Bald Hills, Queensland

Bald Hills Brisbane,  Queensland
Harold Kielly Park with ABC Radio Tower
Bald Hills
Coordinates	27°18′30″S153°00′44″E / 27.3083°S 153.0122°E / -27.3083; 153.0122 (Bald Hills (centre of suburb))
Population	7,000 (SAL 2021) [1]
Established	1857
Postcode(s)	4036
Area	12.9 km2 (5.0 sq mi)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10:00)
Location	7.8 km (5 mi) N of Aspley 18.1 km (11 mi) N of Brisbane GPO
LGA(s)	City of Brisbane (Bracken Ridge Ward) [2]
State electorate(s)	Sandgate Aspley
Federal division(s)	Petrie
Suburbs around Bald Hills: Strathpine Murrumba Downs Griffin Brendale Bald Hills Bracken Ridge Bridgeman Downs Carseldine Fitzgibbon

Bald Hills is the northernmost suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. ^[3] In the 2021 census, Bald Hills had a population of 7,000 people. ^[4]

Geography

Erection of the Bald Hills radio transmitter, 1942

Bald Hills is a largely residential suburb. It is mostly surrounded by bushland, but in the last few years some of the bush areas have been cleared to make way for new residential areas. It also borders onto the Bald Hills Flats – a large flood plain on the western side of the suburb that is used for cattle grazing. The South Pine River flows through the flood plain and forms the western border of the suburb. The South Pine River converges with the North Pine River and the combined flow, Pine River, forms the northern border. Along the banks of Pine River within Bald Hills is a large environmental park called the Tinchi Tamba Wetlands Reserve. The Pine River empties into Bramble Bay, between Redcliffe and Brighton.^{[ citation needed ]}

The Bruce Highway goes between Bald Hills to Woree in Cairns and is 1,656 kilometres (1,029 mi) long.^{[ citation needed ]}

Preliminary supports for the radio transmitter mast at Bald Hills, 1942

The most prominent structure is the Bald Hills Radiator, the ABC's 198 metre tall AM radio transmission tower located on the eastern side of the suburb.^{[ citation needed ]}

History

Bald Hills is situated in the Yugarabul traditional Aboriginal country. ^[5]

The suburb is named after the two small hills in the South Pine River Valley floor. ^[3]

The first land sales in the area occurred in 1857. ^[6] Land sales around the Bald Hills railway station were advertised in April 1886. At the time the journey from Brisbane was described as "after travelling across the Downfall and Cabbage Tree Creeks, the traveller arrives at a long stretch of road, at the extremity of which rises a lofty knoll, round the brow of which the road winds, when the Bald Hills are reached". ^[7]

In 1888, the "Bald Hills Railway Station Estate" made up of 500 allotments was advertised to be auctioned by Arthur Martin & Co., auctioneers. A map advertising the auction indicates that the land is situated near Bald Hills railway station and special trains will be provided on the day of the sale. ^{[8] [9]}

Bald Hills State School began enrolling students on 30 April 1866 with the first school building opened on 24 September 1866. ^{[10] [11] [12]}

St Paul's School opened on 31 January 1961. ^[11]

Demographics

In the 2016 census, Bald Hills recorded a population of 6,502 people, 50.8% female and 49.2% male. This indicates an increase of 9% or 537 in population since the 2011 census. ^[13] In 2016, the median age of the Bald Hills population was 36 years of age, 2 years below the Australian median of 38. 76.7% of people living in Bald Hills were born in Australia, compared to the national average of 66.7%; the next most common countries of birth were New Zealand 4%, England 3.4%, Philippines 1.8%, India 1.7%, Fiji 0.7%. 88.8% of people spoke only English at home; the next most popular languages were 0.9% Tagalog, 0.6% Punjabi, 0.6% Spanish, 0.5% Telugu, 0.5% Hindi. ^[13] The most common ancestry backgrounds of at least one of the parents for Bald Hills residents were English 27.5%, Australian 26.9%, Irish 7.9%, Scottish 7.7% and German 4.5%. ^[14] The median weekly incomes for residents of Bald Hills aged 15 years and over was reported to be $725 which was higher than the Australian and Queensland personal incomes (at $662 and $660 respectively). This wealthier-than-average income was reflected in a higher-tha- average household income for residents of this suburb. In Bald Hills, median household income was $1,584, compared to $1,438 in Australia and $1,402 in Queensland. ^[13]

