The discovery of more than 20 mutilated and decapitated animals, including a koala and a Border Collie, in Anzac Park has caused much distress among Toowong residents. A police investigation is underway.
The RSPCA and the Queensland Police Service are already investigating and scouring a number of CCTV footage around Anzac Park after Council workers found dumped plastic bags two 44-litre drums on the scene. The bags and drums contained the remains of the animals, which were discovered on the evening of Thursday, 28 July 2022.
The Queensland Fire and Emergency Services and a scientific unit have also been called to investigate, where an established zone was determined for testing. However, the tests have not returned any significant readings.
Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner condemned the sick act and said he’s “saddened, disturbed and appalled” by the discovery. The Council workers who stumbled upon the remains have been offered counselling. Anyone with information or leads may also contact QPS or Crime Stoppers at 1800 333 000.
“Hurting defenceless animals usually escalates to hurting humans. Please, if anyone knows who is responsible for this, please contact the police,” a local said.
Most visitors to Anzac Park, however, were mostly unaware of the discovery as activities around the area have remained normal by the weekend. Anzac Park has dense bushland in the northern boundary with heaps of beautiful Queenslander homes in its surrounding.
Photo Credit: Google Maps
The maximum penalty for an individual convicted of cruelty to animals is $275,700 or 3 years imprisonment under the Animal Care and Protection Act 2001. However, the offender may also serve seven years in prison under the Criminal Code Act 1899 for severe animal cruelty.
Stuartholme School, a leading private school in Toowong, has begun its Years 5 and 6 intake and is planning a new precinct for its Junior School students.
Starting 2024, the school will welcome students in Year 5 as the first intake in its new Junior School. By 2025, it will also start accepting Year 6 students.
“The addition of Years 5 and 6 will bring a wonderful new community to Stuartholme. In a safe, caring, and warm environment, these students will have an opportunity to understand who they are, how they belong and learn, alongside their own leadership capabilities,” said Acting Principal, Danny Crump.
Photo credit: Stuartholme School (official)/Facebook
“As a leader in girls’ education, we know that the early years of education provide the foundation for successful and lifelong learning. With the introduction of Years 5 & 6, our students will have a seamless progression from the Junior School into the Secondary School.”
To accommodate the additional students, the school has also announced plans for a new dedicated Junior School precinct, on the Main Campus, which will include classrooms, toilets, and an outdoor play and recreation area.
Photo credit: Stuartholme School (official)/Facebook
Mr Crump said the new precinct will maximise students’ learning outcomes. The construction of the new precinct is scheduled to start in 2023.
“At the same time, students will have access to Stuartholme School’s already expansive range of facilities including swimming pool, netball and tennis courts, Library, Technologies Precinct, Art studios and design technology rooms,” Mr Crump added.
Established in 1920, it’s going to be the first time that the Catholic school for girls will add Years 5 and 6 to its year level. At the moment, the school caters to Years 7 to 12.
To learn more, visit Stuartholme School’s website.
Residents in Toowong were unnerved by the sight of bulldozers at a large vacant lot by the old theological college along Elizabeth St, where workers apparently cut down and cleared a number of Eucalypt trees believed to be over 350 years old.
The site, comprising 4,307 square metres of natural habitat for birds and other wildlife, does not seem to be covered by a development application yet but it was sold in March 2022 by Savills.
Touted as a “significant land holding” for six adjoining lots, the location is within the Low-Density Residential Zone of the Indooroopilly District Neighbourhood Plan.
No VPO for the properties?
Locals believe the lots are currently not under a protected mapping overlay and residents think that the clearing allegedly received verbal approval from Council.
Greens MP for Maiwar Michael Berkan said he previously alerted Council regarding the sale of the six lots when it was advertised. He said he wrote the Lord Mayor asking to purchase the land using the Bushland Acquisition Fund. However, Mr Berkman was told that the property is not a “significant natural asset.”
“Because our laws don’t automatically protect trees of historical significance, the clearing was likely lawful (although still inappropriate),” Mr Berkman said.
