Toowong is a riverside suburb in the

City of Brisbane The City of Brisbane is a local government area (LGA) which comprises the inner portion of the metropolitan area of Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, Australia. Its governing body is the Brisbane City Council. Unlike LGAs in the other mainlan ...

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , establishe ...

, Australia. In the , Toowong had a population of 10,830 people.

Geography

Toowong is situated between

Mount Coot-tha Mount Coot-tha is a mountain and a suburb of the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the , there were no residents in the suburb. Visible from much of the city, Mount Coot-tha is a popular bushland tourist destination including the Mou ...

and the Brisbane River and is made up of rolling hills with little flat land. Since European settlement most of the land has been cleared for residential and commercial use with the exception of some park land and bushland near the Western Freeway. At the centre of Toowong is a commercial precinct including

Toowong Village Toowong Village is a highrise building situated at the centre of the Brisbane suburb of Toowong, Queensland, Toowong, Queensland, Australia, on the block of land bounded by Coronation Drive, High Street and Sherwood Road. The blue glass office t ...

, and several other commercial and office buildings. The western side of the suburb is predominantly residential with a mix of medium density dwellings and detached Queenslander houses, extending to the foothills of

. Toowong borders the Brisbane River. Along the riverside are a number of transport links:

Coronation Drive Coronation Drive, popularly known as Coro Drive, is a road in Brisbane, Queensland which connects the Central Business District to the suburb of Toowong. It follows the Brisbane River from the Riverside Expressway, through the suburbs of Milt ...

, the

Regatta ferry wharf Regatta ferry wharf is located on the northern side of the Brisbane River serving the Brisbane suburb of Toowong in Queensland, Australia. It is served by RiverCity Ferries' CityCat services. History Regatta wharf opened on 4 July 2003, with t ...

, and the Bicentennial Bike Path (a bike and walkway) to the

Brisbane CBD Brisbane City is the central suburb and central business district of Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland, Australia. It is colloquially referred to as the "Brisbane CBD" or "the city". It is located on a point on the northern bank of the ...

. This section of the river is the

Toowong Reach The Brisbane River is the longest river in South East Queensland, Australia, and flows through the city of Brisbane, before emptying into Moreton Bay on the Coral Sea. John Oxley, the first European to explore the river, named it after the ...

History

Several early settlers subdivided their blocks, including Richard Drew who named his subdivision the 'Village of Toowong' in 1862. The origin of the name Toowong was derived from an Aboriginal word describing a bird. Toowong Mixed School opened on 10 October 1870. In 1879 it was renamed Indooroopilly State School. In 1888, it was renamed Indooroopilly Pocket State School. In 1905, it was renamed

Ironside State School Ironside State School is a heritage-listed state school at 378 Swann Road, St Lucia, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was built from 1935 to 1959. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 27 July 2018. History Ironside ...

. It is within the present-day boundaries of the neighbouring suburb of

St Lucia Saint Lucia ( acf, Sent Lisi, french: Sainte-Lucie) is an island country of the West Indies in the eastern Caribbean. The island was previously called Iouanalao and later Hewanorra, names given by the native Arawaks and Caribs, two Amerindi ...

. Toowong started developing with the arrival of the

Ipswich railway line } The Ipswich and Rosewood line refers to the section of the Main Line to Toowoomba that has a regular suburban rail service, extending southwest from the Brisbane central business district. It is part of the Queensland Rail City network. Hi ...

in 1875. It was originally suburb of detached villas and large yards owned by an elite upper-middle class that worked in the city and socialised with each other. As access to the suburb improved with regular train services the population increased. A Primitive Methodist Church was opened in Toowong on Sunday 9 April 1876. The Shire of Toowong was created in 1880, in response to a petition from Toowong residents. In 1881 the population numbered 1,275 and seven years later it had almost doubled to 2,230. By 1901 the population numbered around 4,700. Toowong State School opened on 22 January 1880 in Aston Street with enrolments reaching 350 students in the first nine years. In September 1910, the school was relocated to its present site. In 1927, it achieved its highest enrolment of 895 students, so many that the verandahs were used as classrooms. In 1881, a Baptist church opened in Toowong; it is still extant and 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 sovereign country comp ...

