Tucked into the leafy surrounds of 7th Brigade Park lies a fascinating piece of Brisbane’s heritage, the Chermside Historical Precinct. This unique community space weaves together over a century of local, military and educational history, brought to life through the careful relocation and preservation of three distinctive buildings.
The story of the precinct begins in the late 1990s when Brisbane’s northside saw the closure of Chermside State School. First opened on 9 July 1900 (back when the area was known as Downfall Creek), the school served generations of children from a growing suburban population. After its closure in December 1996 due to dwindling enrolments, the Uniting Church purchased the Gympie Road property and generously donated the original 1900 schoolhouse to the local community. On 28 May 1999, it was moved to its new home in what would soon become the Chermside Historical Precinct.
Historic Buildings Preserved for Community Legacy
Joining the schoolhouse was the TS Voyager Sea Scouts’ Hall, built around 1964 on what was then Hamilton Road Reserve. The Sea Scouts’ name, ‘Voyager’, honours two Royal Australian Navy destroyers who were both tragically lost at sea. With this legacy, the hall took on its new land-based role with solemn pride.
But it was the addition of the former Sandgate Drill Hall that cemented the precinct’s historical value. Built in 1915 at Bowser Parade, Sandgate, the hall served generations of militia and community organisations until it was closed by the Department of Defence in 1999. Despite public calls to keep it in Sandgate, the hall was donated to the 9th Battalion’s War Memorial Museum Collection and Property Trust. In December 1999, it was relocated to Chermside and restored with its original orientation. It now houses the Milne Bay Memorial Library and Research Centre.
Local leaders, including Cr Terry Hampson and MLA Terry Sullivan, alongside Patrick O’Keeffe and Jim Whalan, were instrumental in establishing the precinct, which officially took shape by 1998. The site remains a rare and cherished example of Brisbane’s commitment to community heritage. Not a tourist attraction, but a living, breathing part of the local fabric, Chermside Historical Precinct is a story of preservation and passion.
Read more stories from the Chermside Guide’s print magazine here:
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- Generations Connect Through Play at Burnie Brae
- History and Fun Unite at Nundah School Winter Fair
- Rainbow Lorikeet Park Hosts World Environment Day Celebration
- VEND Pop Up Market Champions Young Innovators
Featured Image: Chermside Historical Precinct. Credit – Brisbane City Local Heritage Places
