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Bellbowrie Community Club Rebounds After Volunteer Push Stabilises Local Hub

Photo Credit: Bellbowrie Sports and Community Club/Facebook

The Bellbowrie Sports and Community Club, a key community club serving Kenmore and surrounding suburbs, has regained its footing after a new President stepped in to lead the organisation, following a brief disruption that highlighted the importance of local volunteers.

The latest developments marked a major step forward after the club struggled to fill key leadership positions. The appointment has helped restore direction and confidence, allowing the club to continue operating while it works to fill remaining roles and strengthen its committee.

Leadership Gap Emerged Earlier in March

The club, which supports families across Kenmore, Bellbowrie and Moggill, first encountered challenges during its annual general meeting in early March when no nominations were received for several board positions. A follow-up meeting later in the month also saw limited interest, leaving critical roles vacant.

As an incorporated association, the club requires a full committee to meet its obligations, which led to a short pause in operations while advice was sought. By March 20, the club had resumed operations under interim arrangements, ensuring local sport and community use could continue with minimal disruption.

Football and cricket activities remained active, with arrangements in place to maintain access to the fields for training and matches.

Just days later, the venue hosted a cricket presentation day attended by local representatives and families, along with the opening of upgraded cricket nets. The event reflected ongoing community engagement and the club’s continued role as a central gathering place.

Vital Hub for Kenmore and Western Suburbs

The Bellbowrie Sports and Community Club plays an important role for residents across Kenmore and neighbouring suburbs, supporting sport, events and social connections for local families.

Its facilities are used each week by local clubs including Moggill Football Club and Moggill Cricket Club, supporting both junior and senior teams and making it an important part of community life in Brisbane’s western suburbs.

With leadership now taking shape and activities continuing, the club is focused on building a stronger foundation for the future.

Published 22-April-2026

3 Wild Surprises Hiding in Plain Sight In and Around Kenmore

Photo Credit: Wikipedia/CC0

Kenmore is known for its leafy streets, busy roads and family homes, but the area also sits within a landscape of creeks, gullies and mature trees that still support native wildlife. This place is a mix of suburbia and habitat that helps explain why some animals that seem more suited to bushland or remote waterways have also been recorded in and around the district. Local survey reports, conservation material and public sighting posts point to three stand-out examples: platypus, powerful owls and echidnas.

Platypus Records Show Life in the Waterways Near Kenmore

Many people think of the platypus as a species found far from suburban streets, yet records linked to Brisbane’s western suburbs show they have persisted in local creek systems.

Reports have identified Moggill Creek as one of the places where platypus can be found around Brisbane. Local survey work by the Moggill Creek Catchment Group adds more weight to that picture.

In its 2016 survey report, volunteers recorded platypus sightings at several sites, including Branton Street in Kenmore, where two animals were seen at one location. Later updates from the same group said platypus activity in Gold and Moggill creeks had lifted in years with better water flow, which suggests local habitat conditions can make a real difference.

A 2022 post from Cr Greg Adermann said research had found the ward was home to four of Brisbane’s eight largest platypus populations, with Moggill Creek recording the highest number. Llocal monitoring was also being used to track how flooding, erosion and other environmental changes affect platypus survival.

Their presence points to waterways that are still doing more than carrying runoff through the suburbs. It is an important habitat for one of Australia’s most distinctive native animals

Powerful Owls Still Hunt in the Leafier Parts of Brisbane’s West

The powerful owl brings a very different kind of surprise. It is Australia’s largest owl and a predator that depends on established habitat, including large trees and sheltered creek lines.

A wildlife newsletter published through the Moggill Creek Catchment Group says there are several powerful owl pairs in Brisbane’s west and specifically includes Kenmore Hills among the places where they occur. The same source explains that these owls use creek lines and gullies for roosting and nesting, while related conservation material notes that access to large hollows and prey can allow the species to survive in urban areas where enough habitat remains.

