Toowong, Queensland
Encyclopedia
Toowong is an inner suburb of Brisbane
, Australia
which is located 5 km west of the Brisbane CBD. At the centre of Toowong is a commercial precinct including Toowong Village and several office buildings. The remainder of the suburb is predominantly residential with a mix of medium density dwellings and detached houses.
and is made up of rolling hills with little flat land. Since European Settlement most of the land has been cleared for residential and commercial use with the exception of some park land and bushland near the Western Freeway.
, started in 1866 and formally opened in 1875, is Queensland’s largest cemetery, placed on 437,300 square metres of land. It replaced Brisbane’s first cemetery which was located near Skew Street in the centre of Brisbane. The cemetery, now called Toowong Cemetery, contains a signposted walk that provides information on various people buried therein.
Brisbane Boys' College
is a day boarding school established in Clayfield
in 1901. In the late twenties it was decided that there were insufficient facilities at the Clayfield location, and the school was moved to Toowong on Kensington Terrace.
Toowong has two main drinking establishments, the Regatta Hotel
and the Royal Exchange Hotel
, both of which are historic hotels. The three storey Regatta hotel contained accommodation on the upper two floors and a public bar and lounge area on the ground floor. In 1965 a protest took place in the public bar of the Regatta Hotel when Merle Thornton (mother of Australian actress Sigrid Thornton
) and another woman chained themselves to the bar in protest of public bars in Queensland being restricted to men only.
Built in 1986, Toowong Village
is an office tower and shopping centre situated at the centre of Toowong. The blue glass office tower is a prominent landmark visible from Toowong and surrounding suburbs. The shopping centre situated on the lower levels of the office tower contains the Toowong Railway Station
, Brisbane City Library and the standard mix of retail stores.
Located on Sylvan Road, Toowong Memorial Park is a large park with gum trees, football ovals and a commanding view of the suburb. It was officially opened in 1918 in honour of those who enlisted from the Town of Toowong during the World War I
. The park contains the Soldiers' Memorial on top of the hill was dedicated in 1922 and an RSL memorial is located near the Memorial gates on Sylvan Road, and also contains the Western Districts Rugby Football Club and a Basketball centre. Anzac Park is located next to the Western Freeway opposite the Toowong Cemetery. Originally the land was part of the cemetery grounds, but was converted to a rifle range in 1877. At the end of World War I
the trees were planted in memory of the men from Toowong. The park land was proposed as a site for the Botanic Gardens, but the construction of the Western Freeway forced the move of the proposed site to its current location closer to Mount Coot-tha. The Mount Coot-tha Botanic Gardens
and the Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium
are located at the base of Mount Coot-tha.
The Toowong pool was a 25 yard (23 metres) pool with timber grandstands and dressing sheds, originally built in the 1920s. The facilities were reconstructed and re-opened in 1959, to commemorate Queensland's centenary. These later works were designed by James Birrell
, Brisbane City Chief Architect. The pool was demolished in 2003 to make way for the development of an office tower on the site.
The original Toowong Municipal Library was built 1961 on Coronation Drive opposite the Toowong pool, and was the district library for the western suburbs. The library was also designed by Brisbane City Chief Architect James Birell, and is one of the few remaining examples of his work. The library is now used as commercial premises. The building comprises a two storey library surrounded by trees and landscaped terraces, with cavity brick lower floor, the structure is formed by three intersecting circles. Above this base floor is a ‘floating’ crystalline form with 12 sided polygon (dodecagon) floor plan whose external walls taper outward as they rise and which houses the principal public floor of the library. The external steel wall framing of the upper floor is diagonally braced, and sheeted with plywood panels set within the structural framing and framed with silky oak beading. The library originally had a hemi-spherical skylight above its centre, which has now been replaced by an enclosure for mechanical equipment.
The library was threatened for closure in 1982 following the opening of a new municipal library at Indooroopilly in 1981. The Toowong Library did in fact close but local residents’ action saw it re-opened in 1983. Alterations were made to the building in 1983 when one of the rooms on the lower floor was acquired for use by the local councillor as a ward office, until 2005. Despite a campaign by local residents to prevent the closure of the library and redevelopment of the library and adjoining swimming pool site, the library was moved to Toowong Village shopping centre in March 2001, and the original building, which is protected by Heritage listing, is now business premises.
