Helen Smith has lived on Gower Street for 46 years. Credit:Tony Moore With a slope of 31 per cent at an angle of 17.4 degrees, Gower Street residents have a sense of pride about their place in Brisbane's record books. Helen Smith has lived on the road for 46 years and she's proud to live on Brisbane's steepest street. Back then, there wasn't even bitumen on all the street. "That made it tough," she said.

Ms Smith must love hills. She lived on Mt Tamborine before shifting to hilly Toowong. -------------------

LIST: The top 20 steepest streets

------------------- "We left Mt Tamborine for the kids to go to high school because there wasn't one up there then," she said. There's been a few accidents on Gower Street, but not as many as some might would expect. We've had people losing their furniture and timber and all that stuff from the back of trucks.

"We've had cars turning - well that was before the bitumen - and we've had people losing their furniture and timber and all that stuff from the back of trucks," Ms Smith said. Next door at number 97 is Judy Graham. She and her family have lived there for 16 years. The worst part for her family is that living on such a steep hill adds to their construction costs. Like most residents, the Grahams are used to the steep incline, but newcomers get nervous. "People who aren't used to it don't like it because they lose sight of the ground as it slopes away," Ms Graham said.

And then there was the accident about 10 years ago when a truck rolled downhill and destroyed two sets of fences. At Number 96, Andrew Whittaker is welcoming a new baby and marking six months in his new house. He had heard whispers that Gower Street was Brisbane's steepest street, but had no confirmation until yesterday. "The worst thing is that the bus stop is at the top of the hill," he said. And his favourite story about Gower Street, involves a midwife, a Mini Minor, a driving test and brake problems.

"She had to drive this Mini Minor up the hill and it just couldn't make it up to the top and it just came back down and wiped out a few of the fences," he said. Caitlin Jackson lives just around the corner and has to walk up Gower Street each day to catch the bus to university, where she is studying journalism. "The worst thing is that the bus stop is right at the top of the hill," she said. Ms Jackson said she had suspected either Gower or Nott Street was Brisbane's steepest. "Oh yes. My boyfriend tried to come down on a skateboard," Ms Jackson said.

"He got stitches." The top five steepest streets in Brisbane are: Gower Street, Toowong: 1 in 3.2 incline; 17.4 degree angle; 31 per cent slope. Stoneleigh Street, Red Hill: 1 in 3.4 incline; 16.4 degree angle; 29 per cent slope. Reading Street, Paddington: 1 in 3.5 incline; 15.9 degree angle; 29 per cent slope. Nott Street, Red Hill: 1 in 3.7 incline; 15.1 degree angle; 27 per cent slope. Glamorgan Street, Paddington: 1 in 3.8 incline; 14.7 degree angle; 26 per cent slope. Click here for the full list of the top 20. Loading

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