IT’S a Brisbane suburb many would know by name, and quite possibly because of a famous poem which has no bearing on its locality, and yet they’d be hard-pressed to find it on a map.
Geebung on Brisbane’s northside is one of those places people tend to hear of but have no idea where it’s located.
Not even Banjo Patterson’s famous Geebung Polo Club ode is affiliated with the suburb.
Even local cafe owner Paul Edwards recounts recently ordering supplies from a business in Nundah, just a few kilometres south of his Railway Parade establishment, only for the receptionist to ask where Geebung was.
“I said ‘you’re kidding, it’s only two suburbs away’ and I had to spell it,” Mr Edwards said.
“I think it’s off everyone’s radar. Chermside is where everyone goes and it’s right next door.”
The owner of Bite My Biscuit even admits to being a little bit unsure of Geebung before he relocated his cafe from Stafford to opposite the railway station five years ago.
He took the punt to move after one of his regular customers, who lives at Geebung, mentioned a shop was available for lease.
“She said there was an empty shop here and it’s only five minutes from home, but I really didn’t know much about Geebung and I had lived in Wavell Heights for 15 years,” he said.
“I drove through but never stopped.”
But it would pay for people to make a pay a little more attention to Geebung, says Innov8 Property principal Michael Spillane.
He said even though Geebung is just 12 kilometres from the CBD and sidles more affluent suburbs, the median house-price is a mere $530,000. The highest sale for 2017 was $860,000 (Jan- Aug.).
Mr Spillane said there was so much room for growth that the suburb was prime for home renovators or even professionals looking to flip a house.
“It’s a forgotten and older suburb and some people don’t know Geebung’s locality even though they’ve heard of it,” he said.
“It’s not big geographically and it’s known to have a lower socio-economic background, but it’s perfectly placed when you think of access to Sandgate and Gympie roads, it’s not far from the airport, it has two railway stations and is extremely close to Chermside shopping centre.”
The two railway stations are Sunshine and Geebung and the latter of the two has undergone a major facelift which coincided with the opening of a $200 million rail overpass at Robinson Rd which the RACQ identified as one of Queensland’s worst traffic black spots.
The flyover on Robinson’s Rd opened in 2014 and connects Robinson East and Robinson West Roads.
Mr Edwards said the overpass had not affected his trade and was primarily for traffic passing through the area rather than heading into Geebung.
“We arrived as they were building it and the station was updated when they put in the overpass and they put in new lifts as well,” he said.
“We have a lot of young families come in and it can be extremely busy one minute. It’s like everyone moves in waves around here.”
Bite My Biscuit maybe one of the more recently established trades in Geebung but the oldest family-run business in the area, and possibly the oldest in Brisbane, is Gerns Continental Smallgoods in Buhot Rd.
The business started in 1895 after Heindrich Gerns, who emigrated from Hanover, Germany, bought 20 acres for 20 pounds.
Hendrich’s grandson Edwin Gerns, who is semi-retired and handed down the business to his son Andrew, said he’s seen a lot of changes over the decades.
“There used to just see paddocks around here but not anymore,” he said.
Gerns Continental Smallgoods and retail store sits at the rear of a block in a dead-end street at Geebung.
Edwin said his grandmother offered his father some motherly advice which he wished his dad had listened to now that Geebung is very much part of suburbia.
“In 1914 the homestead was built,” Edwin said.
“My grandmother said to my dad one day on the deck of the homestead, ‘why don’t you buy 70 acres there for 70 pounds for somewhere for the kids to play’ but he was too busy making salami.”
The exterior of the Geebung RSL. Picture: Darren Cartwright.
Within 500m of Gerns Continental Small Goods is Geebung State School while St Kevin’s Catholic Primary School is also nearby.
Mr Spillane said Geebung may only have a couple of schools but there are several respected one in the surrounding neighbourhoods which were very accessible and added to the appeal of the suburb for younger families.
Geebung’s public high school catchment area includes Aspley, Wavell Heights and Craiglea State High Schools and Earnshaw State College.
“There are a lot of schools around and you Nudgee College not that far away and neither is the Australian Catholic University at Banyo,” Mr Spillane said.
As for growth in real estate prices, Mr Spillane said the suburb had improved more than 20 per cent in the past five years and it was likely to climb at an even faster rate given the demand on properties in nearby suburbs like Chermside and Wavell Heights.
“When you think about it, you’re paying close to $500,000 for a two-bedroom unit at Chermside and yet you can buy a two or three bedroom house with land in the next suburb and it’s on a train line and Chermside isn’t.”
“And it’s quick to the city from there as well.”
Originally Published: www.couriermail.com.au