Spring Hill is an inner northern suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, Spring Hill had a population of 6,593 people.
Spring Hill was originally called Spring Hollow because natural springs in the area supplemented Brisbane's early water supply from the Tank Stream and its dam. The name Spring Hill came into use when prominent citizens began living on the ridge. Boundary Street in Spring Hill and also in West End were named due to the policy of preventing the Jagera and Turrbal peoples from being within the boundaries of the British settlement at night.
All Saints' Anglican Church was opened in 1862. In 1869 it was rebuilt and dedicated. It was consecrated in 1885.
Spring Hill is one of the oldest residential neighbourhoods in Brisbane, with many houses dating from the nineteenth century. As an example, some of the house lots in Sedgebrook Street were surveyed in the 1870s. However, in recent decades much of the older residential and commercial structures have been demolished to be replaced by modern office blocks and apartment buildings.
A Primitive Methodist Church opened at 48 Leichhardt Street on Sunday 12 July 1874, when it was described as "situated on the highest and most pleasant point of Spring Hill ... a handsome and substantially-built brick edifice, about 51 feet long and 34 feet wide ... capable of comfortably accommodating 200 persons". It was designed by architect Richard Gailey. Having been used as a place of worship for over 100 years, the Methodist Church offered the church building for sale in February 1977, although it was not sold until 30 March 1978, after which it has had a number of commercial occupants. The church building was listed on the Brisbane Heritage Register on 1 January 2004. It is the earliest surviving church in Spring Hill.
On Sunday 3 December 1876, a Baptist Church was opened in Fortescue Street. In February 1889, services ceased at the church building in preparation for its relocation to Nundah., where it reopened as the Nundah Baptist Church on Sunday 9 June 1889. In 1890, the Baptist City Taberacle opened at 163 Wickham Terrace in Spring Hill.
A government laboratory and animal facility was built in the 1890s adjacent to the Brisbane Grammar School on College Road. It was known as the Bacteriological Institute from 1900 to 1910.
Between 1903 and 1947, trams ran up Edward Street and along Leichhardt Street to Gregory Terrace. This tram line, operated by the Brisbane City Council, was the steepest in Australia, with a maximum gradient of 1 in 8. After its closure the trams were initially replaced with diesel buses, but in 1951 these were replaced by a trolley-bus service. This was in turn replaced by diesel buses in 1968. The Brisbane City Council continues to provide bus services to the suburb.
The suburb was also served by trams along Boundary street and St Pauls Terrace, with this service being replaced by buses in 1969.
On 22 September 1976, a mass shooting and hostage crisis occurred on Boundary Street when 36-year-old William Robert Wilson killed two people and wounded four others at random before taking five hostages. He surrendered to police after an hours-long standoff and was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1980.
In the 2011 census, Spring Hill had a population of 5,259 people, 44% female and 56% male. The median age of the Spring Hill population was 30 years, 7 years below the Australian median. Children aged under 15 years made up 6.8% of the population and people aged 65 years and over made up 5.6% of the population. The most notable difference was the group in their twenties; in Spring Hill this group made up 36.1% of the population, compared to just 13.8% nationally. 43.8% of people living in Spring Hill were born in Australia, compared to the national average of 69.8%; the next most common countries of birth were Korea, Republic of 3.9%, India 3.8%, New Zealand 3.6%, England 3.5%, Colombia 2.1%. 56.7% of people spoke only English at home; the next most popular languages were 3.3% Korean, 3.3% Mandarin, 3.3% Spanish, 1.7% Portuguese, 1.7% Cantonese. The most common religious affiliation was "No Religion" (28.5%); the next most common responses were Catholic 22.9%, Anglican 8.4%, Hinduism 3.7% and Buddhism 3.1%.
In the 2016 census, Spring Hill had a population of 5,974 people.
In the 2021 census, Spring Hill had a population of 6,593 people.
History info courtesy of Wikipedia