. In 1899, 461 allotments were advertised to be auctioned by Isles, Love & Co on Saturday, 2 September 1899 (Federation Day), Saturday 9 September 1899 and Saturday 16 September 1899. This area was called the Dunmore Estate and is now mostly in Toowong as well as partly in Milton. On the real estate map for Dunmore Estate, Cribb's Paddock, Milton is a black and white photo titled "Panoramic view of the river looking towards town". In 1899 it was advertised in the Brisbane Courier for contractors for the Dunmore Estate, Cribb's Paddock, Milton to make an access road through the lagoon and a roadway under the railway bridge. It was reported in The Brisbane Courier and The Telegraph that a total of 240 lots were sold - 108 lots on 2 September 1899, 81 lots on 9 September 1899 and 51 lots on 16 September 1899. On 1 February 1902, Clayfield Boys' College was established on Old Sandgate Road (now Bage Street) near the Wesleyan Church at

Eagle Junction Clayfield is a suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the , Clayfield had a population of 10,555 people. Geography Clayfield is by road from the Brisbane GPO. Clayfield is bordered to the north by Nundah, to the east by ...

by Arthur (Barney) Rudd with an initial enrolment of 4 students. In 1909, it began to accept boarding students. In 1912, the school moved to a new location on the corner of Bayview Terrace,

Clayfield Clayfield is a suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the , Clayfield had a population of 10,555 people. Geography Clayfield is by road from the Brisbane GPO. Clayfield is bordered to the north by Nundah, to the east by ...

, near the tram terminus OurToowong page for BBC In July 1918, the school was purchased by the Presbyterian and Methodist Schools Association and renamed Brisbane Boys' College. In 1931, the school relocated to its current campus in Toowong with 193 students. In 1903 the Brisbane Tramways Company built a

tram A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...

line along Milton Road to service the western side of the suburb. Initially the tram line terminated at the cemetery, but was later extended up Woodstock Road (Formally Dean Street), to the palatial home of the then Manager of the tram company Joseph Stillman Badger. In 1922, along with the rest of Brisbane's tram system, the line was taken over by the government (see

Transport for Brisbane Transport for Brisbane, previously called Brisbane Transport'','' is an organisational division of the Brisbane City Council, responsible through its related Council Committee for providing policy and advice to Brisbane City Council, and for de ...

.) The tram line closed in December 1962, after the disastrous

Paddington tram depot fire The Paddington tram depot fire occurred on the night of 28 September 1962, and was one of the largest fires in Brisbane's history.Archbishop

Robert Dunne Robert Dunne (5 September 1830 – 13 January 1917) was the second Roman Catholic bishop of Brisbane and later he became its first archbishop. Dunne was born in Ardfinnan, County Tipperary, Ireland and was educated at Lismore Grammar School ...

laid the foundation school for a Catholic primary school in Holland Street. St Michael's and Holy Souls School opened on 1 July 1903. In 1916, it was renamed St Ignatius School. The school outgrew its original site and, in 1930, re-located to its current site as a combined church and school on land donated by the Sisters of Mercy. At that time there were 212 students in 9 classes. In 1948, a new 2-storey brick building was opened. The Toowong Baths were first constructed as a swimming pool in 1909 on

south of Booth Street (). Originally established by a private company, the baths were acquired in 1920 by the

Toowong Town Council The Town of Toowong is a former local government area of Queensland, Australia, located in western Brisbane in the area around the current suburb of Toowong. History The Toowong Division was established on 11 November 1879 under the ''Divisiona ...

. In 1925, the Town of Toowong was amalgamated into the

and the baths come under the control of the Brisbane City Council. In the late 1950s, the buildings associated with the pool were replaced with new iconic buildings designed by Brisbane City Council architect James Birrell. The new Birrell-designed

Toowong Library The Toowong Municipal Library Building is heritage-listed former public library at 579–583 Coronation Drive, Toowong, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by James Birrell and built in 1961 by Stuart Brothers. It was added ...

was constructed on Coronation Drive on the northern side of Booth Street. Despite public outcry, the Brisbane City Council sold the pool complex to fund the redevelopment of Toowong Library (which was also controversial) blaming declining patronage of the pool. The Toowong Swimming Pool was demolished on 21 March 2001. An office block now occupies the site. Stuartholme School was established in March 1920 by the

Society of the Sacred Heart , image = RSCJnuevo.jpg, , image_size = 150px , caption = , abbreviation = Post-nominal letters: RSCJ , formation = , founder = Saint Sr. Madeleine Sophie Barat, R.S.C.J. ...

