Mount Gravatt (4122)
Prior to being subdivided into 4 suburbs in the 1990s, Mount Gravatt (4122) was the largest suburb of Brisbane. It is sited on a prominent Southside hill some 10km from city center and was named after Lieutenant Gravatt, the commander of the Moreton Bay Settlement in 1939. This hill serves to be an attraction in its own right as it provides an amazing panoramic outlook over the Brisbane city and its surrounds.
Development of the area was accelerated with the provision of trams in 1953, however, these were shut down in 1969. Since then, Mt Gravatt has been well serviced by various busways. Mt Gravatt has numerous parklands, including the Showgrounds, the site of an annual agricultural fair. Shopping is well catered for by Mt Gravatt shopping centre anchored by Woolworths and Myers etc. There are various private Catholic and state schools as well as the main campus of Griffith University which was established in the late 1970s.
The suburb can be characterised by young, middle-class families, initially German, English and Irish after the Second World War, and more recently, Southern European. There is a very active evangelical Christian community as evidenced by the popularity of the megachurch Hillsong.
About 3,200 people live in Mt Gravatt (2011 Census) including expats predominantly from New Zealand, England, India, China, and South Africa. Apart from English, Arabic, Mandarin and Punjabi are spoken at home.
