Sandgate, Queensland

The name of the area may have been inspired by Sandgate on the coast of county Kent, England. Sandgate in Kent had a military camp, Shorncliffe Camp, on top of the cliffs adjacent to it. Sandgate in Brisbane also has an adjacent suburb called Shorncliffe.

[edit] History

Land in Sandgate became available in 1853, developing into a small settlement. The coming of the railway in 1882 promoted more rapid development of the Sandgate area. Travel to Brisbane by train could be completed in less than one half hour. Sandgate was declared a town by the Governor of Queensland in 1880. This new status meant a town council was formed to guide the development of the local area. Initially, the council chambers were located in Shorncliffe. However, following a fire which destroyed the council chambers in 1910, a much larger town hall was opened in 1911.

The Sandgate Council, which operated from 1880 to 1924, had to provide a range of services for the growing community. These included a fire department, ambulance, and sanitation facilities, as well as maintaining roads and regulating local development. In 1925 Sandgate Council was amalgamated into the Brisbane City Council.

Sandgate boasted clean beaches that were a popular weekend destination, with thousands of people visiting from Brisbane to escape the heat.

Sandgate is also home to a community theatre group called Sandgate Theatre Incorporated, which has been performing in the Sandgate Town Hall for almost 50 years, having been continuously running since 1958. The theatre group is also host to Brisbane's longest running community theatre festival - the Yarrageh festival which is run in August/September each year at the Town Hall.