Bowen Hills Suburb Profile and Insights
Report Date: October 2026
Postcode: 4006 (Queensland)
Bowen Hills is a rapidly evolving inner Brisbane suburb where contemporary apartment living, major employment and entertainment precincts and pockets of much older residential character sit within a few kilometres of the CBD. The Brisbane Showgrounds and King Street have become a major focus for newer housing, dining and events, while elevated streets around Jordan Terrace and Cintra Road preserve a very different side of the suburb with older houses and established greenery.
For residents, Bowen Hills offers exceptional access to rail, Fortitude Valley, Newstead and the major health and employment precinct at neighbouring Herston. Perry Park, Bowen Park, the Old Museum and the Showgrounds give the suburb considerably more community and cultural identity than its busy roads and rail infrastructure might initially suggest. Housing is strongly apartment-oriented, but the precise character of a property can change markedly according to which part of Bowen Hills it occupies.
Bowen Hills has 7 parks. The predominant age group is 25-29 years.
The area of Bowen Hills is 1.6 square kilometres. It has a population of approximately 4,898 people.
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Summary
Suburb Area | 1.6 km² |
Predominant Age Group | 25-29 years |
Understanding how median price is calculated and interpreted can provide deeper insight into how typical transactions are reflected in suburb statistics. Learn more about median price.
Understanding housing tenure can provide deeper insight into how ownership structure influences stability, lending conditions, and market behaviour. Learn more about housing tenure.
Understanding dwelling structure can provide deeper insight into neighbourhood character, density patterns, redevelopment potential, and how housing supply influences long-term market behaviour.
Lending Considerations
 Estimated Lending Sensitivity | Possible - Tighter Lending Conditions May Apply |
An indicative view of how lenders may assess property security in this suburb based on market characteristics such as liquidity, housing mix, supply levels, and price stability. These factors may influence lending conditions including loan-to-value ratios (LVR), valuation approaches, and overall lender appetite. Individual lending outcomes vary by lender, property, and personal circumstances. This information is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Buyers should confirm lending conditions with their lender, broker, or financial professional before making decisions. Learn how location affects lending.
Suburb Features
Parks | 7 |
 Suburb Type | Inner City |
 Suburb Position/Trajectory | Established Residential |
 Lifestyle Category | Urban Inner |
 Market Maturity | Urban Core |
 Train Station | Has a Train Station |
Local Schools Near Bowen Hills
Combined Primary & Secondary
Angelorum College (Fortitude Valley)
All Hallows' School (Brisbane)
St Margaret's Anglican Girls School (Ascot)
St Joseph's College (Brisbane)
St James College (Brisbane)
Brisbane Grammar School (Brisbane)
St Rita's College (Clayfield)
Compass Independent School (Kelvin Grove)
Kelvin Grove State College
Primary Schools
New Farm State School
Brisbane Central State School
Windsor State School
Ascot State School
Holy Spirit School (New Farm)
Holy Cross School (Wooloowin)
Bulimba State School
St Agatha's Primary School (Clayfield)
Sts Peter and Paul's School (Bulimba)
St Columba's Primary School (Wilston)
Secondary Schools
Fortitude Valley State Secondary College
Humanitas High School (Fortitude Valley)
Music Industry College (Fortitude Valley)
The Industry School - Brisbane (Spring Hill)
Brisbane Girls Grammar School (Gregory Tce - Brisbane)
Queensland Academy for Creative Industries
School Information: Copyright © State of Queensland (Department of Education) 2026. School information is provided for general reference only. Parents and carers should confirm enrolment eligibility, catchment areas, and enrolment requirements directly with the relevant school or education authority, as policies and boundaries may change.
Notable Bowen Hills Streets
King Street
Apartments, dining, showgrounds activity and pedestrian movement give King Street the clearest lifestyle identity in Bowen Hills. It sits within the Brisbane Showgrounds precinct, where cafes, restaurants, hotels and higher-density living have created a very different feel from the suburb's older industrial edges. For buyers, the appeal is inner-city convenience, walkable food options and proximity to Fortitude Valley, Newstead and the city fringe.
