Brighton is a coastal northern
suburb
A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area. They are oftentimes where most of a metropolitan areas jobs are located with some being predominantly residential. They can either be denser or less densely populated ...
of the City of Brisbane, in the state of
Queensland
Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...
, in
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
.
In the , Brighton had a population of 9,664 people.
[
]
Geography
Brighton and its neighbouring suburb Bald Hills are the northernmost suburbs of Brisbane
Brisbane ( ; ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the States and territories of Australia, state of Queensland and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia, with a ...
. Brighton is located by road north of the Brisbane CBD
Brisbane City is the central Suburbs and localities (Australia), suburb and central business district of Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland, Australia. It is also colloquially referred to as the "Brisbane CBD", "the city", or simply "to ...
.
The suburb is bounded to the north by the Pine River, to the north-east and east by Bramble Bay
Bramble Bay is an embayment of Moreton Bay in South East Queensland, Australia. The Brisway map reference is 12 H5, or see page 91 G19 in Refidex.
The Houghton Highway, Hornibrook Bridge and Ted Smout Memorial Bridge span Bramble Bay, connec ...
(a side bay of Moreton Bay
Moreton Bay is a bay located on the eastern coast of Australia from central Brisbane, Queensland. It is one of Queensland's most important coastal resources. The waters of Moreton Bay are a popular destination for recreational anglers and are ...
), to the south by Bracken Ridge Road, to the south-east by the Deagon Deviation
Deagon Deviation is a major road in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It provides part of the road connection between the Brisbane CBD and Redcliffe (via Sandgate Road). It is designated State Route 26 throughout its length.
The road is divide ...
, and to the east by Bald Hills Creek.
The Deagon Deviation enters the suburb from the south-east ( Bracken Ridge / Sandgate) and follows the course of Bald Hills Creek before exiting to the north-east to become the Houghton Highway and Ted Smout Memorial Bridge (the pair of bridges across Hays Inlet
Hays Inlet is a saltwater inlet off Bramble Bay in the City of Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continen ...
to Clontarf in the City of Moreton Bay
The City of Moreton Bay, known until July 2023 as the Moreton Bay Region, is a Local government in Australia, local government area in the north of the Brisbane metropolitan city in South East Queensland, South East Queensland, Australia. Estab ...
).
Nashville is a neighbourhood in the south-west of the suburb ().
Brighton has been mostly developed as suburban housing. In the north of the suburb there is some rural residential development and undeveloped wetlands. In the south-west of the locality are undeveloped wetlands which include Third Lagoon (). The lagoon is so-called as it is one of the three lagoons of the Sandgate area, the first being Einbunpin Lagoon and the second being Dowse Lagoon which are both within the suburb of Sandgate.
History
The Brighton Hotel located along Beaconsfield Terrace was believed to be built by David Rowntree Somerset. An early settler, Captain William Townsend, bought the Brighton Hotel and used it as his home and, once sold in 1893, it was used as an orphanage. It resumed being a hotel in 1912. The suburb takes its name from the hotel, which is believed to be named after Brighton
Brighton ( ) is a seaside resort in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England, south of London.
Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age Britain, Bronze Age, R ...
in Sussex
Sussex (Help:IPA/English, /ˈsʌsɪks/; from the Old English ''Sūþseaxe''; lit. 'South Saxons'; 'Sussex') is an area within South East England that was historically a kingdom of Sussex, kingdom and, later, a Historic counties of England, ...
, England.
Land for a Methodist church was purchased in 1914. In January 1917, a small Sunday school was opened on the site. In 1919, a Methodist church building was relocated from Killarney
Killarney ( ; , meaning 'church of sloes') is a town in County Kerry, southwestern Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The town is on the northeastern shore of Lough Leane, part of Killarney National Park, and is home to St Mary's Cathedral, Killar ...
(where it had opened in 1902) to the Brighton site, where it was erected and officially opened on Saturday 5 June 1920. On Saturday 2 December 1939, 500 people attended the opening of a new church building by Reverend F. A. Malcolm, the President of the Methodist Conference. The previous church was relocated to the rear of the site to be used as a Sunday school hall. In 1977, the church joined in the amalgamation that created the Uniting Church in Australia
The Uniting Church in Australia (UCA) is a united church in Australia. The church was founded on 22 June 1977 when most Wiktionary:congregation, congregations of the Methodist Church of Australasia, about two-thirds of the Presbyterian Church o ...
becoming the Brighton Uniting Church. The church at 41 Deagon Street () was closed circa 1999, and was later sold and the church and hall (the former church) were converted into a house. It is now within the suburb boundaries of Sandgate. It is listed on the Brisbane Heritage Register
The Brisbane Heritage Register is a heritage register containing a list of culturally-significant places within the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mai ...