In the 2021 census, Bald Hills had a population of 7,000 people. ^[4]

Heritage listings

Bald Hills has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:

• 99 Kluver Street: Bald Hills Radiator ^[15]
• 34 Strathpine Road: Hoop Pines ^[16]
• 56 Strathpine Road: Bald Hills Presbyterian Church ^[17]

Education

Bald Hills State School, 2019

Bald Hills State School is a government primary (Prep–6) school for boys and girls at 2156 Gympie Road ( 27°19′12″S153°00′24″E / 27.3200°S 153.0068°E / -27.3200; 153.0068 (Bald Hills State School) ). ^{[18] [19]} It includes a special education program. ^[18] In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 621 students with 42 teachers (38 full-time equivalent) and 29 non-teaching staff (17 full-time equivalent). ^[20] In 2022, the school had an enrolment of 616 students. ^[21]

St Paul's Anglican School is a private primary and secondary (Prep–12) school for boys and girls at 34 Strathpine Road ( 27°18′59″S153°00′15″E / 27.3164°S 153.0042°E / -27.3164; 153.0042 (St Paul's School) ). ^{[18] [22]} In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 1,206 students with 96 teachers (90 full-time equivalent) and 73 non-teaching staff (64 full-time equivalent). ^[20] In 2019, it won the Australian School of the Year Award. ^{[23] [24]} In 2022, the school had an enrolment of 1,282 students. ^[25]

There is no government secondary school in Bald Hills. The nearest government secondary schools are Bracken Ridge State High School in neighbouring Bracken Ridge to the east, Pine Rivers State High School in neighbouring Strathpine to the north-west, and Aspley State High School in Aspley to the south. ^[26]

Facilities

Bald Hills is home to the breeding and training centre for Guide Dogs for the Blind Association of Queensland.^{[ citation needed ]}

Amenities

Bald Hills is the home of the Bald Hills-Lawnton Lions Cricket Club, as well as Ridge Hills United Football Club.^{[ citation needed ]}

Bald Hills Uniting Church is at 2131 Gympie Road ( 27°19′18″S153°00′33″E / 27.3216°S 153.0092°E / -27.3216; 153.0092 (Bald Hills Uniting Church) ). ^{[27] [28]}

Due to proximity to North Pine River, Bald Hills has a large number of green and open spaces. ^[29] Parks include, but not limited to:^{[ citation needed ]}

• Tinchi Tamba Wetlands Reserve (also known as Deepwater Bend Reserve, Pine River Wetlands)
• St Martin Court Park with Shared pathway and water (bubbler/tap)
• Harold Kielly Park with a picnic area and shelter
• John Stewart Memorial Park with Picnic area/shelter with electric barbecue, playground, rebound wall and water (bubbler/tap)
• Harold Kielly Park with Picnic area/shelter with electric barbecue, playground and shared pathway
• Chris Brunton Park (previously known as Hoyland Street Park (no. 6)) with Outdoor fitness/exercise circuit, picnic area/shelter and water (bubbler/tap)
• Canterbury Park with Designated drone launching area, barbecue (electric), bikeway, dog off-leash area, outdoor fitness/exercise trail, basketball/netball facility (basketball half court), picnic area/shelter (Rush Worth Street), playground (Rush Worth Street), water (bubbler/tap/dog bowl), wetlands (Feuerriegel Road) and cricket field
• Barungwarra Bushland Reserve (South Pine Pocket Reserve) with Boat ramp (Pine River), dog off-leash area and vehicle access

Transport

Bald Hills railway station provides access to regular Queensland Rail City network services to Brisbane and Springfield Central, as well as Kippa-Ring. There are also many buses serving the area. The suburb is crossed by both Gympie Road and the northern end of the Gateway Motorway. The southern end of the Bruce Highway is located here as well.^{[ citation needed ]}

Brisbane City Council runs a Personalised Public Transport (PPT) service in Bald Hills. ^[30] Personalised Public Transport (PPT) is a low-cost hail and ride service that helps connect residents to their local transport hubs. This service runs Monday to Friday, except public holidays. Maximum journey time one-way is 15 minutes.^{[ citation needed ]}

