Wynnum, from the water up
On the shore of the bay
Wynnum is 19.6 km east of the CBD on the shores of Moreton Bay. Pandanus Beach was built in 1987 from imported sand, with rock groynes to stop the bay's waves washing it away, and most of those waves are raised by local winds.
Storm tide on low ground
Brisbane City Council says storm tide and high tide flooding comes from storm surges or full and new moon high tides, and the risk rises the closer you live to low-lying land near tidal waterways.
Railway-era streets
The area stayed sparsely settled until the railway arrived in the late 1880s. The Wynnum Station Estate's 95 lots went to auction in November 1890.
Heritage homes
About 40 places in Wynnum are on the Brisbane or Queensland heritage registers, including houses such as Wilnecote, Cranleigh Lodge, Tower House, two Anzac Cottages and an interwar house on Wassell Street.
A mix of homes
In 2021, 70.8% of homes were separate houses, 12.8% townhouse-style and 16.2% flats or apartments, and 34.6% were rented.
Salt and wind: what to ask for
Carrier's warranty certificate makes the purchaser responsible for extra corrosion protection when a unit is close to the sea, and excludes salt damage. Ask what coating the outdoor unit has and what the warranty expects of you, then aim for a sheltered side of the house that still lets air move around the unit. Our coastal homes guide has more.
A yearly service is the right time to have the coil, casing and bracket checked for corrosion.
Older and heritage houses
Brisbane City Council protects heritage places and character houses differently. Changes to a local heritage place need a development application unless exempt, and minor works may only need an exemption certificate. For a character house, an application is needed when the work doesn't meet the overlay code. Check before anyone drills into the front of the house.
In a timber house with high ceilings, a split system for each room you use is usually the least disruptive option. Rinnai notes that higher ceilings demand more from a system, so make sure each room is sized for its real volume.
What we'd do
What we'd do in Wynnum
We'd sort out the heritage or character question first, then put the outdoor unit at the side or back, above the low ground and out of the worst of the wind. We'd choose a unit with coastal protection and keep up the yearly service. Send us your job. Licence-checked installers who do bayside and older-house work see it where we have them, and only the one who takes it gets your contact details. Where nobody near Wynnum takes it within 48 hours, installers elsewhere in Queensland can see it too.
