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West End’s The Gunshop Cafe Expands With New Location In Toowong

One of Brisbane’s most popular all-day breakfast cafes, The Gunshop Cafe has opened a new location in a 300-sqm space in Toowong.

The new location, launched in January 2021, takes over the space once occupied by Maria Caribbean Kitchen. It will be the second for the cafe – its original store opened at a former pistol peddler at Mollison St in West End nearly two decades ago.

The Gunshop Cafe’s omelette (Photo credit: The Gunshop Cafe/Facebook) The Gunshop Cafe’s omelette (Photo credit: The Gunshop Cafe/Facebook)

The Gunshop Cafe in Toowong has the same rustic feel of the original cafe. The space bathes in natural light, thanks to the giant windows plus there are banquet seatings and touches of wood everywhere.

But one of the highlights is its open kitchen design, which allows diners to see the food being prepared. There’s a coffee bar at the center, where baristas prepare the coffee using their own blend of beans. A spacious dining area is also waiting for those who prefer al fresco dining.

The cafe, known for its all-day breakfast menu, features customer favourites from the existing restaurant, such as the pork, apple & sage sausage, quinoa & soy bread, and their perfectly poached eggs, that’s included in many of their items, such as the pulled pork and benedict.

The menu comes with a “something special” section which features items like cookies and cream hotcake, breakfast bowl, lambs fry and bacon, pulled pork, and omelette.

The Gunshop Cafe team (Photo credit: The Gunshop Cafe/Facebook)

A visit at The Gunshop Cafe will not be complete without tasting their coffee, though iced drinks and tea are also on offer. Alcohol is not yet offered but they announced that it will be added soon.

The new Gunshop Cafe is located at 48 Jephson St, Toowong and operates seven days a week. The all-day breakfast menu is served 7:00 am to 3:00 pm whilst lunch is available from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm. You can check them out on Facebook or on Instagram @thegunshopcafe for updates.

Toowong Village Basement Upgrades Begin Stage 2

Good news for shoppers of Toowong Village! The replacement of the old travelators are now halfway through completion as Stage Two of the basement upgrades has begun.

Work on the second stage has been underway since 7 April 2021 with the full replacement of travelators 2 and 3 found at the centre’s first and second basement levels.

Earlier, customers at Toowong Village were disrupted by the first stage of basement upgrades, which actually commenced in February 2021, as it cut off access from the parking to the ground floor level. Unfortunately, the Basement 2 carpark area has been temporarily closed as well.

Frequent visitors on the site, especially the elderly, said they will not be going to the stores whilst this facility cannot be used. The operators of Toowong Village explained that they had to replace the travelators as it was almost at the end of its lifecycle. The facility was never replaced since the building opened in 1986.

To compensate for the loss of parking spaces, Toowong Village opened more rooftop and Level 8 multi-deck parking spaces.

“The best place to park is the multi-deck carpark, as centre access has remained unchanged,” the shopping cente operators said. “We do understand the inconvenience caused by these works, but wish to assure you the new equipment will improve reliability and efficiency in the future.”

“If you have parked in the Basement levels, the travelator from Ground Level going down to Basement 1 or 2 levels will be in operation. You can also bring prams and strollers down the Ground level and Basement level travelators. If you have parked in the multi-deck, all travelators and lifts from Ground level to Rooftop level will be in operation.”

The centre has also offered concierge services and weekday parking validations for the temporary parking space at the ground level near Fruity Capers.

Toowong Village’s basement upgrades are expected to finish in June 2021.

What is to Become of Toowong’s Goldicott House?

Photo credit: balmainprivate.com.au

A number of residents in Toowong are concerned about the prospect of having a residential aged care development at the current location of heritage-listed Goldicott House.

Goldicott House already survived a development plan in 2018 when Goldicott House Pty Ltd ATF Goldicott House Trust proposed to subdivide the 2,340-sqm heritage-listed property located at 65 Grove Crescent, Toowong.

