Toowong facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Toowong Brisbane, Queensland
Toowong Village from Coronation Drive
Toowong Location in Brisbane
Postcode(s)	4066
Area	4.1 km2 (1.6 sq mi)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10:00)
Location	5.9 km (4 mi) SW of Brisbane CBD
LGA(s)	Brisbane City (Paddington Ward and Walter Taylor Ward)
State electorate(s)	Maiwar
Federal Division(s)	Ryan
Suburbs around Toowong: Mount Coot-tha Bardon Auchenflower Mount Coot-tha Toowong West End Taringa Taringa St Lucia

Toowong (say "tə-WONG") is a suburb in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It sits right by the Brisbane River. In 2021, about 12,556 people lived here. The average weekly income for families was $1,927.

Exploring Toowong's Landscape

A Queenslander-style house in Toowong.

Toowong is located between Mount Coot-tha and the Brisbane River. It has many rolling hills and not much flat land. Most of the area has been cleared for homes and shops. Some parkland and bushland remain near the Western Freeway.

The middle of Toowong has a busy shopping area. This includes Toowong Village and other office buildings. The western part of the suburb is mostly homes. You'll find both apartments and traditional Queenslander houses. These homes stretch towards the hills of Mount Coot-tha.

Toowong also borders the Brisbane River. Along the river, you can find different ways to get around. There's Coronation Drive, the Regatta ferry wharf, and a bike and walking path. This path, called the Bicentennial Bike Path, leads to the Brisbane CBD. This part of the river is known as the Toowong Reach.

Toowong's Past: A Brief History

First St Thomas Anglican Church, 1865-1877.

Early settlers divided their land here. One person, Richard Langler Drew, named his area the 'Village of Toowong' in 1862. The name Toowong comes from an Aboriginal word for a type of bird.

The Anglican Church of St Thomas the Apostle opened on October 29, 1865. It was built on land given by Richard Langler Drew.

Toowong Mixed School started on October 10, 1870. It changed its name several times. Today, it is called Ironside State School and is in the nearby suburb of St Lucia.

Toowong began to grow a lot when the Ipswich railway line arrived in 1875. It became a place where wealthy families lived in large houses with big yards. These families often worked in the city.

A Primitive Methodist Church opened in Toowong on April 9, 1876.

The area became the Shire of Toowong in 1880. This happened after local residents asked for it. In 1881, about 1,275 people lived there. By 1888, the population had almost doubled to 2,230. By 1901, about 4,700 people called Toowong home.

Toowong State School opened on January 22, 1880. It started with 350 students. In September 1910, the school moved to its current location. In 1927, it had its highest number of students, with 895.

In 1881, a Baptist church opened in Toowong. It is still standing today and is a heritage-listed building.

In 1902, a Catholic primary school, St Michael's and Holy Souls School, opened. In 1916, it was renamed St Ignatius School. The school moved to a new, larger site in 1930.

A tram at the Toowong tram stop around 1910.

In 1903, the Brisbane Tramways Company built a tram line to Toowong. This helped people travel around the suburb. The tram line closed in December 1962.

The Toowong Baths, a swimming pool, were built in 1909. The Brisbane City Council took over the baths in 1925. The pool was later demolished in 2001, even though many people wanted to save it.

Stuartholme School started in March 1920. It was a boarding school for girls. Today, it also welcomes students who don't live at the school.

Toowong State High School opened on January 29, 1963. It was renamed Toowong College in 2000. The school closed on December 31, 2006.

The Queensland Academy for Science Mathematics and Technology opened in 2007. It is located on the old Toowong College site.

Who Lives in Toowong?

In 2011, Toowong had 11,255 people. The average age was 28 years old, which is younger than the national average. Many people in their twenties live here. This is because the University of Queensland is very close by.

About 61.1% of people in Toowong were born in Australia. Other common birthplaces included England, China, New Zealand, India, and Malaysia. Most people (72.7%) spoke only English at home. Other languages spoken included Mandarin, Cantonese, and Spanish.

Historic Places in Toowong

Church of Saint Ignatius Loyola.

The Regatta Hotel, Toowong.

Warrawee, a historic house in Toowong.

Toowong has many heritage-listed sites. These are places that are important to history and are protected. Some examples include:

• Stuartholme School
• Regatta Hotel
• Toowong Municipal Library
• Middenbury House
• Warrawee (a house)
• Church of Saint Ignatius Loyola
• Mount St Mary's Convent
• Toowong Baptist Church
• Brisbane Boys' College Buildings
• Richard Randall Art Studio
• Toowong Cemetery (including the Caskey Monument, Temple of Peace, and Trooper Cobb's Grave)
• Toowong State School
• Toowong Memorial Park

Schools in Toowong

Main Building Brisbane Boys' College, viewed from Moggill Road.