“I own the property in Elizabeth Street directly opposite this land. From 1962 this was part of my childhood playground. Elizabeth Street had not been pushed through to Emerson Street until the 1970s. I was told a bulldozer was there, and went to check on Sunday. I am devastated by the destruction of these ancient trees..the birds were standing silently on the shredded remains of their homes,” neighbouring property owner Melissa McGhie said in a comment on a post in the Toowong and District Historical Society group page.
Botanist confirms trees were centuries old
Meanwhile, a botanist who has worked on the trees found data showing that they were over three centuries old, and would have likely qualified as a “significant natural asset.”
“This is going to come as a shock. I am the botanist that made the initial estimate of the age of this tree. I was basing my estimate of around 144 years old for this eucalyptus on some general data found on the internet, but new information has come to light and it is actually closer to 350 years old,” said Rob Price.
Photo Credit: Rob Price/Facebook
“My original estimate was based on some data from eucalypt plantation growth rates of a different species in a different location, not for tallowwood growth rates, and not in the local context specifically. I’ve just been able to obtain a paper from Queensland’s foremost eucalypt expert about the growth rates of specific species of eucalypts in the SE QLD context and my revised estimate is that this tallowwood was about 350 years old based on a 0.41cm annual diameter growth rate.”
“So this tree actually predates Captain Cook’s charting of the east coast of Australia by 108 years as it germinated around the year 1672. Let that sink in.
“It is only replaceable on a 350-year timescale, so it will be the year 2372 before a sapling in the neighbourhood reaches this size. So it was a sapling during the American revolutionary war and predates the US constitution by 11 years.”
Mr Price urges locals to contact Councillor Mackay at Walter.Taylor.Ward@bcc.qld.gov.au and the Lord Mayor at lord.mayor@brisbane.qld.gov.au regarding the razing of old trees, whilst Mr Berkman urged locals to nominate a VPO “if there are any trees that you think should be protected.”
“While a VPO won’t necessarily stop developers from being able to chop it down, it adds a layer of protection in cases like this where there is no development application,” the MP said.
The Centenary Motorway, which stretches from Frederick St in Toowong to Ipswich Mtwy in Darra, could receive some much-needed upgrades soon, to help increase traffic flow in the area, through a $10-million masterplan.
This comes after the Department of Transport and Main Roads announced that they are updating previous planning for the Centenary Motorway between Toowong and Darra.
The high volumes of traffic between the Ipswich Motorway interchange in the south and Toowong in the north result in road congestion and poor trip reliability and road safety.
The masterplan, which already received a $10million commitment from the Federal Government, will involve outlining measures to improve safety, travel-time reliability and efficiency on an arterial road. It will also identify the most effective “staging approach’’ to deliver the motorway upgrade.
Additional options to improve capacity along the motorway might include intersection and on-ramp and off-ramp improvements, implementing smart freeway technology, and road widening.
Groups, especially the RACQ, welcomed the announcement given that they have been campaigning for the said upgrades to the section for several years now.
Gregory Miszkowycz, traffic and safety engineering manager at RACQ, said the section of the thoroughfare is one of the slowest highway commutes in southeast Queensland.
Photo credit: Google Street View
According to RACQ, it’s the Brisbane road with the lowest inbound peak hour speed, with vehicles moving at an average speed of 39.9 km/h on the motorway.
With regard to the planned Centenary Motorway upgrades, TMR said it would be upgraded in stages as funding becomes available.
“When completed, the fully upgraded motorway will cater for the transport demands along the corridor in the medium to long-term with upgrades focusing on safety, improving travel-times, and active transport facilities,” TMR announced.
For more information about the Centenary Motorway upgrades, visit www.tmr.qld.gov.au
It looks like the planned restoration of the historic ‘Dovercourt’ on Sherwood Road may be up for further discussion, with some locals appealing to the Planning and Environment Court to overturn the approval of its development application.