Source: Facebook/Toowong’s Heritage – worth fighting for

Finance group Balmain is currently seeking investors for this site. A prospectus released by Balmain reads: “The borrower is considering multiple development strategies which are consistent with planning objectives for the property, including an aged care facility comprising 150 beds and 150 independent living units.”

The document also stated that the borrower has engaged experienced town planners to assist with the planning and development process to transform Goldicott House into a residential aged care development. Balmain, describing the grand house as a ‘mixed-use property with redevelopment potential’ is currently utilised for office purposes.

It’s tagged as a fully invested property, which means it’s fully funded and settled by Balmain or a Balmain managed entity before being offered to investors. The Target Return is 7.45% p.a., net of fees and expenses, and is paid to Investors monthly in arrears.

Despite their subdivision being rejected, the owners are still trying to push forward with the development of a massive…Posted by Toowong’s Heritage – worth fighting for on Wednesday, March 3, 2021

Pikos removed the music room in February 2021, with residents claiming they were only given 12 hours’ notice before the demolition of the music room took place.

Read: BCC Saves Toowong’s Cultural Heritage Building – “Goldicott House”

Brisbane City Council’s City Planning Committee recommended disapproval of the development, after having received a total of 123 submissions from residents. Some of the issues raised by the community are environmental impact and worsening of traffic congestion, including the potential traffic danger to children of the nearby schools.

Pikos’ plan to subdivide the property was eventually rejected in 2018, with Planning Chairman Councillor Matthew Bourke stating that it failed to meet the Council’s strict criteria for a use of a Local Heritage Place.

Read: Court Rules No to Goldicott House Rezoning and Development in Toowong

About Goldicott House

Mount St Mary’s Convent in 1995 (Photo credit: apps.des.qld.gov.au)

It was built in 1885 for Brisbane engineer Charles Lambert Depree. Goldicott House was known as the first residential home to use poured concrete in its construction. Building the house was considered a revolutionary innovation in construction at the time.

Depree resided in the Goldicott House until 1890, before he returned to England. Although his family was not able to come back to Queensland following Depree’s demise in 1893, Goldicott House remained their property until 1902.

The Sisters of Mercy acquired the property in 1903 and renamed it Mount St Mary’s Convent. One of the former bedrooms, located at the northeast corner of the house, was turned into a chapel. In 1998, Goldicott was listed in the Queensland Heritage Register.

Parents Petition to Retain QASMT in Toowong in New Primary School Debate

Parents of students attending Queensland Academy for Science (QASMT) in Toowong do not support the proposal to merge with and move the school to Coorparoo Secondary College, amidst the search for an ideal location to build a new primary school in Brisbane’s west.

Education Queensland is considering this option for its space versus the student population. If QASMT moves to Coorparoo, the Toowong site would be refitted and redeveloped to accommodate the new primary school. Some 1,500 students in QASMT whilst fewer than 400 students in Coorparoo Secondary College will be affected by this merger.

But QASMT P and C President Winand D’Souza said in the radio program 4BC said that they “want to keep it where it is” as the move and merger will not be beneficial to most of the students.

Mr D’Souza said that the State Government has just spent $33 million of ratepayers’ money on QASMT’s expansion and upgrades with top-notch and state-of-the-art science and math facilities. The improvements have sealed the school’s reputation as the “STEM flagship state school specifically for high performing Queensland students.”

“It is important not to disrupt what we’re trying to do [for the kids] by keeping the school where it is.”

Following the community meeting on 15 March 2021, Education Queensland representative Helen Kenworthy reiterated the need for a new primary school in the westside to address the overcapacity in Indooroopilly State School and Ironside State School. However, the parents said QASMT will not be a good location for families with kids going to these two schools.

This isn’t the first instance QASMT’s move and the merger has been brought to the table. A councillor also suggested merging the school with the University of Queensland but the parents held their ground and insisted that the STEM-focused school has to remain in Toowong.