Toowong has several schools for different age groups:

• Toowong State School: This is a government primary school for students from Prep to Year 6. It also has a special education program. In 2018, it had 293 students.
• St Ignatius School: This is a Catholic primary school for students from Prep to Year 6. In 2018, it had 260 students.
• Brisbane Boys' College: This is a private school for boys from Prep to Year 12. It is run by the Presbyterian and Uniting Churches. It also has boarding facilities where students can live at the school. In 2018, it had 1503 students.
• 

  Stuartholme School, Toowong.
• Stuartholme School: This is a Catholic secondary school for girls from Year 7 to Year 12. It also has boarding facilities. In 2018, it had 678 students.
• Queensland Academy for Science Mathematics and Technology: This is a government secondary school for boys and girls from Year 7 to Year 12. It is a special school for students who are very good at science, maths, and technology. It works closely with the University of Queensland. In 2018, it had 642 students.

Important Places and Services

Brisbane General Cemetery.

The Brisbane General Cemetery is Queensland's largest cemetery. It was planned in 1866 and opened in 1875. It covers a huge area of 437,300 square metres. You can find a special walk there that tells you about the people buried in the cemetery.

The workshops and a bus depot for Transport for Brisbane are located at the western end of Toowong.

Fun Things to Do in Toowong

A bike and walkway along the Brisbane River.

Toowong has two old and famous hotels: the Regatta Hotel and the Royal Exchange Hotel. The Regatta Hotel is well-known for a protest that happened in 1965. Two women, Merle Thornton and Rosalie Bogner, chained themselves to the bar. They were protesting that public bars in Queensland were only for men.

Toowong Village is a large shopping centre and office tower. It was built in 1986. The tall blue glass tower is a famous landmark you can see from far away. Inside the shopping centre, you'll find the Toowong Railway Station and the Toowong Library. There are also many different shops.

Toowong Memorial Park is a big park on Sylvan Road. It has gum trees, football fields, and great views of the suburb. It opened in 1918 to honour the soldiers from Toowong who fought in World War I. The park has a Soldiers' Memorial and is home to the Western Districts Rugby Football Club and a Basketball centre.

Anzac Park is next to the Western Freeway. It was once part of the cemetery. After World War I, trees were planted here to remember the men from Toowong.

The Mount Coot-tha Botanic Gardens and the Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium are at the base of Mount Coot-tha. These are great places to visit and learn about plants and stars.

The Toowong Municipal Library Building was built in 1961. It was designed by a famous architect, James Birrell. The library moved to Toowong Village in 2001. The original building is now used for businesses, but it is protected as a heritage site.

Community Groups in Toowong

• Friends of Toowong Cemetery: This group of volunteers helps discover and share the history and stories of Toowong Cemetery. They started in 1992.
• West Toowong Community Association: This group began in 1999. They work to protect the area from too much development and support community activities. They helped get a safe crossing built over the Western Freeway.
• Vera Street Community Garden: Started in 2005, this group grows vegetables together and helps clean up the local creek. It's open to everyone and is located at the Queensland Academy for Science, Mathematics and Technology.
• Western Group of the Brisbane City Unit of the Queensland State Emergency Service: This emergency service group has its main office in Perrin Park.
• Scouts: Toowong is home to one of the first four Scout troops in Queensland, started in 1908. The Taring-Milton-Toowong Scout Troop is known for its annual Scout rally, which is one of the oldest in the world.
• Queensland Country Women's Association: The Toowong branch meets at the Toowong Library in Toowong Village.

Sports in Toowong

• West Juniors Australian rules football club: Their home ground is Oakman Park in Toowong.
• Toowong FC (soccer club): Even though it's called Toowong FC, their home ground is actually in the nearby suburb of Auchenflower. They have many teams for kids and adults.
• Western Districts Rugby Club (“The Bulldogs”): Their home ground is in Toowong Memorial Park.

Getting Around Toowong

Regatta Ferry Terminal, Toowong.

Toowong is a major transport hub. Many buses and trains from the western suburbs pass through here.

• By Train: The Toowong train station is located under Toowong Village. It's on the Ipswich Line and Springfield Line.
• By Bus: Buses travel along Coronation Drive from the city. They stop on Benson Street and High Street.
• By Road: You can reach Toowong by car using Coronation Drive, Milton Road, Moggill Road, and the Western Freeway.
• By CityCat: The Regatta CityCat stop is outside the Regatta Hotel. You can take a CityCat (a type of ferry) downstream towards the Brisbane CBD or upstream towards the University of Queensland.
• By Bicycle: Toowong has two main bike paths. One goes along Coronation Drive towards the University of Queensland. The other also starts from Coronation Drive and runs along the Western Freeway.

Toowong in Pop Culture

Toowong is mentioned in an old folk song called Brisbane Ladies (from around 1891). The song starts with:

Farewell and adieu to you, Brisbane ladies

Farewell and adieu, you maids of Toowong

Famous People from Toowong

Some well-known people have connections to Toowong:

• Raymond Dart: An anatomist and anthropologist born in Toowong in 1893.
• Bernard Fanning: The lead singer of the Australian band Powderfinger, born in Toowong in 1969.
• Janet Walker: A costumier and inventor who died in Toowong.
• Ziggy the bagman: A homeless man who lived on the streets of Toowong for many years.