Darra

About Darra

Darra is an industrial and residential suburb located 18.5 kilometres south-west of the Brisbane central business district in Queensland, Australia. The suburb's name is thought to derive from an Aboriginal word, possibly from the Yuggera language word "durra" meaning thigh or the Bundjalung word "darrau" meaning loose stones. European settlement began in 1851 when Dr Stephen Simpson purchased land and established the Wolston Estate, and the railway through Darra was constructed in 1874 on the Ipswich to Brisbane line. The suburb became a significant industrial centre, notably hosting the Queensland Cement and Lime Company from 1914 to 1998, which supplied cement for major Brisbane landmarks including City Hall and the Story Bridge. Darra railway station was once the terminus for Brisbane's first electric rail line, and the suburb is bisected by the junction of the Ipswich Motorway and Centenary Motorway.