Inala, Queensland

Inala
Brisbane, Queensland

The Bremer Institute of TAFE, Inala
Population 13,769 (2011)[1]
Postcode(s) 4077
Location 18 km (11 mi) from Brisbane CBD
LGA(s) City of Brisbane
State electorate(s) Inala
Federal Division(s) Oxley
Suburbs around Inala:
Darra Oxley Durack
Richlands Inala Durack
Forest Lake Forest Lake Doolandella

Inala is a suburb of Brisbane, Australia, situated in the south-west of the metropolitan area. At the 2011 Australian Census the suburb recorded a population of 13,769.[1]

History

Following World War II there was a shortage of 250,000 houses across Australia. State and Commonwealth Governments responded by making housing a priority. In Queensland alone over 4,000 families were living in makeshift dwellings of tin, calico and canvas. Queensland's Premier, Frank Cooper, signed the Commonwealth and State Housing Agreement in 1945 creating the Queensland Housing Commission. One of the earliest and biggest projects undertaken by the Commission was the detached housing estate in Inala.

In 1949–1950 the Queensland Housing Commission purchased 'Serviceton', comprising approximately 850 acres (3.4 km²) of land, from the faltering Serviceton Housing Co-operative. The Housing Commission subsequently annexed another 200 acres (0.8 km²) to the suburb and changed its name to Inala to avoid postal confusion with another Serviceton.

Inala was planned as a satellite town set on a broad high, gently sloping ridge about 18 kilometres (11 mi) from the Brisbane General Post Office. The development of the housing designs for the estate coincided with the emergence of architectural modernism in Australia. The innovative designs of young southern architects such as Robin Boyd, Roy Grounds and Harry Seidler featured the efficient use of space with lack of ornamentation, utilisation of new materials and techniques, low pitched roofs and above all design simplicity.


Inala West State School opened on 2 January 1960 and closed on 31 December 2009. Richlands State School opened on 12 June 1934 and closed on 31 December 2010.[2]

Architecture

The worldwide shortage of materials coupled with huge demands created the impetus for exploring and using new materials and techniques in Inala. Reinforced concrete was used in the construction of houses after the war and this choice was made because of its strength and flexibility rather than for its aesthetic potential. Houses were situated on concrete stumps, framed with hardwood timber and floored with brushbox hardwood. In general, casement, hopper and awning windows were framed with silky oak. The outer walls were generally constructed of reinforced poured concrete approximately 40 cm thick. Internal walls and ceilings were constructed with rendered wire lath. These robust construction techniques also served to minimise maintenance costs for the Housing Commission.

Geography

Located 18 kilometres to the south west of the Brisbane CBD, Inala is considered a gateway to the nearby Wacol and Heathwood industrial estates. Inala Avenue/Poinsettia Street is the main roadway east-west and Serviceston Avenue/Rosemary Street and Blunder Road are the main roads stretching north-south.

Newer estates such as Forest Lake, and industrial estate, Heathwood, can be found to the south; other surrounding suburbs include, Durack, Darra and Oxley to the north; Richlands, Ellen Grove and Wacol to the west; and Willawong, Acacia Ridge, Pallara and Doolandella to the East.

Demographics

In the 2011 Census the population of Inala is 13,796, 51.3% female and 48.7% male.

The median/average age of the Inala population is 33 years of age, 4 years below the Australian average.

52.8% of people living in Inala were born in Australia. The other top responses for country of birth were Vietnam 15.9%, New Zealand 4.2%, England 2.8%, Samoa 2%, Sudan 0.9%.

50.9% of people speak English as their first language 24.5% Vietnamese, 4% Samoan, 1.3% Arabic, 1.3% Spanish, 1% Tongan.

Suburb amenities, facilities and services

There are several shopping precincts within Inala. Inala Plaza — the “Civic Centre”, which is located on the corner of Kittyhawk and Inala Avenues, is the largest precinct in Inala and serves an ethnically diverse community by offering two major supermarkets, a large amount of various shops and many restaurants. Other shops exist in Biota Street, located to the north, and Skylark Street shops, located to the east. In 2010, “Richlands Plaza”, a new shopping centre with a large supermarket and adjacent small shops, opened on the border of Inala and Richlands.

There are a large number of Government funded community organisations and programs located in Inala, some of these include Inala Youth Service, Inala Community House, Skylarkers, Western Districts Out of Home Care, Western Districts Family Steps, Shared Family Care and The Childcare Access and Equity Resource Support Unit.

Various government services are located within the Inala Plaza precinct and surrounds. These include a Brisbane City Council Library, Department of Communities, Department of Corrective Services and a Centrelink office.

Sport and Recreation facilities include a Police Citizens Youth Club, a number of Brisbane City Council parks and recreation areas, and one of the best skate parks in Brisbane. Pedestrian walkways between residential houses facilitate residents′ access to bus stops, schools, shops and recreational areas. The parks and the large amounts of big native trees through the suburb contribute to the greenness and natural beauty of Inala.[3]

Education

Inala has a number of schools and educational institutions. Schools include Richlands East Primary School, Serviceton South Primary School, St Marks Primary School. Inala also has a campus of the Bremer TAFE. Other Schools nearby include Inala Primary School, Durack State School, Glenala High School and Western Suburbs Special School.

Transport

Bus station at Inala Plaza

No rail services serve the area directly, however buses conduct services from Inala Plaza bus station to railway stations nearest to Inala. Richlands railway station is Inala's closest rail link, being approximately 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) from central Inala, and was opened in January 2011. The suburb also has connections to Salisbury railway station and the Brisbane CBD via bus route 110.

Political representation

Milton Dick is the Brisbane City Councillor for the area. The state representative is Annastacia Palaszczuk MP, State Member for Inala and Premier of Queensland since 2015, and at the federal level is representative Bernie Ripoll.

Culture and ethnicity

Inala is a multicultural society boasting more than 20 different nationalities. Examples include; Tongan, Samoan, Cook Island, Maori, Vietnamese, Chinese, Sudanese, Aboriginal etc.

Churches and religious buildings

Sporting clubs

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Inala (State Suburb)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  2. ↑ "Opening and closing dates of Queensland Schools". Queensland Government. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
  3. ↑ Community Renewal Progress Report January 2002 – June 2003

External links

Coordinates: 27°35′08″S 152°58′31″E / 27.5856°S 152.9754°E