Chelmer is 9.8 kilometres (6.1 mi) by road from Brisbane GPO. Chelmer is zoned as a residential area, and consists of low-density housing. It has many fine Queenslanders, characterised by wooden verandahs, wide stairways and roofing of galvanized iron, but in recent years solid brick homes have been built also.
The suburb takes its name from the Chelmer railway station, which was named in 1881 probably after the Chelmer River in Essex, England. The station was previously known as Oxley Point and Riverton.
Chelmer, along with its neighbors to the south was originally known as Boyland's Pocket after Thomas Boyland who leased the area for cattle and sheep grazing
The first railway station opened north of the current Chelmer railway station in 1876 as Oxley's Point railway station. In 1888, the station was renamed Riverton. A siding was built at the current station location in 1881, which was later converted into the current Chelmer railway station in 1889 with Riverton closing that same year.
In 1879, the local government area of Yeerongpilly Division was created. In 1891, parts of Yeerongpilly Division were excised to create Sherwood Division becoming a Shire in 1903 which contained the suburb of Chelmer. In 1925, the Shire of Sherwood was amalgamated into the City of Brisbane.
In July 1884, 226 subdivided allotments of "Township of Riverton on the Brisbane River" Estate were auctioned by E. Hooker & Son. A map advertising the auction shows the area to be on the Regatta Reach of the Brisbane River.
In November 1901, 168 subdivided allotments of "Chelmer Estate" were auctioned by John W. Todd Auctioneer. A map advertising the auction shows the estate to be near the Brisbane River, Chelmer railway station and the golf club.
In June 1914, 114 choice allotments of "Chelmer Railway Station Estate" were auctioned by Chandler & Russell, Land and Estate Agents. A map advertising the auction shows the estate to be near Chelmer Railway Station. Newspaper advertising states the estate is "right at railway station, surrounded by reserve, park and railway line."
In October 1922, 135 allotments of "Chelmer Park, No. 5" were auctioned by Isles, Love & Co. Limited, Auctioneers. A map advertising the auction shows the estate to be on the Brisbane River. Newspaper advertising states the estate is "close to railway station with beautiful river views, river frontages".
On Tuesday 15 May 1923, the Chelmer School of Arts was officially opened by Cecil Elphinstone, the Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Oxley. In 1968 it became Chelmer Public Hall and is now known as Chelmer Community Centre.
In August 1923, 82 subdivided allotments of "Chelmer Park Estate" were auctioned by Isles, Love & Co. Auctioneers. A map advertising the auction states the Estate was close to the Chelmer Railway Station and the Brisbane River.
The Indooroopilly Toll Bridge was proposed, designed, privately funded, and built by Walter Taylor. It was opened on 14 February 1936 and replaced the Chelmer-Indooroopilly ferry service. It was renamed Walter Taylor Bridge after his death in 1956. The private company he established, Indooroopilly Toll Bridge Ltd, collected a toll at the Indooroopilly end of the bridge until 1965 when the Brisbane City Council took over the bridge.
On Sunday 17 December 1939, ArchbishopWilliam Wand laid the foundation stone for St David's Anglican Church with over 300 people attending. It was dedicated in 1939 and consecrated in 1971. In 2019 St David's entered in a partnership with the Anglican parish of Crows Nest (which includes the churches in Crows Nest and Goombungee) to share their ministry through a combination of services at the various churches combined with online services broadcast from St David's. It is an experiment in how the Anglican Church may operate in the future.
Chelmer Special School opened on 20 February 1978 and closed on 8 May 1992.
Milpera Special School opened on 1 January 1984. On 28 September 1998, it was renamed Milpera State High School.
In 1999, Laurel Avenue was voted Brisbane's Best Street for its trees and grand homes. The avenue of camphor laurels and a number of houses in the street are now heritage-listed.
Chelmer suffered badly from the 2011 Queensland floods, with many homes submerged by the rising river.
Demographics
In the 2011 census, Chelmer recorded a population of 2,594 people, 50.5% female and 49.5% male. The median age of the Chelmer population was 38 years of age, 1 year above the Australian median. 77% of people living in Chelmer were born in Australia, compared to the national average of 69.8%; the next most common countries of birth were England 5.3%, New Zealand 2.4%, United States of America 1.2%, Scotland 1%, Malaysia 0.7%. 89.6% of people spoke only English at home; the next most popular languages were 0.6% Hindi, 0.5% Korean, 0.4% Spanish, 0.3% Dutch, 0.3% Persian (excluding Dari).
In the 2016 census, Chelmer had a population of 2,998 people.
In the 2021 census, Chelmer had a population of 3,325 people.
Milpera State High School is a government secondary (7–12) school for boys and girls at Parker Street (27°30′50″S152°58′39″E / 27.5140°S 152.9775°E / -27.5140; 152.9775 (Milpera State High School)). In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 163 students with 35 teachers (28 full-time equivalent) and 34 non-teaching staff (19 full-time equivalent). It is a special purpose state high school which teaches English language to immigrants who are speakers of language other than English. These students enter and leave the school as determined by their English language skills.
There are no primary schools in Chelmer. The nearest government primary school is Graceville State School in neighbouring Graceville to the south. The nearest conventional government secondary school is Indooroopilly State High School in neighbouring Indooroopilly to the north.
Laurel Avenue was voted Brisbane's Best Street in 1999, for the reason that large portions of the avenue are overhung by large camphor laurel (Cinnamomum camphora) trees (some over a hundred years old). The Camphor Laurel trees have been declared a noxious weed by the Brisbane City Council, as their roots actively seek underground sewage pipes.
^"Advertising". The Telegraph. No. 9, 051. Queensland, Australia. 22 November 1901. p. 12. Archived from the original on 21 May 2022. Retrieved 5 June 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Advertising". Daily Standard. No. 443. Queensland, Australia. 16 May 1914. p. 8. Archived from the original on 11 February 2024. Retrieved 18 January 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Advertising". The Telegraph. No. 15, 557. Queensland, Australia. 7 October 1922. p. 15. Archived from the original on 11 February 2024. Retrieved 18 January 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
^"SEWERAGE WORK". The Brisbane Courier. No. 20, 380. Queensland, Australia. 18 May 1923. p. 15. Archived from the original on 21 May 2022. Retrieved 6 May 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Advertising". The Brisbane Courier. No. 20, 465. Queensland, Australia. 25 August 1923. p. 12. Archived from the original on 21 May 2022. Retrieved 5 June 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Our school". Milpera State High School. 14 May 2019. Archived from the original on 10 December 2021. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
^"St David's Anglican Church". St David's Anglican Church Chelmer Graceville. Archived from the original on 26 September 2020. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
^"Home". Riverside Church. Archived from the original on 8 December 2021. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
Further reading
Lethbridge, Meg. (2012). Stories of life in the Graceville and Chelmer area : recollection, renewal and connection to place. blurb.com.