Abbotsford Road
Bowen Hills Station gives this road a strong commuter and apartment-market role. It carries a mix of rail access, office buildings, older commercial uses and newer residential development, making it one of the suburb's most practical addresses for city-side movement. For buyers and renters, the interest is transport first, with fast access to rail lines, employment areas and nearby lifestyle precincts.
Brookes Street
Apartment towers, early education, small businesses and access toward the showgrounds give this street a strong inner-city residential character. It is close to King Street and the broader Fortitude Valley edge, but still sits within the Bowen Hills apartment market rather than a traditional house suburb. For buyers, the appeal is walkability, city proximity and a growing supply of higher-density housing close to food, events and transport.
Campbell Street
High-rise apartments, hospital-side access and showgrounds proximity give this street a strong investor and inner-city living profile. It sits in a part of Bowen Hills where larger apartment buildings have become a major part of the streetscape, close to the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Exhibition Station and surrounding employment nodes. The street reflects Bowen Hills as a compact urban suburb shaped by apartments, jobs and short travel times.
Detailed Insights
Bowen Hills is one of Brisbane’s most varied inner-city suburbs. Large apartment buildings, railway infrastructure, offices, heritage places, sporting grounds, the Brisbane Showgrounds and small pockets of older houses all occupy a relatively compact area. For someone considering property here, understanding those different precincts is much more useful than treating Bowen Hills as one uniform apartment market.
The most visible transformation has occurred around the Brisbane Showgrounds. The long-running regeneration of this historic precinct has introduced apartments, offices, a hotel, the Royal International Convention Centre and King Street while retaining the Showgrounds as the home of the Ekka and numerous other events. King Street now provides restaurants, cafes and specialty businesses at street level, creating one of the few parts of Bowen Hills where newer apartment living is directly combined with a recognisable dining and pedestrian precinct.
Apartments around King Street, Brookes Street, Machinery Street and the wider Showgrounds area therefore offer a distinctly inner-city lifestyle. Residents can walk to dining, entertainment and events and continue south into Fortitude Valley or east towards Newstead. The trade-off is that the Showgrounds is an active events precinct, so the atmosphere can change considerably when the Ekka, festivals, exhibitions and other large events are underway. For apartment buyers, orientation within a building, parking arrangements, outlook, body corporate records and proximity to event spaces can be just as relevant as the building’s distance from the CBD.
A second apartment and employment-oriented pocket extends towards Campbell Street, Wren Street and Bowen Bridge Road. This part of Bowen Hills sits beside the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital and wider Herston health and research precinct, creating a substantial nearby employment base and a steady flow of workers and visitors. Apartments here can be attractive to residents who work around Herston or the inner city, while medical offices and other commercial uses contribute to a busier weekday environment.
Bowen Hills also retains a much older residential layer that is easy to overlook. The elevated land around Jordan Terrace, Cintra Road, Boyd Street and adjoining streets was desirable residential territory well before Bowen Hills became heavily commercialised. A number of substantial nineteenth and early twentieth-century houses survive in this area, together with later houses and smaller residential buildings. Mature vegetation, sloping streets and elevated positions give these pockets a surprisingly different atmosphere from the apartment towers only a short distance away.
Detached houses are now a relatively specialised part of the Bowen Hills property market rather than its defining housing form. Older homes may bring character, established gardens and unusual inner-city positions, but heritage controls, character considerations, steep sites and surrounding redevelopment can all be relevant depending on the individual property. Their scarcity also means they should not be used as a guide to the suburb’s wider housing experience, which is overwhelmingly shaped by apartments and mixed-use development.
Around Bowen Hills railway station and Abbotsford Road, transport infrastructure has an even stronger influence. Residential buildings sit among railway lines, offices, older commercial premises and major roads. The convenience is obvious for residents who commute by train, but individual buildings can differ considerably in their exposure to rail activity and traffic. Walking routes to the station also vary because railway infrastructure divides parts of the suburb and limits the number of direct crossings.
Farther north, the Mayne rail yards occupy a substantial area and reinforce Bowen Hills’ long-standing transport role. This part of the suburb is less residential and contains railway, commercial and employment land alongside major transport corridors. Cross River Rail works have also involved the Mayne Yard precinct, continuing a pattern in which transport investment has repeatedly reshaped the northern part of Bowen Hills.