On 26 May 2022, Andrew Newman and Christine Newman lodged a Notice of Appeal seeking, among others, thePlanning and Environment Court to issue an order/judgment to:
allow the appeal;
refuse of the development application;
instruct the respondent to reinstate the waterway designation to the dry creek as contained in the previous Brisbane Town Plan including its attendant Riparian Amenity;
instruct the respondent to ensure the owner the properly replace the Moreton Bay Fig tree which has recently been allowed to die with a like tree in the same location
There were 15 grounds mentioned in the appeal including:
Aboriginal Cultural Heritage has not been assessed. Aboriginal peoples are culturally connected to the area and an Aboriginal Scar Tree and stone tools were identified in the last few years along Toowong Creek within less than a kilometre from 124 Sherwood Rd, Toowong
The ecology of the site has not been adequately investigated or reported. No suitably qualified person has reported on the ecology of the well-established, heavily vegetated site.
The application and approval did not address that the site is ecologically important in terms of its relationship to the surrounding environment.
The design, mass and siting of the proposed dwellings are unsympathetic to the local heritage residential character and will significantly reduce the visual amenity of the neighbouring properties.
Sitting on a 7,036sqm property at 124 Sherwood Road in Toowong, ‘Dovercourt’ was approved for redevelopment on 26 May 2022.
Acquired by Kirsty Faichen in 2020, the heritage-listed homestead was planned for a renovation involving major repairs on the south-side verandah, plumbing and electrical installations, ceilings, walls and roof.
To fund the renovation, Ms Faichen plans to subdivide the property, excluding the 4,000sqm on which Dovercourt sits, where five new dwellings and a new driveway will be built on the rear portion of the property.
Proposed plans on Sherwood Road site | Photo Credit: Brisbane City Council / developmenti.brisbane.qld.gov.au/
Even before the property was sold, some locals were already voicing concerns over a possible loss of tree cover at the site should the property get acquired by developers. They called for Brisbane City Council to intervene and buy the property instead but it didn’t materialise.
“Despite not mentioning anything about selling or developing the property when they bought it, the new owners are now proposing a subdivision for four new lots on the rear part of the site, and to build four new townhouse-style homes and a new driveway. This development would cause a loss of up to 16 out of the 29 mature trees on the site,” Michael Berkman – Greens MP for Maiwar’s social media post reads.
“While I’m pleased to see the heritage house will be protected, I’m disappointed it looks like we’ll lose this significant urban bushland, and I still believe this was a massive missed opportunity by Council.” he added.
The proposed plans, however, says that several of the mature trees will be maintained.
“Regardless of the clear disconnect between the lower portion of the site and the heritage building, the design maintains several mature trees that could be associated with heritage significance of the premises,” the Assessment Report said.
“The pre-1946 aerial image illustrates trees associated with the heritage significance of the site. These trees are all identified for retention. Furthermore, additional vegetation has been detailed for retention around the heritage building.”
Brisbane Boys’ College and the Presbyterian Methodist Schools Association (PMSA) have finalised their acquisition of the heritage-listed Goldicott House in Toowong.
According to PMSA, the contract of sale for the 1.23ha site adjoining BBC was due to settle on 12 May 2022.
“Together, we are driven by our vision to build caring school communities, by providing world-class teaching and learning environments and create new and exciting educational precincts that inspire our students to be the best version of themselves,” PMSA stated in a media release.
Previous reports indicate that the private school in Toowong is eyeing to extend their boarding house at the site.
Photo credit: Brisbane Boys’ College
Pikos Group, the previous owners of the site, also announced the news on social media.
“We are pleased to announce that Pikos has sold heritage-listed Goldicott House in Toowong to Queensland private school Brisbane Boys’ College. With support from the local community, BBC are planning to retain the 1800s homestead as an education asset,” the Pikos Group has shared on a Facebook post.
The heritage-listed home has been spared from demolition twice, one in 2018 and another one just two years later after the Planning & Environment Court ruled in 2020 that it could not be rezoned and subdivided.
About Goldicott House
Photo credit: QLD Heritage Register
Goldicott House was constructed in 1885 for Brisbane engineer Charles Lambert Depree, who lived there until 1890 before returning to England.
The iconic house is recognised as the first poured concrete slab in a Queensland building. Erecting Goldicott House was a revolutionary innovation in construction at the time.
In 1903, Goldicott House was renamed Mount St Mary’s Convent after the Sisters of Mercy acquired the property.
It was listed in the Queensland Heritage Register in 1998. Goldicott House was purchased by property developers in 2017 before becoming available again recently.