as a boarding school for girls with 5 initial enrolments. Later it also accepted day students. On Saturday 25 October 1930, a stump-capping ceremony was held for a public hall in Grosvenor Street in West Toowong. On 21 November 1959 the Anglican Church of the Holy Spirit in West Toowong was dedicated by Archbishop

Reginald Halse Sir Reginald Charles Halse KBE CMG (16 June 1881 – 9 August 1962) was the Bishop of Riverina from 1925 to 1943 and then Archbishop of Brisbane until his death in 1962. Halse was educated at St Paul's School, London and Brasenose College, O ...

. It was on Exmouth/Orchard Street (). Its closure on 28 November 2006 was approved by Assistant Bishop Ron Williams. Toowong State High School opened on 29 January 1963. It was on the site of the house ''Easton Gray'', once owned by Sir

Arthur Hunter Palmer Sir Arthur Hunter Palmer (28 December 1819 – 20 March 1898) was an Irish-Australian politician who served as the fifth Premier of Queensland, in office from 1870 to 1874. He later held ministerial office in Thomas McIlwraith's ministry from ...

Premier of Queensland The premier of Queensland is the head of government in the Australian state of Queensland. By convention the premier is the leader of the party with a parliamentary majority in the unicameral Legislative Assembly of Queensland. The premier is ap ...

and subsequently the residence of his brother-in-law

Hugh Mosman Hugh Mosman (11 February 1843 – 15 November 1909) was a mine owner and politician in Queensland, Australia. He discovered gold in Charters Towers. He was a Member of the Queensland Legislative Council. Early life Mosman was born on 11 Februa ...

(who discovered gold at

Charters Towers Charters Towers is a rural town in the Charters Towers Region, Queensland, Australia. It is by road south-west from Townsville on the Flinders Highway. During the last quarter of the 19th century, the town boomed as the rich gold deposits unde ...

). The site was purchased by the

Queensland Government The Queensland Government is the democratic administrative authority of the Australian state of Queensland. The Government of Queensland, a parliamentary constitutional monarchy was formed in 1859 as prescribed in its Constitution, as amended f ...

in 1944 for the construction of a secondary school in Toowong. On 9 May 2000, the school was renamed Toowong College. It closed on 31 December 2006. It was at 78 Bywong Street (). The school's website was archived. The Queensland Academy for Science Mathematics and Technology opened in 2007 on the Toowong College site. In the , Toowong had a population of 11,255 people; 50.2% female and 49.8% male. The median age of the Toowong population was 28 years, 9 years below the Australian median. The most notable difference was the group of people aged in their twenties; in Toowong this group made up 36.1% of the population, compared to 13.8% nationally. This is largely because of the close proximity of the University of Queensland. Children aged under 15 years made up 10.8% of the population and people aged 65 years and over made up 8.3% of the population. 61.1% of people living in Toowong were born in Australia, compared to the national average of 69.8%. The other top responses for country of birth were

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

3.9%, China 3.8%,

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

3%,

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

1.8%,

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

1.6%. 72.7% of people spoke only English at home; the next most popular languages were 5.3%

Mandarin Mandarin or The Mandarin may refer to: Language * Mandarin Chinese, branch of Chinese originally spoken in northern parts of the country ** Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Mandarin, the official language of China ** Taiwanese Mandarin, Stand ...

, 2.2%

Cantonese Cantonese ( zh, t=廣東話, s=广东话, first=t, cy=Gwóngdūng wá) is a language within the Chinese (Sinitic) branch of the Sino-Tibetan languages originating from the city of Guangzhou (historically known as Canton) and its surrounding ar ...

, 1.3%

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

, 0.7%

Korean Korean may refer to: People and culture * Koreans, ethnic group originating in the Korean Peninsula * Korean cuisine * Korean culture * Korean language **Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Chosŏn'gŭl **Korean dialects and the Jeju language ** ...

, 0.7% French. The most common responses for religion in Toowong were No Religion 33.7%, Catholic 22.0%, Anglican 12.0%, Uniting Church 5.0% and Buddhism 2.9%. In the , Toowong had a population of 10,830 people.

Local government

Toowong has been part of a number of different local governments: *

Toowong Division Toowong is a riverside suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the , Toowong had a population of 10,830 people. Geography Toowong is situated between Mount Coot-tha and the Brisbane River and is made up of rolling hills ...

