Saunter through Spring Hill Heritage Trail

The Saunter through Spring Hill Heritage Trail winds along the inner-city suburb's narrow streets, with its rows of modest 19th Century cottages. The trail provides a snapshot of the area's rich history, sites and events, such as:

early European settlement
the Spring Hill Baths
World War II
the Plague.

Download:

You can also download the following brochures for the Old Windmill Tower and Spring Hill Service Reservoirs in your preferred format:

Saunter through Spring Hill Heritage Trail map and table

There are 21 points of interest along the 3.2 kilometre Saunter through Spring Hill Heritage Trail. It begins at the Lady Bowen Hospital on Wickham Terrace, then proceeds down to Boundary Street and along picturesque Fortescue Street. It winds down the hill to Water Street and up to Rogers Street. After passing the impressive Villa Maria Hostel, the trail travels into historic Gloucester Street and ends at the Alliance Hotel on the corner of Leichhardt and Boundary Streets.

For more information about each point of interest, download the Saunter Through Spring Hill Heritage Trail brochure in your preferred format. The brochure map includes additional information such as the location of public transport, public toilets and access for people with limited mobility (by way of gradient ranges). Some sections of this trail are steep and may not be accessible for people with limited mobility.

Use the Google map and information boxes to navigate the heritage trail. Alternatively, use the heritage trail table below, which includes the point of interest number, name, address and description. The start point of the trail (on the map) is marked with a 'person' icon.

Map of Saunter through Spring Hill Heritage Trail points of interest including columns with number, name, address and description.
Number	Name	Address	Description
1.	Lady Bowen Hospital	497 Wickham Terrace	Built in 1889 to help expectant mothers.
2.	Boundary Street	Boundary Street	Original town boundary.
3.	Spring Hill Baths	16 Torrington Street	These baths are the last remaining covered baths in Australia.
4.	The Lady in Blue	122 Fortescue Street	This is the former site of the Presbyterian Mission Hall where Deaconess May Walker helped Spring Hill's poor.
5.	Park Terrace	130-146 Fortescue Street	This row of 1880s cottages was built as rental investments and called 'Park Terrace'.
6.	Victoria Park	454 Gregory Terrace	This historic park was first gazetted in 1875.
7.	Gregory Terrace Officers' Camp	454 Gregory Terrace	During World War II this was the site of the Gregory Terrace Officers' Camp.
8.	Mrs Long's cottage	116 Issac Street	This is one of Brisbane's tiniest houses.
9.	Spring Hollow	Water Street	The valley where Water Street now runs was originally called Spring Hollow.
10.	Spring Hill Quarry	33 Quarry Street	This quarry supplied stone for much of Spring Hill's late 19th Century street improvements.
11.	A kingdom of happiness	8 Love Street	This park was established in the 1930s for disadvantaged children.
12.	Rogers and Victoria Streets	134 St Pauls Terrace	These are two of Spring Hill's most picturesque streets.
13.	The plague	St Pauls Terrace	The first case of bubonic plague struck Spring Hill in May 1900.
14.	Villa Maria Hostel	171 St Pauls Terrace	This beautiful building was built in the 1920s for the Sisters of Perpetual Adoration.
15.	Thornbury Street cottages	1-15 Thornbury Street	These 1870s cottages are a rare example of this style of housing in Brisbane.
16.	Dahrl Court	43 Phillips Street	This set of architecturally designed flats was built in 1936.
17.	Gloucester Street	Gloucester Street	Gloucester Street has several important examples of 19th Century duplexes.
18.	Spring Hill's larrikins	St Pauls Terrace	The 'larrikin' emerged in Brisbane in late 19th Century and groups of them caused havoc in Spring Hill.
19.	Former site of the Hospital for Sick Children	43 St Pauls Terrace	This was the former site of Brisbane's first children's hospital.
20.	Leichhardt Street	289 Boundary Street	The Spring Hill Picture Palace previously stood on the corner of Leichhardt and Boundary Streets.
21.	Alliance Hotel	320 Boundary Street	There has been a hotel on this site from as early as 1864.

Last updated: 9 January 2023

Topics: spring hill heritage trail