Mackenzie, a residential and rural/residential suburb, is 13 km south-east of central Brisbane. It was named after Colonel W. Mackenzie, a sugar planter on the Bulimba Creek, about two km north-west in present day Carindale.
Before being named in 1975, Mackenzie was a rural area divided between Rochedale and Belmont. The most prominent local landmark was Mount Petrie (170 m), named after Tom Petrie. The rural Mount Petrie School on Mount Gravatt-Capalaba Road was opened in 1955.
Bulimba Creek was the suburb's western boundary until the opening of the Gateway motorway (1986) which became a substitute boundary. Proximity to both the motorway and its interchange with the Mount Gravatt Road led to the Gainsborough Park estate (1994) which comprised over 400 house lots, from 400 to over 2000 sq metres. The estate adjoins the Mount Petrie School and has open spaces with wetlands. There is a large bush land reserve north of the estate leading to Mount Petrie.
Mackenzie has the Wesleyan Southgate church and a Baptist church. Shopping is in Wishart, just beyond the motorway. For census purposes Mackenzie was combined with neighbouring Belmont and their populations were 4103 in 2001. The census population of Mackenzie in 2006 was 1728 and in 2011 was 1844.
