When it comes to being Brisbane’s steepest street, Gower Street in Toowong remains unbeatable. With a 1 in 3.2 incline, 17.4-degree angle and 31% slope, the residents that live on the street take pride in their street’s fame.
Some might expect that there have been plenty of accidents on the street. Surprisingly, only a few accidents have happened here. Most of them, such as incidents of cars turning, happened before work on the bitumen had been completed. Residents in the area are happy to live in Toowong. What seems to be their only problem is that the bus stop is at the top of the hill, making a walk to the bus stop quite an aerobic exercise.
New homes continue to be built on the street despite its terrain condition. A recent builder recounts his experience building a home there. Kirk Hawkins of Hawkins & Co., said that his staff and subcontractors risked their lives just by simply building a home on Gower Street.
Mr Hawkins said that the steep incline posed a hazard to the trucks that deliver to the area. It came to a point that the trucks refused to deliver to them. Interim solutions were proposed, such as pumping concrete from Stanley Terrace. Eventually, all their efforts were deemed to have been worth it. The house was sold, after more than a month, for $1.675 million, largely due to its 180-degree views of the city and Mount Coot-tha.
According to Dixon Family’s Jack Dixon (the one who sold the house), despite the obvious challenges, focusing on the positives has helped the home sell. The home has now been nominated for the sloping build category in the Master Builders awards.