Homepage Latest News Archives

Toowong Pub Sites Could Rise to 12 Storeys in Updated Brisbane Hotel Plan

Suitable pub sites in Toowong could accommodate hotel developments of up to 12 storeys under proposed planning changes aimed at increasing visitor accommodation before the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

For eligible pub projects in nominated Major Centre locations, including Toowong, the proposal would provide for an increase from 10 to 12 storeys. The Regatta Hotel on Coronation Drive is among the suburb’s prominent pub sites, although Council announcement did not identify a 12-storey development proposal for the venue. Its owner has separately identified longer-term development potential on vacant land behind the hotel, including a possible four-to-five-level commercial or short-stay project.

Suburban pub sites brought into hotel supply push

Brisbane City Council’s Suburban Pub Stays Strategy is intended to encourage new accommodation and function facilities on large or underused pub sites. Council says planning changes are being considered to make hotel projects on suitable suburban properties easier to deliver.

Around 70 Brisbane pubs occupy sites of at least 2,000 square metres, but only 15 currently provide accommodation, according to council. Industry estimates supplied through the strategy indicate that redevelopment of 20 suburban pub sites could add more than 1,600 rooms to Brisbane’s hotel supply. Council says more than 260 licensed hotels operate across the city.

The latest proposal would use a Temporary Local Planning Instrument to introduce changes including additional height for eligible pub accommodation projects, simpler development applications and revised car-parking requirements. Eligible short-term accommodation developments could also defer infrastructure charges rather than paying them upfront, with the proposed charge deferral extending to hotels elsewhere in Brisbane.

Height increases would extend beyond major centres

The 12-storey provision forms one part of a wider package covering several planning zones. The examples released with the proposal provide for increased heights for eligible pub accommodation developments in Major Centre, Neighbourhood Centre, Mixed Use and some residential zones.

Zone	Current base height cited in proposal	Proposed height for eligible projects
Major Centre	10 storeys	12 storeys
Neighbourhood Centre	3 storeys	4 storeys, or 5 storeys on sites larger than 3,000 sq m
Mixed Use	5 storeys	7 storeys
Low-density residential	2 storeys	4 storeys
Low- to medium-density residential	3–4 storeys	4–6 storeys

The figures are examples attached to the pub-stays proposal rather than universal height limits for every property within those zones. Existing neighbourhood plans, overlays and site-specific planning controls can also affect the development capacity of individual properties.

Room shortage extends across South East Queensland

The strategy follows a prolonged slowdown in hotel development. Council says hotel construction in Brisbane fell by about 90 per cent between 2019 and 2024, while industry estimates indicate hotel-room construction costs rose about 40 per cent over the same period.

A 2026 Property Council and CBRE outlook projects South East Queensland could face a hotel-room shortfall of about 5,200 rooms by the 2032 Games even if the full identified development pipeline is delivered. The gap rises to about 7,400 rooms after accounting for the likelihood that some proposed projects will not proceed.

The same report estimates about 64,800 rooms of Games-period demand will be concentrated across Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast. Council says South East Queensland currently has about 46,000 hotel rooms.

Several suburban pubs already combine hospitality venues with accommodation. Council argues smaller suburban developments can add rooms more quickly than large CBD hotel projects while using land already occupied by commercial hospitality businesses. The strategy also seeks to place more accommodation near family, friends, local centres and suburban destinations rather than concentrating new rooms in the inner city.

Twelve storeys would not amount to automatic approval

A higher planning height would not give a pub owner automatic approval to construct a 12-storey hotel. Individual proposals would remain subject to the planning and assessment requirements applying to their sites.

Council is proposing to introduce the changes through a Temporary Local Planning Instrument, which can temporarily alter the operation of Brisbane City Plan for up to two years. The latest package must still progress through the approval process, including Queensland Government consideration, before the proposed provisions can take effect.

