Gordon Park, Queensland

Profile

Gordon Park is about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) from Brisbane's CBD. Over 37% of households in this area consist of couples with children, 40% are couples without children and 18% are single parent families. Stand alone house account for 65% of all dwellings in this area, and units account for a further 28%. Highset Queenslanders, many beautifully renovated, are a feature of this green and leafy suburb. The median house price in Gordon Park for the 2011 calendar year was $607,000.

Gordon Park shares an Australia Post postcode of 4031 with neighbouring suburb Kedron.

Demographics

In the 2011 census, Gordon Park recorded a population of 4,015 people, 50.7% female and 49.3% male.

The median age of the Gordon Park population was 33 years of age, 4 years below the Australian median.

75.7% of people living in Gordon Park were born in Australia, compared to the national average of 69.8%; the next most common countries of birth were New Zealand 3.2%, England 2.6%, India 2.2%, Italy 1.1%, China 0.8%.

84.5% of people spoke only English at home; the next most popular languages were 1.8% Italian, 0.8% Mandarin, 0.7% Cantonese, 0.7% Spanish, 0.5% Punjabi.

Aboriginal history

The Turrbal clan occupied the northern side of the Brisbane River. This clan was often referred to by the "whites" as the "Duke of York's" clan. There were camping grounds around the Breakfast Creek area and the explorers John Oxley and Allan Cunningham met members of the clan at the mouth of the Creek in 1824.

The main encampment of the Turrbal clan was in "Yorks Hollow". This gully passes through Victoria Park and the Royal National Association Showgrounds at Bowen Hills. In 1858 two Aborigines, Dalinkua and Dalpie from the Breakfast Creek area, wrote letters to The Moreton Bay Courier protesting about the treatment their people received at the hands of the white settlers.

Urban development

The Gordon Estate – Lutwyche of 264 blocks went to auction on 25 September 1886. Gordon Park Estate of 1063 allotments was advertised for auction on 13 December 1890. The suburb was named after General Gordon who was the hero of the eight-month siege of Khartoum in the Sudan in the late 19th century. Most of the names in the suburb relate to General Gordon, the armies he served with, and their sphere of operation. Trams ran to Gordon Park connecting it with Brisbane until they were progressively withdrawn from use, finally ceasing all operations on 13 April 1969. In the mid-1980s residents pushed to retain the locality name after concern that it could fade out of use.

Landmarks

In 1926 the Gordon Park Baptist Church started as a tent mission on property at Khartoum Street which was owned by the church. It was originally known as the Gordon Park Mission Church. The church rented a house, which became the home of the pastors on the corner of Groom and Thistle Streets until a manse was purchased and officially opened on 9 May 1953. The President of the Baptist Union of Queensland opened the Church hall in 1961. A new church at 106 Khartoum Street was built which opened on 10 September 1977. The original pulpit from the old church along with a communion tray was donated to the Beenleigh Baptist Church.

Residents of note

Gordon Park resident, Tom Nash, was born in Essex, England in 1909. He emigrated to Australia at the age of 17 aboard the S.S. Vedic, a ship chartered by the Salvation Army to bring 700 young emigrant to Australia. He was awarded the Order of Australia in 1985 in recognition of his service to the local community. Prior to receiving the award he had received a certificate of merit for services to the incapacitated Servicemen's Association, an RSL certificate of merit, honorary life membership of the RSL and the Paul Harris Fellowship medal from Rotary International. Tom Nash had also been a Brisbane City Council councillor.

Several members from local indie dark wave cult band The Mercy Dolls also call Gordon Park home. They colloquially refer to the suburb in lyrics as Anti-Ramsay Park, an ironic reference to the popular TV Chef, and bemoan its apparent lack of fine dining establishments of quality and/or reputation.