The Chermside area was first settled by Europeans in the late 19th century. The first plot of land was sold on 23 May 1866, and the population has progressively increased since with a significant increase with the post-war residential development.
When the Gympie goldrush started in 1867, many travellers heading north would run into trouble at a creek in present-day Chermside. Because of this waterway, Chermside was first known as Downfall Creek.[7]
A United Methodist Free church opened on Sunday 11 August 1878 on the corner of Gympie Road and Banfield Street, (then Church Street, approx 27°22′54″S153°01′23″E / 27.3818°S 153.0230°E / -27.3818; 153.0230 (United Methodist Free Church (former))).[8][9] In 1926 a more central site was purchased on the south-east corner of Gympie Road and Hamilton Road and the church building was relocated to the new site and renovated.[10][11][12] It was replaced by a brick church which opened on 30 September 1950.[13] It became part of the Uniting Church in 1977. This brick church was demolished in 2004,[14] probably because the current Chermside-Kedron Community Church (a Uniting Church) in Chermside on the north-western corner of Gympie Road and Rode Road had opened on 23 September 2001.[15][16]
Regular Anglican services commenced circa 1906 in the public hall (School of Arts) on the corner of Gympie Road and Hall Street. In January 1913 land was purchased in Hamilton Road to build an Anglican church. A stump-capping ceremony was held on St James' Day 25 July 1914. The first service was held on 11 October 1914. The official dedication of All Saints Anglican Church by ArchbishopSt Clair Donaldson was held on 15 November 1914.[8] The foundation stone of the present church building was laid by Archbishop Reginald Halse on Sunday 11 December 1960. The church was extended in 1996.[21][22]
Chermside has had a library since 1909. Since 1951 it has been a branch of the Brisbane City Council Library service and had a major refurbishment in 2017.[23]
In December 1925, "Rainey's Hill Top Park" made up of 99 allotments were advertised to be auctioned by Thonton's & Pearce, Auctioneers. A map advertising the auction states that this estate is "close to tram, motor bus, water and electric light".[24][25]
The Sanctuary in the Wheller Gardens retirement village was dedicated on 5 March 1940 by Reverend Wilfred Leonard Slater, the President of the Methodist Conference.[28]
During World War II a diverse range of volunteers, soldiers, and camps were at Chermside, such as U.S. Army units, including a number of African American soldiers. A Kitty Hawkairplane on a training flight crashed there in 1943, killing the pilot and instructor.
Brisbane's tramway network finally reached the suburb on 29 March 1947, and Chermside remained the northernmost point on the system until the line to Chermside was closed on 2 December 1968. The tram line along Gympie Road was separated from other traffic (this is commonly called "reserved track"), which resulted in fast travel times along this portion of the route. Another feature of the Chermside tram line were the rose gardens which bordered the reserved track portion of the line.
Bus terminal at Drive-In Shopping Centre, Chermside, ca. 1957
Westfield Chermside first opened in May 1957 as The Chermside Drive-in Shopping Centre with an Allan & Stark's department store and a small arcade of a dozen shops, before becoming a Myerdepartment store. It was the first drive-in shopping centre in Australia. It is now the largest single level shopping centre in Australia, with a 3-storey Myer, as well as a 16-screen Birch, Carrol and Coylemegaplex. It is also home to Brisbane's first Apple Store.[29]
The Brisbane Chest Hospital was opened in 1954 for the treatment of tuberculosis. As tuberculosis declined, it was renamed The Chermside Hospital in 1961 to reflect its more general healthcare role. Prince Charles visited Brisbane in 1974 and the hospital was renamed The Prince Charles Hospital in his honour.[31]
St Laurence's Anglican Church in Chermside West was dedicated on 26 February 1966 by Archbishop Phillip Strong. It has since closed.[30]
The early 1970s saw the opening of Queensland's first Kmart store in Chermside, which was situated next to a Coles supermarket. Both of these stores closed in the mid-1990s and have been replaced with a Woolworths supermarket and specialty stores. Both Kmart and Coles have been relocated in Westfield Chermside.
Craigslea State School opened 24 January 1972 and the neighbouring Craigslea State High School opened on 28 January 1975.[17] Both are now within Chermside West.
