St Lucia, Queensland facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Lucia Brisbane, Queensland
Hawken Drive shopping precinct, 2012
St Lucia Location in Queensland
Population	12,220 (2021 census)
• Density	2,657/km2 (6,880/sq mi)
Postcode(s)	4067
Area	4.6 km2 (1.8 sq mi)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10:00)
Location	7.3 km (5 mi) SW of Brisbane CBD
LGA(s)	City of Brisbane (Walter Taylor Ward)
State electorate(s)	Maiwar
Federal Division(s)	Ryan
Suburbs around St Lucia: Toowong West End Highgate Hill Taringa St Lucia Dutton Park Indooroopilly Yeronga Fairfield

St Lucia is a suburb in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, located right by the Brisbane River. It's well-known for being home to the University of Queensland, which takes up a large part of the area. In 2021 census, about 12,220 people lived in St Lucia.

Exploring St Lucia's Geography

St Lucia is about 7.3 kilometers southwest of Brisbane's main post office. This suburb is like a mini-peninsula, surrounded by the Brisbane River on three sides (north, east, and south).

A big part of the eastern side is home to the main campus of the University of Queensland. The flatter northern area has many homes, including some taller apartment buildings along the river. The hiller parts in the center and south mostly have family houses. In the southwest, you'll find the St Lucia Golf Course.

Neighbourhoods and River Features

• Ironside is a neighbourhood within St Lucia.
• The Elbow is the name for the easternmost part of the suburb. This is where the Brisbane River makes a sharp bend.

The Brisbane River has two main sections around St Lucia:

• St Lucia Reach, which is to the north.
• Cemetery Reach, to the east. This name comes from the South Brisbane Cemetery on the other side of the river.

You can also find Six Mile Rocks in the Brisbane River to the south of the suburb.

Creeks Flowing Through St Lucia

Three creeks flow through the suburb and into the Brisbane River:

• Toowong Creek, which enters the river in the northwest.
• Carmody Creek, which flows through the University of Queensland campus and enters the river in the east.
• Sandy Creek, which flows from Robertson Park, through the St Lucia Golf Course, and into the river in the southwest.

St Lucia's Past

An old map of Princess Bridge Estate, St. Lucia from 1885.

The area we now call St Lucia was once part of Indooroopilly and later Toowong. It was first known as Indooroopilly Pocket. For a short time, it was called Toowong South, and a section was even named Lang Farm.

In the 1860s, sugar plantations were started here. In 1882, a man named William Alexander Wilson bought a plantation called Coldridge. He renamed it St Lucia Sugar Plantation, after his birthplace in the West Indies. In 1883, this land was divided up for housing, and the name St Lucia stuck for the whole area.

Ironside State School opened on October 10, 1870, as Toowong Mixed State School. It changed its name a few times before becoming Ironside State School in October 1904. It was named after the nearby land owned by John Dunmore Lang.

Who Lives in St Lucia?

St Lucia is a very diverse suburb with many students.

• In 2011 census, there were 11,195 people.
• In 2016 census, the population grew to 12,574. About 52% were female and 48% male. The average age was 23 years, which is much younger than the Australian average. This is because a large number of people aged 15 to 24 live here (47.2% of the population!).
• Many people living in St Lucia were born outside Australia (53.8% in 2016). The most common birthplaces after Australia were China, Malaysia, Singapore, England, and Indonesia.
• While 55.1% of people spoke only English at home, many other languages were also spoken. The most popular were Mandarin Chinese, Malay, Indonesian, Cantonese, and Vietnamese.
• When it came to religion in 2016, the most common answer was "No Religion" (39.7%). Other common responses included Catholicism, "Not stated", Anglicanism, and Islam.
• In 2021 census, St Lucia had a population of 12,220 people.

Important Places in St Lucia

The Pink Palace, St Lucia

Modern architecture in St Lucia

St Lucia has several places that are important for their history or special features. These are called heritage-listed sites:

• Great Court, University of Queensland: A beautiful area at the University of Queensland.
• Union College: One of the residential colleges at the university.
• Vida and Jayne Lahey's House: A special house with historical importance.
• Ironside State School: The local primary school with a long history.
• Langer House: Another historically significant house.

One famous home, known as The Pink Palace, was at 272 Swann Road. It was a well-known landmark in St Lucia until it was taken down in 2016.

Learning in St Lucia

A covered walkway at the University of Queensland, St Lucia

Ironside State School is a government primary school for students from Prep to Year 6. It's located at 2 Hawken Drive. In 2017, the school had a large number of students, with 1,486 enrolled.

While there isn't a high school directly in St Lucia, several good secondary schools are nearby. These include Indooroopilly State High School, St Peters Lutheran College, Brisbane Boys College, and the Queensland Academy of Science, Mathematics and Technology (QAMST).

Fun Things to Do in St Lucia

St Lucia has a few small shopping areas, but it's mostly a place where people live. The main shopping spot is on Hawken Drive. Here, you'll find the local IGA Supermarket, many international restaurants, a medical center, a dentist, and a post office. Friday nights are especially popular for eating out at these restaurants!

St Lucia Golf Links, St Lucia

The St Lucia Golf Links is an 18-hole public golf course. It's one of Brisbane's oldest golf courses and has hosted many big tournaments. It's a great place for golfers of all skill levels.

The University of Queensland also lets the public use some of its facilities, like swimming pools and tennis courts. Sometimes there's a fee to use them. The Schonell Theatre at the university also hosts many performances that you can buy tickets to see.

Events in St Lucia

Every Saturday morning at 7 AM, a free 5-kilometer run called parkrun takes place in St Lucia. It starts near the University of Queensland, opposite the UQ Aquatics Centre on Sir William Macgregor Drive.

Getting Around St Lucia

The Guyatt Park Ferry Terminal in St Lucia

The Eleanor Schonell Bridge

By Bus

You can reach St Lucia by bus from Brisbane's western suburbs and the city center. Many bus routes end at the University of Queensland. There's also a NightLink service on Friday and Saturday nights, which has security on board for safety. The Eleanor Schonell Bridge is a special bridge just for buses, pedestrians, and bikes. It connects the university to Dutton Park and brings buses from the southern suburbs and other parts of Brisbane to the university campus.

By Ferry

The CityCat ferry service stops at two places in St Lucia: the Guyatt Park CityCat Terminal and the University of Queensland Terminal. This is a fun way to travel along the river!

By Bicycle

St Lucia has bicycle paths that use the local streets between the University of Queensland and Toowong.

By Road

Three main roads lead into St Lucia and towards the University of Queensland: Swann Road, Sir Fred Schonnel Drive, and The Esplanade.