Dovercourt sits on 7,036sqm land at 124 Sherwood Road, Toowong. The homestead was built by English architect William Henry Ellerker sometime in the 1860s to his own design before it was auctioned off in 1867. At the time, it had just four rooms and a detached kitchen and servant’s room. It also had a three-stalled stable, coach house, corn room and fowl house.
Dovercourt was also used as a residence for the boarders of Mr Mark’s School and had been owned by several of Brisbane’s affluent families. After being home for three generations of the Bigge family, the house was put on the market in 2020. Amid calls by locals for Brisbane City Council to acquire the property, Dovercourt was eventually sold to Kirsty Faichen.
Photo Credit: realestate.com
Ms Faichen plans to live in the house with her two daughters after it undergoes renovations with the original features of the house she wants to be restored to its former glory. To bring one of Brisbane’s greatest mansions back to life, however, would require huge funding. And so, she had the property subdivided into five lots where five houses would be built whilst the remaining 4,000sqm would undergo a major makeover.
Photo Credit: realestate.com
Ms Faichen, who also tried to purchase heritage-listed ‘Endrim’, stressed that restoring the homestead is an enormous project which would involve extensive repairs on the south-side verandah, plumbing and electrical installations, ceilings, walls and roof.
Sam Anderson of the Toowong Harriers contributed to Team Queensland’s medal haul and podium finish at the Coles Australian Little Athletics Championships held at the Lakeside Stadium in Melbourne.
Sam placed fifth on countback in the boys Under 13 high jump after clearing 1.60m, just five centimetres away from the podium. His leap helped the Queensland state Little Athletics team nab the second overall in the Under 13 and third in the Under 15 team trophies.
Overall, the team collected 16 gold, 16 silver and 9 bronze medals over the weekend.
The win comes as Coles launched Banana A-Peel to help local centres like Toowong Harriers, which received a $5,000 grant earlier this season from the Coles Little Athletics Community Fund to buy new timing gates.
Speaking about the grant at the time, Toowong Harriers Little Athletics Centre President Ross Anderson said, “It is a constant challenge to find and retain enough volunteers every week to successfully run the Little A’s meets. These electronic timing and recording solutions will significantly reduce the burden in this space.”
Photo Credit: Supplied
“The timing gates will remove the need to have eight timing volunteers at each meet which adds up to about 500 plus volunteer hours per season. They will also significantly improve the accuracy of data and reduce the administrative burden on recording officials, with automatic data entry into the Results HQ system.”
“The unplanned but added bonus for the new timing gates is a much more COVID-safe way in which we can operate without multiple pens, stopwatches and notepads changing hands throughout the meets.”
What is Coles Banana A-Peel?
Coles Banana A-Peel donates 10 cents from every kilogram of Cavendish bananas sold at its supermarkets. All funds raised will be directed to the Coles Little Athletics Community Fund to provide sports equipment grants for grassroots Little Athletics clubs and centres.
The fund has already provided 417 Little Athletics centres across Australia with more than $2 million in sports equipment grants in just four years.
Coles Little Athletics Australia President Sherrie Boulter said the funds raised from banana sales at Coles this week would help kids to participate and stay in the sport.
Photo Credit: Supplied
“Bananas have become synonymous with Little Athletics since we partnered with Coles in 2017 and Coles stores started donating boxes of bananas to their local Little Athletics centres,” she said.
“It’s incredible to think that in just five years, Coles has donated more than 3.7 million bananas to Little Athletics. The banana donations have played a huge role in helping to embed healthy eating habits among young athletes and at Little Athletics canteens across Australia.”
“We’re so excited that this year bananas will also have a role to play in helping fund our sport, in particular, to help our local clubs and centres buy essential equipment for their volunteers and budding athletes.”
Nina Kennedy Supports Banana-A-Peel
Australian pole vault record holder and Coles ambassador Nina Kennedy encouraged shoppers to buy a bunch of bananas to help grassroots Little Athletics centres across the country.
“Little Athletics played a huge part in helping me become the athlete I am today and any support we can give local clubs and centres to buy new and safe sports equipment is invaluable,” she said.
