Bus drivers live in Forest Lake, lawyers in New Farm. So what suburb do architects call home?
By Craig Butt and Marissa Calligeros
Not everyone could live sandwiched between their parents, but that is exactly what architects Lara Nobel and Andrew Carter are doing.
The couple bought a block in Highgate Hill with Andrew’s parents, renovated its existing cottage, then built a two-bedroom granny flat for themselves and their two children Charlie, 7, and Max, 5.
Lara’s parents live over the back fence.
Architects Lara Nobel and Andrew Carter in their 78-square-metre granny flat.Credit: Markus Ravik
This was their solution to housing affordability, and the architects relished the challenge of building on a sloping inner-city block in the suburb where Lara grew up and where they both spent their university years living in large share houses.
Perhaps the challenge of carving out homes on unique parcels of land is what attracts so many architects to their area. (Lara and Andrew’s granny flat is just 78 square metres.)
The inner-city suburbs of West End and Highgate Hill are home to the most number of architects (68) in Brisbane, according to analysis of census data that pinpoints the most common suburb of residence in the state for more than 1000 different jobs.
Lara and Andrew’s granny flat makes the most of the outdoor space on their sloping block.Credit: Markus Ravik
“I reckon architects tend to be a pretty idealistic sort of bunch – some of us, at least – and there’s a lovely sense of community here. And the benefits of living close to the city are obvious,” Andrew said.
“There’s also some interesting housing typologies.”
Lara agreed. “You can look at a rundown cottage … and think ‘I can make it work’,” she said.
“There’s also the flood zone down the bottom [of West End] and there are quite a few architects who have been able to make houses work there.”
West End has long been a magnet for creative types. The riverside suburb is also home to the most graphic designers (50), musicians (19) and web designers (14).
It boasts the highest number of professional dancers and choreographers (20), many of whom live close to the Queensland Ballet’s Thomas Dixon Centre on Montague Road. It also houses the most marketing specialists (133) and economists (14).
Elsewhere in Brisbane, Albany Creek is home to the most police officers (91); Camp Hill has the most PR professionals (39) and footballers (11); New Farm has the most lawyers; and Sunnybank Hills has the most dentists (46).
Indooroopilly could be the city’s engineering hub, as it is home to the most mechanical, electrical and industrial engineers.
What about your job? To find out, type it into the box below and follow the prompt to our interactive. It starts by taking you through the typical earnings for your occupation, before showing you how many people do the same job as you in your suburb, as well as the suburb that comes out top of the list for your profession. Give it a shot:
Let’s take a tour of south-east Queensland to see which suburb comes out on top for each job.
Where are you likely to find the most beauty therapists, or the most teachers? Where do the most anaesthetists live?
Inner Brisbane
Inside the Brisbane CBD’s towering apartment buildings live the largest number of software engineers in Queensland (118).
The CBD is also home to the most information and communication security specialists (24) and software testers (21), and there are also nine physicists here.
Less than five kilometres away – a short commute from Brisbane’s court precinct – is the riverside suburb of New Farm, home to the most solicitors (230), barristers (39) and magistrates (7).
Brisbane suburbs
Property prices provide a good indication of the professional divide between Brisbane’s inner and outer suburbs.
Inner Brisbane is preferred by professionals – medical specialists, and business and legal types – while the outer suburbs are home to those working in trades and essential services.
West of the city, Ashgrove has the most anaesthetists (21), while The Gap has the most psychiatrists (14).
Capalaba has the most air-conditioning and refrigeration mechanics (48) and posties (24), while Forest Lake has the most bus drivers (78) and ministers of religion (32) and Inala has the most beauty therapists (255).
Caboolture has the most aged care workers and disabled carers (456) and truck drivers (287).
Sunshine Coast
Now, let’s take a drive up the Bruce Highway to the lush Sunshine Coast hinterland town of Buderim, just 10 minutes’ drive from Maroochydore beach and home to the Ginger Factory.
There are 69 jobs for which Buderim is the top suburb.
It houses the most carpenters, electricians, general practitioners, physiotherapists, paramedics, dieticians, pilots and police detectives in the state.
Buderim could also be Queensland’s education capital – with no less than 300 secondary school teachers, 240 primary school teachers, 48 special needs teachers, and 47 principals.
Justine Stewart, an art teacher at Siena Catholic College, is among them.
“I have to drive past three schools to get to my school in the morning, yet I still only have a 10-minute commute,” she said.
“The cultural and sporting opportunities on the Sunshine Coast are also first-rate, so it’s a natural place to locate if you want to easily participate in school and community life without having to travel too far.”
Gold Coast
Finally, let’s head down the M1 to the beaches of the state’s second-biggest city.
The Gold Coast might not be considered the epicentre of Queensland’s coffee culture, but it is home to the most baristas. Nearly 120 live in Southport, alongside 161 restaurant managers.
Surfers Paradise boasts the most number of chefs, commercial cleaners and hotel managers. It also has the most hairdressers (108), dental assistants (67) and massage therapists (67).
Upper Coomera has the most childcare workers (236), boat builders and repairers (51) and landscape gardeners (50).
Hope Island has the most CEOs with 183 – although anyone who is the head of a small business can call themselves a chief executive in the census.
With Felicity Caldwell