Population 6,041 (2011 census) State electorate(s) Stafford Area 3.4 km² | Postcode(s) 4053 Stafford Gordon Park Postal code 4053 | |
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Location 6 km (4 mi) NNW of Brisbane CBD LGA(s) City of Brisbane
(Marchant Ward; McDowall Ward) Federal divisions Division of Brisbane, Division of Lilley, Division of Petrie | ||
Stafford is a northern suburb of Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland, Australia.
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A predominantly residential suburb, including some original Queenslander-style homes and a significant number of post-war Queensland Housing Commission homes on quarter-acre blocks built around the 1940s and 1950s, Stafford lies to the west of Lutwyche Road, along the banks of Kedron Brook. Being an area of that age, a large number of Stafford's residents are elderly people, as well as growing number of families of a younger generation.
History
Stafford was originally called Happy Valley. It is possible that the name originates from the fact the Sir Thomas Brisbane for whom the city is named was an officer in the Staffordshire Regiment - a Stafford Knot is featured in the city's coat-of-arms. A public move to rename the area after the English county of Staffordshire in 1885 and 1886 led to its current name.
Between 1940 and 1968 Stafford was served by electric trams operated by the Brisbane City Council. This was the last completely new tram line (as distinct from tram line extension) built in Brisbane.
One of the original large employers of local workers, Gibson's Tannery (also known as Scotia Works), closed in 1982 to make way for the Stafford City Shopping Centre, which opened in 1983 and extended in 1997. Previously, the Stafford Road shopping strip at the tram terminus was the local centre.
Heritage listings
Stafford has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
Sporting clubs
The Wilston Grange Australian Football Club has played Australian rules football at Hickey Park in Stafford since 1964. The Past Brothers competes in the South East Division junior competitions, playing out of Gibson Park in Stafford.
Demographics
In the 2011 census, the population of Stafford was 6,041, 52% female and 48% male. The median age of the Stafford population was 34 years, 3 years below the Australian median. 77.7% of people living in Stafford were born in Australia, compared to the national average of 69.8%; the next most common countries of birth were New Zealand 3%, England 2.3%, Philippines 1.4%, India 0.9%, Italy 0.6%. 86.1% of people spoke only English at home; the next most common languages were 1.3% Italian, 0.6% Punjabi, 0.6% Cantonese, 0.6% Mandarin, 0.5% Spanish.