There were also suggestions to build the school at the former Toowong Bowls Club on Gailey Road in Taringa but Ms Kenworthy said there could be some restrictions on the use of the land as it was a gift to the community from the Perrin family.

Meanwhile, Mr D’Souza opened a signature campaign addressing the parliament to retain QASMT in its current location. The petition has drawn over 3,500 signatures as of press time and will remain open until 18 April 2021.

Brisbane Boys’ College Clinches Head of the River 2021 Rowing Victory After 19 Years

It took trust, strength and determination for Brisbane Boys’ College (BBC) in Toowong to break a 19-year-drought and emerge victorious at the Head of the River 2021 regatta.

On Saturday morning, 13 March 2021, BBC’s First VIII rowing team managed to beat Anglican Church Grammar School and St Joseph’s Gregory Terrace in the last 250 metres at Lake Wyaralong.

The 10-man squad was trailing behind Churchie at 500 metres but the crew powered on, displaying their strength and teamwork to pull together.

Captain of Boats Sam Crook said that they achieved this monumental win by trusting each other.

“As we sit on the start line all hoping for victory, the unit that has the trust, the belief and that follows the process will be the one that is successful,” Sam said. “In order to achieve glory, you must do something the boat next to you is not willing to do. It is not an option to let down the man in front when the pain cave hits.”

Mark Pavone, Brisbane Boys’ College head of co-curricular said that the team shares this victory with the parents, who have sacrificed their time to drive their boys to the training, and to the community that has tireless supported them.

The school’s First VIII rowing team victory comes after BBC’s First XV Rugby and First IV Tennis teams won the 2020 GPS Rugby and Tennis Premiers. The current but outgoing principal, Mr Paul Brown, is the only principal in the school’s 119-year history to have had both rugby and rowing championships during his term of office.

Meanwhile, Churchie received the Old Boys Cup for the quality of its longstanding rowing program. Anglican Church Grammar School Deputy Headmaster Co-curricular John Frare said this was, in itself, a great achievement for the school, which has one of the largest student body participating in rowing in Queensland.

Mistakenly Thrown Textbooks From Toowong School Will Find Their New Homes In Charities

Photo credit: Dr Christian Rowan/Twitter

Toowong’s Queensland Academy for Science, Maths and Technology finally released a statement after ‘mistakenly’ dumping quality textbooks and causing some members of the community to raise concerns.

One of the people who expressed their disappointment is LNP education spokesman Dr Christian Rowan who said there must be a better way of providing the books to disadvantaged students or those who need access to educational resources rather than dumping them.

Dr Rowan, who is also the Shadow Minister for Education and Shadow Minister for the Arts, reiterated the huge financial expense of compiling these significant educational resources.

Why is the .⁦@QLDLabor⁩ Palaszczuk Government wasting such educational resources? #qldpol pic.twitter.com/NtRVVRpx4N
— Dr Christian Rowan (@DrCRowanMP) March 6, 2021

Regarding the matter, a spokesperson from the school said those books were originally offered to staff, students, and local International Baccalaureate schools. A significant number of books were accepted but because of a miscommunication between staff, the remaining books were placed outside rather than offered to charities as originally intended.

Queensland Academy for Science, Maths and Technology assured the books have been removed from the bin and will be repackaged for distribution to charities.

Where You Can Donate Books

There are many organisations in Australia that accept book donations and send them over to those who might need them. The Aboriginal Literacy Foundation is one of the organisations that appreciates all donations of new and used children’s books. The books are delivered to Indigenous communities throughout Australia that desperately need help.

Then there’s Share-a-book, a program run by the Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation, that provides new and quality pre-loved books to Indigenous, refugee and marginalised communities in need of resources.

For further information on where to find organisations which donate books, visit the National Library of Australia.