The idea of a large nocturnal hunter living close to suburban houses is unexpected. A powerful owl may not be seen on the school run or from the front yard, yet that is part of what makes the Kenmore area distinctive. The combination of tree cover, connected vegetation and nearby creek systems means some wildlife stays hidden in plain sight.

Echidna Sightings Suggest Native Animals Still Move Through Local Streets

Echidnas may look more familiar than platypus or powerful owls, but they still surprise people when they turn up in suburban gardens. A social post tied to Kenmore describes an echidna being spotted in a garden bed in Woonalee Street. The animal was large enough to attract attention straight away and was seen after dog barking drew a resident outside.

Photo Credit: Cubberla-Witton Catchments Network

While this is not the same as a formal wildlife survey, they do offer a useful local clue about the kinds of animals that still pass through residential parts of the suburb. This sighting was not in a distant reserve or a remote national park.

This suggests green corridors and backyard habitat still help some native species move through the district, even in places shaped mostly by housing.

Kenmore’s Creeks, Gullies and Mature Trees Help Explain These Sightings

Kenmore sits within a broader western suburbs network of creeks and vegetated corridors, and that helps support different kinds of wildlife in different ways. Platypus depend on functioning waterways. Powerful owls rely on tree cover, prey and nesting sites. Echidnas need room to move through connected patches of habitat.

It also shows the value of local observation. Formal surveys, conservation newsletters and public sighting posts each reveal a different part of the picture. When those pieces are read together, they suggest that the Kenmore district holds more wildlife than many people might assume at first glance. The natural systems around Kenmore are still active.

Published 21-April-2026

Moggill’s Colin Hobson Takes Home Queensland School Bus Driver of the Year

Cr Greg Adermann/Facebook

Moggill resident Colin Hobson has been named Queensland School Bus Driver of the Year for 2025, winning the title at the Queensland Bus Industry Council’s Annual Gala Dinner and Awards Night after a statewide public vote backed him ahead of two other finalists.

Colin drives the semi-rural S60 route for Southern Cross Transit, clocking around 160 kilometres a day between Chuwar and Indooroopilly, and the community he has built on that bus run was clearly paying attention during voting. The win comes after he was selected as a finalist from a pool of more than 1,300 nominations received across Queensland, making the final result all the more significant.

For Kenmore and Moggill locals who know Colin well, the recognition comes as no surprise. His approach has been described as an unwavering focus on providing good customer service, a quality that set him apart from the moment the nomination was announced.

From the Snowy Mountains to Brisbane’s Western School Run

What many local residents may not know is that Colin’s path to west Brisbane’s school bus network took a long detour through the Snowy Mountains, where he spent 25 years before returning to his Queensland roots. Back in Brisbane, he and his wife Tamara built a presence in the local café scene that made them familiar faces long before the school run did.

The couple ran Moccabella Café at Bellbowrie Plaza and One Table Cafe at Kenmore Hills for many years, earning a loyal following among the bayside community before stepping back from small business life.

Colin Hobson named as School Bus Diver of the Year 2025 — *Photo Credit: YouTube/TranslinkQLD*

The transition from hospitality to school bus driving might seem unexpected from the outside, but the thread running through both chapters is the same: a genuine orientation toward the people in front of him. For Colin, the S60 route is more than a timetable, it is a daily commitment to around 160 kilometres of safe, calm and enjoyable travel for students, some of whom face nearly two hours each way on that run.

A Bus That Became a Community

Translink‘s own description of Colin ahead of the finalist announcement captured what students and parents had been saying in their nominations: he has built a whole community on his west Brisbane school bus. Fridays have become a fixture, with music trivia and sing-alongs a regular part of the routine, and no student’s birthday passes without the whole bus joining in. Those details speak to something deliberate rather than incidental, a driver who has thought carefully about what the journey means to the people making it every day.

