Morningside
Are you looking to purchase a home or investment property in Morningside? How do you determine if this is the right suburb for you? As Morningside Buyers Agents we have made it easy for you by compiling information about the suburb that is important to know when considering this suburb for your home or investment purchase.
Geography
Morningside is located approximately 5km east of the Brisbane CBD. The area is attractive for professional couples and families with its proximity to the city and mix of residential housing, commercial, and parkland property. The area has a relaxed village atmosphere and plenty of retail areas, particularly along Wynnum Road which runs through the suburb.
There are many post-war houses that are either being renovated or removed and new executive homes are being built in their place by young professionals and families moving into the area. There are also quite a few apartments and townhouses in Morningside that are popular with younger professionals.
There are good schools and quite a few diverse parks in the area. The most desirable pockets to buy property are in quiet, elevated streets with an outlook.
Morningside has three heritage-listed sites:
- the former Commonwealth Acetate of Lime Factory
- Balmoral Fire Station
- the Morningside Air Raid Shelter
There is also the Balmoral Cemetery which was opened in 1875 at the corner of Wynnum and Bennetts Road. It sits up high on the hill overlooking the area. It’s no longer an active cemetery but has a large number of historic graves dating back to its opening in 1875.
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Transport
Morningside has it’s own train station which connects to the Cleveland Railway line – Morningside station – making it easy for commuters to get into the city and out to the airport.
The suburb also benefits from its close proximity to the city and the M1 for access to the Gateway Motorway. You can have a look at the bus routes on the Translink website.
Education
There are a few early childhood and kindergarten options in Morningside:
- Morningside Kinder Haven
- The Learning Sanctuary Morningside
- Little + Co
- Goodstart Morningside Wynnum Road
- Kindred Early Education
The local primary schools for Morningside are Morningside State School and for the eastern part of the suburb, Cannon Hill State School. It’s alway important to check the catchment for a particular address if you’re focussed on your child/children attending a particular school.
You can search for the school catchment by address here and read more in-depth about these zones in our blog How to Find the Best School Catchment Zone in Brisbane.
Balmoral State High School is the closest local state school. There are also various private schools such as Cannon Hill Anglican College, St Oliver Plunkett School, and St Peter and Paul’s School. You can search for other schools at the Good Schools Guide website here.
Amenities
Morningside has plenty of cafes, restaurants, and retail areas at various locations, particularly on the main roads. For reviews of some of the cafes have a look at mustdobrisbane.com.
On Junction Road, there is Morningside Central Shopping Centre and Morningside Plaza both with big grocery shops plus a range of smaller stores, hairdressers, and medical practices.
The Colmslie Hotel is also located in Morningside and is not only a local pub and hotel but also hosts functions, conferences and meetings.
Other amenities include the Morningside Tennis Centre, the Colmslie Aquatic Centre, and State Hockey Centre (both the aquatic centre and hockey centre are located in the Colmslie Reserve – see below).
Green Space
Colmslie Reserve – Morningside is a suburb with up to 15 different parks and playgrounds of varying sizes. The largest of these is the Colmslie Recreation Reserve. Colmslie Reserve is located at the end of Col Gardner Drive – off Lytton Road. The park is has amenities such as barbecues, picnic areas, playgrounds, a boating and fishing precinct complete with boat ramp and fishing platform as well as a dog off-leash area and sandy beach.
Balmoral Park on Wynnum Road is the next biggest at 11.85 hectares. It is adjacent to the historic Balmoral Cemetery and as well as having playground and picnic facilities, it also houses the African House used as abase for the Queensland African Communities Council and available for hire for functions by the general community. This is only a 600 metre walk from the Morningside train station.
You can find more information about the parks in Morningside on the BrisParks website and the Brisbane City Council website here.
Located on York Street on 4000m2 the Beelarong Community Farm is committed to sustainable, organic community farming. Their Mission is:
To encourage, educate, share and nurture interest in sustainable living by creating a vibrant community farm within an urban environment.
You can become a member, rent an allotment to grow your own food, volunteer or participate in workshops when available. Click here for their website for more information.
Employment Hubs
Locals living in Morningside either work in the local retail areas and schools, commute to the CBD or to various employment hubs in neighbouring suburbs such as Bulimba.
Morningside is 22.6km to the Airport via the Airport Link.
Typical Property Style
Morningside typically has Queenslanders and post-war weatherboard homes on larger blocks as well as many units and townhouses. Morningside has more affordable opportunities to buy into the area compared with its high-end neighbouring suburbs of Hawthorne, Balmoral and Bulimba. There are very few properties with a traditional character overlay. As the post-war homes are ripe for a big renovation or demolition there are also new homes on 405m2 blocks being built in the suburb as it becomes increasingly popular for young professionals and families due to its proximity to the city and Bulimba.
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Demographics
Morningside is a wealthy area with the weekly family income from 2021 at $3,152 (Queensland avg. $1,894). According to SQM research, the percentage of owner-occupiers is at 12.88% and 43.88% for renters.
The top 3 life stages for people living in Morningside are:
- Independent Youth – 25.4% (Couples, Singles and Homesharers under 35);
- Maturing and Established Independence – 18.4% (Singles and Homesharers aged 35-54); and
- Maturing couples and families – 11.6% (Families, Couples, Extended Families and Single Parents aged 35-44).
Most Desirable Area
The most desirable areas in Morningside are elevated in quiet streets with city views or an outlook over the area to the Gateway Bridge. Being close to parks is also attractive for families. Some of the elevated streets or close to a park in Morningside include Horsington Street, Pinedale Street, parts of Britannia Avenue, Julian Street, Simpson Street, Richmond Road and Elwell Street. (Please note, this is not a conclusive list.)
Least Desirable Area
The least desirable areas in Morningside are on the main roads and next to the train line due to the noise. The map below shows the areas affected by road and train noise.
You should also be aware that Morningside does have regular flights passing overhead. The suburb itself is just outside of the airport noise overlay. You can read more in depth information on the impacts of flight path noise on property in our blog here.
Due to the proximity to the Brisbane River, there are also many areas that are at risk of flooding. Always check the flood risk for a property before purchasing as this can affect your ability to gain insurance cover. Flooding can be rare event but as we’ve seen in recent years it can be very damaging.
Median Price Values
The median price value for houses in Morningside as at December 2024 is $1,280,000 with the upper quartile price at $1,662,500 and the lower quartile price sitting at $987,500.
The median price value for units is $735,000 with the upper quartile price at $781,000 and the lower quartile price sitting at $618,500.
Suburb Growth
The capital growth rate for Morningside over the last 5 years to December 2024 has been 78.4% for houses and 72,3% for units.
The rental property vacancy rate according to SQM research at December 2024 was 1%.
Conclusion
You can find out up to date news for the area and local interest stories at Morningside News here.
There is also the Morningside/Cannon Hill/Norman Park/Seven Hills Community Facebook Group where you can find out current information on the areas and ask questions of residents.
I hope this information has been helpful in your quest to buy your next property in Morningside. If you need further help to secure a property in this location we can help, please reach out by booking a discovery call through the link below to your Morningside buyers agents.