Parkinson is a residential suburb on the southern municipal boundary of the City of Brisbane. Immediately south of the boundary is Logan City's suburbs of Browns Plains and Hillcrest. Parkinson was formally named in 1972 after Henry Parkinson, a railway engineer. (The Brisbane-Sydney railway line defines Parkinson's western boundary before passing through the Parkinson Bushland and Glider Forest.)
Residential settlement in Parkinson began in the mid-1990s on its northern boundary, with estates either side of the Sheep Station Gully linear park. The park's watercourse flows north through Algester to Oxley Creek.
At the eastern end of Nottingham Road, Parkinson's northern boundary, there are the Calamvale Marketplace and the Parkinson Plaza Shopping Centre (supermarket and 12 shops).
On Parkinson's eastern boundary and on the southern edge of its built-up area there are Beaudesert Road and the Logan Motorway. Either can take residents to more comprehensive shopping at Browns Plains or Logan Central. Travel outside Parkinson is also needed for education.
South of the Logan Motorway there is the Parkinson Bushland, with Southlink Business Park protruding into its south-east corner.
Parkinson's census populations have been:
| Census Date | Population |
|---|---|
| 1981 | 88 |
| 1991 | 155 |
| 1996 | 2428 |
| 2001 | 6191 |
| 2006 | 9281 |
| 2011 | 9539 |
