Lutwyche judged the place to live!

Lutwyche, one of Brisbane’s oldest suburbs, is undergoing a massive transformation to become one of the city’s fastest growing and liveable suburbs.

The Atrium Lutwyche – our exciting newly-opened retirement community at 15 High Street – is proudly part of the suburb’s revitalisation and began welcoming its first residents in February.

The name Lutwyche honours the first judge to the Supreme Court of Queensland, Alfred Lutwyche. Born in London in 1810, Judge Lutwyche was appointed to Supreme Court in 1859, the same time Queensland was granted self-government.

Lutwyche led an eventful life. As the eldest son of a leather merchant, he studied at Oxford before becoming a London barrister who moonlighted as a journalist. Lutwyche supplemented his wages in his early law career working on London’s Morning Chronicle where Charles Dickens was a co-worker.

He left England for a new life in Australia in 1853 on the ill-fated clipper Meridian that was shipwrecked on Amsterdam Island (halfway between Africa and Australia) during a fierce storm. The captain, the cook and a passenger died before Lutwyche and the other 83 passengers were rescued 12 days later by a whaler.

Lutwyche left his mark on Queensland. No shrinking violet, he freely and publicly criticised the government of the day, ensuring his rise as a popular public figure. He donated land on Lutwyche Road for the construction of the original St Andrew’s Church of England that opened in 1866. The timber building was replaced in 1926 by the current brick structure. Nearby, the beautiful heritage-listed property, Kedron Lodge (pictured) on Nelson St, Kalinga, was built for Judge Lutwyche and his family.

Lutwyche died in 1880 and is buried in the grounds of St Andrew’s. His grave, shared by his wife Mary Ann, remains a prominent feature of the churchyard.

The suburb of Lutwyche has long been a vital transportation link for Brisbane and further north. In 1860 a bridge was built over Enoggera Creek providing a northerly road from Brisbane via Bowen Bridge and Lutwyche roads. This road was the start of the route to the Gympie goldfields.

In 1914 a tramline from Brisbane City was extended along Lutwyche Road almost to Kedron Brook. A substantial shopping strip sprang up along Lutwyche’s tramline. Trams served the area until 1968. Lutwyche continues as a major inner-city transport hub with the opening of the Lutwyche Busway Station as part of the Northern Busway in 2012.

One of the suburb’s most unique heritage sites is the Windsor Air Raid Shelter on Lutwyche Road. Built in 1942, this concrete structure is one of the few remaining examples of Australia’s civil wartime defences. The heritage-listed Conon (built 1863) at 29 Conon Street is one of the suburb’s first residences and remains a family home.

At the end of 2019 the Lutwyche City Shopping Centre underwent a multimillion-dollar upgrade and was renamed Market Central Lutwyche. It now includes three supermarkets, assorted speciality stores, cafes and restaurants, medical facilities, chemists and banks. The centre is an easy walk from The Atrium Lutwyche and has quickly become popular with the residents.

A major redevelopment plan for the suburb is before council for a lavish residential and retail precinct with a hotel, brewery, restaurants, medical services and an eight-screen cinema complex. Lamington Markets will be built on a 7332sq m site between Lutwyche Road and Lamington Avenue.

For information about apartments and retirement living at The Atrium Lutwyche call 07 3357 9092 or email live@theatriumlutwyche.com.au