The workshops and a bus depot of Brisbane Transport
is located at the western end of the suburb.
By Train, The Toowong train station
on the Ipswich Line is located under Toowong Village
.
By Bus, Buses travel along Coronation Drive
from the city stopping on Benson Street and then on towards the University of Queensland
, or stop on High Street outside the Royal Exchange Hotel
and continue towards Indooroopilly and other western suburbs.
By Road, Toowong is accessed by Coronation Drive
and Milton Road
from the north, and by Moggill Road
and the Western Freeway to the south and west. The main roads inside Toowong are High Street and Sherwood road.
By City Cat, the Regatta CityCat
stop located outside the Regatta Hotel
on Coronation Drive allows transport downstream towards the Brisbane CBD and upstream towards the University of Queensland
By Bicycle, Toowong two main bicycle paths, one that starts at Coronation Drive
and proceed towards the University of Queensland
and the second that again starts from Coronation Drive but runs to and along the Western Freeway
.
The Vera Street Community Garden was formed in 2005 and operates as a community vegetable growing and creek rehabilitation group. Open to members of the public, it is located within the grounds of the Queensland Academy for Science, Mathematics and Technology (entrance via Vera St). This public garden is located on state government land, the former site of a Chinese market garden.
Western Group of the Brisbane City Unit of the Queensland State Emergency Service has its headquarters at Perrin Park in Josling St. This site is shared with the Brisbane City Council Parks & Trees, and the Toowong Community Meeting Place.
Toowong is home to one of the first four Scout Troops in to be founded in Queensland in 1908. One hundred years on and Toowong has since merged with Milton & Taringa Scout Troops but celebrates its 100 years as the oldest Scout Troop in Queensland. Taring-Milton-Toowong Scout Troop is also known for their annual Scout Rally which is one of the longest running Scout Rallies in the World.
Toowong belongs to the local council Toowong Ward which also includes parts of surrounding suburbs. The current councillor, Peter Matic of the Liberal National Party, has a background in law and has represented the Toowong ward since 2007. The previous Toowong Ward representative was Judy Magub (1992 until 2007).
Toowong is split between two State government electoral divisions, Indooroopilly
and the Mount Coot-tha
.
Toowong belongs to the federal government electoral division of Ryan
.
club has its home ground at Toowong opposite Brisbane Boys College.
Toowong FC (football club) [soccer] has its home ground at Dunmore Park ( cnr Roy and Evans Roads) in Auchenflower. The club consists of Kids Teams [Age 7 Up], 2 Senior Women's Teams (Toowong Tomcats) and 2 Senior Men's Teams (Toowong Phoenix).
Western Suburbs Bulldogs (Rugby Union Club) has its home grounds in Toowong Memorial Park, on Sylvan Road, alongside the train lines and just down the road from the famous Regatta Hotel.
In 1903 the Brisbane Tramways Company built a tram
line along Milton Road to service the western side of the suburb. Initially the tram line terminated at the cemetery, but was later extended up Dean Street, to the home of the then Manager of the tram company Joseph Stillman Badger. In 1922, along with the rest of Brisbane's tram system, the line was taken over by the government (see Brisbane Transport
.) The tram line closed in December 1962, after the disastrous Paddington tram depot fire
.
In 1903 the shire of Toowong was also gazetted as a town and it retained this status until it was subsumed into the City of Greater Brisbane in 1925 (see Brisbane City Council, history of Brisbane
.)
(c 1891) http://www.contemplator.com/canaus/brisbane.html which begins
Raymond Dart
was born in Toowong in 1893. Bernard Fanning
, lead vocalist
of Australian band Powderfinger
was born in Toowong on 15 August 1969. Toowong is the home to Ziggy the bagman
, a homeless man who has been a controversial issue for 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...
, 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...
which is located 5 km west of the Brisbane CBD. At the centre of Toowong is a commercial precinct including Toowong Village and several office buildings. The remainder of the suburb is predominantly residential with a mix of medium density dwellings and detached houses.
Geography
Toowong is situated between Mount Coot-tha and the Brisbane RiverBrisbane 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...
and is made up of rolling hills with little flat land. Since European Settlement most of the land has been cleared for residential and commercial use with the exception of some park land and bushland near the Western Freeway.
