Annerley (4103)
On The Southside, perched on one of the hills surrounding Brisbane, Annerley (4103) gets great closehand views of the city. In the past, it was a dilapidated suburb home to lower social economic classes, but because of its premium land value due to its proximity to the city (4 km), there has recently been a rush of restoration activity so that Annerley has been restored to its past glory. Now it is an interesting suburb with a mix of building styles and uses including apartments, prestigious homes, restaurants etc.
Initially, prosperous dairy farmland, Annerley is rich in history relevant to Brisbane and hosts a plethora of heritage sites. In about 1880 a post office was established and the growing village was named after a town in England. Subsequently, an Anglican church was opened in 1886, and subject to regular renovation as a result of being damaged first by cyclone in 1905 and then by fire in 1954. Annerley’s residents have been actively involved in various war efforts lives lost in Gallipoli.
The local school was opened in 1988 in a simple cottage with a select group students but was quickly moved to larger premises to accommodate increased student numbers. In 1891 it was formally registered as a state school, and moved to its current location to cater for some 400 students. Swelling student numbers caused it to be further divided into an infants and a primary school, although these have since been re-amalgamated with decreasing numbers and surplus land sold off for residential development.
Various religious orders also established schools; a convent school Mary Immaculate nicknamed Marymac was opened in 1917. The current church built in 1932 included classrooms with further extensions built in the 1970s. And yet another secondary girls’ school, Our Lady’s College, was established by yet another order of nuns in 1964.
Annerley has served as home for many important Brisbane figures such as Queensland’s Premier, Digby Denham and is well known for its collective energy which gives rise to a number of popular Brisbane events including its Christmas Fair.
According to the 2011 census, Annerley was home to some 10,600 residents with an average age of 32 years. Annerley has a multicultural flavour as 38% of its inhabitants were born overseas, particularly in India, England and New Zealand (about 10%) with only 70% speaking English at home, followed by Mandarin and Greek.