.
Brighton State School opened on 27 January 1920.
Since 1935, three bridges have connected Brisbane
Brisbane ( ; ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the States and territories of Australia, state of Queensland and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia, with a ...
to Redcliffe Peninsula
The Redcliffe Peninsula is a peninsula located in the City of Moreton Bay in the northeast of the Brisbane metropolitan area in Queensland, Australia. The area covers the suburbs of Clontarf, Kippa-Ring, Margate, Moreton Island, Newport, R ...
between Brighton at their southern end and Clontarf on the peninsula at their northern end. The first of these to be built was the Hornibrook Bridge
The Hornibrook Bridge is a heritage-listed, mostly-demolished road bridge that carried the Hornibrook Highway over Hays Inlet at Bramble Bay from Brighton, a suburb of the City of Brisbane, to Clontarf in the City of Moreton Bay. The brid ...
, which opened on 4 October 1935. On 20 December 1979 , a second bridge known as the Houghton Highway was opened and the Hornibrook Bridge was closed to traffic, but could still be used by pedestrians, cyclists, and for fishing. On 11 July 2010, the third bridge, the Ted Smout Memorial Bridge, opened, enabling the Houghton Highway to be used for northbound traffic and the Ted Smout Memorial Bridge to be used for southbound traffic. Due to the deteriorating condition of the Hornibrook Bridge and the cost to maintain it, most of the bridge was demolished in 2010 with only the southern portal remaining at the Brighton end and the northern portal and a small section of the bridge (following some reconstruction) remaining at the Clontarf end; both are available for recreational use.
Brighton was the site of the Second World War
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
barracks of the RAAF
The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the principal aerial warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Australian Army. Constitutionally the governor-general of Aus ...
Air Training School between December 1940 and May 1946; it was built on reclaimed land. It later became Eventide, a large nursing home
A nursing home is a facility for the residential care of older people, senior citizens, or disabled people. Nursing homes may also be referred to as care homes, skilled nursing facilities (SNF), or long-term care facilities. Often, these terms ...
run by the Queensland Government
The Queensland Government is the state government of Queensland, Australia, a Parliament, parliamentary constitutional monarchy. Government is formed by the party or coalition that has gained a majority in the Queensland Legislative Assembly, ...
. More than 700 patients were transferred from Dunwich
Dunwich () is a village and civil parish in Suffolk, England. It is in the Suffolk & Essex Coast & Heaths National Landscape around north-east of London, south of Southwold and north of Leiston, on the North Sea coast.
In the Anglo-Saxon ...
on North Stradbroke Island
North Stradbroke Island (Janday language, Jandai: ''Minjerribah''), colloquially ''Straddie'' or ''North Straddie'', is an island that lies within Moreton Bay in the Australian state of Queensland, southeast of the centre of Brisbane. Original ...
to the facility. It was announced in late 2012 that the nursing home would close because the government did not wish to continue to provide aged care facilities. The site was redeveloped as the Brighton Health Campus, which provides a range of rehabilitation services and some aged care.
Brighton Baptist church at 77 North Road () opened in 1958. It is now in private ownership and has been converted into a residence.
Nashville State School opened on 25 January 1960.
St Kieran's Catholic School opened on 2 February 1960.
In June 1990 the Uniting Church in Australia
The Uniting Church in Australia (UCA) is a united church in Australia. The church was founded on 22 June 1977 when most Wiktionary:congregation, congregations of the Methodist Church of Australasia, about two-thirds of the Presbyterian Church o ...
congregations of Boondall
Boondall ( ) is a northern suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was formerly known as Cabbage Tree Creek (after the creek that flows through the area). In the , Boondall had a population of 9,603 people.
Geography
Situate ...
, Brighton, Sandgate and Shorncliffe decided to amalgamate. Their new Sandgate Uniting Church in Deagon was opened in Sunday 20 November 1994.
The Autism Therapy & Education Centre opened on 27 January 1991.
Demographics
In the , Brighton recorded a population of 9,012 people, 51.1% female and 48.9% male. The median age of the Brighton population was 40 years of age, 3 years above the Australian median. 78.4% of people living in Brighton were born in Australia, compared to the national average of 69.8%; the next most common countries of birth were England 5.3%, New Zealand 4.3%, Scotland 0.8%, Philippines 0.6%, Ireland 0.5%. 91.4% of people spoke only English at home; the next most popular languages were 0.5% German, 0.3% French, 0.3% Italian, 0.2% Tagalog, 0.2% Cantonese.
