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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.

Toowong Cemetery Tours from FOSBC Not Shutting Down

Just days after speculation broke out that the Toowong Cemetery tours conducted by Friends of South Brisbane Cemetery (FOSBC) could be shut down, Council issued permission to let the group continue “on the same basis they have been” for years.

The president of the FOSBC, Tracey Olivieri, received the good news in a statement from Brisbane’s Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner and Councillor Vicki Howard, which was released during a live radio interview on Breakfast on ABC.

There’s quite nothing like a Toowong Cemetery tour from the FOSBC to learn about the suburb’s past in the most unconventional way, especially the lives of the people who used to be part of the community.

“Our motto has always been, ‘They may be gone but certainly not forgotten,’ and we wanna keep telling their stories,” Ms Olivieri said.

But in a post on Facebook a few days before receiving the good news, Ms Olivieri was informed by a Council staff that they can’t do their monthly tours anymore.

“[The staff] have been told that there is a ‘sufficient number’ of tours there. We ran the only real history night tour at Toowong, once a month, while on the other hand there are 8-9 ‘ghost tours’ run there each month by a private business. We do not know who initiated this move to stop our tours,” the post stated.

FOSCB’s visits to gravestones are not-for-profit and definitely not for just the thrill of it. It’s also a chance to learn about the landscaping, architecture or restoration of the gravesites, with a lot of well-researched factual history added to the mix.

“Our mission is to help people better appreciate historical cemeteries, and hopefully get you more involved in looking after them,” the group’s statement said. “The tours are designed for people who (a) love to hear about real, fact-based history, and (b) want to safely visit a cemetery at night. There is a demand for this kind of tour.”

“To everyone who wrote to Council, or showed their support here, we can’t thank you enough. The people of Brisbane want our type of history tours and you helped save the tours. We love you all! Thanks also to Brisbane City Council for this decision, we really did believe that you’d listen to reasoned argument.”

The FOSCB is also running cemetery tours in South Brisbane, Mt Gravatt and Ipswich.

Spring Hill and Toowong Schools Lead List of Brisbane’s Most Expensive

The pandemic has had nearly half of schools across the country holding back on school fees increase for this year’s term but some private schools in Queensland, including Brisbane Boys College in Toowong, have increased tuition by up to three percent.

EdStart’s 2021 National School Fees Report showed that 40 percent of schools in Australia had no fees increase for the incoming term, whilst the nation’s general increase average dropped from 2.83 percent in 2020 to 1.05 percent this year.

The average increase in Queensland was at 1.19 percent, down from last year’s 1.87 percent.

Brisbane Boys College increased school fees by 2.29 percent to land as the second most expensive school in Queensland, trailing behind Brisbane Grammar School in Spring Hill (2.5 percent increase). The third most expensive school in the region, Brisbane Girls Grammar School, had zero fees increase this year.

Top 10 Most Expensive Schools in Queensland

School	2020 Fees	Increase	2021 Fees
Brisbane Grammar School	$28,230	$1,220	$29,450
Brisbane Boys College	$24,724	$2,444	$27,168
Brisbane Girls Grammar School	$26,555	$0	$26,555
Anglican Church Grammar School	$23,944	$1,990	$25,934
St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School	$24,560	$0	$24,560
The Southport School	$24,438	$0	$24,438
Somerville House	$23,940	$0	$23,940
St Aidan’s Anglican Girls School	$22,120	$1,735	$23,855
Clayfield College	$19,165	$2,665	$21,830
St Peter’s Lutheran College	$20,360	$516	$20,876

EdStart CEO Jack Stevens said this trend was unusual as the standard was to increase fees annually. However, many institutions have acknowledged the realities of household budgets taking a hit due to the current public health crisis.

To get by and manage cash flow, parents have been enrolling in payment plans.

Brisbane Boys College, for instance, has a specific scheme for paying school fees weekly or fortnight whilst companies like EdStart have provided loans for tuition so parents won’t have to take on a mortgage or apply for a personal loan.

But Mr Stevens also said that flat fees will not be sustainable long-term as schools are driven to add staffing and administration or spend on maintenance and acquisition of the facilities. He projects that the majority of schools will go back to increasing fees by 2022.

First ATAR Results: Nearly Half of the Students at 2 Toowong Schools Achieved Above 90

Over 25,000 Year 12 students in Queensland received the very first Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) this December. Amidst a challenging year, the Class of 2020 at two Toowong schools will leave with impressive ATAR results.

Nearly half the students at Stuartholme School in Birdwood Terrace and Brisbane Boys’ College in Kensington Terrace had 90 and above ATAR results.

Stuartholme School Principal Kristen Sharpe has released a statement to congratulate the graduating students. Some 44.30 percent of the girls earned a score above 90, whilst 19 percent had 95 of higher ATAR results.

Ms Sharpe also proudly stated that five of their girls will get “an Academic Commendation from QCAA for achieving straight A results in six General Subjects.”

Photo Credit: Stuartholme School/Facebook

Brisbane Boys’ College, on the other hand, had 44.20 percent of their graduating students with above 90 ATAR results, whilst 9.3 percent scored 99 and above.

“Special acknowledgement goes to Matthew Chen, Cody Fang and Max Foreman who received the highest possible ATAR of 99.95, being three of only 30 Year 12 students across the state to do so,” the school officials said in a statement.