Planning policy expects Bowen Hills to continue changing. A large part of the suburb falls within the Bowen Hills Priority Development Area, which was established to support a significant mixed-use urban precinct close to public transport and the CBD. This means redevelopment is not simply an occasional feature of Bowen Hills but an important part of its longer-term character. Apartment buyers may therefore find that surrounding sites, views and streetscapes continue to evolve over time.
The suburb nevertheless contains landmarks that give it a strong identity. The Brisbane Showgrounds has been part of Queensland public life for generations, while the Old Museum remains one of the area’s most distinctive buildings. Bowen Park provides an established garden setting near Bowen Bridge Road, and Perry Park is a long-standing football and sporting venue. Our Lady of Victories Church and historic houses such as Cintra House and Miegunyah add another layer to a suburb that contains far more heritage than its modern skyline suggests.
Bowen Hills consequently offers several quite different versions of inner-city living. Someone choosing an apartment above or near King Street is buying into dining, events and a newer mixed-use neighbourhood. An apartment closer to Bowen Hills station places rail convenience at the centre of daily life. Housing around Campbell Street is closely connected with the Herston medical precinct, while the elevated residential streets retain a quieter and older character. Those differences make building and street selection unusually important when comparing property within Bowen Hills.
Lifestyle
Life in Bowen Hills is distinctly inner-city, but it is less one-dimensional than the abundance of apartments and transport infrastructure might suggest. Much of daily life takes place across a network of neighbouring precincts, with Fortitude Valley, Newstead, Herston and the CBD all close enough to feel like extensions of the local area.
King Street has given Bowen Hills a more obvious neighbourhood gathering point. Its restaurants, cafes and specialty businesses operate throughout the year rather than only when the Showgrounds is hosting an event, allowing residents of the surrounding apartments to eat out or meet friends without leaving the immediate precinct. The mix of apartments, workplaces, hotel accommodation and event activity also means the street can feel animated at different times of the day and week.
The Brisbane Showgrounds gives the suburb a community identity that few inner-city neighbourhoods can replicate. The Ekka temporarily transforms the area each year, while exhibitions, festivals, food events and other gatherings bring people into the precinct throughout the calendar. Living nearby means having major events within walking distance, although residents choosing properties immediately around the Showgrounds will naturally experience more event-day movement and activity than those in quieter parts of Bowen Hills.
Perry Park provides a different type of local activity, with football and community sport giving the northern side of the suburb an established recreation focus. Bowen Park is much smaller and more contemplative, with mature gardens providing a green pause beside the busy inner-city road network. The Old Museum contributes another cultural presence and helps connect present-day Bowen Hills with the suburb’s long association with exhibitions, performance and public gatherings.
Residents also benefit from being close to some of Brisbane’s strongest surrounding lifestyle precincts. Fortitude Valley provides live music, restaurants, bars and entertainment immediately to the south, while James Street and Newstead offer another concentration of dining, retail and services nearby. Larger supermarket shopping is generally easier in these surrounding precincts than within the heart of Bowen Hills itself.
For people working in health, research or education around Herston, Bowen Hills can make everyday life particularly convenient. The Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital precinct is immediately adjoining, and walking from parts of Bowen Hills can be more practical than commuting from a conventional suburban location. The CBD and Fortitude Valley employment areas are similarly close.
The older residential streets provide the suburb’s quieter counterpoint. Around Jordan Terrace and the elevated slopes, mature trees, historic houses and views create a more traditional residential atmosphere. These streets demonstrate that Bowen Hills existed as a desirable residential location long before apartment towers became dominant and give the suburb a sense of continuity that newer urban-renewal precincts often lack.
Bowen Hills works best for people comfortable with an urban lifestyle. Private yards are uncommon in the main apartment precincts, and daily life is more likely to involve walking to restaurants, catching a train, using shared building facilities or travelling a short distance to larger parks and recreation areas. In return, residents have an exceptional concentration of employment, dining, transport, culture and entertainment within a relatively small radius.
