Doesn’t the name Mango Hill conjure images of lush, tropical fruit? The suburb earned its name from a special tribute. Mango Hill is a suburb within the City of Moreton Bay. Its story is tied to Anzac Avenue. Let’s explore how this area became known as Mango Hill.
Back in the 1920s, Anzac Avenue was planned as an avenue of honour. It would commemorate soldiers lost in World War I. Work began in December 1922, employing returned soldiers. The idea expanded to include memorial trees. In 1925, the Governor planted the first trees. These were two cocos palms at the North Pine School of Arts in Petrie.
Over time, about 1,800 trees were planted along an 18-kilometre stretch of Anzac Avenue. This road was once known as Redcliffe Road. But mango trees weren’t part of the original plan. The 700 metres of mango trees between the Bruce Highway and Kinsellas Road are unique. Planted in 1926, these mangoes set this section apart.
The hill along Anzac Avenue, previously Freshwater Hill, gained local recognition. People started calling it Mango Hill in the 1930s. However, for decades, the wider area was known as East Kallangur. Eddie Hyland, Pine Rivers Shire Council Clerk, played a key role. He introduced the name Mango Hill into council documents in the 1950s. Bus drivers had already been using the name. Hyland formalized it. Yet, it wasn’t until 1980 that the name was officially gazetted.
Before European settlement, the Mango Hill region was a border zone. It separated the Turrbal people to the south and the Gubbi Gubbi people to the north. The Griffin family were the first free settlers. They established the Whiteside run in 1843. This run initially included the Mango Hill area.
Even with land surveys in the 1870s, Mango Hill remained somewhat isolated. Early settlers prioritized fertile land along the North and South Pine Rivers. Mango Hill was mainly for grazing cattle. Later, some dairy farmers bought paddocks here to run dry cattle.
By the 1970s, Australian Paper Manufacturers controlled much of Mango Hill. They planted slash pine trees. This experiment wasn’t very successful. Around the same time, a small residential estate, Mango Hill Village, was established. The Mango Hill Progress Association formed in 1986. They worked to improve the area. This included sealing roads and developing Danzy Buchanan Park.
In the 1990s, the Mango Hill Estate was developed. It featured Halpine Lake as its centrepiece. The area experienced significant growth. In 2006, part of Mango Hill became the separate suburb of North Lakes. Despite these changes, Mango Hill maintains its identity. It has a population of 14,921 people in 2021.
Today, Mango Hill offers a blend of history and modern development. As we leave Mango Hill, remember the story of its name. It is a tribute to memorial trees and community efforts.