Chermside (4032)
10 km north of Brisbane, Chermside (4032) has been designed as a satellite city positioned on a strategic transport hub for motorways, busways and rail. Because of this status, Chermside has Queensland’s first drive-in mega shopping centre built in 1957 with key retailers and a cinema complex, is home to various medical centres including a major public/private hospital, extensive retirement facilities with various level of care and an increasing number of high density unit developments.
Chermside was settled in late 1800s with land being sold in 1866. Since then, population growth and residential development has been steady especially post-war. In 1868 Chermside was a changing post for Cobb & Co travelling on to the Gympie goldfields until tram lines became operational between 1947 and 1968. A state school was opened in 1900 and has since been replaced by two more schools built in the 1970s.
Chermside has a number of large parks, one of which has been home to various military training facilities during both World Wars but now hosts recreational activities. Chermside also has a well established RSL and sporting facilities including a water park.
In 2011 8200 people lived in Chermside, their average age being 35 years with only about 66% having been born in Australia, England or New Zealand. Chermside is a multicultural suburb with notable minorities from India, Philippines and China so that, apart from English, Mandarin, Tagalog, Malayam, and Italian are also spoken as second languages at home.