Chapel Hill, Queensland

Chapel Hill is primarily a residential suburb, consisting of mostly detached housing and is a leafy affluent area backing on to the Mt Coot-tha reserve and walking tracks. There has been a trend towards small lot developments during the last decade. Chapel Hill is currently undergoing a 'major suburban renovation', with many of the original houses (built in the 1970s to 1990s) being renovated and updated with a few being demolished to make way for newer houses, or lot divisions. Many of the original houses are architecturally distinctive designs from the late 1960s/early 1970s and typical of the Chapel Hill and Kenmore area. Currently, there are no apartment buildings in Chapel Hill. Despite it being a short commute to the Brisbane CBD, Chapel Hill is green suburb full of old eucalypts and native plants and is set on hilly bushland terrain that leads to Mount Coot-tha which is a protected reserve.

The suburb takes its name from the Primitive Methodist chapel built on the top of the hill in 1874.[4]

Chapel Hill State School opened on 23 January 1978.[5] with an enrolment of 152 pupils after the Queensland Government acquired 6.8 hectares (17 acres) of land in 1976. In 1979 the first teaching block and covered area were built, and by 1982 there were 324 pupils justifying building a separate library, so it could move out of the Administration block. A number of demountable buildings were acquired as the population increased, and in 1997 a new hall was rented. In June 2012 the Ross Perry Resource Centre was opened; named after retiring principal Ross Perry.[6] The school uniform was designed in 1977 and was changed slightly in 1994. It was also changed in 2013.

In the 2011 census Chapel Hill had a population of 10,168 people.[7]

In the 2016 census Chapel Hill had a population of 10,113 people.[1]

Chapel Hill State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at Ironbark Road (27.4993°S 152.9449°E / -27.4993; 152.9449 (Chapel Hill State School)).[8][9] In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 744 students with 52 teachers (43 full-time equivalent) and 27 non-teaching staff (17 full-time equivalent).[10] It includes a special education program.[8]

The suburb of Chapel Hill falls into the catchment of Chapel Hill State School and Indooroopilly State School. As at 2016, these schools are within the top 10 highest performing primary schools in Brisbane (including both public and private).[11]

The nearest government secndary schools are Indooroopilly State High School in neighbouring Indooroopilly to the eastand Kenmore State High School in neighbouring Kenmore to the west. As at 2016, both these schools are within the top 5 highest performing State High Schools in Brisbane.[12]

There are no private schools in Chapel Hill.

In the 2011 census, Chapel Hill recorded a population of 10,168 people, 51.3% female and 48.7% male.[7]

The median age of the Chapel Hill population was 40 years of age, 3 years above the Australian median.[7]

65.5% of people living in Chapel Hill were born in Australia, compared to the national average of 69.8%; the next most common countries of birth were England 6.5%, South Africa 3.4%, New Zealand 2.7%, Malaysia 1.3%, China 1.2%. 82.8% of people spoke only English at home; the next most popular languages were 2.5% Mandarin, 1.5% Cantonese, 1% Spanish, 0.7% French, 0.6% Afrikaans.[7]

Moggill Road is the major road through Chapel Hill connecting it to the suburbs of Indooroopilly to the east, and Kenmore to the west. The Western Freeway allows quick access to the suburb from around Brisbane and with the opening of the Legacy Way tunnel, the traffic flow is significantly better at peak times and the commute to the airport takes approx 25 mins, when travelling via both Legacy Way and Airport Link tunnels. There are also the four bus routes, the 425, the 426, the 427 and the 428 that service a large portion of Chapel Hill. The 425 travels to Indooroopilly shopping centre and Toowong Village, continuing into the Brisbane CBD. The 426 is an express bus that services only Chapel Hill, and then travels direct to the CBD via the Western Freeway (M5), Legacy Way Tunnel, and onto the Inner Northern Busway. The morning P426 commute is less than 25 minutes from Chapel Hill to the Brisbane CBD, even in peak hour, due to this routing.

For cyclists, Chapel Hill is extremely well serviced with dedicated bikeway access to the CBD via the Centenary Bikeway, Sylvan Road bike path, and Coronation Drive Bikeway.

The morning P426 bus includes direct stops at Brisbane Grammar School, Brisbane Girls Grammar School, St Joseph's College, Gregory Terrace, and other inner city Private Schools. The 425 bus has direct access to Brisbane Boys' College. The 427 bus route provides direct access to Indooroopilly State High School and St Peters Lutheran College.

Chapel Hill is close to the University of Queensland, with direct bus routes to and from the University.

There are no major shopping centres in Chapel Hill, but there are two small shopping precincts, one centred on Moggill Road, Market Street and Moordale Streets (27.5057°S 152.9603°E / -27.5057; 152.9603 (shopping precinct (Moggill Road))) and another on Fleming Road (27.4943°S 152.9454°E / -27.4943; 152.9454 (shopping precinct (Fleming Road))).[13] A major shopping centre, Indooroopilly Shopping Centre, is in neighbouring Indooroopilly and supermarkets in neighbouring Kenmore.

