Hemmant

Gazing across the landscape here in Hemmant, can you envision a bustling sugar cane plantation? Hemmant, an eastern riverside suburb of Brisbane, has a rich history beyond its current industrial appearance. In the 1860s, Hemmant, then known as Doughboy Creek, was a hub of sugar cane farming. Mills dotted the area, most famously Gibson’s Clydesdale Mill. This sweet era, however, met a bitter end in the 1870s due to drought and disease. Hemmant’s namesake, William Hemmant, a local parliamentarian and treasurer in the Macalister government, wouldn’t recognize the sugar-filled fields today. He represented the Bulimba electorate between 1873 and 1876. The suburb officially took his name in 1876. Even the post office got a name change, from Doughboy Creek or Clydesdale Post Office to Hemmant. Now, industry reigns supreme, influenced by the proximity of the Port of Brisbane. The Port of Brisbane Motorway and Lytton Road cut through, carrying the constant hum of traffic heading to and from the port. But remnants of the past still linger. The Hemmant State School, opened in 1864 as Bulimba Creek State School, and later Doughboy State School, served the community for over a century. Though closed in 2010, the building finds new life as the Hemmant Flexible Learning Centre. The Queensport Hotel, a grand Queenslander with its distinctive balconies, still stands as a reminder of a bygone era. It opened in 1891 during a time of development near the river in an area known as Queensport. Imagine the short-lived Queensport Aquarium, a whimsical combination of zoo, aquarium, and dance hall. Opened in 1889, it attracted visitors by riverboat until the devastating 1893 flood. The animals were rescued, but the attractions were damaged and eventually closed, although the dance hall continued until 1901. Even the cemetery, now called Hemmant Cemetery, had its start as Tingalpa Cemetery with its first burial in 1875. Hemmant whispers its stories to those who listen. From sugar cane fields to industrial landscapes, from a quirky aquarium to a bustling port, Hemmant’s history shapes its present.