Geebung

Geebung, a postwar suburb, is 12 km north of central Brisbane. Originally known as Geebong, the name refers to the Personia species of shrubs and trees, which produce an edible fruit or nut. It is believed that the word originated in New South Wales, derived from an Aboriginal language group of the Sydney region. Any connection with A.B. Paterson's 'Geebung Polo Club' poem is co-incidental: Paterson apparently just liked the sound of the name.

Geebung is separated from Chermside and Wavell Heights by the Downfall Creek and its residential part is flanked on the north-east by the North Coast railway line (1888). That line was built for rural purposes, and did not attract settlement along its corridor at Geebung. Twenty years after the line was opened the Post Office directory recorded just 34 farming families at Geebung. The farms grew fruit and vegetable crops, some families were employed at Gern's ham and bacon factory or at the larger Hutton's factory at Zillmere, and others had jobs in town.

A progress association was formed in 1920, meeting on full-moon nights so that members could safely cross paddocks and avoid tree stumps or wandering livestock. Within three years they organised the building of the Geebung Memorial Hall. The nearest tram terminus was on Gympie Road at the Kedron Brook Bridge. A bus service down to the tram began in 1922.

During World War II the southern part of Geebung was host to the Chermside Army Camp, occupying much of Marchant Park. Two years after the war Industrial Sales and Service (ISAS) gathered together war surplus Nissen huts for their sales headquarters on remote Robinson Road, north Geebung. In 1949 the Brisbane City Council zoned that area for general industry, and an abandoned American Army dump was cleared for the Olympic tyre factory. Its production assembly began in 1950. Somewhat late, the Geebung primary school was opened in 1953. A Catholic primary school followed in 1964. The population of Geebung and neighbouring Zillmere increased from just over 7000 people to nearly 18,000 during 1954-66.

Geebung, a mature postwar suburb, has had a slight decline in population since the 1980s. It has a large industrial estate north-east of the railway line, and regional shopping is found outside Geebung at the Chermside drive-in centre and the Aspley centre, both to the west. Local shops in Newman Road serve the immediate community. Gern's ham factory (1895), adjoining Downfall Creek, has a factory-outlet shop. Geebung's census populations have been:

Between 1954 and 1971 the Geebung census area included Zillmere and part of Aspley.