Contact Person: Simon Cole
Email Address: [email protected]
Contact Phone: 0405587988 (text first or leave a message)
Website: https://coopersplainshistory.bshn.org/
Postal Address: c/o Coopers Plains Library

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Formed in 1989, the Coopers Plains Local History Group Inc. is possibly the oldest of the continuing local history organisations on the Brisbane Southside. For nearly three decades, the Group has gathered information, photographs, maps and oral histories of Coopers Plains, Salisbury, Rocklea, Acacia Ridge and Archerfield – the five Brisbane suburbs that now make up the original Cowper’s Plains. The Brisbane suburbs of Robertson and Macgregor were added to the CPLHG’s areas of interest in 2011. The backstay of the Group was the noted historian, Beryl Roberts a folk history specialist. In recent years two other noted historians joined the Group, Dr Neville Buch, a specialist in Brisbane and Queensland socio-intellectual history, and Janice Cooper, a specialist in Western Queensland. Through Roberts, the Coopers Plains Local History Group Inc. focused on folk histories and heritage studies. Through Buch, the Coopers Plains Local History Group Inc. became a history management centre for the development of the Brisbane Southside History Network, and for other major collaborations for larger perspectives in local history, such as the Mapping Brisbane History Project.

In May 2023, Simon Cole revived in-person meetings at the library, primarily with the intention to pursue the preservation of one of the so-called ‘Dutch Houses’ of Coopers Plains for public access. At the group’s July meeting those in attendance approved a name change to Coopers Plains History Group and in September a new logo and website homepage image was approved to reflect the change.

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

The following publications are authored by Beryl Roberts:

Stories of the Southside Volume 1. Aussie Books. 1991. 142 pages (Revised edition 2017).

A Brief History of Salisbury. Coopers Plains Ward Bicentennial Local History Committee. 1988.

Looking into your local area. Southside Environmental Education Network. 1997.

A Closer Look at Salisbury and Nathan Heights. CPLHG. 2000.

A Closer Look at Coopers Plains. CPLHG. 2005.

A History of the Brisbane Suburb of Robertson. CPLHG. 2006. 65 pages.

Heritage and Catchment Walks in: Coopers Plains, Eight Mile Plains, Macgregor, Nathan, Robertson,
Runcorn, Sunnybank. CPLHG.

He made his Mark: Joshua Jeays : early Brisbane's master builder and statesman. Boolarong Press.
2009. 217 pages.

Mudgeeraba Memories: memories of Mudgeeraba, Bonogin, Austinville and Springbrook areas. Q.V.
Books. 2011.

Stories of the Southside. Volume II. Q.V. Books. 2012.

Naming Brisbane: Origins of Brisbane's Suburb & Locality Names. Beryl Roberts. 2013.

Some of the early history of Rocky Water Holes. CPLHG. 2014.