares many traits with architecture in other states of Australia but is distinct and unique...
s (on posts, with simple one floor, wooden construction), with small apartment blocks scattered through the suburb. As with many older suburbs of Brisbane, Moorooka is becoming gentrified, with many older homes now being either renovated
Renovation
Renovation is the process of improving a structure. Two prominent types of renovations are commercial and residential.-Process:The process of a renovation, however complex, can usually be broken down into several processes...
and extended or replaced by more modern buildings. There are prime real estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
areas on the top of hill
Hill
A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills often have a distinct summit, although in areas with scarp/dip topography a hill may refer to a particular section of flat terrain without a massive summit A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills...
s, with views to the Great Dividing Range
Great Dividing Range
The Great Dividing Range, or the Eastern Highlands, is Australia's most substantial mountain range and the third longest in the world. The range stretches more than 3,500 km from Dauan Island off the northeastern tip of Queensland, running the entire length of the eastern coastline through...
over Archerfield
Archerfield, Queensland
Archerfield is an outer suburb of Brisbane, Australia. Archerfield is a sparsely populated suburb, with most of the land being occupied by Archerfield Airport.-Airport:...
in the south, Seventeen Mile Rocks
Seventeen Mile Rocks, Queensland
Seventeen Mile Rocks is a suburb of Brisbane, Australia located south-west of the Brisbane CBD on the Brisbane River.Seventeen Mile Rocks is named after a collection of rocks that marked a distance of from the mouth of the Brisbane River...
to the west, Mount Coot-tha, St. Lucia
St Lucia, Queensland
St Lucia is an inner suburb of Brisbane, Australia located 4 km south-west of the Brisbane CBD. The suburb is bordered on three sides by the Brisbane River and is dominated by the main campus of the University of Queensland.-History:...
, Indooroopilly
Indooroopilly, Queensland
Indooroopilly is a suburb of Brisbane, Australia which is located 7 km west of the Brisbane central business district.- Name derivation and history :...
to the north-west and the city to the north.