There are over 50 Translink bus stops around Bald Hills that provide a number of regular bus services with connections running to Brisbane CBD, Redcliffe and beyond.^{[ citation needed ]}

References

1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Bald Hills (Qld) (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022. 
2. "Bracken Ridge Ward". Brisbane City Council. Archived from the original on 4 February 2017. Retrieved 12 March 2017.
3. "Bald Hills – suburb in City of Brisbane (entry 46574)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 26 December 2020.
4. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Bald Hills (SAL)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
5. "AIATSIS code E66: Yugarabul". Federal government. Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies. 26 July 2019. Archived from the original on 13 August 2020. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
6. Brian Williams (31 October 2013). "Secrets of Brisbane's suburbs: B". The Courier Mail. News Corp. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
7. "The Brisbane Courier Saturday 10 April 1886 - The Railway Estate". Archived from the original on 6 December 2017. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
8. "Bald Hills railway station estate". State Library of Queensland. 1888. Archived from the original on 15 May 2022. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
9. "Classified Advertising". The Brisbane Courier . Vol. XLIV, no. 9, 419. Queensland, Australia. 23 March 1888. p. 8. Archived from the original on 15 May 2022. Retrieved 1 June 2021– via National Library of Australia.
10. "Opening and closing dates of Queensland Schools". Queensland Government . Retrieved 18 April 2019.
11. Queensland Family History Society (2010), Queensland schools past and present (Version 1.01 ed.), Queensland Family History Society, ISBN   978-1-921171-26-0
12. "Agency ID 159, Bald Hills State School". Queensland State Archives . Retrieved 26 March 2021.
13. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Bald Hills (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
14. "2016 Census QuickStats – Bald Hills, Queensland". abs.gov.au. Australian Bureau of Statistics. Archived from the original on 4 February 2020. Retrieved 4 February 2020.
15. "National Broadcasting Service Radio Transmission Centre". Brisbane Heritage Register. Brisbane City Council . Retrieved 29 December 2014.
16. "Hoop Pines (entry 602346)". Queensland Heritage Register . Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 6 July 2013.
17. "Bald Hills Presbyterian Church". Brisbane Heritage Register. Brisbane City Council . Retrieved 29 December 2014.
18. "State and non-state school details". Queensland Government. 9 July 2018. Archived from the original on 21 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
19. "Bald Hills State School". Archived from the original on 16 March 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
20. "ACARA School Profile 2018". Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. Archived from the original on 27 August 2020. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
21. "School annual report 2022" (PDF). Bald Hills State School. p. 2. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 July 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
22. "St Paul's School". Archived from the original on 18 January 2019. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
23. "Revealed: Australian Education Awards 2019 winners". www.theeducatoronline.com. Archived from the original on 1 April 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
24. "2019 Australian Education Awards". St Paul's School. 19 August 2019. Archived from the original on 21 March 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
25. "2022 Annual Report" (PDF). St Paul's Anglican School. p. 1. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 July 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
26. "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland . Retrieved 26 March 2021.
27. "Bald Hills Uniting Church – Servicing the Bald Hills and nearby Communities". Archived from the original on 16 April 2021. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
28. "Find a church". Uniting Church in Australia, Queensland Synod. Archived from the original on 24 October 2020. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
29. "Bald Hills parks". www.brisbane.qld.gov.au. Brisbane City Council. Archived from the original on 22 June 2019. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
30. "Personalised Public Transport". www.brisbane.qld.gov.au. Brisbane City Council. Archived from the original on 22 June 2019. Retrieved 22 June 2019.

Further reading

• Carseldine, Garth (1973), The first hundred years of the Bald Hills Methodist Church, Abell & Co

• Randall, Brian (1999), A guide to the history of the Brisbane City Council ward of Bracken Ridge : encompassing Aspley, Bald Hills, Bracken Ridge, Bridgeman Downs, Carseldine and Fitzgibbon

External links

• "Bald Hills". Queensland Places. Centre for the Government of Queensland, University of Queensland.
• "Bald Hills". BRISbites. Brisbane City Council. Archived from the original on 20 July 2008.
• "Bald Hills". Our Brisbane. Brisbane City Council. Archived from the original on 20 February 2008.
• "Sandgate (Bald Hills) cemetery, Bracken Ridge".
• "Local History - Bald Hills". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 6 May 2009.