Windsor, Queensland

Infobox Australian Place | type = suburb
name = Windsor
city = Brisbane
state = qld


caption = Windsor Shire Council Chambers, later Windsor Town Council Chambers.
lga = City of Brisbane
postcode = 4030
est =
pop = 5,844 (2001 census)
area = 2.9
propval = $394,500 [ [http://www.reiq.com.au/BuySellRent/community_view.asp?suburb_id=98 REIQ] (2005)]
stategov = Brisbane Central
fedgov = Brisbane
near-nw = Grange
near-n = Lutwyche
near-ne = Clayfield
near-w = Wilston
near-e = Albion
near-sw = Wilston
near-s = Herston
near-se = Bowen Hills
dist1 = 3
location1= Brisbane

Windsor is an inner northern suburb of Brisbane, located about 3.5km from the CBD. It is largely residential, featuring many old Queenslanders, although there is also considerable retail commercial activity, primarily concentrated along Lutwyche and Newmarket Roads.

History

Little development occurred in Windsor until the construction of the Bowen Bridge in 1862, allowing easier access to the district. At that time the district was known by its primary transport artery, Bowen Bridge Road.

In 1864, pioneer settlers approached the Government for aid to establish a local school. "The Bowen Bridge Road National School" consised of a simple wooden building and headmaster's house erected on a stone foundation and opened on 17 July 1865 on Bowen Bridge Road, adjacent to Thondley's Farm. Sixteen students enrolled for the first day and by the end of the first year, 112 students were on the register. In 1915, the school transferred across the road and was renamed "Windsor State School". After World War One, the original school and headmaster's house was demolished and converted into the War Memorial Park.

The southern part of Windsor in and around Swan Terrace was known as "Swan Hill" and was named after an early landowner.

The Windsor Shire Council was formed in 1886. It was named after the site of the Royal Family's Windsor Castle in England. In July 1895 the Council decided to erect permanent chambers and consulted Brisbane-born architect Thomas Coutts, to design a council chambers. The first meeting of the Windsor Shire Council in the new premises was conducted on 9 March 1897.

In 1904, Windsor Shire Council and surrounding districts formed the municipality of Windsor Town. It contained the suburbs of Windsor, Newmarket, Queensland, Lutwyche, Wilston Albion, Swan Hill and Wooloowin and portions of Kedron and Eagle Juncition.

In 1925, Windsor Town was amalgamated into Greater Brisbane.

The 1974 floods affected the suburb. Various streets close to Breakfast Creek were affected.

Transport

Windsor railway station provides access to regular Citytrain services to Ferny Grove, Brisbane and Beenleigh.

Prior to December 1968 the suburb was served by frequent Brisbane City Council tram services along Lutwyche Road, with routes converging from Chermside, Kalinga (until 1962), Stafford, and Grange the latter tram line branching off Lutwyche Road at Maygar street, on the border of Lutwyche and Windsor. These services combined to provide the suburb with an off-peak service of a tram every 2½ minutes along Lutwyche Road in the late 1950s.

Two former tramway electrical substations remain features of Lutwyche Road, near Albion Road. One of these now houses the heritage collection of the Queensland Electrical Engineers Association.

Windsor contains a corridor gazetted by the Queensland government since the 1960s for the construction of the Northern Freeway between Bowen Hills and Carseldine. Although the freeway was not built, the official plan still exists and a freeway through Windsor may be constructed in the future [http://www.cityfarmer.org/brisbane.html] . Part of the original Northern Freeway is now to become the North-South Bypass Tunnel. It will emerge close to Campbell Street, Bowen Hills. Several businesses along Lutwyche Road in Windsor have been resumed as part of this process and as part of the inner-northern busway project. Several of these businesses have protested the City Council's moves.

Landmarks

In 1925, a Cenotaph was erected on the site of the old school in the memory of the men who had enlisted from the Town of Windsor and who had lost their lives in World War One. A rotunda bandstand was erected in War Memorial Park and provided shelter for the Windsor Town Band, which played there on Sundays.

The former Windsor Shire Council Chambers is bounded by Lutwyche Road, Hawkins and Palmer Streets. The building was erected in 1896-97 and housed the offices and chambers of the Windsor Shire Council and Windsor Town Council until 1925. It was constructed by William Parsons from locally quarried porphyry (Brisbane tuff), with dressed sandstone facings and trimmings. It is capped with a corrugated iron gabled roof. A sandstone slab on the front gable bears the inscription Windsor Shire Council Chambers, with the word 'Shire' overwritten by 'Town'.

Downey Park, the so-called "home of women's sport in Brisbane" is located in Windsor. Just next to the park is the [http://www.northeystreetcityfarm.org.au/ Northey St City Farm] , which first opened in 1994 and provides hands-on education and training in agricultural activities. The farm also features a plant nursery and markets every Sunday morning.

Notable Residents

Brisbane Lord Mayor Campbell Newman is a resident of the suburb.

References

* http://www.brisbanelivingheritage.com/01_cms/details.asp?ID=439