Seven Hills, Queensland

Toponymy

Seven Hills is named after the Seven Hills of Rome. This name was given to the area by R. G. Oates; a real-estate agent who bought the land in the 1920s.

History

Between 1912 and 1926 the southern edge of the suburb was serviced by a steam tram which connected with the Queensland Government Railway at Norman Park. Initially the service was operated by the Belmont Shire Council. The service was suspended in 1924. The service was reinstated by the Brisbane City Council in 1925 following the amalgamation of the local government authorities, but was again suspended in 1926. The tracks, which followed the present Oateson Skyline Drive and Ferguson Road and continued to Belmont along Old Cleveland Road, remained in place until 1934.

In 1953 the Brisbane City Council commenced a trolley-bus service, which connected the suburb with Fortitude Valley via Stanley Street, terminating just off Oateson Skyline Drive. The trolley-bus service ceased operation on 13 March 1969, when diesel buses took over the service.

Public Transport

There has been no railway station in Seven Hills since the closure of the Belmont Tramway in 1926, however Norman Park and Morningside stations are located within walking distance of the western side of the suburb. Three radial bus corridors serve the suburb. Two express bus routes alternate to provide a relatively frequent and direct connection between the Brisbane central business district and Cannon Hill Shopping Centre bus station along a corridor that passes through the northwest corner of Seven Hills via Agnew Street and Clearview Avenue. One all-stops bus route passes centrally through Seven Hills along a corridor that includes Agnew Street, Oateson Skyline Drive, and Stanley Road, with closely spaced bus stops. This route provides a relatively direct but infrequent connection between Fortitude Valley and Carindale Shopping Centre. A peak route and an all-stops route provide a relatively direct but infrequent connection between Fortitude Valley and Cannon Hill Shopping Centre, passing along the southern border of Seven Hills on a corridor that includes Stanley Road and Perth Street, Camp Hill. The most significant stop, Seven Hills express stop 42, is located on Agnew Street in the northwest corner of the suburb.

The suburb is situated within TransLink Zone 2, which makes it attractive to city commuters with respect to relatively cost effective transit travel.

Cycling and Walking

The suburb is reasonably amenable to local recreational cycling due to its relatively quiet traffic conditions, although the moderate to hilly terrain may pose a challenge to some. There are no formal off-road bicycle facilities in Seven Hills. However, as at February 2016 the main thoroughfare of Oateson Skyline Drive includes formal bicycle lanes, which continue southward along Wiles Street, Camp Hill and provide connectivity with the city wide bicycle network.

Although traffic conditions are generally quiet, the road and street network has a meandering structure and moderate to hilly terrain, which impose some impediment to local walking opportunities. However, the presence of urban borders (verges) on all roadways promote relatively safe walking conditions. There is also a small network of narrow, and generally steep heritage walking paths located within public easements between residential properties. The higher order local streets and the major roads mostly have paved footpaths on one or both sides. Oateson Skyline Drive is median divided and contains kerb extensions that promote safe pedestrian crossing. Aside from a small number of local parks, the major recreational walking attraction is the 52 Hectare Seven Hills Bushland Reserve located on the north east side of the suburb. The reserve contains a well kept, signed network of tracks for walking and fire access.

Demographics

The 2011 census recorded 2,028 residents in Seven Hills, of whom 50% were female and 50% were male. The median age of the population was 35; 2 years below the Australian median.

80.6% of people living in Seven Hills were born in Australia, with the next most common countries of birth being England (3.6%), New Zealand (3.6%), South Africa (0.8%), India (0.6%), and the United States (0.6%). 90.3% of people spoke English as their first language, while the other most common responses were Japanese (0.6%), Mandarin (0.6%), Spanish (0.5%), Tagalog (0.4%), and German (0.4%).