Kuraby, Queensland
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kuraby is a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is situated approximately 21 kilometres (13 miles) by road or 22.5 kilometres (14 miles) by rail south-east of the city of Brisbane. A one hour drive to the south is the Gold Coast and Surfers Paradise. The same distance to the north is the Sunshine Coast.
Beenleigh Road is the main ‘conduit’ connecting the suburb to the Motorways leading to the city and further parts of Brisbane and beyond. Kuraby is serviced by fast electric train service to the city and the Gold Coast, whilst a bus service takes commuters to the large shopping centres of Upper Mount Gravatt and Springwood.
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[edit] Geography and climate
The climate is sub-tropical with relatively dry winters and hot humid summers. In practice one could throw a stick of wood into a creek one side of the suburb and eventually it would finish up in the Brisbane River whilst if one throws a stick in the opposite direction it would finish up in the Logan River. Both rivers eventually flow into Morton Bay. Because Kuraby is situated between these two rivers it tends to have a somewhat dryer landscape than other parts of Brisbane. Rain tends to come up the Logan to the mountains [hills] behind Brisbane then back down the Brisbane River. The topography ranges from high hills with very poor soil to low, very fertile soil areas.
A number of parks are situated within the area these cater for all types of activities from sporting to leisure. The local council has reserved large tracts of native bush in the area surrounding many of these parks. This in turn has ensured that many of the wildlife species of the area survives.
The main area of Kuraby is situated on the southern boundary of Brisbane City Council precinct. However, parts of the suburb come within the Logan City Council precinct. This situation makes Kuraby somewhat unique in terms of planning as each council has slightly different local government laws.
Another somewhat unique situation for Kuraby is that the Federal government seat of Rankin comes within the boundaries of Logan City. Kuraby is the only suburb in the Brisbane City Council’s precinct that comes within this Federal seat.
[edit] History
The name "Kuraby" was officially gazetted on 16 August 1975 and derives from the local railway station name first used by the Railway Department in 1889. Originally the name came from an aboriginal word meaning “a place of many springs.”
The area of Kuraby was once known as Eight Miles Planes. Charles Baker was granted a Publican’s Licence on 12 December 1865. The modern Glen Hotel now stands there. This was where Cobb & Co changed horses and the passengers were refreshed before continuing their journey to Beenleigh and further south.
It wasn’t until the railway established the “southern” rail line in 1885 and a rail station that people said that they came from Kuraby. This was to differentiate the area from Eight Mile Planes or Spring Creek as the local (Kuraby) settlers called the area. The settlement of Kuraby began in 1860, when the Hollosons and Bakers cleared land and commenced farming. This until recently has been the areas main activity. Today the main activity is developing the fertile land into housing estates hence there is very little evidence of what was once the areas main activity, agriculture.
The Duke and Duchess of York opened the new Parliament House, Canberra, in 1927. Four years later they toured Australia, and in the middle of their hectic schedule, one night’s rest was arranged. The Royal Train was brought to the passing loop at Kuraby station and kept securely there with its pilot train. The timetable was re-arranged to enable them to have an un-interrupted evening. This event put the name of Kuraby on the map.
People passing through Kuraby might think it a rural town. Despite the large number of houses that have been (and are still being) constructed Kuraby remains little changed around the rail station area. Several of the original shops remain although they are not used for their original purpose. The rail station itself is currently having construction work being done, as is the nearby Fruitgrove station.
[edit] Demography and economics
Kuraby has a diverse population mix of old and young. Some of the older residents can trace their families back to the early settlement of the area. A number of the local streets now bear their name. Many nationalities from different parts of the world now call Kuraby home. The Muslim community have a mosque in Kuraby while there is a Buddhist temple situated in a nearby suburb. Many other religions have their place of worship either in the suburb or in the surrounding suburbs.
Young families are attracted to Kuraby as it has many facilities to cater for them. Primary schools both State and Community, a special school and child care facilities. Several doctors and a chemist have set up business in Kuraby to cater for the health needs of the population. Kuraby has its own community centre (the infrastructure is owned by the local council) and is run by a volunteer committee of local people who are responsible for seeing that the building is maintained and improvements are implemented. The centre is well utilised by the local community.