(1879 - 1880) *

Shire of Toowong Shire is a traditional term for an administrative division of land in Great Britain and some other English-speaking countries such as Australia and New Zealand. It is generally synonymous with county. It was first used in Wessex from the begin ...

(1880 - 1903) * Town of Toowong (1903 - 1925) *

(1925–present day)

Heritage listings

Toowong has a number of heritage-listed sites, including: * 20 Archer Street: St Briavels (house) * 4 Aston Street: Bowersholme (house) * 365 Birdwood Terrace: Stuartholme School * 29 Burns Road: Rhos-y-Medre (house) * 1 Clouston Lane: Sylvania (house) * 543

Regatta Hotel Regatta Hotel is a heritage-listed hotel at 543 Coronation Drive on the corner of Sylvan Road, Toowong, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It faces the Toowong Reach of the Brisbane River and was named after the rowing regattas held ...

* 579 - 583 Coronation Drive:

Toowong Municipal Library The Toowong Municipal Library Building is heritage-listed former public library at 579–583 Coronation Drive, Brisbane, Coronation Drive, Toowong, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by James Birrell and built in 1961 by S ...

* 600 Coronation Drive: Middenbury House * 33 Curlew Street: Craigsmount (house) * 10 Dean Street: Warrawee (house) * 100 Dean Street: Anzac Park * 58 Ebor Street: Toby the Dog Toowong Post Office memorial * Glenny Street (): Kayes Rocks * 46 Grove Street: Church of Saint Ignatius Loyola * 50 Grove Street: Mount St Mary's Convent * 7 Herbert Street: Post-war house * 23 Herbert Street: Spanish Mission house * High Street (): Patterson's Folly * 22 High Street: Royal Exchange Hotel and Royal Exchange Building * 53 High Street: former Carver and Co. building (now Peerless Dry Cleaning) * 69 High Street:

St Thomas Church of England St Thomas' Anglican Church is a heritage-listed church at 69 High Street, Toowong, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Francis Drummond Greville Stanley and built in 1877 by Henry Pears. It was also known as St Thomas' ...

* 4 Holmes Street: Kiarrba (house) * 5 Jephson Street: Toowong Baptist Church * 20A Jephson Street: Toowong Fire Station * 3 Moggill Road: St Arvans (house) * 55 Moggill Road: Brisbane Boys' College Buildings * Mount Coot-tha Road: Richard Randall Art Studio * corner of Mount Coot-tha road and Frederick Street:

Toowong Cemetery Toowong Cemetery is a heritage-listed cemetery on the corner of Frederick Street and Mt Coot-tha Road, Toowong, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was established in 1866 and formally opened in 1875. It is Queensland's largest ceme ...

, including within the cemetery: ** Caskey Monument ** Temple of Peace ** Trooper Cobb's Grave * 50 Quinn Street (37 St Osyth Street):

Toowong State School Toowong State School is a heritage-listed state school at 50 Quinn Street (37 St Osyth Street), Toowong, Queensland, Toowong, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Robert Ferguson (architect), Robert and John Ferguson (arc ...

* 89 Sherwood Road: Kinellar (house) * 124 Sherwood Road: Dovercourt (house) * 65 Sylvan Road: Toowong Memorial Park (also known as Toowong Cenotaph, Toowong Soldiers' Memorial) * 143A Sylvan Road: Memorial Crows Ash * Woodstock Road (): Tram stop *6-28 Woodstock Road ():

Endrim, Woodstock Road tram shed, and tram track Endrim, Woodstock Road tram shed, and tram track are a heritage-listed group consisting of a house, a tramway and a tramway stop at 6 & 28 Woodstock Road, Toowong, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. They were built in 1906 by the Brisban ...

(also known as Arlington, 'Boss' Badger's residence)

Education

is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at 37 St Osyth Street (). In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 293 students with 29 teachers (21 full-time equivalent) and 33 non-teaching staff (16 full-time equivalent). It includes a special education program. St Ignatius School is a Catholic primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at 46 Grove Street (). In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 260 students with 23 teachers (16 full-time equivalent) and 11 non-teaching staff (7 full-time equivalent).