“The Class of 2020 has made history by being the first cohort to graduate through the Senior Assessment Tertiary Entrance (SATE) system. They were the first full cohort of Prep, the first Year 7s into High School and the first group to receive an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) rather than OP in Queensland.”

Photo Credit: Brisbane Boys’ College/Facebook

Other westside schools performing impressively include the St Aidan’s Anglican Girls’ School in Corinda, where 69 percent of students had above 90 ATAR results, and Marist College in Ashgrove with 27 percent scoring above 90.

“Schools across Queensland introduced the new syllabuses and assessment model with Year 11 students in 2019, and the success of the transition is a credit to the hard work and professionalism of principals and teachers,” Education Minister Grace Grace said.

“And now, despite the disruptions to their schooling caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic, the great news is 89 percent of these young people achieved a QCE.”

Ms Grace also advised students whose results are far from their expectations to not be disheartened as they can explore more options to enter the university.

For questions about the ATAR students or parents may phone QTAC on 1300 193 173.

Your Feedback Needed: Council Takes Public Survey for New North West Motorway

With progress comes traffic congestion and as Brisbane’s north west is projected to triple in growth in the next 20 years, experts said that it is time to find solutions to prevent the gridlocks, particularly between Bald Hills and Toowong. Brisbane City Council has a business case study up for consultation with the public for a new North West motorway, among other ideas.

According to the Council’s assessment, the North West Transport Network has not been designed for the kind of traffic volume it’s currently experiencing, compared to the southside or northside routes.

“While public transport could be a solution to reducing demand on the road network, it is not always a viable option due to a range of issues, resulting in reliance on private car trips,” the business case stated. “Ongoing development of new housing within and outside of the Brisbane local government area is placing further pressure on Brisbane’s north west transport network and worsening traffic congestion.”

The case study also includes a lot of promising transport infrastructure ideas below that will also cover surrounding areas in the Moreton Bay region:

Some 10 million in funds have been set aside for this north west motorway by the Australian Government but community feedback is still important in drawing up the solutions that will help shape the transport infrastructure for the years to come.

It comes after the Council sought feedback from residents in late 2019 about their travel behaviours and where best to improve transport services.

The community consultation will run until Monday, 21 Dec 2020 and can be filled out online. By early to mid-2021, Council will present the final business case draft before submission to the Australian Government.

Multi-Age Setting Compass Independent School to Open in 2022

A new multi-age setting school is set to open in the inner western suburbs in January 2022 with an aim to introduce a unique teaching style. For parents looking for a school with a different approach, Compass Independent School might just be what you want for your child.

As the name implies, a multi-age setting class will allow for children of different ages to work together, alongside a teacher who will serve as both an instructor and a coach.

The school will initially admit children between Prep to Year 4 in a small class with less than 24 students. Subsequently, however, Compass Independent School will expand to Year 6, depending on the site.

Founder Alicia Gilbert is still actively looking for suitable locations in the following areas:

Ashgrove
Bardon
Brookfield
Chapel Hill
Indooroopilly
Kenmore
Kenmore Hills
Paddington
Taringa
The Gap
Toowong

Ms Gilbert, a two-degree holder in education, used to work at the St Peters Lutheran College in Indooroopilly and at primary schools in Shanghai and Bangkok. She has formed a team of education specialists to establish composite classes, where the teacher can cultivate a better learning experience for the children.

“Compass utilises three spheres – inquiries, focused learning, and child contribution and play – through which children will explore the Australian Curriculum.”

To learn more about the curriculum and plans for the opening, Ms Gilbert will conduct an information night at the Toowong Library on Tuesday, 24 Nov 2020, at 7:15 p.m. Parents may email hi_compass@outlook.com for enquiries.

A Toowong Riverfront Property Sells for $7.3 Million at Auction, Sets a New Suburb Record

Photo credit: Domain / domain.com.au

A riverfront property in Toowong has been sold under the hammer for $7.3 million, setting a new suburb record for a private home.

A crowd of 100 people gathered to witness bidders battle it out for the prestige of owning the river-front property at 24 Glen Road, Toowong. After the dust settled, a Taringa family purchased the property for $7.3 million, a new suburb record, last 31 October 2020.

The three-storey home, situated on a 1,756sqm flood-free allotment, has 20 metre of river frontage and offers views of the Brisbane River and the city. Built in the 1930s, the abode gives traditional Japanese architectural features a modern twist. Stone walls, water feature, and tropical gardens greet visitors upon entry.

Timber and bamboo flooring and timber features dominate the structure including decorative timber doors, timber framed windows, and timber staircase. The house also includes Japanese-style features in its design which includes sliding screens or what is called “shoji” and high panels, “ranma,’’ above doors and walls.

At the lower level is a large studio that can be used and converted for a variety of purposes such as home office, gym, yoga studio, or game room. Also on this level is a kitchenette, bedroom, bathroom and library that opens on a large undercover deck.

The master bedroom is situated on the upper level with river views. It has a large walk-in-robe and an ensuite with spa bath, double vanity, and a large shower.

Meanwhile, the kitchen boasts of modern features including Gaggenau wall ovens, NEFF induction stove and rangehood, and integrated Liebherr fridge/freezer. There is a large island bench, breakfast seating, stone benchtops, and joinery plus lots of storage.

Agents said that while most riverfront blocks in the area have been converted into high-rise developments, all of the bidders for the site are owner-occupiers. The sellers purchased the property in 1997 for $1.2 million, property records say. They plan to move into the penthouse of a riverfront property in St Lucia currently under construction.