Published 9-Sept-2026

From Toowong to New York: Dane Sweeny Breaks Through at the US Open

Brisbane Boys’ College Old Collegian Dane Sweeny has produced the biggest Grand Slam run of his career, knocking out 13th seed Lorenzo Musetti to reach the third round of the US Open — nearly a decade after BBC was celebrating him as one of Australia’s brightest junior prospects.

For those who followed Sweeny through his school years in Toowong, there is a familiar thread running through his breakthrough in New York. Long before he was taking on some of the world’s best at Flushing Meadows, he was juggling school with national championships and Australian junior duties.

Now 25 and ranked world No.123, Sweeny recovered from dropping the opening set against Italy’s Musetti before taking control of their second-round match, winning 3–6, 6–1, 6–2, 6–2.

It was Sweeny’s first victory over a top-20 player and carried him into the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time.

The BBC Years

Sweeny is a Brisbane Boys’ College Old Collegian from the 2017 cohort, and his rise through Australian junior tennis was being closely followed by the Toowong school well before he finished Year 12.

In December 2016, BBC announced that the Year 10 boarder had been invited to train with the Australian Davis Cup team ahead of Australia’s tie against the United States at Kooyong. By the following year, he had been selected for Australia’s under-16 Davis Cup team, with the school noting that he was the only full-time school student in the Australian side.

His international experience continued at the Junior Davis Cup in Budapest, before 2017 ended with Sweeny winning the Australian U16 singles and doubles titles.

There was plenty happening in school colours, too. BBC’s account of that season records Sweeny as part of its First IV tennis team, which claimed the GPS premiership, State Championship and National Schoolboys title.

Dane Sweeny Through the Years

From Brisbane Boys’ College in Toowong to the Grand Slam stage.

Dane Sweeny during his early tennis years at Brisbane Boys' College — **2016 |** Early BBC competition years. Sweeny defeated the No. 3 seed in the first round of the U16 Australian Tennis Championships.

Photo Credit: Facebook/Brisbane Boys’ College

Dane Sweeny playing tennis during his Brisbane Boys' College years — **2017 |** Year 11 at BBC and selected for Australia’s U16 Davis Cup team. BBC reported he was the only full-time school student in the Australian side.

Photo Credit: Facebook/Brisbane Boys’ College

Dane Sweeny representing Australia in junior tennis — **2017 |** Representing Australia at the Junior Davis Cup in Budapest, where he won his singles match against Hungary.

Photo Credit: Facebook/Brisbane Boys’ College

Dane Sweeny with his Australian under-16 tennis trophy — **2017 |** Australian U16 singles and doubles champion, and part of BBC’s First IV team that claimed the GPS premiership, State Championship and National Schoolboys title.

Photo Credit: Facebook/Brisbane Boys’ College

AI-generated illustration representing Dane Sweeny's 2024 Australian Open breakthrough — **2024 |** Grand Slam breakthrough, qualifying for his first major main draw at the Australian Open.

AI-generated illustration of Dane Sweeny; not an actual photograph.

AI-generated illustration representing Dane Sweeny's 2026 US Open run — **2026 |** Sweeny reaches his first Grand Slam third round after upsetting 13th seed Lorenzo Musetti at the US Open.

AI-generated illustration of Dane Sweeny; not an actual photograph.

From Junior Standout to the Grand Slam Stage

The path from outstanding junior to established professional proved anything but straightforward.

Sweeny's first Grand Slam main-draw appearance didn't come until the 2024 Australian Open, when he fought through three rounds of qualifying to earn his place. Ranked No.257 at the time, he described seeing something he had imagined since childhood become reality as “quite surreal”.

His reward was a daunting first-round assignment against world No.22 Francisco Cerundolo. Sweeny pushed the Argentine to five sets before his debut came to an end.

His career then hit a difficult stretch, and Sweeny later revealed that he stepped away from the tour for about two months in 2024 before deciding to return. Two years later, that decision has taken him further at a Grand Slam than ever before.

An Upset Changes Everything in New York

Sweeny received a wildcard into the 2026 US Open main draw and made the opportunity count from his opening match.

