The locality of Mount Crosby is bounded to the south-west and south by the Brisbane River (known by locals as the "Devil's elbow"), to the south-east by Mount Crosby Road and a second section of the Brisbane River, and to the north by Lake Manchester Road and Swensons Road. It is 22 kilometres (14 mi) south-west of the Brisbane CBD.
John Oxley explored the Brisbane River in September 1824. He and Lieutenant Butler climbed the mountain (now known as Mount Crosby) naming it Belle Vue Mountain. The origin of the current name is uncertain, but there are two theories. The first theory is that first farmers to take up land in the area came from Crosbie-on-Eden on the England-Scotland border and they named the mountain Mount Crosbie. The second theory is that a gold prospector George Crosby worked here in the early days.
The Crosby postal receiving office opened on 1 January 1882; it was renamed Mount Crosby receiving office in June 1917. It became a full post office in about 1924.
In May 1881, tenders were called for the erection of a provisional school in Lower Kholo (now Mount Crosby). Mount Crosby Provisional School opened on 30 January 1882 with 22 pupils under teacher Arthur Leigh. It closed on 31 December 1892, but soon reopened on 11 September 1893 as Mount Crosby State School under head teacher Samuel Rea. This original school was located at 655 Mount Crosby Road and is now heritage-listed.
The Mount Crosby Pumping Station and the first Mount Crosby weir opened in 1892 to supply water to Brisbane. A small village was established to accommodate the workers, consisting of 60 cottages and other facilities such as a church/hall, store, and bowls club.
A tramway was built from Tivoli to convey coal from the Ipswich Coalfield to the station.
In the 2011 census, the population of Mount Crosby was 1,728, 49.9% female and 50.1% male. The median age of the Mount Crosby population was 37 years of age. 74.2% of people living in Mount Crosby were born in Australia, compared to the national average of 69.8%; the next most common countries of birth were England 7.2%, South Africa 3.2%, New Zealand 2.9%, United States of America 0.9%, Germany 0.8%. 90.5% of people spoke only English at home; the next most common languages were 0.8% German, 0.6% Afrikaans, 0.5% Russian, 0.3% Persian (excluding Dari), 0.3% Mandarin.
In the 2016 census, the population of Mount Crosby was 1,832, 50.6% female and 49.4% male. The median age of the Mount Crosby population was 39 years of age. 72.9% of people living in Mount Crosby were born in Australia, compared to the national average of 66.7%; the next most common countries of birth were England 6.9%, South Africa 3.3%, New Zealand 2.9%, Germany 1.1%, United States of America 0.7%. 90.6% of people spoke only English at home; the next most common languages were Afrikaans 1.1%, German 1%, Mandarin 0.8%, Dutch 0.4%, Persian (excluding Dari) 0.4%.
In the 2021 census, Mount Crosby had a population of 1,860 people.
Heritage listings
Mount Crosby has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
1 Brady Court: Waterworks Cottage No. 121
2 Brady Court: Waterworks Cottage No. 122
4 Brady Court: Waterworks Cottage No. 123
6 Brady Court: Waterworks Cottage No. 124
10 Brady Court: Waterworks Cottage No. 125
16 Brady Court: Waterworks Cottage No. 126
18 Brady Court: Waterworks Cottage No. 127
20 Brady Court: Waterworks Cottage No. 128
97 Lake Manchester Road: Shift Operator's House at Holt's Hill Plant (also known as Waterworks Cottage No. 1)
97 Lake Manchester Road: Holt's Hill Entrance Avenue Trees
97 Lake Manchester Road: Holt's & Cameron Hill Reservoir & Filtration Plant
Mount Crosby is serviced by a fortnightly visit of the Brisbane City Council's mobile library service outside the Mount Crosby State School on Mountt Crosby Road.
^"Mount Crosby". Queensland Places. Centre for the Government of Queensland, University of Queensland. Archived from the original on 9 March 2021. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
^Premier Postal History. "Post Office List". Premier Postal Auctions. Archived from the original on 15 May 2014. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
^Queensland Family History Society (2010), Queensland schools past and present (Version 1.01 ed.), Queensland Family History Society, ISBN978-1-921171-26-0