Travel
Transport is one of Bowen Hills’ defining advantages. Bowen Hills railway station is a major inner-north junction with services connecting through Brisbane’s suburban rail network, giving residents convenient access to the CBD and destinations in several directions. For apartments close to the station, rail can form the backbone of daily commuting rather than simply an occasional alternative to driving.
Exhibition station provides a second railway facility within Bowen Hills, although it currently operates for major events rather than as a normal year-round station. The station has been substantially rebuilt as part of Cross River Rail. Current project planning expects it to become a year-round station when trains begin operating through the Cross River Rail tunnels, presently expected in 2029. That change will be particularly important for residents around the Showgrounds and Campbell Street and for workers travelling to the neighbouring Herston health precinct.
Bus services operate through the major road corridors and connect Bowen Hills with the CBD and surrounding inner suburbs. Fortitude Valley’s broader public transport network is also within easy reach from the southern side of Bowen Hills, giving some residents several practical choices for reaching the city without a car.
Road access is equally extensive. Bowen Bridge Road provides a direct route towards the CBD and northern suburbs, while Abbotsford Road, Breakfast Creek Road and surrounding streets connect towards Albion, Newstead and the airport-side road network. The Inner City Bypass passes through the area and provides connections across Brisbane’s inner north and towards major motorway routes.
These roads and railway lines are also part of the residential environment. Properties immediately beside arterial roads, rail corridors or the Mayne yards can experience quite different traffic and transport activity from apartments tucked farther into the Showgrounds precinct or houses on the elevated residential streets. The same infrastructure that makes Bowen Hills highly connected therefore makes exact building position particularly important.
Walking is practical for many daily trips. King Street residents can continue into Fortitude Valley and Newstead, while the hospital precinct is readily accessible from western parts of the suburb. The hilly terrain in some older residential areas and the barriers created by major roads and railway corridors mean straight-line distances do not always reflect the easiest pedestrian route.
Cycling and other forms of active transport are increasingly useful across the surrounding inner north. Connections towards Newstead, Breakfast Creek, the CBD and northern bikeways allow residents to reach a growing range of destinations without relying on the road network alone. For an inner-city suburb, Bowen Hills therefore offers an unusually broad combination of rail, bus, walking, cycling and road access.
Schools & Amenities
Bowen Hills does not contain a mainstream primary or secondary school, so families use schools in surrounding inner-northern suburbs. Nearby government options include Brisbane Central State School in Spring Hill, New Farm State School, Windsor State School and Fortitude Valley State Secondary College, although the applicable government school depends on the individual property address and current catchment arrangements.
The wider inner-city area also provides numerous Catholic and independent choices, including schools in Spring Hill, Fortitude Valley, New Farm, Ascot, Wilston and surrounding suburbs. Because Bowen Hills sits close to several suburb boundaries, the most convenient school is not necessarily the one that appears geographically closest, and families relying on a particular government school should confirm current enrolment eligibility before purchasing.
Early-learning and childcare services are available within Bowen Hills and the surrounding inner suburbs, which is useful for households with younger children despite the absence of a conventional school campus within the suburb.
King Street is the clearest local dining and service precinct, with restaurants, cafes and specialty businesses integrated into the Brisbane Showgrounds redevelopment. It provides a strong social focus but is not a conventional suburban shopping centre. Larger grocery and general retail choices are available nearby in Fortitude Valley, Newstead and the CBD, giving residents several directions for routine shopping.
Health services are a major strength of the location. The Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital and wider Herston health and research precinct sit immediately beside Bowen Hills, creating convenient access to hospital, specialist and research facilities as well as a substantial nearby employment centre. Medical and allied-health businesses are also established around Campbell Street and other parts of Bowen Hills.
The Brisbane Showgrounds is the suburb’s largest entertainment and events destination and includes the Royal International Convention Centre as well as numerous indoor and outdoor venues. King Street has developed alongside it as a year-round dining precinct, helping make the Showgrounds area active even between major events.
Perry Park provides one of Bowen Hills’ principal sporting spaces and has a long association with football, while Bowen Park offers mature gardens and a more passive form of recreation. The Old Museum remains an important cultural landmark, and nearby inner-city destinations considerably expand the available choices for parks, exercise, entertainment and community activity.