Frenchman Corentin Moutet retired with Sweeny leading 7–6(4), 6–4, 3–0, setting up the considerably tougher assignment against Musetti.

The Italian, ranked world No.14 and seeded 13th, appeared to have the advantage after taking the opening set 6–3. What followed was emphatic: Sweeny conceded only five games across the next three sets as he turned the match around and completed the biggest win of his career by opponent ranking.

His reward is another Italian opponent, 21st seed Luciano Darderi, with a place in the fourth round — the last 16 of the US Open — at stake.

For BBC, there is something particularly satisfying about where the story has reached. The school's old social media posts capture Sweeny before the rankings, Grand Slam draws and packed international courts: a teenager in BBC colours, then an Australian junior representative, gradually working his way towards the game he wanted to play for a living.

Nearly a decade later, the backdrop is New York rather than Toowong and the opponents are among the best players in the world.

Those old photos from the BBC courts now look like the opening pages of a much bigger story — and Sweeny is still writing it.

Published 4-September-2026

How New Housing Rules Could Reshape Parts of West Brisbane

Photo Credit: BCC

Brisbane’s inner-west suburbs are poised to take a larger share of the city’s housing growth, with new planning rules opening more sites near rail stations, shopping centres and major services to low-rise residential development.

St Lucia, Indooroopilly, Taringa, Toowong and Highgate Hill are among the suburbs where eligible low-medium density land could accommodate smaller lots, townhouses and additional apartments. The changes are intended to broaden housing choice in established neighbourhoods where transport, education, retail and community services are already in place.

Smaller homes broaden options in established suburbs

The revised planning framework allows lots as small as 120 square metres in qualifying parts of the low-medium density zone where design and built-form requirements are met.

Development of up to three storeys is provided for more broadly, while multiple dwellings of up to four storeys may be permitted at designated locations close to frequent public transport or centres.

Council says Brisbane’s housing stock has not kept pace with changing household sizes. More than half of the city’s households are singles or couples, while fewer than one-third of homes have one or two bedrooms, creating demand for smaller housing suited to different stages of life.

Western suburbs already contain many smaller households. The 2021 Census recorded an average household size of 2.2 people in Taringa, while Highgate Hill averaged 2.3 and Indooroopilly 2.5.

Existing transport gives density a head start

Access to established public transport is a central part of the planning approach, particularly around locations with frequent services.

Indooroopilly is already identified as a major western Brisbane centre combining shops, employment and community services with high-frequency public transport, including its railway station and bus interchange.

Toowong also contains an established centre and railway station, while St Lucia and Taringa sit close to major education, employment and transport destinations. Highgate Hill’s inner-city location places parts of the suburb close to established bus routes and the broader South Brisbane and West End service network.

Council’s housing strategy says concentrating more homes near transport and shops can make greater use of existing infrastructure and services while keeping residents closer to everyday destinations.

Low-rise development remains the focus

Eligible low-medium density land is not being converted into a high-rise zone. The changes instead expand opportunities for housing between detached homes and large apartment towers, including row houses, townhouses, dual occupancies and low-rise apartments.

Small-lot controls include a 55 per cent site-cover limit for lots under 180 square metres and a 70 per cent maximum impervious area, with provisions intended to retain space for landscaping, stormwater infiltration, street trees and on-street parking.

More Homes, Sooner
Low-Medium Density Residential Design

More Homes, Sooner Explanatory Guide

Additional housing capacity could give residents more options to remain in established western and inner-city neighbourhoods as their housing needs change. The number and timing of new homes will still depend on individual sites, landowners, market conditions and applicable development approvals.

Published 2-Sept-2026

Toowong Private Hospital Site in Auchenflower Changes Hands in $12.2-M Sale

Photo Credit: Colliers

Th 5,835-square-metre Auchenflower property formerly occupied by Toowong Private Hospital has sold for $12.2 million, with residential, retirement, care and healthcare uses among the options identified for the site.