Photo Credit: Supplied
“Through my role as Coles ambassador, I’ve visited many Little Athletics centres this season and I’ve seen first-hand the benefit that new equipment from the Coles Little Athletics Community Fund provides for kids, volunteers and the club.”
“I hope shoppers across the country can help support our future Aussie track and field stars by buying a bunch of bananas this week. Not only will you be supporting a great cause, but you’ll be getting a nutritious, healthy snack for your lunchbox.”
At the Regatta Hotel in Toowong and other places in Brisbane, part of the annual Anzac Day celebration has involved drinking to our war heroes, amidst friendly games of two-up. Did you know that the popular association of two-up with soldiers and Anzac happened by chance?
Here’s a closer look at this game which has been outlawed since the 1980s but is legal to play at a handful of places on Anzac Day only.
For one day in a year, Australians remember and honour those who served in the Gallipoli Campaign during World War I with solemn events at memorial sites, as well as drinking sprees and games of Two-Up. Authorities usually turn a blind eye to those playing Two-Up to mark Anzac Day and there are only a handful of places where the game may be played.
The Regatta Hotel in Toowong is one of those places. Established in 1874, this entertainment and hospitality venue became a prominent fixture in the Toowong Reach of the Brisbane River and people participate in the annual beer and two-up tradition here with much enthusiasm.
The Origin of Two-Up
Two-Up actually started with diggers in gold mines in Broken Hill, New South Wales, decades before the war. The English and the Irish brought this game, then called Pitch and Toss, over to Australian shores.
Its popular association with soldiers and Anzac happened by chance, as it was what returning servicemen loved to play at pubs or local RSL when they returned from the war and had get-togethers with their band of brothers. Soldiers in the firing line trenches or troopships during World War I played this game whilst biding their time for the next commands or orders.
Over decades, Two-Up evolved into an army game played in Australian infantry battalions wherever the soldiers were serving duties, locally and abroad.
The game does not require much — just two coins, a wood for flicking the coins, a spinner or someone to flick the wood, and a ringie or someone to call out results. Because of this, the game became very accessible to anyone who would like to bet heads or tails and win the pot money.
The Education Department is seeking feedback for the Concept Master Plan of the new inner west primary school, which is expected to be built on the site of the former Toowong Bowls Club.
The concept design that has been developed for the former Toowong Bowls Club site responds to the context of the site and includes consideration of:
a vertical design to maximise available land
provision of emergency access and exit points to mitigate impacts of riverine and overland flooding
internal parent drop-off/pick-up facilities, signalised intersection at Gailey Road and Heroes Avenue, and recessed bus bays on Gailey Road are being investigated to mitigate impacts on the local traffic network
a modified construction program and methodology to address potential impacts on the Perrin Park flying-fox colony
physical separation, roofing and shade structures, together with student and staff education to support safe, ongoing operations adjacent to the flying-fox colony
green space on the ground level, with additional open play areas incorporated into the vertical spaces of the school building.
To minimise traffic impacts, the Education Department has proposed installing traffic lights and widening the Heroes Avenue/Gailey Road intersection, constructing a dedicated drop off/pick up area for parents and carers; and recessed bus bays on Gailey Rd.
Building and site design will also consider the proximity to the flying-fox colony and a responsive construction program will be in place to address the needs of the colony with consideration for the breeding cycle.
With regard to the plan, Greens MP Michael Berkman hopes to see more in the next round of consultation, such as more detailed drawings of the building design, draft school catchment map, and a Flood Risk Management Plan for the site.
Plans indicate that the proposed learning, administration and indoor areas will be at least 2 metres above the official 2011 level, which reached 7.0 metres.
“A flood expert has conducted a school flood risk assessment and developed a flood risk management plan. When appointed, the Foundation Principal will implement the plan which will include school evacuation plans to ensure the safety of students, their families, and staff,” said the Department of Education.
The inner west state school is programmed to open for Prep to Year 6 students for Term 1, 2024.
You can provide feedback online via email or survey or at one of the in-person drop-in sessions to be held at Ironside State School Hall on 28 April and 30 April. The consultation period for the Concept Master Plan is from 18 April to 8 May 2022. Further details can be viewed at https://qed.qld.gov.au/
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