Sippy Downs is part of the Buderim urban centre. It contains the housing estate locality of Chancellor Park, and Australia's newest university, the University of the Sunshine Coast.[citation needed] Prior to development the area featured coastal forests and plains.[citation needed]
History
The name 'Sippy' is derived from the Aboriginal word Dhippi or Jippi, a generic name for winged creatures and believed to mean a place of birds.[2]
Sippy Downs was a part of the Moolooloo Plains pastoral run leased by John Westaway & Sons in the 1860s. In 1870 all runs ceased, and the land became available for lease. It was not occupied until 1938, when it was occupied as a perpetual lease selection until 1957.[3] Sippy Downs was then purchased by Alfred Grant. A portion was then sold onto Frank Cunning who raised cattle there until it was sold to the INVESTA property group in 2002. Brahman cattle were still on the property as it was being surveyed for the housing development.[citation needed]
Sippy Downs was established as a suburb in 1993 following the decision by the Shire of Maroochy to rezone the area.[citation needed] Sugar cane farms continued to operate in Sippy Downs until the last, owned by Bundaberg Sugar, closed in 2003.[citation needed]
Harmony Montessori School opened in Sippy Downs in 1995 with 13 children and one teacher. In 2005 it was renamed Alcheringa Montessori College. In 2007, the land being leased for the school was scheduled for development and the school had to relocate. In 2015, the school purchased on 22 hectares (54 acres) in Forest Glen and re-opened the school as Montessori International College.[4][5]
Siena Catholic College opened in 1997 with 98 Year 8 students.[6] It is named after St Catherine of Siena.[7]
Chancellor State School opened on 28 January 1997 as a primary (P-7) school. In 2004, secondary education was added and it was renamed Chancellor State College.[6]
Siena Catholic Primary School opened on 26 September 2001 on a site immediately adjacent to Siena Catholic College.[6][8]
In the 2016 census, Sippy Downs had a population of 10,298 people.[10]
In the 2021 census, Sippy Downs had a population of 11,544 people.[1]
Economy
Sippy Downs has been designated as a 'Knowledge Hub' in the Queensland Government's South East Queensland Infrastructure Plan and Program and is master planned as Australia's first university town with the potential for over 6,000 workers in knowledge based businesses.[11]