Colliers Campaign Puts Auchenflower Site On The Market

Colliers marketed 496 Milton Road by Expression of Interest under instructions from the appointed liquidators, with the campaign closing on 23 October 2025 at 4pm AEST.

Brendan Hogan, Troy Linnane and Chris O’Driscoll were named as the exclusive Colliers agents for the property. The completed sale followed a campaign that attracted interest from residential developers, healthcare operators and investors.

healthcare property — Photo Credit: Colliers

The property was offered with vacant possession. Its sale campaign identified two broad pathways: pursuing a residential development outcome or retaining and repurposing the existing improvements for healthcare or allied services, subject to conditions and approvals.

The site has frontage to both Milton Road and Cadell Street. It is close to Auchenflower Railway Station, bus services along Milton Road and the Wesley Hospital.

Toowong Private Hospital Site Has Several Possible Uses

The land is zoned Low-Medium Density Residential (LMR2). Potential outcomes identified for the property include boutique apartments, townhouses, retirement living, residential care and healthcare uses, all subject to council approval.

Brisbane development — Photo Credit: Colliers

Three detached buildings remain on the property: the original purpose-built hospital, a former specialist medical centre and a character dwelling fronting Milton Road.

Hospital Closed In 2025

Toowong Private Hospital ceased operating in June 2025 amid financial difficulties. The psychiatric hospital was founded by Brisbane builder and philanthropist Noel Austin Kratzmann in 1989 and remained owned and operated by NA Kratzmann & Sons until its closure.

About 3,000 patients were treated there each year before the closure. The hospital provided psychiatric care as well as dedicated trauma and alcohol recovery programs for current and former military personnel, together with outpatient support services.

EY administrators were appointed in 2025 but found no viable option to keep the hospital operating. A preliminary report recorded net operating losses of $4.7 million by 2024, with declining patient admissions and inpatient care identified as contributing factors.

The $12.2 million sale places the Auchenflower property under new ownership, while any future residential, retirement living, residential care or healthcare outcome remains subject to council approval.

Published 19-August-2026

River Barge Helps Keep Coronation Drive Open During Culvert Repairs

Photo Credit: Brisbane City Council

Drivers and cyclists travelling between Toowong and the city have been passing a major drainage project at Auchenflower since late June, where a barge on the Brisbane River is allowing crews to repair culverts beneath Coronation Drive without digging up the road.

The works near Land Street involve the rehabilitation of ageing stormwater culverts beneath Coronation Drive, a key connection between Toowong and Brisbane’s CBD.

Brisbane City Council began the project in late June, with completion scheduled for August 2026.

Keeping Coronation Drive Moving

The culverts requiring attention run beneath Coronation Drive, making conventional access from above potentially disruptive.

Instead of excavating the road, crews are installing new structural liners inside the existing culverts. Most of the work is being undertaken from a barge on the Brisbane River, allowing crews to access the drainage infrastructure without closing traffic lanes on Coronation Drive for the rehabilitation.

The culverts have deteriorated due to age and exposure to tidal conditions. The new liners are designed to strengthen the existing structures and extend their operational life.

Bikeway Users May Notice the Works

While Coronation Drive remains open, the project is more noticeable for people travelling between Toowong and the city along the Bicentennial Bikeway.

Temporary pedestrian and cyclist detours may be required around the work area, while short interruptions can occur when workers, equipment or materials need to cross the bikeway.

Council says these pauses are expected to last about five minutes or less.

A small temporary fenced work area has also been established in Moorlands Park, with drain cleaning and limited tree trimming included in the project.

River Tides Set the Work Hours

Working from the Brisbane River means the construction timetable is partly dictated by tidal conditions.

Crews may work at different times across a 24-hour period from Monday to Saturday, meaning activity can begin earlier or finish later on some days.

Nearby residents and people using the bikeway may notice construction noise, lighting and equipment during the works. Council says particularly noisy activities will not take place between 10pm and 6.30am.