Bowen Hills therefore has a different amenity pattern from a conventional family suburb. Schools and large supermarkets generally sit beyond its boundary, while rail, employment, health care, dining, events and cultural facilities are unusually close. For residents attracted to inner-city apartment living, that concentration of destinations can make the surrounding neighbourhood feel considerably larger and more complete than the suburb boundary suggests.
Local Schools
Fortitude Valley State Secondary College
Distance: 0.93 km
State High School
Sector: State
Years: Year 7 – Year 12
Students: 822
585 St Pauls Terrace, Fortitude Valley
Phone: (07) 3016 8888
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Angelorum College (Fortitude Valley)
Distance: 1.35 km
Non-State School
Sector: Non-State (Independent)
Years: Prep Year – Year 10
Students: 64
377 St Pauls Terrace, Fortitude Valley
Phone: 1 800 749 247
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Humanitas High School (Fortitude Valley)
Distance: 1.37 km
Non-State School
Sector: Non-State (Independent)
Years: Year 7 – Year 11
Students: 62
148 Brunswick Street, Fortitude Valley
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Music Industry College (Fortitude Valley)
Distance: 1.50 km
Non-State School
Sector: Non-State (Independent)
Years: Year 11 – Year 12
Students: 90
38 Berwick Street, Fortitude Valley
Phone: (07) 3852 3074
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New Farm State School
Distance: 1.65 km
State School
Sector: State
Years: Prep Year – Year 6
Students: 539
Cnr James & Heal Streets, New Farm
Phone: (07) 3358 7333
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All Hallows' School (Brisbane)
Distance: 1.85 km
Non-State School
Sector: Non-State (Catholic)
Years: Year 5 – Year 12
Students: 1,702
547 Ann Street, Brisbane
Phone: (07) 3831 3100
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St Margaret's Anglican Girls School (Ascot)
Distance: 1.90 km
Non-State School
Sector: Non-State (Independent)
Years: Prep Year – Year 12
Students: 1,407
11 Petrie Street, Ascot
Phone: (07) 3862 0777
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St Joseph's College (Brisbane)
Distance: 2.01 km
Non-State School
Sector: Non-State (Catholic)
Years: Year 5 – Year 12
Students: 1,555
285 Gregory Terrace, Brisbane
Phone: (07) 3214 5200
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Brisbane Central State School
Distance: 2.02 km
State School
Sector: State
Years: Prep Year – Year 6
Students: 508
85 Rogers Street, Spring Hill
Phone: (07) 3230 4333
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Windsor State School
Distance: 2.04 km
State School
Sector: State
Years: Prep Year – Year 6
Students: 717
Harris Street, Windsor
Phone: (07) 3866 4333
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St James College (Brisbane)
Distance: 2.05 km
Non-State School
Sector: Non-State (Catholic)
Years: Year 5 – Year 12
Students: 903
201 Boundary Street, Brisbane
Phone: (07) 3230 8600
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Ascot State School
Distance: 2.08 km
State School
Sector: State
Years: Prep Year – Year 6
Students: 631
Pringle Street, Ascot
Phone: (07) 3326 9333
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Holy Spirit School (New Farm)
Distance: 2.19 km
Non-State School
Sector: Non-State (Catholic)
Years: Prep Year – Year 6
Students: 277
36 Villiers Street, New Farm
Phone: (07) 3358 2344
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Holy Cross School (Wooloowin)
Distance: 2.43 km
Non-State School
Sector: Non-State (Catholic)
Years: Prep Year – Year 6
Students: 102
40 Morris Street, Wooloowin
Phone: (07) 3857 2443
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Bulimba State School
Distance: 2.51 km
State School
Sector: State
Years: Prep Year – Year 6
Students: 612
Oxford Street, Bulimba
Phone: (07) 3395 9666
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The Industry School - Brisbane (Spring Hill)
Distance: 2.51 km
Non-State School
Sector: Non-State (Independent)
Years: Year 10 – Year 12
Students: 228
88 Leichhardt Street, Spring Hill
Phone: (07) 3153 5100