Linden Lea: Demolition of Toowong Tudor-Style House Proceeds

It’s the end of an era for Linden Lea, the Tudor-style historic house standing on Archer Street in Toowong, after workers with excavators proceeded to tear down its structures.

Despite community efforts to stop the demolition, workers have been breaking down parts of the house from the inside as early as Monday, 1 March 2021. On Thursday, some of the outdoor structures have been knocked down as well because the house didn’t have protection as a heritage-listed site.

An undignified end to an historic part of Brisbane. Linden Lea stood for 83 years but only lasted a few hours under the diggers onslaught. @bne_lordmayor @CrJaredCassidy @7NewsBrisbane @9NewsQueensland pic.twitter.com/adMRQFbj2s
— Patrick Condren (@PatrickCondren) March 5, 2021

Originally designed by architect Horace Driver, Linden Lea was built in 1937 for the famous Websters family, which owned Brisbane’s first Shingle Inn.

The six-bedroom house with servants’ quarters boasted of a river frontage and a massive Moreton Bay fig in the backyard. The front section on Archer street had a lovely garden and sat next to other interwar homes. Every feature added to the character of the property.

But Linden Lea was sold to the current owners in 2013. In 2017, they filed a demolition application with Brisbane City Council, which was rejected. Two years after the rejection, the owners won the appeal with the Planning and Environment Court. Among the reasons for overturning Council’s decision was that the house isn’t located in a character residential zone.

In a last-ditch effort, neighbours filed a heritage-listing application on 10 Feb 2021, citing that Linden Lea has rare architecture and it used to be home to a family with lasting links to Brisbane.

Minister for the Environment Megahan Scanlon MP said that Linden Lea’s heritage application “may likely satisfy the cultural heritage criteria” but she also told the Toowong Residents Group that demolition can proceed, as authorised by a court order. There has been no stop-work order from her office.

Meanwhile, the owner’s development application for the new building to replace this Tudor-style house is still pending with Council.

Olympian Visits Little Athletes in Toowong During Coles Community Round

Olympian Matthew Denny, Australia’s premier male discus thrower and Coles athletics ambassador, was one of 23 Australian athletes who visited Little Athletics centres across the country — including the one in Toowong.

As part of the inaugural Coles Little Athletics Community Round, children of all ages could meet and learn from some of the nation’s greatest athletes — including Denny, Cameron Crombie and Eliza Ault-Connell, as well as Catriona Bissett, Sarah Carli, and Alex Hulley — as they toured the country.

One of their stops was the Toowong Harriers Little Athletics centre. Making rounds to visit each community provides young aspiring athletes with the opportunity to meet their heroes, which then motivates them to strive harder. Given the pandemic, every little bit of hope helps. “It’s been such a tough year for everyone in athletics,” says Denny, “I hope my visit during Coles Community Round may have even inspired a future Olympian or two.”

Matthew Denny, who competed in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is the current Commonwealth Games silver medalist in men’s hammer throw. Denny’s skill with the discus also landed him fourth place at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, an event in which he finished sixth at the 2019 World Championships held in Doha, Qatar.

Olympian Matthew Denny at the Toowong Harriers Little Athletics centre.
Photo credit: Supplied

Little athletes were also able to meet young and fast-rising high-jump star Oscar Miers, who won a silver medal at the 2018 Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires, Argentina by jumping a personal best of 2.22m. As of late, Miers is gunning for a spot on the Olympic team heading to Tokyo in Japan.

Coles, major partner of Little Athletics Australia and community partner of Athletics Australia, has provided Little Athletics centers and young athletes with over 3.5 million bananas and droves of sports equipment whose total worth exceeds $1.68 million.

According to Coles Corporate Affairs General Manager Sally Fielke, these athletics organizations, namely Little Athletics, “…provides an important pathway for Aussie athletes and it’s also a place where kids develop healthy habits like being active and eating healthily.”