The Queensland Bus Driver of the Year Awards, now in their seventh year, are run by Translink in partnership with the Queensland bus industry to recognise drivers across three categories: South East Queensland Bus Driver of the Year, Regional Bus Driver of the Year and School Bus Driver of the Year. The 2025 School Bus category was contested against finalists from Mackay and Townsville, with the winner determined by public vote from the nine finalists selected across all categories.

Colin’s win is a reminder that the quieter parts of Brisbane’s transport network, the long semi-rural runs that stitch outer suburbs to the city, are held together by people who show up with care every single day.

Published 20-April-2026

Nando’s in Kenmore Announces Closure

Kenmore is about to lose one of its familiar takeaway spots, with Nando’s confirming directly to customers that its local restaurant will shut, leaving Indooroopilly as the nearest option for residents who have long relied on the suburb’s only store.

The closure is set for 3 May, according to a message sent to customers, which thanked the community for its support over the years and encouraged locals to visit before the final day.

The same message pointed customers to Nando’s Indooroopilly as the closest alternative and noted that its sauces and marinades remain available through major supermarkets.

Customer email confirms closure ahead of public updates

The first clear sign of the shutdown has come from direct communication with customers rather than a public announcement. In its message, Nando’s described the Kenmore store as having served the community for years and indicated the decision to close had already been made, with a final date set.

Despite this, there has been no formal media release or public explanation outlining why the store is closing.

Nearby Indooroopilly store positioned as a replacement

Meanwhile, Nando’s Indooroopilly only opened in August 2025, as part of the company’s expansion across Queensland. The timing suggests Nando’s had already strengthened its presence nearby before deciding to close the Kenmore site.

For Kenmore residents, the change means losing a convenient dining option within the suburb. Regular customers will need to travel further for the same brand, with Indooroopilly now the nearest location.

Published 20-April-2026

Moggill Community Moves to Save Historic Hall Linked to 1868 Church

Photo Credit: Heritage Brisbane

A little-known hall sitting beside one of Brisbane’s oldest church sites in Moggill is now at the centre of a community push, as local groups race to secure funding and support to restore a structure that has served the suburb for generations.

The effort involves Lions Brisbane West working with Brisbane West Uniting Church to revive the hall located on Moggill Road. The building is part of the heritage-listed former Moggill Methodist Church, first built in 1868, with the hall added later in 1941.

Public meeting to outline the future of the hall

A public meeting is scheduled for Sunday, 26 April, at the Moggill State School hall from 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., where residents will hear updates on the project and discuss possible future uses for the space.

Organisers say the meeting will also cover broader community topics, aiming to involve residents in shaping how the hall could serve local needs moving forward.

A hall with deep roots in Moggill’s history

While the church building dates back more than 150 years, the hall itself was constructed in 1941 and was originally known as Sinnamon Hall, funded by a local family. Over time, the site has been a place for worship, gatherings and community events, giving it strong social value in the area.

Brisbane City Council’s heritage listing recognises the site’s importance, noting its long connection to local life and its role as a landmark within Moggill. The listing highlights both the historical and community significance of the church and its associated buildings.

Restoration plans focus on safety and longevity

The current project, now being referred to as the Moggill Heritage Hall initiative, is in its early stages. Initial work is expected to focus on essential repairs such as asbestos removal, restumping and repainting to make the structure safe and usable again.

Lions Brisbane West has indicated it is seeking grants and donations to fund this work, as part of a wider plan to ensure the hall can continue to be used by the community.

Photo Credit: Lions Club of Brisbane West

Beyond restoration, organisers are also looking at how the hall can better serve Moggill residents into the future. The goal is to create a space that can host local groups, events and activities, while still respecting the site’s heritage value.

Published 20-April-2026

Our Lady of the Rosary School Upgrades Take Shape in Kenmore

Upgrades are now underway at Our Lady of the Rosary School in Kenmore, with classrooms, amenities and sports facilities set for renewal over the next 12 months as the school responds to growing demand from local families.

The works include refreshed classrooms, upgraded amenities and renewed sports courts, aimed at improving day-to-day learning and student use of the campus.