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Brisbane Girls Grammar School (Gregory Tce - Brisbane)
Distance: 2.55 km
Non-State School
Sector: Non-State (Independent)
Years: Year 7 – Year 12
Students: 1,556
Gregory Terrace, Brisbane
Phone: (07) 3332 1300
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St Agatha's Primary School (Clayfield)
Distance: 2.59 km
Non-State School
Sector: Non-State (Catholic)
Years: Prep Year – Year 6
Students: 354
6 Hunter Lane, Clayfield
Phone: (07) 3326 9222
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Brisbane Grammar School (Brisbane)
Distance: 2.70 km
Non-State School
Sector: Non-State (Independent)
Years: Year 5 – Year 12
Students: 1,959
24 Gregory Terrace, Brisbane
Phone: (07) 3834 5200
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Sts Peter and Paul's School (Bulimba)
Distance: 2.70 km
Non-State School
Sector: Non-State (Catholic)
Years: Prep Year – Year 6
Students: 609
33 Alexandra Street, Bulimba
Phone: (07) 3399 1281
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Queensland Academy for Creative Industries
Distance: 2.74 km
State High School
Sector: State
Years: Year 10 – Year 12
Students: 436
61 - 73 Musk Avenue, Kelvin Grove
Phone: (07) 3552 9333
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St Rita's College (Clayfield)
Distance: 2.77 km
Non-State School
Sector: Non-State (Catholic)
Years: Year 5 – Year 12
Students: 1,223
41 Enderley Road, Clayfield
Phone: (07) 3862 1615
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Compass Independent School (Kelvin Grove)
Distance: 2.89 km
Non-State School
Sector: Non-State (Independent)
Years: Prep Year – Year 9
Students: 32
8 Musk Avenue, Kelvin Grove
Phone: 0491 737 352
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Kelvin Grove State College
Distance: 2.91 km
State School
Sector: State
Years: Prep Year – Year 12
Students: 3,617
L'Estrange Terrace, Kelvin Grove
Phone: (07) 3552 7333
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St Columba's Primary School (Wilston)
Distance: 2.91 km
Non-State School
Sector: Non-State (Catholic)
Years: Prep Year – Year 6
Students: 543
Kedron Brook Road, Wilston
Phone: (07) 3356 9866
Visit Website
School Information: Copyright © State of Queensland (Department of Education) 2026. School information is provided for general reference only. Parents and carers should confirm enrolment eligibility, catchment areas, and enrolment requirements directly with the relevant school or education authority, as policies and boundaries may change.
Suburb Map
Streets In Bowen Hills
- Abbotsford Road
- Alexandria Street
- Allison Street
- Best Street
- Bowen Bridge Road
- Boyd Street
- Breakfast Creek Road
- Brewers Street
- Brookes Street
- Burrows Street
- Campbell Street
- Carriage Street
- Cintra Road
- Constance Street
- Costin Street
- Cowlishaw Street
- Down Street
- Dukinfield Street
- Dunlop Street
- Edgar Street
- Edmondstone Road
- Evans Street
- Exhibition Street
- Folkestone Street
- Gebbie Street
- Gregory Terrace
- Hadwen Lane
- Hamilton Place
- Hazelmount Street
- Hudd Street
- Hurworth Street
- Jamieson Street
- Jeays Street
- Jordan Terrace
- King Street
- Lanham Street
- Light Street
- Machinery Street
- Mallon Street
- Markwell Street
- Mayne Road
- Montpelier Road
- Murray Street
- O'Connell Terrace
- Pace Street
- Primrose Street
- Roche Avenue
- Serafini Place
- Sneyd Street
- St Pauls Terrace
- Symes Street
- Taylor Street
- Thompson Street
- Tufton Street
- Victoria Terrace
- Walden Lane
- Wickham Grove
- Wren Street
Disclaimer: This data was current as of October 2026. Some information is based on data from the last Australian Census and may not reflect more recent demographic or economic changes. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information provided, but we make no guarantees regarding its completeness or reliability. The data is presented for general informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. We are not liable for any errors, omissions, or consequences arising from its use. Users should verify details with relevant sources and seek professional advice where appropriate for the most accurate and up-to-date guidance.
