Rocklea, Queensland facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rocklea Brisbane, Queensland
The Brisbane Markets within the suburb
Rocklea Location in Queensland
Population	1,595 (2016 census)
• Density	171.5/km2 (444/sq mi)
Postcode(s)	4106
Area	9.3 km2 (3.6 sq mi)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10:00)
Location	11.1 km (7 mi) SSW of Brisbane GPO
LGA(s)	City of Brisbane (Moorooka Ward)
State electorate(s)	Miller Toohey Algester
Federal Division(s)	Moreton
Suburbs around Rocklea: Sherwood Corinda Tennyson Yeerongpilly Moorooka Oxley Rocklea Salisbury Willawong Archerfield Coopers Plains

Rocklea is a suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, Rocklea had a population of 1,595 people.

History

The locality was originally called Rocky Water Holes. It was renamed Rocklea with the opening of the railway. In January 1925 work commenced on the Sydney–Brisbane rail corridor.

The suburbs was once the centre of the Shire of Yeerongpilly which was established in 1879 and disbanded in 1925 after the City of Brisbane was created. In 1949, Commonwealth Engineering established a railway factory in Rocklea. On 31 July 2009 the last race was held at the Rocklea horse harness racing track.

Demographics

In the 2011 census, the population of Rocklea was 1,255, 45.3% female and 54.7% male. The median age of the Rocklea population was 36 years, one year below the Australian median. 60.5% of people living in Rocklea were born in Australia, which is somewhat less than the national average of 69.8%. The other top responses for country of birth were New Zealand 5.2%, England 2.5%, India 2.2%, China 1.8%, Russia 1.4%. 69.4% of people spoke only English at home; the next most popular languages were 2.9% Russian, 2.8% Vietnamese, 2.1% Mandarin, 1.8% Tamil, 1.7% Arabic. The most common religious affiliation was "no religion" (25%), followed by Catholic (22%) and Anglican (10%).

Fruit and vegetable market

Rocklea is also the host to the Brisbane Markets, which is known for its flowers, fresh fruit and fresh vegetables. The current markets were established in 1964. The opening of the markets occurred on 31 August and was attended by the then Premier of Queensland, Frank Nicklin. The markets occupy an 100 hectare site.

The first market in the area opened in 1866 and then closed in 1881. Roma Street Markets closer to the city were operational for a number of decades until congestion forced a move for the markets back to the suburbs in the 1960s.

Flooding

Rocklea is one of Brisbane's most flood affected suburbs. Severe damage was experienced in both the 1974 Brisbane flood and 2010–2011 Queensland floods. Flooding in Rocklea is particularly harmful to the coastal ecosystem because of the oil and other toxic chemicals which are washed downstream. The effect of flooding on the Brisbane Markets was minor in 1974 but since then the site has grown five times and in 2011 35 buildings were inundated.

After the 2011 flood, home and land values in the suburb decreased dramatically. The median house price decreased by 23.9%.

Education

Rocklea State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at 19 Elmes Road (27°32′48″S 153°00′42″E / 27.5466°S 153.0118°E / -27.5466; 153.0118 (Rocklea State School)). In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 38 students with 7 teachers (4 full-time equivalent) and 8 non-teaching staff (4 full-time equivalent).

There is no secondary school in Rocklea. The nearest secondary schools are Corinda State High School in Corinda to the north-west, Yeronga State High School in Yeronga to the north-east, and Glenala State High School in Inala to the south-west.