Local History: Wooloowin

Did you know?

• The name ‘Wooloowin’ is derived from a local Indigenous Australian term for “pigeon”

• Kalinga is a suburban locality within Wooloowin. The origin of the name ‘Kalinga’ is possibly derived from an Aboriginal word ngalinnga, meaning ‘belonging to us’.

• In 2002, Wooloowin’s median house price rise was the highest in Brisbane (part of the reason for this is the suburb’s proximity to higher priced Ascot and Wilston districts)

• According to research by the University of Queensland, the name ‘Wooloowin’ began with the naming of the district’s railway station, which was opened on the Sandgate line in 1882 along with Eagle Junction station.

• As of the 2006 census, the population of Wooloowin is 5, 485 (172 more than the previous census taken in 2001)

• Approximately 81.6% of Wooloowin residents identified as ‘Australian-born of non-indigenous origin’ in the 2001 census, 1% as Aboriginal, 0.2% as Torres Straight Islander and the remaining 17.2% were born overseas.

• Up until the 1970s Wooloowin also included the site of Kedron High School and the QUT Kedron Park campus, but these are now in the neighbouring suburb of Kedron

• Wooloowin was the home of Brisbane’s very first Resident Judge, Alfred Lutwyche, who lived in the property known as the Kedron Lodge (pictured below)

Above: Kedron Lodge, original residence of Justice Lutwyche.

Eager to know more?

Read about the history of Wooloowin here: Queensland Places – Wooloowin