Principal Paul Rees describes the changes as part of a longer view of what learning looks like for local families. The goal, he says, is to create spaces that support both strong academic outcomes and student wellbeing, “right through to Year 6.” It’s a sentiment that resonates in a suburb where many families choose to stay connected to one school for years, watching younger siblings follow older ones through the same classrooms.

One of the more noticeable shifts this year is the strengthening of early learning on site, Catholic Early EdCare. With a new kindergarten and long daycare now operating alongside the school, the transition into formal schooling is becoming less of a leap and more of a gentle step forward. For working parents especially, the convenience of having children begin and continue their learning journey in one familiar place has been widely welcomed.

Rees says the move was shaped by conversations with families who wanted “a seamless transition into school”. That idea of continuity and belonging runs through much of what the school is trying to build. Children who start in kindy are already becoming familiar with the rhythms of the school day, the faces in the playground, and the expectations of learning, long before their first official year begins.

For students further along, the focus shifts to confidence and independence. Opportunities like interschool sport, camps and extension programs are part of the fabric of upper primary life, helping students stretch beyond the classroom. There’s also a strong emphasis on service, with children encouraged to connect with their community in practical ways. It’s something that reflects the school’s Marist tradition of care and responsibility for others.

Yet, beyond programs and facilities, what stands out most is the sense of continuity between school and community. Families talk about knowing each other across year levels, about older students looking out for younger ones, and about a shared understanding of what it means to grow up in this part of Brisbane.

“It is a great responsibility and an absolute privilege to have a family choose our school for their child,” Rees says and it’s an acknowledgement that education here is as much about relationships as it is about results.

As the upgrades roll out over the next 12 months, there will be visible signs of change—fresh paint, new flooring, improved spaces. But for many in Kenmore, the real story lies in how those changes support something less tangible. It’s a school that continues to evolve alongside the families it serves, while holding onto the sense of community that brought them there in the first place.

For families considering their options, the school will hold an Open Week and morning tour on 29 April, offering a glimpse into daily life at the school.

Published 7-April-2026

Architect-Designed Kenmore Property Sets Non-Riverfront Suburb Record at $4.101 Million

Domain

A sprawling single-level family home at 45 Scenic Road in Kenmore sold under the hammer for $4.101 million on the weekend, setting a new record as the highest price ever achieved for a non-riverfront property in the suburb and ranking as Kenmore’s third-highest sale of all time.

The result landed as the top sale across south-east Queensland for the weekend, drawing a crowd of around 200 onlookers and six registered buyers, though only two local families actively competed at the auction. The underbidder, a young family, opened proceedings at $3.65 million before a series of $50,000 and then $25,000 bids pushed the price to $4 million. Smaller increments followed until the hammer fell above the undisclosed reserve.

A Home Built by a Family of Serial Builders

The Scenic Road property is the latest project from a family with an unusually deep relationship with residential design and construction. A practising architect within the family designed the Kenmore home, marking the sixth or seventh residence the family has designed and built for their own use. The decision to sell now comes with a characteristically ambitious reason: the owners’ daughter has recently graduated as an architect, and the family plans to design and build their next home together as a combined creative project.

Built in 2023 in collaboration with Giova Fellows Quod Architecture, the home sits on a 2,023-square-metre block and delivers 798 square metres of single-level living. The design incorporates landscaped gardens, a pavilion, sun terraces, a pool and a billiards and cinema room. Buyers rarely find single-level homes of this scale on sites of this size in Kenmore and across Brisbane’s western suburbs, where developers typically deliver large homes across multiple storeys.

Flood-Free Position Underpins Premium Result

The property’s flood-free status played a meaningful role in its appeal. Kenmore sits in a catchment where flooding is a genuine concern for sections of the suburb, particularly in pockets closer to the Brisbane River and Moggill Creek. Buyers seeking large-block, architect-quality homes in the western suburbs often face a trade-off between size and flood risk, and 45 Scenic Road sits outside that compromise entirely.

