Fig Tree Pocket is a riverside western suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland. Located there is Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary is the oldest and largest koala sanctuary in the world. It is a tourist and education centre.
The suburb is located on a river pocket along the northern bank of Brisbane River. It is bounded to the east, south and west by the median of the river. The north-western boundary, the Centenary Motorway. It is 13.1 kilometres by road south-west of the Brisbane GPO. Sherwood Reach is the reach of the Brisbane River to the east of the suburb while Mermaid Reach is to the west.
The suburb is zoned for very low density residential, low density residential and rural housing. Restrictions on multi-unit dwellings apply. The majority of Fig Tree Pocket is rated “low risk” from bushfires.
The suburb is devoted mostly to low density housing with a large proportion of parks and low levels of noise pollution.
John Oxley explored the Brisbane River in November 1823. He named Mermaid Reach after HM Colonial Cutter Mermaid, which brought his exploration party to Moreton Bay. The suburb takes its name from the Moreton Bay fig trees (Ficus macrophylla).
In 1866, one particular fig tree in the area was photographed and described as able to shelter 400 people. In 1866, a reserve of 1.6 hectares (4.0 acres) was created around the fig tree. The tree no longer exists but the circumstances of its disappearance are not known.
Fig Tree Pocket State School opened on 4 September 1871. A post office opened in 1878.
Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary was established in 1927 by Claude Reid. Brisbane Montessori School opened in 1982. In early 2009, one luxury property sold for A$9.5 million and another sold for A$7.15 million.
The suburb was one of those in Brisbane which were affected during the 2010–11 Queensland floods. Following the 2010–11 Queensland floods, a riverfront estate sold for $8.25 million at Ningana Street in May 2014 which set a record for the highest price achieved after the natural disaster.
Source: Wikipedia