The only church in Chapel Hill is Chapel Hill Uniting Church located on the hill on the corner of Moggill Road and Chapel Hill Road. The church hall was originally a Primitive Methodist chapel built in 1875, and the suburb takes its name from this chapel on the hill. There is a small cemetery beside the church

The Chapel Hill State School hall is sometimes used for numerous events such as local, state and federal elections and weekly church services.

There are a number of parks in the area:[14]

• Alana Court Park (27.4981°S 152.9484°E / -27.4981; 152.9484 (Alana Court Park))[15]
• Ardes Street Park (27.4961°S 152.9478°E / -27.4961; 152.9478 (Ardes Street Park))[15]
• Bielby Road Park (27.4896°S 152.9351°E / -27.4896; 152.9351 (Bielby Road Park))[15]
• Boblynne Street Park (no.32) (27.5056°S 152.9487°E / -27.5056; 152.9487 (Boblynne Street Park (no.32)))[15]
• Boblynne Street Park (no 64) (27.5041°S 152.9490°E / -27.5041; 152.9490 (Boblynn Street Park (no 64)))[15]
• Cicada Park on Ironbark Road (27.4956°S 152.9417°E / -27.4956; 152.9417 (Cicada Park))[15]
• Clarina Street Park (27.5012°S 152.9609°E / -27.5012; 152.9609 (Clarina Street Park))[15]
• Cubberla Creek Reserve, also known as Akuna Oval, on Hepworth Street (27.5148°S 152.9524°E / -27.5148; 152.9524 (Cubberla Creek Reserve))[15]
• Dillingen Street Park (27.4917°S 152.9404°E / -27.4917; 152.9404 (Dillingen Street Park))[15]
• Green Hill Reservoir Park, also known as Tom Gaffney Lookout, top of Russell Terrace (27.4956°S 152.9575°E / -27.4956; 152.9575 (Green Hill Reservoir Park))[15]
• Hakea Crescent Park (27.5015°S 152.9437°E / -27.5015; 152.9437 (Hakea Crescent Park))[15]
• Kennewell Park off Spring Street (27.5070°S 152.9597°E / -27.5070; 152.9597 (Kennewell Park))[15]
• Ludlow Street Park (27.5027°S 152.9527°E / -27.5027; 152.9527 (Ludlow Street Park))[15]
• Maculata Drive Park (27.5042°S 152.9425°E / -27.5042; 152.9425 (Maculata Drive Park))[15]
• Marminde Street Park (27.4931°S 152.9481°E / -27.4931; 152.9481 (Marminde Street Park))[15]
• Merri Merri Park on Greenford Street (27.4841°S 152.9397°E / -27.4841; 152.9397 (Merri Merri Park))[15]
• Moordale Street Park (27.5037°S 152.9577°E / -27.5037; 152.9577 (Moordale Street Park))[15]
• Mount Coot-tha Reserve, top of Fleming Road (27.4816°S 152.9456°E / -27.4816; 152.9456 (Mt Coot-tha Reserve))[15]
• Nankoor Street Park (no.9) (27.4926°S 152.9501°E / -27.4926; 152.9501 (Nankoor Street Park (no.9)))[15]
• Rebecca Street Park (27.5011°S 152.9479°E / -27.5011; 152.9479 (Rebecca Street Park))[15]
• Robin Powell Park, formerly Goolman Street Park (27.4995°S 152.9399°E / -27.4995; 152.9399 (Goolman Street Park))[15]
• Sands Place Park (27.4948°S 152.9463°E / -27.4948; 152.9463 (Sands Place Park))[15]
• Sleaford Street Park (27.4880°S 152.9420°E / -27.4880; 152.9420 (Sleaford Street Park))[15]
• Sutling Street Park (27.5101°S 152.9513°E / -27.5101; 152.9513 (Sutling Street Park))[15]

Many locals take advantage of the hiking and walking trails in Mount Coot-tha Reserve which climb to the summit of Mount Coot-tha and overlooks Brisbane. Native fauna and flora are often seen on these paths. Some of these trails also attract mountain bikers on the weekends. A popular spot for locals is the Green Hill Reservoir off Chapel Hill Road which includes an offleash area for dogs and of the city so it is usually crowded during events hosting fireworks, such as Brisbane Riverfire. Running and exercise groups often also use this area in the early hours. There are bike paths in the suburb which link up to roads and bikeways that ultimately stretch through the western suburbs to the Brisbane CBD.

The Cairns Aged Care Centre is at 724-730 Moggill Road (27.5086°S 152.9578°E / -27.5086; 152.9578 (Cairns Aged Care Centre)). It is operated by the Salvation Army.[13][16]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Chapel Hill, Queensland.

• Chapel Hill: Queensland Places
• "Chapel Hill". BRISbites. Brisbane City Council. Archived from the original on 19 July 2008.
• "Brookfield". Our Brisbane. Brisbane City Council. Archived from the original on 16 January 2008.
• History of Chapel Hill