Co-selling agent Jason Scott of McGrath Paddington noted the home’s scale, design quality and flood-free position as the key drivers of buyer interest, describing the combination of a recently built, single-level home of this size as genuinely rare in the current market. The result, he said, showed that high-quality properties without compromises continued to attract strong demand even as conditions became more variable. One registered bidder withdrew before the auction after deciding against bidding unconditionally, citing exposure to recent sharp falls in global share markets.

A Patchy Market Around a Standout Result

The Kenmore sale stood out against a broader auction market showing early signs of caution. Across south-east Queensland, 168 auctions were scheduled for the weekend. Domain recorded a preliminary clearance rate of 51 per cent from 113 reported results, with 22 homes withdrawn. Withdrawn auctions count as unsold in clearance rate calculations, placing the effective rate lower than the headline figure suggests.

LJ Hooker head of research and economics Matthew Tiller described Brisbane’s weekend results as resilient overall but noted a noticeable softening in buyer and bidder confidence at individual auctions, driven by the recent interest rate movement and pressure on household budgets. Tight listing supply continues to support prices across Brisbane, with sellers offering far fewer properties than buyers need to shift the market balance across most price brackets.

Strong Demand for Exceptional Homes

In a suburb where the median house price sits around $1.4 million and most homes date from the 1970s to 1990s, the market delivered a notable milestone when a non-riverfront property sold for $4.101 million at auction. It confirms that premium, architect-designed properties in flood-safe pockets of Kenmore now command prices well above anything previously achieved outside the riverside precinct, and signals the depth of demand available for genuinely exceptional product.

Kenmore remains one of Brisbane’s most consistently owner-occupied western suburbs, with high rates of long-term family ownership, strong school catchments across both state and private options, and proximity to the CBD via Moggill Road and the Legacy Way tunnel. For buyers seeking large-block, quality-built homes within a reasonable commute of the city, it continues to attract serious competition when the right property comes to market.

For information on current listings in Kenmore, contact McGrath Paddington through mcgrath.com.au.

Published 27-March-2026.

Security Camera Relocated to Kookaburra Park to Address Hooning Concerns in Karana Downs

A security camera assigned to the Pullenvale Ward has been relocated to Kookaburra Park in Karana Downs, following resident concerns about an increase in hooning activity in the park’s carpark.

Read: Reminder to assess your business security measures

Cr Greg Adermann announced the move on Facebook, saying he approved the relocation at the request of local residents. Cr Adermann noted that while the ward has no law enforcement powers over hooning, the camera runs around the clock and footage is passed on to local police to assess and act on as they see fit.

Kookaburra Park is located at 54 Caringal Drive, Karana Downs. The park includes a playground, a 200-metre bike riding track opened in July 2023, picnic shelters, electric BBQs, and access to the Brisbane River.

Previous deployments

Cr Adermann said the camera had previously been deployed at Cicada Park in Chapel Hill and Westaway Park in Moggill, and that its presence at both locations led to a reduction in anti-social behaviour. A separate camera requested for Allawah Road in Chuwar has also been capturing footage of hooning activity for forwarding to police. One resident commented on Cr Adermann’s post that hooning on Allawah Road had anecdotally reduced since that camera was installed.

In February 2025, Queensland Police intercepted several vehicles allegedly driving dangerously along Allawah Road. A 19-year-old Leichhardt man was charged with dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, driving an unregistered and uninsured vehicle, driving whilst unlicensed by court order, and attaching false number plates, according to Queensland Police Service.

Read: High speeding motorcycle riders arrested in Brisbane by specialist unit

Queensland hooning laws

Under Queensland law, hooning is defined as anti-social behaviour in a motor vehicle, including speeding, street racing, burnouts, and playing loud music from a car stereo. The laws apply to any driver of a vehicle, regardless of ownership.

