The Koobenpul lived on the mainland coastal strip stretching from Talwarrapin to the mouth of the Mairwar, including the area now known as Ormiston. Canoe trees and a bora ring from pre-settlement days still remain along Hilliards creek.
Post settlement
Originally part of the township of Cleveland, early industry included a brickworks established by James Maskell on the eastern bank of Hilliards Creek in 1852 and fellmongery owned by a Thomas Blacket Stephens until the early 1860s. Joseph Clark raised cattle in the district from 1855 until he relinquished the lease in 1858. Land around Ormiston was bought in 1853 by Captain Louis Hope, a Scottish aristocrat and a founder of the Queenslandsugar industry. Hope built Ormiston House from 1858 and 1865 as the centre of a sugar estate. Ormiston House is one of the finest examples of colonial architecture in Queensland. in 2015 The property was originally called Woojanness, but was renamed Ormiston after the Hope's family ancestral village of Ormiston, Scotland. It has an ornamental garden that dates from the building of the house. Hope continued with his plantation until 1875, until he lost a dispute over access to his sugar mill and decided to dismantle it. Since the 1960s the house has been a museum. Although the house was called Ormiston, the area around it was still known as Cleveland for many years. When the railway came through the area in 1889, the new railway station and the area around it also became known as Ormiston. Cleveland West State School opened on 13 April 1872. It was renamed Ormiston State School circa 1900. Ormiston College opened on 27 January 1988.
Ormiston is home to the Redlands Christian Reformed Church and Ormiston House. It has the Ormiston Redbacks Swim Club, the Redlands Softball League and the Redlands Boxing Club.
Education
Ormiston State School is a government primary school for boys and girls at 82-110 Gordon Street. In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 608 students with 45 teachers and 23 non-teaching staff. It includes a special education program. Ormiston College is a private primary and secondary school for boys and girls at 97 Dundas Street West. In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 1,279 students with 95 teachers and 62 non-teaching staff.
Demographics
In the, Ormiston recorded a population of 5,641 people, 52.4% female and 47.6% male. The median age of the Ormiston population was 44 years, 7 years above the national median of 37. 67.3% of people living in Ormiston were born in Australia. The other top responses for country of birth were England 9.9%, New Zealand 5.5%, South Africa 3.3%, Scotland 1.6%, Germany 0.8%. 90.8% of people spoke only English at home; the next most common languages were 0.7% German, 0.6% Afrikaans, 0.6% Mandarin, 0.5% Italian, 0.3% Greek.
Notable residents
John Cameron, built and occupied the house Doobawah in Ormiston
