Belgian Gardens, Queensland

Belgian Gardens Townsville,  Queensland
Flooding in Belgian Gardens during Cyclone Yasi, 2011
Belgian Gardens
Coordinates	19°14′57″S146°47′31″E / 19.2491°S 146.7919°E / -19.2491; 146.7919 (Belgian Gardens (centre of suburb))
Population	2,073 (2021 census) [1]
• Density	1,880/km2 (4,880/sq mi)
Postcode(s)	4810
Area	1.1 km2 (0.4 sq mi)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10:00)
Location	3.9 km (2 mi) WNW of Townsville CBD 6.2 km (4 mi) NW of Railway Estate 1,336 km (830 mi) NNW of Brisbane
LGA(s)	City of Townsville
State electorate(s)	Townsville
Federal division(s)	Herbert
Suburbs around Belgian Gardens: Rowes Bay Coral Sea North Ward Rowes Bay Belgian Gardens Castle Hill Garbutt West End Castle Hill

Belgian Gardens is an inner coastal suburb of Townsville in the City of Townsville, Queensland, Australia. ^[2] In the 2021 census, Belgian Gardens had a population of 2,073 people. ^[1]

Geography

Belgian Gardens is located 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) from the central business district in Townsville. It is a suburban area and has restricted zoning laws to reduce the amount of corporate buildings and apartments.^{[ citation needed ]}

Offshore to the north is a sandy beach along the edge of Rowes Bay ( 19°14′14″S146°47′31″E / 19.2373°S 146.7919°E / -19.2373; 146.7919 (Rowes Bay) ), a part of the larger Cleveland Bay ( 19°12′51″S146°53′59″E / 19.2142°S 146.8998°E / -19.2142; 146.8998 (Cleveland Bay) ). ^[3]

North Ward Road runs through from south to east. ^[4]

History

Before the advent of World War I, the suburb was named German Gardens after a vineyard owned in 1867 by German settler, Heinrich Fredrich Alfred Robinson. However, during the course of the war due to anti-German sentiment, the suburb was renamed to Belgian Gardens. ^{[2] [5]}

Townsville North State School was opened on 4 July 1887. ^[6] On 20 June 1930, the school was renamed Belgian Gardens State School. During the influenza epidemic in 1919, schools were closed and Belgian Gardens school was converted into an isolation hospital with the army erecting tents in the grounds; 195 patients were hospitalised at the school with 6 deaths. In 1954, 246 students were enrolled. ^{[7] [8]}

Cleveland School opened on 15 July 1994 as a school within the Cleveland Youth Detention Centre. On 9 February 2006 it was renamed Cleveland Education and Training Centre. ^[9]

Demographics

In the 2011 census, Belgian Gardens had a population of 1,935 people. ^[10]

In the 2016 census, Belgian Gardens had a population of 2,069 people. ^[11]

In the 2021 census, Belgian Gardens had a population of 2,073 people. ^[1]

Heritage listings

Belgian Gardens has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:

• 13 St James Drive: Bishop's Lodge ^[12]

Education

Belgian Gardens State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at 43 Potts Street ( 19°15′03″S146°47′34″E / 19.2507°S 146.7928°E / -19.2507; 146.7928 (Belgian Gardens State School) ). ^{[13] [14]} In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 587 students with 47 teachers (41 full-time equivalent) and 24 non-teaching staff (16 full-time equivalent). ^[15] It includes a special education program. ^[13]

Townsville Police Academy is at 26 Heatleys Parade ( 19°14′37″S146°47′35″E / 19.24356°S 146.7930°E / -19.24356; 146.7930 (Townsville Police Academy) ). ^{[16] [17]}

There is no secondary school in Belgian Gardens. The nearest government secondary school is Townsville State High School in Railway Estate to the south-east. ^[18]

Facilities

The Belgian Gardens Cemetery was once in the suburb but boundary changes means the cemetery is now in the neighbouring suburb of Rowes Bay.

See also

• Australian place names changed from German names

References

1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Belgian Gardens (SAL)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
2. "Belgian Gardens – suburb in City of Townsville (entry 44570)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 29 December 2020.
3. "Bays - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 12 November 2020. Archived from the original on 25 November 2020. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
4. "Belgian Gardens" (Map). Google Maps . Retrieved 18 April 2023.
5. "Biography of Ruby Mary Mclean". rootsweb.com. October 2006. Archived from the original on 20 March 2005. Retrieved 14 May 2007.
6. "Opening and closing dates of Queensland Schools". Queensland Government . Retrieved 18 April 2019.
7. "Agency ID 4834, Belgian Gardens State School". Queensland State Archives . Retrieved 15 April 2014.
8. Fielding, Trisha (12 June 2012). "Belgian Gardens School & the 1919 Influenza epidemic". North Queensland History: Discover the rich history of our region. Blogger. Archived from the original on 16 April 2014. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
9. Queensland Family History Society (2010), Queensland schools past and present (Version 1.01 ed.), Queensland Family History Society, ISBN   978-1-921171-26-0
10. Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Belgian Gardens". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
11. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Belgian Gardens (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
12. "Bishop's Lodge (entry 600883)". Queensland Heritage Register . Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 16 July 2013.
13. "State and non-state school details". Queensland Government. 9 July 2018. Archived from the original on 21 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
14. "Belgian Gardens State School". Archived from the original on 3 March 2021. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
15. "ACARA School Profile 2018". Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. Archived from the original on 27 August 2020. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
16. "Townsville Police Academy" (Map). Google Maps . Retrieved 2 April 2021.
17. "Service training". Queensland Police . Archived from the original on 13 March 2021. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
18. "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland . Retrieved 2 April 2021.

External links

• "Belgian Gardens". Queensland Places. Centre for the Government of Queensland, University of Queensland.