Queensland’s anti-hooning legislation has been strengthened on multiple occasions. Incidents can be reported via the dedicated hotline 13HOON (13 4666) or online, with callers asked to provide vehicle descriptions, locations, and times. Other driving complaints, including dangerous driving, careless driving, and racing or speed trials on public roads, can also be submitted through Queensland’s online reporting system.

Published 20-March-2026

Brookfield State School Partners with Kenmore Rotary, Builds Solar Lighting to Pacific Communities

Photo Credit: Rotary Club of Kenmore/Facebook

At Brookfield State School, a classroom activity has extended beyond the school grounds, with Year 6 students assembling solar lights for children in other parts of the world who lack electricity.

A classroom with a wider view

Inside the classroom, the task was simple but meaningful. Students worked side by side, carefully putting together Solar Buddy lights piece by piece. What might have felt like a hands-on lesson in following instructions soon took on greater weight as students learned where the lights would go and who would use them.

The session, supported by Rotary Club of Kenmore, introduced the concept of energy poverty, helping students understand how the absence of reliable electricity shapes daily life for many families. It also placed renewable energy into a real-world context, linking classroom learning to global challenges.

Photo Credit: Rotary Club of Kenmore/Facebook

As the lights came together, so did a sense of shared purpose. Students worked in small groups, supporting each other through the process. Alongside the assembly, each child wrote a short letter to accompany the light — a small but personal gesture to someone they may never meet.

Lighting the path to learning

The finished lights will be shipped to communities in Papua New Guinea, Fiji and the Solomon Islands, where access to electricity is limited or unavailable. In these places, a simple light can make a difference to a child’s ability to read, study and complete schoolwork after dark.

The initiative is part of the work of SolarBuddy, an Australian charity focused on reducing energy poverty through practical solutions and education programs. By partnering with schools, the program connects students in Australia with communities facing very different circumstances.

Support for the session at Brookfield State School included funding from local community sponsors and representatives, helping ensure the materials and kits were available for students to take part.

A connection that reaches beyond the classroom

The activity reflects a longer commitment from Kenmore Rotary to involve schools in projects that combine service with learning. Over several years, similar sessions have seen more than 1,200 students in energy-poor communities benefit from solar lights assembled by Australian students.

The experience also provided a moment to reflect on the contrast between the students’ own daily routines and those of children elsewhere, while also showing that even small actions can contribute to broader change.

Published 20-March-2026

Quincy the Quokka is Looking for Love in Fig Tree Pocket

Photo Credit: Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary/ Facebook

Did you know that Brisbane now has a quokka? The pint-sized marsupial, Quincy, now calls the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in Fig Tree Pocket his home.

A Small Traveller from the South

Quincy recently completed his journey from the Sydney Zoo to settle into the the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. At just one year old, the young male weighs only 1.8 kilograms, though experts at the sanctuary expect him to reach a full adult weight of approximately 4 kilograms as he matures.

Since his arrival, he has spent his time adjusting to his new surroundings in a private area, where he has been snacking on a healthy diet of sweet potatoes, carrots, and corn.

The Search for a Companion

While the newcomer is currently enjoying a solo lifestyle, his caretakers are already looking to change his relationship status. The team at the sanctuary has nicknamed their current mission “Quokka Wants a Wife” because male quokkas often struggle to live together in the same space.

Finding a female partner for Quincy is the preferred way to ensure he has company in his new habitat. Liana Anderson, the head macropod keeper, noted that bringing this specific species to the area is a significant achievement for her staff and the local community.

More Than Just a Famous Smile

The quokka is famous around the world for its “smiling” expression and its popularity in social media photos, but the sanctuary staff views Quincy as an important tool for education. By drawing local families and visitors to the Kenmore area to see such a charismatic animal, the sanctuary can teach the public about the importance of protecting the environment.

Ms. Anderson explained that when people feel a connection to a famous animal like a quokka, they are more likely to support the protection of habitats that house many other less famous Australian creatures.

Published Date 16-March-2026