CAPALABA

There is something for everybody in Capalaba, a suburb to the south-east of Brisbane. It is and located in the Redland City local government area and is one of the major business hubs of the Redlands with plenty of local job opportunities.

Capalaba derived its name from the Aboriginal Yugarabul word for ringtail possum, a marsupial that is indigenous to the region. It was first settled by Europeans in the 1850s, mostly by blue-collar workers such as lumberjacks and farmers. Overtime it evolved into a vital link in the trade between the settlements of Brisbane and Cleveland. Growth continued into the 20th century, which saw the emergence of commercial and industrial areas still standing at present.

Key Demographic Features

Population – According to the 2011 Census, Capalaba has a total population of 16,644. Who lives in Capalaba? 49.1% of the people living in the area are legally married and 10.2% are in a de facto relationship. 40.5% are not married. The average household size is 2.7.

Age Profile – The Median age of persons in Capalaba is 36

Income Profile – The median household income ($/week) is 1346

Employment – Of the entire population, 44.1% of the people are employed, working full-time, 28.7% are not in the labour force and 19.4% are employed, working part-time. 13.7% of those employed are professionals, 17.6% are technicians and trades workers and 17.6% are clerical and administrative workers.

Doing Business in Capalaba

Capalaba is primarily a residential area, but with thriving industrial and commercial areas. There are more than 2,000 local businesses here – ranging from retail, trade to industrial and manufacturing – all easily accessible.

The major business district is located near the shopping centre, boasting of two main business hubs. The Hub and Smith Street is the busiest retail/office precinct in the area.

Transportation

Moving around is easy in Capalaba. Mt Gravatt Bus Service, on behalf of Translink, services the Garden City bus station and the adjacent Upper Mount Gravatt Busway Station. Transdev Queensland, on behalf of TransLink, operates bus services west to the Carindale bus station and the Brisbane central business district, north to the Cleveland railway line, and east to Victoria Point bus station.

Capalaba is also the last stop for major roads traversing Tingalpa Creek into Brisbane City, including Mount Gravatt-Capalaba Road and Old Cleveland Road, both linking straight to the Gateway Motorway.

Amenities

Located roughly 19 km from Brisbane’s CBD, Capalaba is Redland City’s commercial centre. It has two major shopping centres, Capalaba Park Shopping Centre and Capalaba Central Shopping Centre.

Capalaba Park is home to more than 110 speciality stores, plus major retailers including Kmart, Target, Woolworths and coles. You can find branches of the major banks in there. There is also the Market Lane fresh food precinct, which offers several food shops including Lenard’s Chicken and Baker’s Delight.

Capalaba Central features major retailers such as Harvey Norman, Coles, Woolworths, Big W and Best & Less. It has more than 100 speciality stores and an 8-screen Birch Carroll & Coyle/ Events Cinema.

Capalaba offers many exciting opportunities for business and families alike, real estate is affordable, there are many different types of properties and even big blocks of lands that are scarce in the Brisbane City. Education facilities for families, with major schools here including the Capalaba State College and as for sports, rugby football and soccer are popular here. Capalaba is especially suitable for families with kids, it is a “lay back and relax” kind of place, with green and wide open spaces, two shopping centres, giving you no need to travel to the CBD to satisfy your shopping urge.