Deagon, Queensland

Deagon is an outer suburb of Brisbane, Australia. It is 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) north of the CBD.

Deagon was named after William Deagon who was Mayor of Sandgate in 1882, 1883 and 1884.

William Deagon was an old identity of the area, and his name was used for the locality when the railway line went through in 1887. He owned the Sandgate Hotel, a stopping place for the Cobb & Co. coaches. Deagon Street, the racecourse, the railway station and the Deagon Wetlands now bear his name.

Deagon Post Office opened on 18 June 1947 at Mr Torpie's store next to the railway station.

Demographics

In the 2011 census, Deagon recorded a population of 3,460 people, 51.8% female and 48.2% male.

The median age of the Deagon population was 40 years of age, 3 years above the Australian median.

77.5% of people living in Deagon were born in Australia, compared to the national average of 69.8%; the next most common countries of birth were England 5%, New Zealand 4.3%, Philippines 0.9%, Scotland 0.6%, South Africa 0.5%.

90.4% of people spoke only English at home; the next most popular languages were 0.4% German, 0.3% Polish, 0.3% Tagalog, 0.3% Hindi, 0.3% Japanese.

Landmarks

A Queensland Racing training facility, Deagon Racecourse, lies to the north of the suburb. Horse racing in Deagon ceased in 1941, but the racecourse remains a first rate training establishment.^[2] The Bligh government intended to make the racecourse the centre for all greyhound racing in Brisbane (replacing Albion Park Raceway) but this plan was cancelled in February 2012.^[3]

The Gateway Arterial Road runs through the western side of the suburb.

The (Evergreen) Ching Chung Taoist Temple sits next to the Gateway Arterial Road. It was built at Deagon in 1991. There are three Halls which were built according to Taoist beliefs. The three halls are: The Hall of Three Purities, the Hall of Three Masters and the Hall of the Spiritual Garden. There is also a Memorial Hall of Ancestors.

Environment

Deagon has a flat topography with one of its boundaries being Cabbage Tree Creek. The Creek's catchment is largely urbanised but the Boondall Wetlands, which is separated from Deagon by the Creek, plays an important role in providing essential habitat for a range of birds and animals, including migratory birds, which make their way from the arctic circle. The Boondall Wetlands near Deagon have ecosystems that are fresh as well as areas that are salt water. The smaller reserves such as Brighton and Deagon Wetlands are fresh water only. The Deagon Wetland is an important remnant of tea tree woodland on a 50ha site. Notable bird species include the striped honeyeater and the white-cheeked honeyeater.

Transport

Deagon is easily access from Sandgate Road and the Gateway Motorway. Deagon also has a railway line with three stations easily accessed by Deagon residents: North Boondall, Deagon, and Sandgate. Deagon also has a variety of bus services operated by Brisbane Transport and Hornibrook Bus Lines. All public transport services in Deagon are operated under Translink Including school bus services operated by Thompson Bus Lines.

Aboriginal history

The Jagera and Turrbal groups occupied land in the Brisbane and Ipswich areas. The exact boundaries are not known, however, the Turrbal generally occupied the area north of the Brisbane River. Both groups had closely related languages which are classified as belonging to the larger Yaggera language group. In nearby Shorncliffe the Ningy-Ningy clan had displaced the Turrbal by the 1850s.

The area has a rich indigenous history. Evidence of Aboriginal occupation can be found; in a bora ring at Nudgee Waterhole, and in sites of special importance at Dinah Island near Nundah, and by Aboriginal camps on the banks of the Cabbage Tree Creek.

Local information

Deagon is home to the following popular fast food outlets:

• KFC, a new store opened in May 2008. The original store stood on the current location for over thirty years.
• Red Rooster
• Subway
• Pizza Capers

Deagon is also home to:

• Sunday fruit and vegetable markets held in the grounds of Sandgate District State High School
• Good Price Pharmacy Warehouse
• a Vietnamese Bakery
• Goat Pie Guy pie shop
• two News agencies: Deagon News and News Bulletin
• a Healthworks gym
• a Liqourland bottleshop
• a 7-Eleven convenience store
• an IGA supermarket
• Sorrento Reception Lounge
• Kim Mancini art workshop
• Artrageous

Schools

The only school located in Deagon is Sandgate District State High School (opened in 1959). When the Minister of Education Jack Pizzey officially opened it in 1961, he said the school, which had an elaborate man-made lake in its grounds, was one of the most attractive in Queensland. Extensions were then completed four years after that. In the 1980s a performance hall and library building were added and then, in 2001–03, under the secondary school renewal program, a modern sports hall and home economics block. Television celebrity Kerri-Anne Kennerley went to Sandgate District State High School along with international tennis player Wendy Turnbull OBE, Indigenous photographer Bill McBride, and current High Court of Australia judge Susan Kiefel (who left at age 15 in Year 10).

Cultural diversity

According to the 2001 census 14.07% of Deagon residents were born overseas and 4.80% speak a language other than English at home. This compares with 21.03% and 10.03% for Brisbane as a whole. The most common foreign languages spoken were Samoan, Filipino and Polish. 3.06% were of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent, compared to 1.67% for Brisbane.

References

External links

• University of Queensland: Queensland Places: Deagon
• "Deagon". BRISbites. Brisbane City Council. Archived from the original on 20 July 2008. 
• "Deagon". Our Brisbane. Brisbane City Council. Archived from the original on 14 April 2008. 

Coordinates: 27°19′41″S 153°03′36″E / 27.328°S 153.06°E / -27.328; 153.06