Peter Houliston-Hooly

If you asked me to describe Thornlands in one sentence, I'd struggle — and that's probably one of the best things about it.

Within the same suburb you can find modern family estates, established homes on generous blocks, leafy older streets, prestige properties, acreage, horse properties and homes tucked away amongst bushland.

Head east and you're towards Moreton Bay; head west and before long the suburban landscape starts giving way to larger lifestyle properties.

I've worked in real estate throughout Thornlands and the wider Redlands for more than 20 years, and I also live here. So I'm probably a little biased — but at least it's an informed bias!

What makes Thornlands different?

For me, it's the variety.

Thornlands sits between Cleveland and Victoria Point, which means we're incredibly well positioned for the shops, cafés, restaurants, cinemas, schools, medical facilities and services of both, without actually having to live in the middle of either.

There's also a surprising amount of green space.

Thornlands Community Park is a fantastic family facility, and throughout the suburb you'll find parks, walking areas, bushland and wildlife corridors.

We still have a resident koala population too, so seeing a koala in the neighbourhood isn't quite the once-in-a-lifetime event it might be elsewhere.

And then there are the different pockets of Thornlands.

That's something people searching online don't always appreciate.

One street can be predominantly modern homes on relatively compact blocks, while a few minutes away you'll find older established properties with much more land. Travel further towards southern and western Thornlands and you're into acreage, lifestyle properties, horticultural land and horse country.

It's why I always smile when somebody asks me, “What's a house worth in Thornlands?”

My answer is usually: Which part of Thornlands?

Two properties with the same number of bedrooms and bathrooms can be completely different propositions here.

A suburb with a story

One of the things I love about Thornlands is that underneath all the newer development there's a fascinating history.

The suburb takes its name from George Thorn, who acquired around 631 acres here during the 1800s. Interestingly, his son, George Thorn Junior, went on to become Premier of Queensland.

The Thorn family's land remained in the family following George Thorn Senior's death in 1876.

Around the turn of the century it began being subdivided and sold, and the name Thornlands Estate started appearing.

In 1910 the name Thornlands was adopted for the new local school, and gradually it became the name used for the wider district.

Long before today's housing estates, this was farming country.

Fruit growing and horticulture played an important part in the district, and remnants of Thornlands' rural past can still be seen today — particularly as you travel through the acreage areas.

There's another little piece of local history I particularly like.

The old South Street Jetty was built in 1921 and became something of a local gathering place. Generations of Thornlands State School children actually learned to swim there before the jetty eventually closed in 1974.

Try telling today's kids their school swimming lesson involves heading down to Moreton Bay. 😂

Thornlands has changed — enormously
Anyone who has lived here for a long time will tell you Thornlands isn't the sleepy semi-rural suburb it once was.

The numbers prove it.

Between the 2016 and 2021 Census, the population increased from 14,694 to 19,263 — growth of around 31% in just five years.

Families are a huge part of the suburb. More than half of Thornlands families are couples with children, and family households make up the overwhelming majority of households.

That doesn't surprise me at all.

People are attracted by the combination of housing choice, schools, parks, space, access to the Bay and the convenience of having Cleveland and Victoria Point virtually on the doorstep.

The average Thornlands resident isn't necessarily looking for inner-city nightlife.

If your idea of a great Saturday night requires six nightclubs within walking distance, I'll be honest — Thornlands may disappoint you.

But if you like having Moreton Bay, walking tracks, parks, boating, fishing, cafés, restaurants and plenty of room to enjoy life nearby, we're doing pretty well.

The property market isn't one market
From a real estate perspective, understanding Thornlands means understanding its individual pockets.

We've got established homes that have been here for decades alongside near-new properties. We've got smaller modern blocks, traditional suburban blocks, large residential holdings and genuine acreage.

We've also got very different buyer groups.

Young families may prioritise schools, parks and modern estates. Established families often want larger homes, pools and multiple living areas. Downsizers may want low-maintenance living without leaving the Redlands.

Acreage buyers are looking at an entirely different set of considerations again — usable land, access, shedding, overlays, wastewater systems and the practicalities of maintaining a larger property.

That's why I don't believe you can properly value a Thornlands property by simply looking at the median price or finding three nearby sales.

You need to understand where it sits within Thornlands, who is likely to buy it and what those buyers will value.

What's ahead for Thornlands?

Thornlands is still evolving.
Improved roads and infrastructure have already changed parts of the suburb, while further growth is being planned to the south.

That growth needs to be managed carefully.

One of the reasons people choose the Redlands is the lifestyle, open space, wildlife and character of the area. Growth is inevitable; losing what made people want to live here in the first place shouldn't be.

That's a conversation I suspect Thornlands residents will be having for many years yet.

My view

After more than two decades working in the Redlands property market — and living in Thornlands myself — I still think this is one of the most interesting suburbs on the Redlands Coast.

Not because it's perfect. No suburb is.

It's because Thornlands gives people choices.

You can live in a modern estate, an established family neighbourhood or on acreage and still write Thornlands 4164 on the envelope.

You can be minutes from major shopping and services and still come home to trees, birdlife and, if you're lucky, the occasional koala wandering through.

It's changed enormously and it will continue to change.

But there's still something distinctly Thornlands about Thornlands.

And after all these years, I'm very happy to call it home.

Peter Houliston-Hooly
Principal Licensee – THEHOOLYTEAM®
Family Team. Family Values.