Attractions
The Brisbane General CemeteryToowong Cemetery
The Brisbane General Cemetery also known as Toowong Cemetery at Toowong, Brisbane was established in 1866 and formally opened in 1875. It is Queensland's largest cemetery and is located on forty-four hectares of land at the corner of Frederick Street and Mount Coot-tha Road approximately four and a...
, started in 1866 and formally opened in 1875, is Queensland’s largest cemetery, placed on 437,300 square metres of land. It replaced Brisbane’s first cemetery which was located near Skew Street in the centre of Brisbane. The cemetery, now called Toowong Cemetery, contains a signposted walk that provides information on various people buried therein.
Brisbane Boys' College
Brisbane Boys' College
Brisbane Boys' College , is an independent, Presbyterian and Uniting Church, day and boarding school for boys, located in Toowong, a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia....
is a day boarding school established in Clayfield
Clayfield, Queensland
Clayfield is an inner-northern suburb of Brisbane, located approximately from the CBD. Clayfield is bordered to the north by Nundah, to the East by Ascot and Hendra, to the west by Wooloowin and to the South by Albion....
in 1901. In the late twenties it was decided that there were insufficient facilities at the Clayfield location, and the school was moved to Toowong on Kensington Terrace.
Regatta Hotel, Brisbane
The Regatta Hotel is an historic hotel located on the corner of Coronation Drive and Sylvan Road in Brisbane, Australia. It is located in the suburb of Toowong and faces the Brisbane River. The three-storey hotel contained accommodation on the upper two floors and a public bar and lounge area on...
and the Royal Exchange Hotel
Royal Exchange Hotel, Brisbane
The Royal Exchange Hotel, or 'RE' as it is known locally is a popular pub at the centre of Toowong, Brisbane on High Street.-Current:The Royal Exchange Hotel is a popular with local office workers and also University of Queensland students due to its proximity to the university. 'I would rather be...
, both of which are historic hotels. The three storey Regatta hotel contained accommodation on the upper two floors and a public bar and lounge area on the ground floor. In 1965 a protest took place in the public bar of the Regatta Hotel when Merle Thornton (mother of Australian actress Sigrid Thornton
Sigrid Thornton
Sigrid Thornton is an Australian multi-award winning actress.-Early years:Thornton was born in Canberra, the daughter of Merle, a teacher of women's studies and writer, and Neil Thornton, an academic. She spent most of her formative years growing up and attending school at St. Peter's Lutheran...
) and another woman chained themselves to the bar in protest of public bars in Queensland being restricted to men only.
Toowong Village, Queensland
Toowong Village is a building situated at the centre of the Brisbane suburb of Toowong, Queensland, Australia, on the block of land bounded by Coronation Drive, High Street and Sherwood Road. The blue glass office tower is a prominent landmark visible from Toowong and surrounding suburbs.Opened in...
is an office tower and shopping centre situated at the centre of Toowong. The blue glass office tower is a prominent landmark visible from Toowong and surrounding suburbs. The shopping centre situated on the lower levels of the office tower contains the Toowong Railway Station
Toowong railway station, Brisbane
Toowong railway station is a railway station in Toowong, a southwestern suburb of Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland, Australia, on the Ipswich and Rosewood and Springfield lines....
, Brisbane City Library and the standard mix of retail stores.
Located on Sylvan Road, Toowong Memorial Park is a large park with gum trees, football ovals and a commanding view of the suburb. It was officially opened in 1918 in honour of those who enlisted from the Town of Toowong during the World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. The park contains the Soldiers' Memorial on top of the hill was dedicated in 1922 and an RSL memorial is located near the Memorial gates on Sylvan Road, and also contains the Western Districts Rugby Football Club and a Basketball centre. Anzac Park is located next to the Western Freeway opposite the Toowong Cemetery. Originally the land was part of the cemetery grounds, but was converted to a rifle range in 1877. At the end of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
the trees were planted in memory of the men from Toowong. The park land was proposed as a site for the Botanic Gardens, but the construction of the Western Freeway forced the move of the proposed site to its current location closer to Mount Coot-tha. The Mount Coot-tha Botanic Gardens
Brisbane Botanic Gardens, Mount Coot-tha
The Brisbane Botanic Gardens are located 7 km from the city of Brisbane in Toowong, Queensland, Australia, at the foot of Brisbane's tallest mountain, Mount Coot-tha.-History:...
and the Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium
Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium
The Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium is a planetarium located on the grounds of Brisbane Botanic Gardens in the suburb of Toowong, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia...
are located at the base of Mount Coot-tha.
