For Life in the ’burbs, we asked Brisbane locals to write about their suburb – whether the cliches are true, how it has changed, and how their lives have been shaped by the place in which they live.
Let me say something in praise of Brisbane’s Metro system (hear me out). The new M1 leaves every 10 minutes from Westfield Garden City. It typically takes less than 25 minutes to get to Queen Street, meaning that most days, the public transport commute is faster than driving. I regularly use it to go to the city to meet friends, and it’s so much easier than driving.
Mind you, I live in Wishart, and Garden City, a short walk for me, has many of the attractions of the city: cinemas, restaurants, a medical centre, a library. Westfield Carindale is also pretty close.
I moved to Wishart three years ago, after my divorce. I have a big three-bedroom unit in a small, solid, brick complex that has plenty of parking, a pool and a garden area. Wishart is a tightly held suburb, with houses and units selling quickly and rentals swiftly snapped up as well. Most of the owners in my complex have held their units for more than 30 years.
Formerly Mount Gravatt South, the suburb didn’t get its name until the late 1960s, and many of the pre-2000 houses and units are double brick or similar. In more recent times, developers have bought up blocks and built high-rises and townhouses with less space.
The suburb is very quiet. In the past three years, I have not heard one loud party – but maybe that’s down to my building’s solid construction. You do get a little noise from the M1 highway and the ambulances on Logan Road, but it’s worth it for the convenience – the entry to the highway is two traffic lights away, and then the Gold Coast is a fast run. Similarly, the bay is not far, and the Gateway Motorway is close for north coast trips.
I have found many new friends in the area as the people are generally open and affable, with a mix of ethnic origins that have introduced a variety of restaurants into this and surrounding suburbs.
While the demographics show 60 per cent of residents are born in Australia, many have parents born overseas, such as my good friends around the corner, whose parents came from Greece. Their open-heartedness has helped me rebuild my life, and I love the suburb.
“Love” may seem like a strong word, but there is much to love in Wishart. It is in the catchment area of several desirable schools, both state and private, including Mansfield and Wishart state schools, as well as Citipointe Christian College, Brisbane Adventist College, and St Catherine’s Catholic Primary School.
I often hit the Newnham Hotel with friends for cheap eats. You can also get a good cheap meal around the corner at Club Southside, where a $5 lifetime membership gets you discounts.
You wouldn’t know it if you only drove through it on the Mount Gravatt Capalaba Road, but Wishart is a green, leafy suburb.
I live about 50 metres from the Bulimba Creek Bikeway, with more than 20 kilometres of walking and cycling paths that go all the way to Murarrie, past small waterfalls and off-leash dog parks. I have met a lot of people walking their dogs, as I’m a sucker for patting a pooch.
I often see water dragons, bush turkeys, and I even met an echidna one day. The magpies and butcher birds become very friendly once they know you. Many of the parks on this track have swings, barbecues and toilets (such as Wishart Community Park and Boorabbin Picnic Ground Park).
We decided to have a street party in January to bring all the walking-track regulars and local residents together. We had it in Malinya Place Park beside the playground. It was a great chance to have a longer chat with those people you pass when walking. Everyone brought a plate, and I also took Prosecco and some glasses.
The end of my marriage set me back emotionally, but with the help of old friends and the new ones I’ve made in this community, I have found peace.
My unit needed repairs, and this work has helped me focus on other things, while the natural beauty of the walking tracks feeds my soul. I always pause at the waterfalls to enjoy the ducks zooming around in the pool below.
I remember the first time I hit the track. It was April, the air had just started getting crisp, and morning fog hung over the fields. As I passed a house across from the track, I exchanged greetings with a man sitting on the porch. On subsequent occasions, we started chatting, then I began having coffee with him and his lovely wife (who is a great Greek cook). Now we’re good friends. It has been wonderful to have so many shoulders to support me through tough times.
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Greg Duval is a cybersecurity consultant and a keen bushwalker living in and loving Wishart.