In 1975 the area known as Chermside West was established as a separate suburb.[32]
Prince Charles Hospital Special School closed on 30 December 1983.[17]
The Burnie Brae Centre (also known as Chermside Senior Citizens Centre) opened in 1984, from funds raised by the Rotary Club of Chermside. It was named for the Burnie Brae Homestead that had originally occupied the site.[33]
In the 2011 census, Chermside recorded a population of 8,170 people, 53.2% female and 46.8% male. The median age of the Chermside population was 35 years of age, 2 years below the Australian median. 59.5% of people living in Chermside were born in Australia, compared to the national average of 69.8%; the next most common countries of birth were India 4%, New Zealand 3.8%, Philippines 2.7%, England 2.6%, China 1.5%. 67.9% of people spoke only English at home; the next most popular languages were 1.7% Malayalam,1.5% Tagalog, 1.3% Italian, 1.3% Mandarin, 0.9% Korean.
In the 2016 census, Chermside had a population of 9,315 people.[36] It was described in that year as one of Brisbane's fastest developing suburbs.[37]
Heritage listings
There are a number of heritage-listed sites in Chermside:
There are no schools in Chermside. The nearest government primary schools are Wavell Heights State School in neighbouring Wavell Heights to the east, Craigslea State School in neighbouring Chermside West to the west, Geebung State School in neighbouring Geebung to the north-east, and Somerset Hills State School in neighbouring Stafford Heights to the south-west.[20] The nearest government secondary schools are Wavell Heights State High School in neighbouring Wavell Heights to the south-east and Craigslea State High School in neighbouring Chermside West to the west.[20]
Kedron Wavell Services Club is at 21 Kittyhawk Drive. It offers dining, bars, and entertainment. It is operated by the Kedron Wavell RSL sub-branch and has over 60,000 members. As a not-for-profit organisation, surplus funds are used to fund community projects.[59][60]
Chermside SmartClinics Medical centre is in Chermside Shopping centre. Shop/212 Gympie Rd, Chermside QLD 4032
The Chermside Historical Precinct is at 61 Kittyhawk Drive. It consists of three buildings:[41][64]
the original Chermside State School building, built in 1900 and relocated to the site circa 1997 and now home to the Chermside & Districts Historical Society
the Sandgate Drill Hall, built in 1915 and relocated to the site in 2000 and now home to the Milne Bay Memorial Library and Research Centre
Training Ship Voyager Centre Sea Scouts' hall (built circa 1964), now used as a community craft centre
Transport
The Northern Busway between the Royal Children's Hospital and Windsor was completed in August 2009, and an extra 3 km of busway between Windsor and Kedron opened in June 2012 with Airport Link and 2 new busway stations at Lutwyche and Kedron. Planning for the ultimate Northern Busway between Kedron and Bracken Ridge (including Chermside) is being revised with stages subject to funding and government priority.[65]
^Brisbane's Rich History(PDF). Savills. p. 8. Archived from the original(PDF) on 10 May 2017. Retrieved 26 October 2016 – via Queensland Commercial Property.
^"NORTHERN NEWS". The Telegraph. No. 1, 816. Queensland, Australia. 15 August 1878. p. 2. Archived from the original on 6 September 2021. Retrieved 6 September 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
^"DIAMOND JUBILEE CELEBRATED". The Courier-mail. No. 1264. Queensland, Australia. 18 September 1937. p. 7. Archived from the original on 6 September 2021. Retrieved 6 September 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Chermside Methodists". The Telegraph. No. 17089. Queensland, Australia. 10 September 1927. p. 4. Archived from the original on 6 September 2021. Retrieved 6 September 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
^"New Chermside Church". Brisbane Telegraph. Queensland, Australia. 29 September 1950. p. 8 (CITY FINAL). Archived from the original on 6 September 2021. Retrieved 6 September 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
^Blake, Thom. "Chermside Methodist Church". Queensland religious places database. Archived from the original on 6 September 2021. Retrieved 6 September 2021.
^"Advertising". Daily Mail. No. 7411. Queensland, Australia. 28 November 1925. p. 24. Retrieved 20 January 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
^"CITY COUNCIL". The Brisbane Courier. No. 21, 910. Queensland, Australia. 17 April 1928. p. 17. Archived from the original on 6 September 2021. Retrieved 6 September 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
Teague, D. R. (David R.) (1973), The history of Chermside, D. R. Teague, ISBN978-0-9599089-1-6
Teague, David R. (1977), The history of Chermside and Chermside West (2nd ed.), Colonial Press, ISBN978-0-909139-05-6
O'Shea, Patrick (2005), Chermside State School 1900-1996: a short history of Chermside State School no. 929, Chermside & Districts Historical Society, ISBN978-0-646-45343-9
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