Brisbane Boys' College (Let Honour Stainless Be) , established = 1902 , type = Independent, single-sex, day and boarding , denomination = Presbyterian and Uniting Church , slogan = , headmaster = André Casson , city = Toowong , state = Queensland , count ...

is a private Presbyterian and Uniting Church primary and secondary (Prep-12) school for boys at Kensington Terrace (). In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 1503 students with 148 teachers (136 full-time equivalent) and 100 non-teaching staff (85 full-time equivalent). It has boarding facilities. Stuartholme School is a Catholic secondary (7-12) school for girls at 365 Birdwood Terrace (). In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 678 students with 65 teachers (61 full-time equivalent) and 49 non-teaching staff (36 full-time equivalent). It has boarding facilities. Queensland Academy for Science Mathematics and Technology is a government secondary (7-12) school for boys and girls at 78 Bywong Street (). It is an academically selective school with a partnership with the

University of Queensland , mottoeng = By means of knowledge and hard work , established = , endowment = A$224.3 million , budget = A$2.1 billion , type = Public research university , chancellor = Peter Varghese , vice_chancellor = Deborah Terry , city = B ...

. In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 642 students with 62 teachers (61 full-time equivalent) and 29 non-teaching staff (26 full-time equivalent).

Facilities

The Brisbane General Cemetery, planned in 1866 and formally opened in 1875, is Queensland's largest cemetery, placed on 437,300 square metres of land. It replaced Brisbane's second cemetery the North Brisbane Burial Grounds which were located in Milton where

Suncorp Stadium Lang Park, also known as Brisbane Football Stadium, by the sponsored name Suncorp Stadium, and nicknamed: 'The Cauldron', is a multi-purpose stadium in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, located in the suburb of Milton. The current facility co ...

stands today, closer to the centre of Brisbane. The remains of most of the 8500 people buried there are still under the stadium. The Brisbane General Cemetery, now called Toowong Cemetery, contains a signposted walk that provides information on various people buried therein. The workshops and a bus depot of

Brisbane Transport Transport for Brisbane, previously called Brisbane Transport'','' is an organisational division of the Brisbane City Council, responsible through its related Council Committee for providing policy and advice to Brisbane City Council, and for de ...

is located at the western end of the suburb.

Amenities

Toowong has two historic hotels, the

and the Royal Exchange Hotel. The three-storey Regatta hotel contained accommodation on the upper two floors and a public bar and lounge area on the ground floor. In 1965 a protest took place in the public bar of the Regatta Hotel when Merle Thornton (mother of Australian actress

Sigrid Thornton Sigrid Madeline Thornton (born 12 February 1959) is an Australian film and television actress. Her television work includes '' Prisoner'' (1979–80), '' All the Rivers Run'' (1983), '' SeaChange'' (1998–2019) and '' Wentworth'' (2016–2018 ...

) and Rosalie Bogner chained themselves to the bar in protest of

public bar A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and wa ...

s in Queensland being restricted to men only. Built in 1986,

is an office tower and shopping centre situated at the centre of Toowong. The blue glass office tower is a prominent landmark visible from Toowong and surrounding suburbs. The shopping centre situated on the lower levels of the office tower contains the

Toowong Railway Station Toowong railway station is located on the Main line in Queensland, Australia. It serves the Brisbane suburb of Toowong. It is the closest station to the St Lucia campus of the University of Queensland. History Toowong station opened on 14 Ju ...

, Toowong Library operated by the

Brisbane City Council Brisbane City Council (BCC) is the democratic executive local government authority for the City of Brisbane, the capital city of the state of Queensland, Australia. The largest City Council in Australia by population and area, BCC's jurisd ...

, and the standard mix of retail stores. Located on Sylvan Road, Toowong Memorial Park is a large park with gum trees, football ovals and a commanding view of the suburb. It was officially opened in 1918 in honour of those who enlisted from the Town of Toowong during the

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. The park contains the Soldiers' Memorial on top of the hill was dedicated in 1922 and an RSL memorial is located near the Memorial gates on Sylvan Road, and also contains the Western Districts Rugby Football Club and a Basketball centre. Anzac Park is located next to the Western Freeway opposite the Toowong Cemetery. Originally the land was part of the cemetery grounds, but was converted to a rifle range in 1877. At the end of

the trees were planted in memory of the men from Toowong. The park land was proposed as a site for the Botanic Gardens, but the construction of the Western Freeway forced the move of the proposed site to its current location closer to Mount Coot-tha. The Mount Coot-tha Botanic Gardens and the

Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium The Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium is located on the grounds of the Brisbane Botanic Gardens in the suburb of Mount Coot-tha, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The Planetarium was officially opened on 24 May 1978. The Planetarium is named af ...

are located at the base of

. The Toowong Municipal Library Building was built 1961 on Coronation Drive opposite the Toowong pool, and was formerly the district library for the western suburbs. The library was also designed by Brisbane City Chief Architect James Birrell, and is one of the few remaining examples of his work. The library is now used as commercial premises. The building comprises a two-storey library surrounded by trees and landscaped terraces, with cavity brick lower floor, the structure is formed by three intersecting circles. Above this base floor is a ‘floating’ crystalline form with 12 sided polygon (dodecagon) floor plan whose external walls taper outward as they rise and which houses the principal public floor of the library. The external steel wall framing of the upper floor is diagonally braced, and sheeted with plywood panels set within the structural framing and framed with silky oak beading. The library originally had a hemi-spherical skylight above its centre, which has now been replaced by an enclosure for mechanical equipment. The library was threatened for closure in 1982 following the opening of a new municipal library at Indooroopilly in 1981. The Toowong Library did in fact close but local residents’ action saw it re-opened in 1983. Alterations were made to the building in 1983 when one of the rooms on the lower floor was acquired for use by the local councillor as a ward office, until 2005. Despite a campaign by local residents to prevent the closure of the library and redevelopment of the library and adjoining swimming pool site, the library was moved to Toowong Village shopping centre in March 2001, and the original building, which is protected by heritage listing, is now business premises.

Community groups

Friends of Toowong Cemetery
is a volunteer group that discover and share th
history
an
stories
of

. The group was formed in 1992 and its first President was Cr. Judy Magub OAM, the councillor for the Toowong ward from when it was formed in 1994 until she retired in 2007. The West Toowong Community Association was formed in 1999 by a group of residents concerned about what they saw as increasing inappropriate development in the area. The group soon branched out to protect and develop community activities in the suburb. It has run several campaigns about development in the area including an unsuccessful attempt to prevent the demolition of the James Birrel designed Toowong Pool, and a successful campaign to prevent the construction of a mobile phone relay station tower within a residential area of West Toowong. It was also instrumental in successfully lobbying for the construction of a safe crossing over the Western Freeway at Toowong, which was hotly opposed by other Toowong's residents and prompted the creation of opposing associations. The overpass was eventually successfully built, providing safe access from Anzac Park to footpaths and cycle paths leading to Mt Cootha and other recreational areas. The Vera Street Community Garden was formed in 2005 and operates as a community vegetable growing and creek rehabilitation group. Open to members of the public, it is located within the grounds of the

Queensland Academy for Science, Mathematics and Technology The Queensland Academies – Science Mathematics & Technology Campus (QASMT) is a selective entry high school in Queensland, Australia, developed in partnership with the University of Queensland. QASMT offers the International Baccalaureate Dip ...

(entrance via Vera St). This public garden is located on state government land, the former site of a Chinese market garden. Western Group of the Brisbane City Unit of the Queensland State Emergency Service has its headquarters at Perrin Park in Josling St. This site is shared with the Brisbane City Council Parks & Trees and the Toowong Community Meeting Place. Toowong is home to one of the first four Scout troops in to be founded in

in 1908. One hundred years on and Toowong has since merged with Milton & Taringa Scout troops but celebrates its 100 years as the oldest Scout troop in

. Taring-Milton-Toowong Scout Troop is also known for their annual Scout rally which is one of the longest running Scout rallies in the world. The Toowong branch of the

Queensland Country Women's Association The Queensland Country Women's Association (QCWA) is the Queensland chapter of the Country Women's Association in Australia. The association seeks to serve the interests of women and children in rural areas in Australia through a network of loca ...

meets at the Toowong Library in the

shopping centre at 9 Sherwood Road.

Sport

The West Juniors Australian rules football club has its home ground at Oakman Park in Toowong. Despite its name. Toowong FC (soccer club) has its home ground at Dunmore Park on the corner Roy and Evans Roads in neighbouring Auchenflower. The club consists of 17 kids teams ge 4 Up 3 Senior Women's Teams and 5 Senior Men's Teams. The Western Districts Rugby Club (“The Bulldogs”) has its home grounds in Toowong Memorial Park, on Sylvan Road, alongside the train lines.