The Toowong pool was a 25 yard (23 metres) pool with timber grandstands and dressing sheds, originally built in the 1920s. The facilities were reconstructed and re-opened in 1959, to commemorate Queensland's centenary. These later works were designed by James Birrell
James Birrell
James Birrell is a retired architect responsible for the design of significant buildings in Queensland, Australia. James Birrell practiced from 1951 to 1986.-Personal life:...
, Brisbane City Chief Architect. The pool was demolished in 2003 to make way for the development of an office tower on the site.
The original Toowong Municipal Library was built 1961 on Coronation Drive opposite the Toowong pool, and was the district library for the western suburbs. The library was also designed by Brisbane City Chief Architect James Birell, and is one of the few remaining examples of his work. The library is now used as commercial premises. The building comprises a two storey library surrounded by trees and landscaped terraces, with cavity brick lower floor, the structure is formed by three intersecting circles. Above this base floor is a ‘floating’ crystalline form with 12 sided polygon (dodecagon) floor plan whose external walls taper outward as they rise and which houses the principal public floor of the library. The external steel wall framing of the upper floor is diagonally braced, and sheeted with plywood panels set within the structural framing and framed with silky oak beading. The library originally had a hemi-spherical skylight above its centre, which has now been replaced by an enclosure for mechanical equipment.
The library was threatened for closure in 1982 following the opening of a new municipal library at Indooroopilly in 1981. The Toowong Library did in fact close but local residents’ action saw it re-opened in 1983. Alterations were made to the building in 1983 when one of the rooms on the lower floor was acquired for use by the local councillor as a ward office, until 2005. Despite a campaign by local residents to prevent the closure of the library and redevelopment of the library and adjoining swimming pool site, the library was moved to Toowong Village shopping centre in March 2001, and the original building, which is protected by Heritage listing, is now business premises.
The workshops and a bus depot of 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...
is located at the western end of the suburb.
Transport
Toowong is a major transport node, with almost all bus and train routes passing through Toowong from the western suburbs.By Train, The Toowong train station
Toowong railway station, Brisbane
Toowong railway station is a railway station in Toowong, a southwestern suburb of Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland, Australia, on the Ipswich and Rosewood and Springfield lines....
on the Ipswich Line is located under Toowong Village
Toowong Village, Queensland
Toowong Village is a building situated at the centre of the Brisbane suburb of Toowong, Queensland, Australia, on the block of land bounded by Coronation Drive, High Street and Sherwood Road. The blue glass office tower is a prominent landmark visible from Toowong and surrounding suburbs.Opened in...
.
By Bus, Buses travel along Coronation Drive
Coronation Drive, Brisbane
Coronation Drive , popularly known as Coro Drive, is a road in Brisbane, Queensland which connects the Central Business District to the suburb of Toowong...
from the city stopping on Benson Street and then on towards the University of Queensland
University of Queensland
The University of Queensland, also known as UQ, is a public university located in state of Queensland, Australia. Founded in 1909, it is the oldest and largest university in Queensland and the fifth oldest in the nation...
, or stop on High Street outside the Royal Exchange Hotel
Royal Exchange Hotel, Brisbane
The Royal Exchange Hotel, or 'RE' as it is known locally is a popular pub at the centre of Toowong, Brisbane on High Street.-Current:The Royal Exchange Hotel is a popular with local office workers and also University of Queensland students due to its proximity to the university. 'I would rather be...
and continue towards Indooroopilly and other western suburbs.
By Road, Toowong is accessed by Coronation Drive
Coronation Drive, Brisbane
Coronation Drive , popularly known as Coro Drive, is a road in Brisbane, Queensland which connects the Central Business District to the suburb of Toowong...
and Milton Road
Milton Road
Milton Road is an arterial road in Brisbane, Australia. It is currently signed as State Route 32 for its entire length.Milton Road is a major corridor for traffic between the Brisbane central business district and the western suburbs....
from the north, and by Moggill Road
Moggill Road
Moggill Road is a major road in Brisbane. It goes under the 32 number. It starts at the Moggill Ferry in Moggill and finishes at High Street at Toowong.It stretches 27 kilometers...
and the Western Freeway to the south and west. The main roads inside Toowong are High Street and Sherwood road.