Strengthening the Culverts From Within

The project is rehabilitating the existing culverts rather than replacing them.

Installing structural liners inside the culverts is intended to extend their working life and reduce the need for costly future replacements.

For people travelling between Toowong and the city, the construction method means Coronation Drive can remain open while the infrastructure beneath it is strengthened.

The rehabilitation is scheduled to be completed in August 2026.

Published 17-Aug-2026

Toowong Bikeway Design Selected With One-Way Sylvan Road Section

Photo Credit: BCC

The preferred Toowong bikeway design will bring a continuous protected two-way cycling route to Sylvan Road alongside an eastbound-only section, a 40km/h speed limit and changes to parking, crossings and footpaths.

Brisbane City authorities have selected the continuous bi-directional option after community feedback was sought on two designs between 18 May and 14 June 2026. Both received positive feedback, but the continuous two-way option had stronger support and is now being refined.

The project is designed to connect the Western Freeway Bikeway with the Bicentennial Bikeway through Sylvan Road and Land Street. Sylvan Road forms a 1.2-kilometre missing link between the two existing bikeways.

Brisbane transport — *Photo Credit: BCC*

Toowong Bikeway Changes Traffic Flow

The preferred design provides a separated two-way bikeway connecting with the shared path on Milton Road. It would cross from the southern side to the northern side of Sylvan Road before continuing along Land Street towards Patrick Lane.

Sylvan Road between Bates Lane and Croydon Street/Jephson Street would become one-way inbound, or eastbound only. Two-way traffic would remain between Croydon Street/Jephson Street and Coronation Drive and along Land Street.

The speed limit between Milton Road and Croydon Street/Jephson Street would be reduced to 40km/h, with three speed platforms planned. The 50km/h limit would remain between Croydon Street/Jephson Street and Coronation Drive, while Land Street would retain its 60km/h limit.

Turning arrangements would also change at several side streets, including Quinn Street, Kate Street, St Osyth Street and Earle Lane. The left-turn slip lane and left turn from Sylvan Road into Croydon Street would also be removed.

Parking, Footpaths And Crossings Reworked

On-street parking would remain in targeted locations between Milton Road and Croydon Street/Jephson Street, with peak-hour parking restrictions removed. Final parking conditions for this section are still to be determined.

All on-street parking between Croydon Street/Jephson Street and Coronation Drive would be removed under the preferred layout, while parking along Land Street would remain.

Footpaths along Sylvan Road would be widened, a new shared path would be added between Land Street and Coronation Drive, and Land Street footpaths would be reconstructed.

All trees along Toowong Memorial Park are to be retained. Some impacts to other trees are expected, although these would be minimised where possible, with local replanting planned where possible.

Crossing changes include a zebra crossing in the left-turn slip lane from Milton Road onto Croydon Street and new raised priority pedestrian and bikeway crossings. The signalised crossing on Sylvan Road between Quinn Street and Kate Street would also be relocated and upgraded to separate pedestrian and cycling movements.

Additional signalised crossings are planned around the Croydon Street/Jephson Street, Land Street and Patrick Lane intersections. Outbound bus stop 13 on Milton Road at Morley Street would also be upgraded.

Design Moves Towards Construction

Safer crossings and greater separation from traffic were identified as leading priorities during consultation.

Between 2002 and 2023, 43 crashes involving cyclists occurred on Sylvan Road, with 19 cyclists admitted to hospital. A manual count undertaken for council in 2024 found women represented 5 per cent of cyclists using the road.

The final concept is now being refined before detailed design proceeds.

Construction at the Milton Road, Croydon Street and Morley Street intersection began in August 2026 and is expected to be completed in early 2027, subject to weather and site conditions.

Construction of the Sylvan Road bikeway is expected to begin in mid-2027, subject to detailed design progress, with the overall project targeting completion in 2028.