Transport

Toowong is a major transport node, with almost all bus and train routes passing through Toowong from the western suburbs. By Train, The Toowong train station on the Ipswich Line and Springfield Line is located under

. By Bus, Buses travel along

from the city stopping on Benson Street and then on towards the

, or stop on High Street outside the Royal Exchange Hotel and continue towards

Indooroopilly Indooroopilly is a riverside suburb 7km west of the Brisbane CBD, Queensland, Australia. In the , Indooroopilly had a population of 12,242 people. Geography Indooroopilly is bounded to the south and south-east by the median of the Brisbane Ri ...

and other western suburbs. By Road, Toowong is accessed by

and

Milton Road Milton Road is an arterial road in Brisbane, Australia. It is currently signed as State Route 32 for its entire length. Milton Road is a major corridor for traffic between the Brisbane central business district and the western suburbs. It ca ...

from the north, and by

Moggill Road Moggill is a suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the , Moggill had a population of 4,641 people. Geography Moggill is about by from the Brisbane GPO. The Brisbane River bounds the suburb to the east, south and west with ...

and the Western Freeway to the south and west. The main roads inside Toowong are High Street and Sherwood road. By City Cat, the Regatta CityCat stop located outside the

on Coronation Drive allows transport downstream towards the

and upstream towards the

By Bicycle, Toowong two main bicycle paths, one that starts at

and proceed towards the

and the second that again starts from Coronation Drive but runs to and along the Western Freeway.

Politics

Toowong is within the: * Brisbane City Council's

Paddington Ward The Paddington Ward (formerly Toowong Ward) is a Brisbane City Council ward covering Paddington, Auchenflower, Kelvin Grove, Milton, Petrie Terrace, Red Hill, and parts of Bardon and Toowong. History Toowong Ward was created in 1994 as a ...

and

Walter Taylor Ward The Walter Taylor Ward is a ward of the Brisbane City Council in Queensland, Australia. It covers Fig Tree Pocket, Indooroopilly, St Lucia, and parts of Chapel Hill, Taringa and Toowong Toowong is a riverside suburb in the City of Brisb ...

* Queensland Legislative Assembly's

electoral district of Maiwar Maiwar is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Queensland, incorporating the inner western suburbs of Brisbane. It was created in the 2017 redistribution, and was first contested at the 2017 Queensland ...

* Australian Government's

division of Ryan The Division of Ryan is an Australian Electoral Division in Queensland. History The division was created in 1949 and is named after T. J. Ryan, Premier of Queensland from 1915 to 1919. Ryan is located in south east Queensland, and is general ...

In popular culture

Toowong is mentioned in the folksong Brisbane Ladies (c 1891) which begins: :Farewell and adieu to you, Brisbane ladies :Farewell and adieu, you maids of Toowong

Notable people

Notable people with connections to Toowong include: * Raymond Dart ,

anatomist Anatomy () is the branch of biology concerned with the study of the structure of organisms and their parts. Anatomy is a branch of natural science that deals with the structural organization of living things. It is an old science, having it ...

and anthropologist, was born in Toowong in 1893. *

Bernard Fanning Bernard Fanning (born 15 August 1969) is an Australian musician and singer-songwriter. He was the lead vocalist of Queensland alternative rock band Powderfinger from its formation in 1989. Born and raised in Toowong, Brisbane, Fanning receive ...

, lead vocalist of Australian band

Powderfinger Powderfinger were an Australian rock band formed in Brisbane in 1989. From 1992 until their break-up in 2010, the line-up consisted of vocalist Bernard Fanning, guitarists Darren Middleton and Ian Haug, bass guitarist John Collins and drumme ...

was born in Toowong on 15 August 1969. * Janet Walker, costumier and dress-making bust inventor died in Toowong *

Ziggy the bagman Zbygnew Wilczek, or Zbigniew Marian Wilczek, also known as Ziggy the Bag Man, is a man who lives in a park in the inner Brisbane suburb of Taringa. Ziggy objects to being labelled as "homeless" as he chose his situation and does not ask for food ...

, a homeless man who has been a controversial issue for Brisbane, slept on the streets of Toowong for many years.

References

External links

* * * {{Suburbs of Brisbane City Council