By City Cat, the Regatta CityCat
Regatta Ferry Wharf, Brisbane
Regatta is a ferry wharf in the suburb of Toowong used by the CityCat on the Brisbane River. With funding from the nearby Regatta Hotel and the Brisbane City Council the ferry wharf opened to the public on .-Layout and facilities:...
stop located outside the Regatta Hotel
Regatta Hotel, Brisbane
The Regatta Hotel is an historic hotel located on the corner of Coronation Drive and Sylvan Road in Brisbane, Australia. It is located in the suburb of Toowong and faces the Brisbane River. The three-storey hotel contained accommodation on the upper two floors and a public bar and lounge area on...
on Coronation Drive allows transport downstream towards the Brisbane CBD and upstream towards the University of Queensland
University of Queensland
The University of Queensland, also known as UQ, is a public university located in state of Queensland, Australia. Founded in 1909, it is the oldest and largest university in Queensland and the fifth oldest in the nation...
By Bicycle, Toowong two main bicycle paths, one that starts at Coronation Drive
Coronation Drive, Brisbane
Coronation Drive , popularly known as Coro Drive, is a road in Brisbane, Queensland which connects the Central Business District to the suburb of Toowong...
and proceed towards the University of Queensland
University of Queensland
The University of Queensland, also known as UQ, is a public university located in state of Queensland, Australia. Founded in 1909, it is the oldest and largest university in Queensland and the fifth oldest in the nation...
and the second that again starts from Coronation Drive but runs to and along the Western Freeway
Western Freeway
Western Freeway or Western Expressway may mean:In roads:*Western Freeway , Virginia, United States*Western Freeway , Australia*Western Freeway, Brisbane, Australia*Western Freeway , India...
.
Community Groups
The West Toowong Community Association was formed in 1999 by a group of residents concerned about what they saw as increasing inappropriate development in the area. The group soon branched out to protect and develop community activities in the suburb. It has run several campaigns about development in the area including an unsuccessful attempt to prevent the demolition of the James Birrel designed Toowong Pool, and a successful campaign to prevent the construction of a mobile phone relay station tower within a residential area of West Toowong. It was also instrumental in successfully lobbying for the construction of a safe crossing over the Western Freeway at Toowong, which was hotly opposed by other Toowong's residents and prompted the creation of opposing associations. The overpass was eventually successfully built, providing safe access from Anzac Park to footpaths and cycle paths leading to Mt Cootha and other recreational areas.The Vera Street Community Garden was formed in 2005 and operates as a community vegetable growing and creek rehabilitation group. Open to members of the public, it is located within the grounds of the Queensland Academy for Science, Mathematics and Technology (entrance via Vera St). This public garden is located on state government land, the former site of a Chinese market garden.
Western Group of the Brisbane City Unit of the Queensland State Emergency Service has its headquarters at Perrin Park in Josling St. This site is shared with the Brisbane City Council Parks & Trees, and the Toowong Community Meeting Place.
Toowong is home to one of the first four Scout Troops in to be founded in Queensland in 1908. One hundred years on and Toowong has since merged with Milton & Taringa Scout Troops but celebrates its 100 years as the oldest Scout Troop in Queensland. Taring-Milton-Toowong Scout Troop is also known for their annual Scout Rally which is one of the longest running Scout Rallies in the World.
Politics
| ||||||||||||
Toowong is split between two State government electoral divisions, Indooroopilly
Electoral district of Indooroopilly
The district of Indooroopilly is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Queensland.The district is based in the western suburbs of Brisbane, and straddles both sides of the Brisbane River. It is named for the suburb of Indooroopilly and also includes the...
and the Mount Coot-tha
Electoral district of Mount Coot-tha
The district of Mount Coot-tha is an electoral district in the Queensland Legislative Assembly in the state of Queensland, Australia.The electoral district encompasses suburbs in Brisbane's inner-west, including Milton, Auchenflower, Paddington, Bardon and parts of the suburbs of Toowong and Ashgrove...
.
Toowong belongs to the federal government electoral division of Ryan
Division of Ryan
The Division of Ryan is an Australian Electoral Division in Queensland. The division was created in 1949 and is named for T.J. Ryan, a former Premier of Queensland from 1915 to 1919...
.
