McDowall, Queensland

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

McDowall
Brisbane, Queensland

Population:

6,903 (2006 census)

Postcode:

4053

Area:

4.4 km² (1.7 sq mi)

Property Value:

AUD $405,000 ^[1]

Location:

9 km (6 mi) from Brisbane (Outer City Area)

LGA:

City of Brisbane

State District:

Aspley, Everton

Federal Division:

Petrie

Suburbs around McDowall:
Albany Creek	Bridgeman Downs	Aspley
Bunya	McDowall	Chermside West
Everton Park	Everton Park	Stafford Heights

McDowall is a northern suburb within the city of Brisbane, the capital city of Queensland, Australia.

It features the Raven Street Reserve 27°23′22.5″S 153°0′17.28″E / -27.389583, 153.0048Coordinates: 27°23′22.5″S 153°0′17.28″E / -27.389583, 153.0048. Raven Street Reserve is a 24.3 hectare bushland area surrounded by urban housing and busy roads. It is part of a long stretch of forest and green areas going from the mountains in the west to the mangrove areas on the coast.

It has many species of wildflowers and grass trees (see image below) which when in flower have a long central flowering stem that attracts bees.

Trees include weeping myrtle and native blueberry ash (Elaeocarpus reticulatus) with creek fauna such as water dragons (Physignathus lesueurii), turtles and native fish including the crimson spotted rainbow fish. There are also squirrel gliders, possums and scrub turkeys with occasionally a swamp wallaby being sighted. The bird life is abundant and in keeping with its name has a significant crow or raven population.

[edit] History and Overview of McDowall

The first white settlers appeared in the mid 1800s. As the area was hilly and full of gullies, there was little scope for farming and was later used as a cattle holding yard, slaughterhouse, and rubbish dump.

The bushland was protected by Greenbelt designation in 1950s when the local area was subdivided, and has been managed by council since 1972.

McDowall's first housing establishments were built around 1972 and very few houses in McDowall were built before then. More housing was later built in the late 1980s, early 1990s and 2007.

[edit] Local Services

All of McDowall's residential developments are served by either of McDowall's two community-based shopping centres, one located on the southern end of McDowall, which first opened in the 1970s and underwent renovations from the late 1990s (when the centre's Mitre 10 store closed down and reopened at Stafford City Shopping Centre) until 2004. The other one is located on the northern end of McDowall, which first opened in 1997. Major shopping centres that are local to McDowall include Brookside Shopping Centre, Stafford City Shopping Centre and Westfield Chermside.

Schools that serve the McDowall area include McDowall State School, Craigslea State School, Craigslea State High School and Northside Christian College.