next »

My family is thinking of  moving to Brisbane from Melbourne.  We have 2 primary school aged children.  We would like to know which suburbs have good academic state schools (my children are very bright).  I 've found info about good suburbs/schools within 10km of Brisbane but would prefer to live a bit further out.  Also prefer somewhere with good public transport to the city.  Thanks.

In Brisbane, the schools usually reflect the socio-economic demographics of the neighbourhood. So the ‘better’ schools tend to be in the ‘better’ neighbourhoods. This usually means higher house prices too!

Keep in mind that most schools have 'Enrolment Management Plans' that define which geographic areas they can take students from.  I.e. you need to live relatively close to the State schools you want your children enrolled in.

So my suggestion is to look at your preferred suburbs first (affordability, proximity to transport etc), then drill down and explore the schools in that area. It's probably more important to choose the right school once they get to High School anyway...

Hi there jl

If you are looking to live in Brisbane’s western suburbs, I’d recommend anywhere near a train line such as Graceville, Corinda, Chelmer and Sherwood. All are on the train line, have good reputations and schools with a good name.

Further west, friends of mine live at Moggill and their children & go to Moggill Primary School. They are very happy there. The only problem is that Moggill is not the best location when it comes to commuting to the city.