Published 13-August-2026

Toowong Planetarium Show To Take Audiences On A Musical Journey Through Science

Toowong is set to put a musical spin on science this National Science Week, with a planetarium concert promising an evening of quirky songs, cosmic visuals, critical thinking and audience participation.

Read: Planetarium Concert in Toowong Returns with Live Music and Science at the Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium

The Planetarium Variety Show will return to the Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium on Friday, 21 August, as part of National Science Week, which runs from 15 to 23 August. National Science Week features more than 2,500 events around Australia, with more than three million people participating in science events nationally.

Photo credit: Facebook/Conspiracy of One

Science communicator and musician Nate Eggins, also known as Conspiracy of One, is returning to the planetarium with the Planetarium Variety Show for its fourth year.

This time, Eggins and his band will deliver a stripped-back performance beneath the venue’s cosmic skydome, combining music, comedy and ideas about science, misinformation and the modern world.

Songs, stars, and a lesson in misinformation

The night will feature songs including We’re All Aliens, Baby and The Sound a Duck Makes, alongside material from Eggins’ debut album Road to Reason and new material.

Audiences can expect funny rants, audience participation and prize giveaways, while the planetarium visuals provide a backdrop of stars and the wider cosmos. There will also be a critical-thinking workshop, along with the chance for attendees to voluntarily contribute data to an ongoing study.

Joining the show as a special guest will be science communicator Melanie Trecek-King of Thinking is Power, who is also the author of the upcoming book A Field Guide to Spotting Misinformation.

Misinformation is one of the central themes of the evening, alongside music, science and the cosmos. The event aims to give audiences new perspectives on science and the modern world, while helping them learn how to spot pseudoscience pretenders. And it does all of that without leaving the planetarium’s skydome.

A family-friendly night under the stars

The event is suitable for audiences aged six and over and is wheelchair-accessible. The planetarium environment does mean there are a few practical details for visitors to keep in mind. Auslan interpreters will not be available because of the low-light conditions, and there will be no food or bar service at the venue.

Organisers recommend having an early dinner before arriving. Doors open at 6.30pm, with the show starting at 7pm. The event is scheduled to run until 9pm. The concert will be held at the Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium on Mount Coot-Tha Road in Toowong.

Read: Travel Through Space at Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium in Toowong

As National Science Week takes place across Australia from 15 to 23 August, the Toowong show offers a musical and interactive way to explore science. There are no lab coats required. Instead, audiences can expect music, humour, cosmic visuals and a closer look at how to spot pseudoscience.

Published 12-August-2026

Planetarium Concert in Toowong Returns with Live Music and Science at the Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium

The Planetarium concert in Toowong is returning to the Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium on Friday, 21 August. It brings live music, planetarium visuals and a night focused on science and critical thinking.

Nate Eggins, who performs as Conspiracy of One, is back with his Planetarium Variety Show for a fourth year. The event will run during National Science Week and will bring a stripped-back set to Mount Coot-tha. It is a local night out with a clear science twist.

Songs under the skydome

Eggins and his band will play songs from his debut album Road to Reason. The set also includes crowd favourites such as We’re All Aliens, Baby and The Sound a Duck Makes. New material will also be part of the show.

The event page says the night will give audiences new perspectives on science and the modern world. It will also include a workshop on critical thinking. Guests will be able to take part and contribute data to an ongoing study.

Special guest Melanie Trecek-King, a science communicator and author, will also feature on the night. Her appearance adds another layer to the Planetarium concert in Toowong, which blends entertainment with ideas about how people think, learn and question information.

A local night with a wider message

The event has a simple appeal for Toowong locals. It offers music in a unique setting, but it also leans into science in a way that feels easy to approach. That mix has helped the show return year after year.

The event page describes it as an ages six and up show. It is also wheelchair accessible. Organisers note it is a space for people who are kind to one another. Auslan interpreters are not available because of the low-light setting.

There are a few practical points for anyone planning to go. Doors open at 6.30pm, and the show starts at 7pm. The venue does not have food or a bar, so an early dinner before heading in is a sensible idea.

