Ascot

History

Historically, the land was occupied by the Aboriginal Turrbal clan. The Turrbal called the area Yowoggerra, meaning corroboree place. The clan had camping grounds on the north side of the Brisbane River around the Breakfast Creek area. It was at Breakfast Creek that explorers Oxley and Cunningham met members of the clan in 1824. The clan was often called the 'Duke of York's clan' by whites. In 1858 two Aborigines, Dalinkua and Dalpie from the Breakfast Creek area, wrote letters to The Moreton Bay Courier protesting against the treatment their people. Convicts were used in the 1830s to clear land and build basic roads. Within a decade wealthy free settlers took land with a view of the Brisbane River. In 1855, pastoralist James Sutherland purchased a large portion of land in the Brisbane area, including Ascot and its surrounds. He built one of Ascot's surviving and historically listed homes, Windermere. Bartleys Hill was named after writer Nehemiah Bartley who owned land in the area. Due to the popularity of the horse races, in 1882 a railway line branch was extended from Eagle Junction to the Eagle Farm Racecourse in Ascot. In June 1892, the "Lancaster Gardens Estate", consisting of 196 allotments, was advertised to be auctioned by Arthur Martin & Co. Limited, auctioneers. A map advertising the auction states the properties are opposite the racecourse and close to Racecourse Railway Station. It was originally the magnificent property known as Lancaster's Pineapple Gardens. St Margaret's Anglican Girls' School opened in 1895. In 1899, the first electric tram service was extended to Ascot. Trams which ran from Hamilton along Racecourse Road, Lancaster Road and terminated in Alexandra Road continued until 1969. During World War II, several buildings were used by…

Geography

Ascot is characterised by large Queenslander homes and is located approximately north-east of Brisbane GPO. Ascot is best known for its beautiful old homes, the picturesque poinciana tree lined shopping area of Racecourse Road (), and for the Eagle Farm () and Doomben () racecourses popular for racing carnivals. Over a third of the suburb is taken up by Doomben and its related outer buildings, Eagle Farm and Doomben racecourses. Bartleys Hill is in the south-west of the suburb () and is above sea level.

Most-observed species

• Torresian Crow

  Corvus orru Bonaparte, 1850 · Aves
  281
• Australian Magpie

  Gymnorhina tibicen (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  261
• Australian Brushturkey

  Alectura lathami J.E.Gray, 1831 · Aves
  230
• Magpie-lark

  Grallina cyanoleuca (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  213
• Eastern Whipbird

  Psophodes olivaceus (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  181
• Galah

  Eolophus roseicapilla (Vieillot, 1817) · Aves
  180
• Pied Currawong

  Strepera graculina (Shaw, 1790) · Aves
  179
• Willie-wagtail

  Rhipidura leucophrys (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  178