Sunnybank Hills, a residential suburb immediately south of Beenleigh Road, Sunnybank, is 15 km south of central Brisbane.
It was part of the Sunnybank fruit growing and plant nursery area and was named in 1971. By the mid-1970s much of the rural character was being rolled back as new housing was built. Pinelands Plaza shopping centre on Beenleigh Road was opened in 1976, and ten years later Sunnybank Hills Shoppingtown at the far south of the suburb was opened. It has a Pick 'n Pay store and 75 other shops.
Sunnybank Hills was one of the frontiers of new housing styles; the Suncrest Gardens display centre (1985) had 28 houses open for inspection. As the suburb matured the Brisbane News observed that 'If you like Queenslanders, Sunnybank Hills is not the place for you.' Low set brick superseded high set brick styles, each in turn outdone by lavish two storey structures. Residents of East Asian origin constituted 18.1% of Sunnybank Hills' population at the 2011 census.
Sunnybank Hills has rail access to central Brisbane, proximity to the Gateway Motorway and travel by Beaudesert Road to the business areas at Rocklea and Archerfield.
In addition to a State primary school (1979) there are State secondary schools in Sunnybank, Calamvale and Runcorn and a Catholic primary school in Sunnybank. Sunnybank Hills' census populations have been:
| Census Date | Population |
|---|---|
| 1976 | 4365 |
| 1981 | 7352 |
| 1986 | 10,699 |
| 1991 | 12,789 |
| 2001 | 15,470 |
| 2006 | 16,109 |
| 2011 | 16,830 |
Sunnybank entry
