Wavell Heights is located north of the Brisbane central business district. The land use is almost entirely residential, apart from Mercer Park and Shaw Park in the southern-most part of the suburb.
History
In December 1935 the Methodist Church bought four parcels of land in Rode Road. A timber-framed weatherboard-clad building opened on 28 May 1938 and was used for all church purposes: services, Sunday school and social activities. It was known as the West Nundah Methodist Church. The building was extended in 1947 to cater for a larger congregation. In 1957 a new brick church was opened beside the original building, which was then only used as a church hall. In 1977 the Methodist Church was amalgamated into the Uniting Church of Australia and the church and hall are now known as the Wavell Heights Uniting Church and Hall. The Catholic Church of St Paschal Baylon was opened and blessed by ArchbishopJames Duhig on 8 August 1937. Due to the growth in the congregation, a new building was constructed with the church on the lower floor and space for a school on the upper floor. In 1941 the Brisbane City Council requested that the area commonly known as West Nundah be recognised as Wavell Heights. It is named after Field Marshal Lord Wavell who was the Commander-In-Chief of the Allied Forces in the Middle East during the Second World War. Wavell Heights State School opened on 27 January 1948, following a post-war expansion in Brisbane's northern suburbs. Through the 1950s and 1960s, the school grew to be a large primary school with over 900 enrolments, but during the 1970s, this number began to decline dramatically. By the 1990s, enrolments were as low as 210, but this number has since increased to over 300. In April 2011, one of the school's main classroom buildings was destroyed in an arson attack. Our Lady of the Angels' Catholic School opened on 22 January 1950 under the management of the Presentation Sisters until the mid 1990s when the school came under lay leadership. Wavell Heights Presbyterian Church opened in 1953. St Thomas' Anglican Church was dedicated on 13 October 1957 by ArchbishhopReginald Halse. Its closure on 21 December 1990 was approved by Assistant Bishop George Browning. It was deconsecrated was authorised by Archbishop Peter Hollingworth. It was at 4 Watcombe Street in Chermside East which is now within Wavell Heights. As at 2020, the church building is being used as a residence but the cross on the roof and the words "St Thomas" on the front have been retained. Wavell State High School opened on 27 January 1959. In the, Wavell Heights had a population of 9,435 people. In the, Wavell Heights had a population of 9,684 people.
Demographics
In the, Wavell Heights recorded a population of 9,435 people; 51.7% female and 48.3% male. The median age of the Wavell Heights population was 36 years, 1 year below the Australian median. Children aged under 15 years made up 20.9% of the population and people aged 65 years and over made up 13.1% of the population. 78.5% of people living in Wavell Heights were born in Australia, compared to the national average of 69.8%; the next most common countries of birth were New Zealand 3.7%, England 3.2%, Philippines 0.8%, India 0.8%, Italy 0.6%. 87.8% of people spoke only English at home; the next most popular languages were 1.3% Italian, 0.5% Tagalog, 0.5% Cantonese, 0.5% Mandarin, 0.4% French.
Amenities
St Paschal's Catholic Church is at 30 Warraba Street. Weekly services are held on Saturday and Sunday. Wavell Heights Presbyterian Church is at 64 Spence Road. Weekly services are held on Sunday. Wavell Heights is serviced by the Wavell Heights Neighbourhood Society Inc. which manages the Murray Duus park on Edinburgh Castle Road, Wavell Heights, including the subleasing of areas to a kindergarten, Karate club, girl guides, scouts and a lapidary club. The Society also manages a public tennis court and a community centre, consisting of a hall with two floors, stages and kitchen facilities. Major roads include Hamilton Road and Bilsen Road. The Wavell Heights Neighbourhood Society Inc. is unique in that it is the only organisation within Brisbane to manage a park precinct on behalf of the Brisbane City Council.
Education
Wavell Heights State School is a government primary school for boys and girls at Minore Street. In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 491 students with 33 teachers and 23 non-teaching staff. Our Lady of the Angels' School is a Catholic primary school for boys and girls at 30 Warraba Avenue. In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 602 students with 40 teachers and 23 non-teaching staff. Wavell State High School is a government secondary school for boys and girls at Telopia Avenue. In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 1,597 students with 120 teachers and 40 non-teaching staff. It includes a special education program. It is among the largest of public secondary schools in Brisbane's northern suburbs.