Booking ahead for August 21

The Planetarium concert in Toowong has built a following, and organisers say the shows usually sell out. That makes early booking a good move for anyone keen to attend.

For National Science Week, it is a neat fit. The evening gives Toowong a local event with a bit of character. It is also the kind of night that feels both social and thought-provoking.

So, if you are after something a little different, this one may be worth marking in the calendar. The mix of live music, science and planetarium atmosphere should make for a memorable night at Mount Coot-tha.

Published 10-August-2026

Toowong State School Expansion to Create Space for 200 More Students

A major expansion at Toowong State School is set to create space for around 200 additional students, with a new 11-classroom learning facility expected to open in early 2027.

Read: Chess Teams from Toowong Qualify for Interschool State Finals

The project forms part of a broader $55 million investment in primary schools across Brisbane’s inner west, alongside the recently opened three-storey learning complex at Indooroopilly State School. Together, the projects are expected to increase capacity by up to 450 student places while replacing demountable classrooms with permanent facilities.

Costing more than $20 million, the new Toowong building will include modern learning spaces and upgraded facilities for the school’s deaf and hard-of-hearing program, which caters for around one-third of the student population.

Principal Brendon Madden said the school had continued to welcome new students throughout the year, with enrolments increasing by 29 since the start of the school year. He said the expansion would provide valuable breathing room while allowing three demountable buildings to be removed from the oval, returning more green space for students to enjoy.

Supporting a Growing School Community

The expansion reflects continued growth across Brisbane’s inner-west primary schools, with additional learning spaces being delivered to help meet rising demand.

Students who attended the official announcement said new classmates were arriving regularly and welcomed the opportunity for more students to learn in modern classrooms.

New learning complex at Indooroopilly State School (Photo credit: Facebook/John-Paul Langbroek)

The nearby Indooroopilly State School has also completed a $34.1 million learning complex featuring 12 classrooms and specialist facilities, increasing its capacity by an estimated 250 students. The new building has enabled the school to remove four demountable classrooms while providing additional teaching and support spaces.

Read: Lived Experience the Key for Toowong Deaf Educator Jason Alford

Minister for Education and the Arts John-Paul Langbroek said classroom upgrades across fast-growing Queensland communities totalled almost $100 million, with the new Indooroopilly learning centre among the projects delivered. He said the investment was intended to ensure schools had the facilities needed to support increasing student numbers.

The new classroom block is expected to expand Toowong State School’s capacity and provide modern learning facilities when it opens in early 2027.

Published 6-August-2026

Toowong Cemetery’s Spook Hill: Supernatural Circumstance or Optical Illusion?

Photo Credit: Commander Keane/Wikimedia Commons

As one of Brisbane’s oldest cemeteries, Toowong Cemetery holds a lot of myths and legends, enough to spook you out. One of the most popular urban legends in the area is located at Twelfth Avenue, which is more popularly known as “Spook Hill.”

This sloping road within the cemetery grounds has a very special property. There have been a lot of reports that parking your car facing uphill and letting it roll will have the car rolling uphill instead of downhill. Freaky, right?

When some people experience an unnatural occurrence, they naturally want to find out what’s causing it. One traditional tale tells of the graves of two young sisters who were killed in a car accident lie on top of Spook Hill. According to the legend, the two girls drag unsuspecting cars uphill so that the people in the car will meet the same fate.

This legend became very popular. People would flock to the spot in the cemetery to see and experience it for themselves. The incident became so intriguing that it caught the attention of paranormal investigator and author Jack Sim, who went to Spook Hill to know the real reason behind the supernatural tale. Unfortunately, he didn’t find any evidence to support the story.

Some say that there is really no ghost or mystery behind the occurrence, if indeed it occurs. It may just be that the lay of the land produces an optical illusion, which makes a downhill slope look like an uphill slope instead.

Whether or not supernatural forces are at work behind the mystery of Spook Hill, the car rolling on its own is enough to make you run.

Updated 5-Aug-2026