Taringa

History of Brisbane's Taringa

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Taringa's history has been compiled by local historian, Lesley Jenkins, as part of the BRISbites community history project.

Aboriginal history

The Jagera and Turrbal groups occupied land in the Brisbane and Ipswich areas. The exact clan boundaries are not known, however, the Turrbal people generally occupied the area north of the Brisbane River. Both groups had closely related languages that are classified as belonging to the larger Yaggera language group.

The Brisbane River corridor provided the Indigenous people with undisturbed forest habitat and a source of food. Taringa is derived from an Aboriginal word meaning 'strong'.

Urban development

Taringa grew when the railway between Brisbane and Ipswich was constructed. The line from Indooroopilly to Brisbane opened on 14 June 1875. At the time, Taringa was known as West Milton.

Richard Gailey owned numerous allotments in the area and his name is commemorated in Gailey Road.

The Taringa State School opened in 1897. In the 1930s, Taringa was described as a charming semi-rural suburb.

Notable residents

Due to Taringa's pleasant outlook and proximity to the city and railway, the suburb became the home of many prominent business and political leaders.

Thomas Morrow established a biscuit and sweet company called Messrs Morrow Ltd. He established the business in 1884 and lived in Taringa until 1924.

Clement Wragge, who worked for the Queensland Bureau of Meteorology, established a home in Taringa. He was often seen taking observations from the hills of Taringa and nearby
Mt Coot-tha.

The artist Mr J.L Watts, lived in Taringa in the 1930s. He played a major role in establishing and supporting the Royal Queensland Art Society.

Landmarks

A memorial public seat in Stanley Terrace commemorates Pilot Officer Geoffrey Lloyd Wells who died in the Second World War. His family built the seat from stone and set it into their fence. It bears a plaque with a quote from Winston Churchill. The seat has been placed on the Queensland Heritage Register.

Charles Fulton was an esteemed architect and Head of Architecture at the Brisbane Central Technical College. In 1940, he designed his family home in Taringa, which won the Queensland Royal Australian Institute of Architects award in 1948.

Reference: Lesley Jenkins, BRISbites, 2000

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