In the , Brighton had a population of 9,479 people.
In the , Brighton had a population of 9,664 people.
Heritage listings
Brighton has a number of heritage-listed
This list is of heritage registers, inventories of cultural properties, natural and human-made, tangible and intangible, movable and immovable, that are deemed to be of sufficient heritage value to be separately identified and recorded. In ma ...
sites, including:
* Hornibrook Highway: Hornibrook Bridge
The Hornibrook Bridge is a heritage-listed, mostly-demolished road bridge that carried the Hornibrook Highway over Hays Inlet at Bramble Bay from Brighton, a suburb of the City of Brisbane, to Clontarf in the City of Moreton Bay. The brid ...
(mostly demolished in 2011)
*Ex-RAAF barracks (on the site of Brighton Health Campus)
Education
Brighton State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at 2 North Road (). In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 435 students with 32 teachers (27 full-time equivalent) and 21 non-teaching staff (12 full-time equivalent).
Nashville State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls on the corner of Baskerville and Douglas Streets (). In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 352 students with 26 teachers (23 full-time equivalent) and 18 non-teaching staff (11 full-time equivalent).
St Kieran's Catholic School is a Catholic primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at 15 Greenwood Street (). In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 277 students with 23 teachers (17 full-time equivalent) and 18 non-teaching staff (9 full-time equivalent).
Autism Queensland Education & Therapy Centre is a private primary and secondary (Prep-12) facility of Autism Queensland Education & Therapy Centre (headquartered at Sunnybank Hills) at 136 North Road ().
Amenities
Brighton Health Campus is at 29 Nineteenth Avenue ().
Brighton is serviced by a fortnightly visit of the Brisbane City Council
Brisbane City Council (BCC, also known as Council) is the local government of the City of Brisbane, the capital city of the Australian state of Queensland. The largest local government in Australia by population, BCC's jurisdiction includes 2 ...
's mobile library service in the car park at Decker Park on 25th Avenue.
There are a number of parks in the suburb, including:
* Beaconsfield Terrace Park (nos. 346 & 344) ()
* Brighton Park ()
* Decker Park ()
* Dianella Reserve ()
* Goodenia Reserve ()
* Gordon Street Park ()
* High Street Park (no.140) ()
* High Street Park (nos.132&134) ()
* Jill Street Park ()
* Massie Street Park ()
* North Road Park ()
* Pimelea Reserve ()
* Pomona Street Park ()
* Princess Street Park (no.23) ()
* Princess Street Park (nos.8-18) ()
* Queens Parade Park ()
* Queens Parade Park (no.93) ()
* Sandgate Foreshores Park ()
* Sandgate Third Lagoon Reserve ()
* Saul Street Park ()
* Shepherd Street Park (no.2) ()
* Stubbs Street Park ()
* Tenth Avenue Park ()
* Townsend Street Park ()
* Townsend Street Park (nos.31&12) ()
* Wakefield Park ()
Attractions
Brighton Wetlands
Brighton has a woodland wetland protected by the local government. This natural reserve is made up of three woods; namely Goodenia Woods, Pimelea Woods and Dianella Woods. The land is so called a wetland as it fills with water during heavy rain which flows into a small tidal creek, Copold Creek, that flows under one of the main roads of Brighton, Beaconsfield Terrace, and then leads to Bramble Bay
Bramble Bay is an embayment of Moreton Bay in South East Queensland, Australia. The Brisway map reference is 12 H5, or see page 91 G19 in Refidex.
The Houghton Highway, Hornibrook Bridge and Ted Smout Memorial Bridge span Bramble Bay, connec ...
between 15th and 16th Avenues.
Brighton Esplanade
Brighton is a desirable Brisbane suburb due to both the ease of public transport, such as the train service from nearby Sandgate, and also the bayside esplanade. This peaceful parkland esplanade follows the coast between the Houghton Highway bridge and Sandgate. The esplanade is used by walkers, cyclists and families. Brighton's beach is used by kite surfers and also walkers during low tide. The road that follows the esplanade is called Flinders Parade named after the navigator Captain Matthew Flinders who was the first European to discover the area in order to establish a penal colony for Lord Brisbane, Governor of New South Wales.
See also
* Redcliffe Peninsula road network
Redcliffe Peninsula road network is a group of roads that provide access to the Redcliffe Peninsula in Queensland, Australia, and enable travel between the contained communities. The area serviced by the network includes the localities of Clontar ...
References
Further reading
* — full text availabl
online
External links
*
*
*
{{City of Brisbane suburbs
Suburbs of the City of Brisbane
Queensland in World War II