Browns Plains, Queensland

Browns Plains Logan City, Queensland
Grand Plaza Shopping Centre, 2014
Population	5,574 (2011 census)[1]
Postcode(s)	4118
Location	24 km (15 mi) from Brisbane GPO
LGA(s)	Logan City
State electorate(s)	Logan
Federal Division(s)	Rankin
Suburbs around Browns Plains: Parkinson Drewvale Berrinba Parkinson Browns Plains Berrinba Hillcrest Regents Park Heritage Park

Browns Plains is a suburb of Logan City, Queensland, Australia.^[2] At the 2011 Australian Census the suburb recorded a population of 5,574.^[1] The area suburb's western boundary is marked by the Mount Lindesay Highway.

History

Acacia Park, 2014

Browns Plains State School, 2014

According to Mary Howells book 'Ridge To Ridge - Recollections from Woodridge to Park Ridge', Browns Plains became in use as a place name in 1840 and for the most part up until the 1950s saw the original area running with tobacco farms.

In 1872, George Stretton operated a post office from his accommodation house in Browns Plains. 1878 saw Browns Plains School open on site of Waller Park, only to close due to effects of major drought in 1902.

Greenbank and Browns Plains telephone lines were installed in 1938.

A post office and store opened in 1956, with the post office being named Brownsleigh. The following year Scrubby Creek Bridge was built over Browns Plains Road.

In 1966, Beaudesert Shire employed consultant town planner and architect James Birrell. Beaudesert Shire gazetted the old Browns Plains School site as waste treatment plant and Refuse depot (now known as Waller Park). 1968, Springwood development begins Telephone exchange to be built in Browns Plains (using the prefix 200 xxxx). Browns Plains Tavern opened in 1976.

A new post office was opened in 1980 and the name reverted to Browns Plains.^[3]

1983 saw the primary school open followed by a high school in 1985. Westpoint Shopping Centre opened in 1984 with Waller Park established that same year.

Demographics

In the 2011 census, Browns Plains recorded a population of 5,574 people, 50.1% female and 49.9% male.^[1] The median age of the Browns Plains population was 30 years, 7 years below the national median of 37. 65.2% of people living in Browns Plains were born in Australia. The other top responses for country of birth were New Zealand 9.8%, England 3%, Philippines 1.4%, India 0.8%, China 0.8%. 78.2% of people spoke only English at home; the next most common languages were 1.3% Mandarin, 1.2% Spanish, 1.1% Samoan, 1% Vietnamese, 0.9% Urdu.^[1]

Geography

Browns Plains is generally used as a name for both the Browns Plains suburb and the former estates which all utilise the 4118 Postcode Hillcrest, Forestdale, Regents Park and Heritage Park. Browns Plains has been identified in the South East Queensland Regional Plan as an outer city regional centre. One notable aspect of Browns Plains is the Grand Plaza Shopping Centre, which opened to the community in 1994 and was extended some 13 years later. Grand Plaza boasts 170 specialty stores, Big W, Target, Kmart, Woolworths, Coles, Aldi and an Event Cinema complex.^[4] Browns Plains contains a number of schools and shops, and frequently has visits from the a circus and other events on a main park area near Browns Plains Highschool and Forest Glen Park.

Scrubby Creek, a tributary of Slacks Creek, which is itself a tributary of the Logan River, is the main waterway in the area.

Transport

Browns Plains is also a terminus for Brisbane city bus routes, making it an important transport hub connecting Logan city and Brisbane city bus routes.

References

1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Browns Plains (State Suburb)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
2. "Browns Plains (entry 47118)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
3. "Browns Plains" (PDF). Logan City Council Libraries.
4. Grand Plaza website. Retrieved on 13 September 2012.

External links

• University of Queensland: Queensland Places: Browns Plains

Coordinates: 27°40′S 153°04′E / 27.667°S 153.067°E