Stafford is a northern suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, Stafford had a population of 6,978 people.
Stafford was originally called Happy Valley. It is possible that the name originates from the fact that Sir Thomas Brisbane for whom the city is named was an officer in the Staffordshire Regiment – a Stafford Knot is featured in the city's coat-of-arms. A public move to rename the area after the English county of Staffordshire in 1885 and 1886 led to its current name.
Stafford State School opened on 25 May 1886. On 24 January 1955 the Stafford Infants State School opened removing the younger children from the main. The infant school closed on 9 December 1977 and the younger children became part of the main school again.
In 1928, in what is now known as Stafford, 20 sites at Gourock Estate, Kedron, being resubs of 1 to 20 (subs A & B easements) of sub 1 of portion 96, Parish of Kedron, were advertised for auction by Isles, Love & Co. Auctioneers. A map produced to advertise the sale shows the land for sale being off Main Stafford (or Happy Valley) Road, near Clifford St.
Between 1940 and 1968 Stafford was served by electric trams operated by the Brisbane City Council. This was the last completely new tram line (as distinct from the tram line extension) built in Brisbane.
The Stafford Church of Christ was established through an outreach of the Kedron Church of Christ in the early 1950s commencing with Bible schools. Land at 610 Stafford Street (27°24′28″S 152°59′56″E / 27.4077°S 152.9990°E) was purchased circa October 1952. In January 1953, an old army hut was relocated to the site to be converted to a chapel. The new chapel was dedicated early in March 1954. In 1963, the Stafford church became independent of the Kedron church. It is now known as the Fellowship Baptist Church of Christ.
Queen of Apostles Catholic Primary School opened on 30 January 1962. In 1969, it opened its second campus for the younger students in neighbouring Stafford Heights to the north.
Construction commenced on the water reservoirs on top of Sparkes Hill in 1973 and was completed in 1978.
One of the original large employers of local workers, Gibson's Tannery (also known as Scotia Works), closed in 1982 to make way for the Stafford City Shopping Centre, which opened in March 1984. The center was extended again in 1997, which opened in December of that year to include a new food court and the first 10-screen cinema complex in Brisbane at the time, operated by Australian Multiplex Cinemas. Previously, the Stafford Road shopping strip at the tram terminus was the local centre.
In the 2016 census, Stafford had a population of 6,561 people.
In the 2021 census, Stafford had a population of 6,978 people, 51% female and 49% male. The median age of the Stafford population was 35 years, 3 years below the Australian median. 75.2% of people living in Stafford were born in Australia, compared to the national average of 66.9%; the next most common countries of birth were England 2.9%, New Zealand 2.7%, India 1.4%, Philippines 1.1%, South Africa 0.7%. 82% of people spoke only English at home; the next most common languages were 1% Mandarin, 0.8% Italian, 0.6% Hindi, 0.6% Spanish, 0.6% Cantonese.
History info courtesy of Wikipedia