By providing children with training and the facilities and equipment necessary to help them improve, Little Athletics centres across the country help people practice fitness at a very young age. “That’s why we’re incredibly proud to support Aussie athletes through banana donations and sports equipment grants from the Coles Little Athletics Community Fund.” Fielke concludes.

Toowong’s Regatta Hotel Set For Exciting New Expansion

In order to capitalise on the Regatta Hotel’s primo position by the riverside, the Australian Venue Co aims to give this iconic Toowong establishment some new and exciting renovations.

Toowong’s very own Regatta hotel has provided Brisbane with lodging, beer, wine, and cuisine since 1874. Now, plans are being drawn to expand the hotel’s beer garden, as well as to establish a rooftop terrace along Coronation Drive, between the Regatta’s heritage building and one of their restaurants, The Boatshed.

The Australian Venue Co intends to have the Regatta make better use of its location by giving people more access to the potential views the hotel can offer. A rooftop terrace is perfect for overlooking the Brisbane River. On the other hand, expanding the beer garden would take up more space in Sylvan Rd’s car park in exchange for being able to accommodate more guests.

Render and location of proposed extension.
Photo credit: PD Online/Brisbane City Council

In the past, the Regatta has served as the venue for many public events such as the Laneway Vineyard Festival, which showcased some of the most exquisite wine from around the world in 2017 and 2018. The upcoming Spin and Tonic — a sunset session scheduled for April 1, 2021, complete with beverages and live music — will also be held at the Regatta with its venue being The Courtyard, the hotel’s open-air dining and bar area.

Though the plans themselves have not been approved, their development is part of Australia Venue Co’s $53M campaign to renovate and clean up Queensland’s pubs and bars. Renovations are expected to begin either later within the year or early in 2022.

Mark Rigby, Curator of Brisbane Planetarium in Toowong, to Retire After 36 Years

Did you know that there is a “minor planet” named after Brisbane? The man who made this happen in 2009 is Mark Rigby, the curator of the Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium in Toowong, who will soon say goodbye to his role as the ultimate “Aussie Starman” after 36 years.

Mr Rigby has been the driving force behind the popular planetarium visited by every child in Brisbane in the last three decades. The curator has been on top of thousands of sessions at the Brisbane Planetarium year after year since he joined as an assistant curator in 1985.

In 2006, Mr Rigby approached astronomer Robert H. McNaught to have one of his asteroid discoveries named after Brisbane. Mr McNaught has discovered over 50 comets and 400 asteroids in his career and the astronomer could not refuse Mr Rigby’s request because it seemed like kismet.

Mr McNaught was born near the birthplace of Sir Thomas Brisbane in Ayrshire, Scotland. His birthday falls on the death anniversary of the famous astronomer and governor.

After agreeing, Mr Rigby then sought the help of the International Astronomical Union and worked double time to have asteroid 5277 named Brisbane to coincide with the city’s 150th birthday.

Asteroid 5277 Brisbane made closest approach to city of Brisbane during the past day – a mere 177.6 million km away in main asteroid belt.
— Mark Rigby (@Aussie_Starman) November 25, 2011

At Brisbane Planetarium awaiting cross to American Museum of Natural History for Pluto encounter global coverage. pic.twitter.com/Khu6GxM4KT
— Mark Rigby (@Aussie_Starman) July 14, 2015

Asteroid Brisbane might be a minor planet but if it were to impact the Earth, it could form a crater as big as 80 diametres. Orbiting the Sun every 3.5 years, Asteroid Brisbane can’t be seen through the naked eye and only through a good telescope when the skies are dark. The last time it was spotted by astronomers was in August 2020 at the Haleakala Observatory in Hawaii.

Meanwhile, because of his valuable contribution to the city and in making the Brisbane Planetarium such a unique, educational and entertaining destination, Lord Mayor Adrian Schinner recognised and thanked Mr Rigby for his service.

His final year at the Brisbane Planetarium coincides with the completion of the upgrades and the re-opening after the COVID-19 lockdowns.