Tanah Merah, Queensland facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tanah Merah Logan City, Queensland
View south from hill in Tanah Merah
Tanah Merah Location in Queensland
Population	4,754 (2021 census)
• Density	1,189/km2 (3,080/sq mi)
Established	1971
Postcode(s)	4128
Area	4.0 km2 (1.5 sq mi)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10:00)
Location	11.9 km (7 mi) SE of Logan Central 31.3 km (19 mi) SE of Brisbane CBD 48.4 km (30 mi) NNW of Surfers Paradise
LGA(s)	Logan City
State electorate(s)	Waterford
Federal Division(s)	Forde
Suburbs around Tanah Merah: Slacks Creek Shailer Park Loganholme Meadowbrook Tanah Merah Loganholme Bethania Bethania Loganholme

Tanah Merah is a friendly neighbourhood located in Logan City, Queensland, Australia. It got its official name in 1971. In 2021, about 4,754 people lived there. The name "Tanah Merah" means "red soil" in Malay, which is a nod to the area's reddish dirt.

Exploring Tanah Merah's Landscape

Murray's Road, 2016

Tansey Park, 2016

Tanah Merah is known for its big hill and reddish soil. You'll find many parks with paths, exercise gear, and playgrounds spread across the hilly area. Most homes are single-story brick houses. On the steeper hills, there are taller homes with great views of the river valley.

Two major roads, the Pacific Motorway and the Logan Motorway, run along the edges of Tanah Merah. Some houses near the motorway have special walls to block noise.

In the north-west, Slacks Creek meets the Logan River. This was one of the first places where European settlers built homes. The Logan Hyperdome shopping centre is on the north-east border. Tansey Park, located by the river, has a boat ramp, a playground, and two sports fields.

Murray's Road: A Look Back

Murray's Road is named after the Murray family. They were the first to settle here in the 1870s. Part of the road runs alongside Slacks Creek and a natural reserve. The original Murray family farm is still at the end of the road. For four generations, it was a dairy farm, supplying milk to the Kingston Butter Factory.

This road was also important for moving timber. Logs were brought by bullock cart from nearby areas. Then, they were floated down Slacks Creek on rafts to sawmills. You can still see cuts in the hill where logs were rolled down. A small street called Rafting Court reminds us of this timber history.

Murray's Road is also home to many rare Austromyrtus gonoclada trees. Less than 300 of these trees are known to exist, and many grow along this road and on nearby properties.

Tanah Merah's Past

Tanah Merah was once part of a larger area called Slacks Creek. An English family named McBride bought this land. They had moved to Brisbane from Penang, Malaysia, after World War II. They named their new home "Tanah Merah," which means "red soil" in Malay, because the soil reminded them of their previous home.

The hill north of the Logan Motorway used to belong to the Murray family. They sold parts of it to developers over time. The old Murray farm still stands at the end of Murray's Road. It was sold in 2019 and is no longer used as a farm.

The number of people living in Tanah Merah grew a lot between 2001 and 2006. This happened after new houses were built in an area west of Drews Road.

Who Lives in Tanah Merah?

In 2011, Tanah Merah had about 4,608 people. Slightly more than half were female (50.7%), and just under half were male (49.3%). The average age was 33 years, which is younger than the national average of 37.

Most people (69.1%) living in Tanah Merah were born in Australia. Other countries of birth included New Zealand (8.2%), England (4.7%), and South Africa (1.2%). Most people (87.2%) spoke only English at home. Other languages spoken included Arabic, Mandarin, and Spanish.

By 2016, the population had grown slightly to 4,752 people. In 2021, it was 4,754 people.

Learning in Tanah Merah

There are no schools directly in Tanah Merah. Children usually go to primary schools in nearby areas. These include Loganholme State School in Loganholme, and Shailer Park State School and Kimberley Park State School, both in Shailer Park. For high school, students attend Shailer Park State High School, also in Shailer Park.

Places to Visit and Things to Do

Tanah Merah has a shopping plaza where you can find different stores. It's located at the corner of Sambil Street and Tansey Drive.

There are also several parks where you can relax and play:

• Hanlon Street Park
• Tahan Crescent Park
• Tansey Park

At Tansey Park, there's a boat ramp on the Logan River. It's a great spot if you want to launch a boat. The Logan City Council looks after it.