St Lucia is an inner suburb of Brisbane, Australia located 4km south-west of the Brisbane CBD, with a population of approximately 10,458. The suburb is bordered on three sides by the Brisbane River and is dominated by the main campus of the University of Queensland.
Sugar plantations were established in the area in the 1860s. The suburb derives its name from William Wilson, who purchased and subdivided one of the plantations for housing in the 1880s. Wilson, born in St Lucia in the West Indies, named the housing estate St Lucia because the cane plantations in the area reminded him of those in his country of birth.
St Lucia is a green, leafy suburb with a variety of housing including apartment complexes and detached Federation styles and Queenslanders. Typically, the student population of St Lucia is high, especially in dwellings in the immediate vicinity of the university, but the suburb is also home to wealthy professionals and families.
The University of Queensland is the primary focus of St Lucia, with the university, and residential colleges covering a large proportion of the suburb. Ironside State School which was opened in 1870 is located on Hawken Drive and is the only primary school in the suburb. Several small shopping complexes are located throughout the suburb but otherwise the suburb is residential.
Transport:
By bus, St Lucia can be accessed from the western suburbs and Brisbane CBD, with routes terminating at the University of Queensland. There is also a NightLink service, a safety initiative which provides buses with security on board all night Fridays and Saturdays. The Eleanor Schonell Bridge, a dedicated bus/pedestrian/bicycle bridge, connects the University with Dutton Park and carries 109 bus route from George Street in the city to the Lakes Bus Station on St Lucia campus.
By Ferry, The CityCat stops at two terminals in St Lucia, the Guyatt Park CityCat Terminal and University of Queensland Terminal.
By Bicycle, St Lucia has bicycle routes that utilise the residential streets between the University of Queensland and Toowong.