Sport
The West Juniors Australian rules footballAustralian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
club has its home ground at Toowong opposite Brisbane Boys College.
Toowong FC (football club) [soccer] has its home ground at Dunmore Park ( cnr Roy and Evans Roads) in Auchenflower. The club consists of Kids Teams [Age 7 Up], 2 Senior Women's Teams (Toowong Tomcats) and 2 Senior Men's Teams (Toowong Phoenix).
Western Suburbs Bulldogs (Rugby Union Club) has its home grounds in Toowong Memorial Park, on Sylvan Road, alongside the train lines and just down the road from the famous Regatta Hotel.
History
In 1861 the McDougall pastoral lease, which extended to Moggill, was broken up and sold. Several early settlers subdivided their blocks, including Richard Drew who named his subdivision the 'Village of Toowong' in 1865. Toowong started developing with the arrival of the Ipswich railway line in 1875. It was originally suburb of detached villas and large yards owned by an elite upper-middle class that worked in the city and socialised with each other. As access to the suburb improved with regular train services the population increased. The Shire of Toowong was created in 1880, in response to a petition from Toowong residents. In 1881 the population numbered 1,275 and seven years later it had almost doubled to 2,230. By 1901 the population numbered around 4,700.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...
line along Milton Road to service the western side of the suburb. Initially the tram line terminated at the cemetery, but was later extended up Dean Street, to the home of the then Manager of the tram company Joseph Stillman Badger. In 1922, along with the rest of Brisbane's tram system, the line was taken over by the government (see 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...
.) The tram line closed in December 1962, after the disastrous Paddington tram depot fire
Paddington tram depot fire
The Paddington tram depot in Brisbane, Australia was destroyed by fire on the night of 28 September 1962, one of the largest fires in Brisbane's history. Sixty-five of Brisbane's trams were destroyed...
.
In 1903 the shire of Toowong was also gazetted as a town and it retained this status until it was subsumed into the City of Greater Brisbane in 1925 (see Brisbane City Council, history of Brisbane
History of Brisbane
Brisbane's recorded history dates from the 1700s to the present day. The first European settlement in Brisbane, a penal colony for British convicts, occurred in 1825...
.)
Folklore
Toowong is mentioned in the folksong Brisbane LadiesBrisbane Ladies
Brisbane Ladies is an Australian folksong and is one of many adaptations of Spanish Ladies. The version given below is the most commonly sung, but the original mentions Nanango favorably as "that jolly old township".-History:...
(c 1891) http://www.contemplator.com/canaus/brisbane.html which begins
- Farewell and adieu to you, Brisbane ladies
- Farewell and adieu, you maids of Toowong
Notable people
Anatomist and anthropologistAnthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
Raymond Dart
Raymond Dart
Raymond Arthur Dart was an Australian anatomist and anthropologist, best known for his involvement in the 1924 discovery of the first fossil ever found of Australopithecus africanus, an extinct hominid closely related to humans, at Taung in the North of South Africa in the province...
was born in Toowong in 1893. Bernard Fanning
Bernard Fanning
Bernard Joseph Fanning is a musician and singer-songwriter. He is best known as the lead singer and frontman of Australian alternative rock band Powderfinger from its formation in 1989 to its dissolution in 2010....
, lead vocalist
Lead vocalist
The lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
of Australian band Powderfinger
Powderfinger
Powderfinger was an Australian rock band that formed in Brisbane in 1989. From 1992 until their breakup the band lineup consisted of vocalist Bernard Fanning, guitarists Darren Middleton and Ian Haug, bassist John Collins, and drummer Jon Coghill....
was born in Toowong on 15 August 1969. Toowong is the home to Ziggy the bagman
Ziggy the bagman
Zbygnew Marian Willzek or Ziggy the bagman as he is known, is a homeless man who can be found in Toowong, Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. Ziggy objects to being labelled as "homeless" as he does not ask for food, money or clothing and actually enjoys his current living conditions, despite being...
, a homeless man who has been a controversial issue for Brisbane.
Community services and facilities
Some of them are located in Toowong Village and others include historic Toowong CemeteryToowong Cemetery
The Brisbane General Cemetery also known as Toowong Cemetery at Toowong, Brisbane was established in 1866 and formally opened in 1875. It is Queensland's largest cemetery and is located on forty-four hectares of land at the corner of Frederick Street and Mount Coot-tha Road approximately four and a...