Westlake

Can you imagine a place that wasn’t there just a few decades ago? Standing here today, it’s hard to believe that Westlake, this charming suburb with its tree-lined streets and lovely lake, didn’t exist until 1973. Its history is intertwined with a grand development project that transformed the landscape of Brisbane in the 1960s. Back then, these rolling hills were farmland, but visionaries saw an opportunity to create new communities. The Centenary Suburbs, as they are known, were a bold undertaking, named to commemorate the hundredth anniversary of Queensland’s becoming a state in 1859. It was a massive feat, involving the construction of roads, bridges, and even a golf course, in a time when the city was still a bit sleepy. The lake, which gave Westlake its name, was a key part of the design. Hooker Corporation, the developers, envisioned a serene retreat, a place to escape the city’s hustle and bustle. Today, Westlake is a thriving community, but you can still sense a connection to the past. Walk along the streets and you’ll see traces of the old farms, in the mature trees and the meandering waterways. You can almost hear the distant echoes of farm animals and the rumble of tractors. Westlake embodies the spirit of growth and progress, but it also has a heart that speaks to the natural beauty of the land.