30/05/2026
🏉⛪⚰️ The Hidden History Beneath Suncorp Stadium and Christ Church, Milton
Thousands of fans flock to Suncorp Stadium every year, but few realise that one of Queensland’s most famous sporting venues occupies the site of one of Brisbane’s oldest burial grounds.
Long before it became Lang Park and later Suncorp Stadium, this land was home to the North Brisbane Burial Ground, also known as the Paddington or Milton Cemetery. Established in 1843, it became Brisbane’s principal cemetery during the city’s early free-settlement years and the final resting place of more than 5,000 people.
As Brisbane expanded, concerns about overcrowding and public health led to the cemetery’s closure, with burials ceasing in 1875. Over the following decades, the cemetery gradually fell into disrepair. Some graves were exhumed and relocated, while hundreds of monuments and headstones were moved into a memorial reserve beside Christ Church. By 1914, the cemetery had largely been removed from public view and the site was transformed into Lang Park.
A small memorial reserve was retained beside the local Anglican church, preserving a tangible link to those buried there. Even today, the surviving monuments serve as a reminder that beneath the cheers of rugby league crowds lies a largely forgotten chapter of Brisbane’s past.
Standing beside the stadium is the beautiful Christ Church Anglican Church, one of Milton’s most significant heritage landmarks. The current timber church was built in 1891, replacing an earlier stone church erected in the mid-1870s that suffered severe storm damage and was ultimately demolished.
The replacement church was designed by renowned diocesan architect John Hingeston Buckeridge, whose timber church designs became some of Queensland’s most admired ecclesiastical buildings. Christ Church is widely regarded as one of his finest surviving works, combining elegance, practicality and craftsmanship in a uniquely Queensland style.
For many years, a timber parish hall stood next to the church. Built by 1908, it became an important community gathering place. Despite strong opposition from parishioners and local residents, the hall was demolished in 1989 during the Hale Street upgrade project. The road works also impacted the adjacent memorial reserve, resulting in many of the remaining monuments being relocated within the church grounds.
Today, this small corner of Milton preserves one of Brisbane’s most remarkable layers of history. Here, the stories of early settlers, a heritage church, lost graves, vanished buildings and one of Australia’s most famous sporting arenas converge on the same patch of ground.
Next time you're at Suncorp Stadium, spare a thought for the thousands of early Brisbane residents who were laid to rest here long before the roar of the crowd became part of the landscape. 🏉⛪⚰️📜
A special thank you to Ann Elliott for suggesting this article and inspiring us to explore this fascinating piece of history.
