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Wacol
BrisbaneQueensland
Woogaroo Lunatic Asylum, south face (abandoned) - panoramio.jpg
The Park Centre for Mental Health, 2010
Wacol is located in Queensland
Wacol
Wacol
Location in Queensland
Population 3,761 (2016 census)
 • Density 206.6/km2 (535/sq mi)
Postcode(s) 4076
Area 18.2 km2 (7.0 sq mi)
Time zone AEST (UTC+10:00)
Location 21.3 km (13 mi) SW of Brisbane GPO
LGA(s) City of Brisbane
(Jamboree Ward)
State electorate(s) Inala
Federal Division(s) Oxley
Suburbs around Wacol:
Riverhills Sumner Darra
Moggill Wacol Richlands
Goodna
Gailes
Ellen Grove
Carole Park
Forest Lake

Wacol is a suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, Wacol had a population of 3,761 people.

Demographics

In the 2016 census, Wacol recorded a population of 3,761 people; 18.9% female and 81.1% male.

The median age in Wacol was 33 years, 5 years below the Australian median. There was a marked over-representation of people aged between 20 and 44 years in Wacol, where they accounted for 68.6% of the population, compared to the national figure of 34.6%. The young and old were under-represented: children aged under 15 years made up just 2.9% of the population (18.7% nationally) and people aged 65 years and over made up 5.2% of the population (nationally 15.8%).

79.4% of people living in Wacol were born in Australia, compared to the national average of 66.7%; the next most common countries of birth were New Zealand 6.4%, Vietnam 1.9%, England 1.7%, Philippines 0.9%, Samoa 0.5%.

15.8% of people spoke only English at home; the next most popular languages were Vietnamese 1%, Tagalog 0.4%, Spanish 0.3%, Mandarin 0.3% and Italian 0.2%.

History

Wolston House was opened in 1852. Still intact today the building is the only surviving early Brisbane River settlement. The building was planned to be demolished however the National Trust of Queensland intervened to save the building. Major conservation work was undertaken.

The suburb played host to the American military during World War II, who constructed Camp Columbia in 1942; after the war, control of the facility was transferred to the Australian government for use as a migrant reception and training centre.

Heritage listings

Wacol has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:

  • 60 Grindle Road: Wolston Park Hospital
  • 223 Grindle Road: Wolston House

Facilities

Wacol is home for jail inmates at the Brisbane Correctional Centre (previously known as Sir David Longland Correctional Centre), Arthur Gorrie Correctional Centre, Brisbane Youth Detention Centre (10- to 17-year-olds), the Brisbane Women's Correctional Centre and the Wolston Correctional Centre. The Park Centre for Mental Health, formerly known as the Wolston Park Hospital, has acted as an institution for the mentally ill since 1865. In December 2011, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals moved from their premises in Fairfield to Wacol. There is also a significant industrial park located in the area.

Transport

The Ipswich Motorway crosses the suburb. A major upgrade of the road was completed in 2010. The Logan Motorway connects to the Ipswich Motorway in the south of the suburb.

Wacol railway station and Gailes railway station (which, despite its name, is located in Wacol) provides access to regular Queensland Rail City network services to Brisbane, Ipswich and Rosewood via Ipswich.

In the 2011 census, 11.2% of employed people traveled to work on public transport and 66.3% by car (either as driver or as passenger).

Education

Carole Park State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at 260 Waterford Road (27°36′29″S 152°56′01″E / 27.6080°S 152.9336°E / -27.6080; 152.9336 (Carole Park State School)). In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 201 students with 16 teachers (14 full-time equivalent) and 27 non-teaching staff (15 full-time equivalent). It includes a special education program.

Brisbane Youth Education and Training Centre is a primary and secondary (6-12) educational unit for boys and girls at the Brisbane Youth Detention Centre, 99 Wolston Park Road (27°35′33″S 152°54′54″E / 27.5924°S 152.9149°E / -27.5924; 152.9149 (Brisbane Youth Education and Training Centre)). In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 124 students with 33 teachers (29 full-time equivalent) and 25 non-teaching staff (18 full-time equivalent).

There is no mainstream secondary school in Wacol; the nearest are Glenala State High School in Durack to the east, Forest Lake State High School in Forest Lake to the south-east, and Woodcrest State College in Springfield to the south.

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