Check out the work of Jaco Roeleffs, a local sculptor whose creations are a fusion between art and the natural world, on display at “Flowing Forms,” a unique art exhibition in Brookfield.
Mr Roeleffs is renowned for his ability to weave organic materials and found objects into sculptures that challenge the boundaries between reality and imagination. His creations are deeply rooted in themes of nature, human connection, and the ephemerality of existence.
Set in the picturesque Brookfield Rose Garden, “Flowing Forms” boasts a collection of 20 sculptures by 10 local artists.
Alongside Jaco Roeleffs, artists such as Antone Bruinsma, John Fegan, Colleen Lavender, Fred Beel, Russell Solomon, and Nina Summers have contributed their unique sculptures. Each piece tells its own story, reflecting the individual style and vision of its creator.
These pieces are crafted from a variety of materials, including stone, steel, aluminium, and bronze, each harmonising with the natural beauty of the rose garden. The venue itself adds an extra dimension to the artworks, providing a natural canvas that enhances their visual appeal.
Photo Credit: CrGregAdermann/Facebook
Unlike traditional art openings, which officially started its run on 9 Dec 2023, “Flowing Forms” offers a more relaxed and immersive experience.
The exhibition, set until June 2024, invites visitors to embark on a self-guided tour, allowing them to engage with the sculptures at their own pace. Descriptions and videos accompanying each piece provide insight into the artists’ visions and processes.
This event is not just an exhibition but a platform for local artists to showcase their work to a broader audience. It reflects Brookfield’s commitment to nurturing and promoting local talent. The sale of these sculptures also offers an opportunity for art enthusiasts to own a piece of this unique artistic endeavour.
After several years in the arts hub of Fortitude Valley, ART101, a multidisciplinary art studio that encourages absolute beginners to explore their creativity, has found a new home in Kenmore.
Housed in the spacious facilities of SPACE, a community hall run by Communify, the relocated studio provides a relaxed and welcoming environment for budding artists. Floor to ceiling windows allow natural light to flood the venue, illuminating the blank canvases awaiting the burst of creative energy from students.
The relocation also allows the studio to expand its offerings. ART101 now provides a breadth of tuition options including weekly art classes, short courses, and workshops ranging from two hours to full day sessions. Students of all ages can enrol – children, teens, and adults alike.
Photo credit: ART101 Studio/Facebook
The vibrant pieces lining ART101’s walls are testament to the creative magic that can happen when budding artists have room to freely explore self-expression. Students regularly return to continue developing their style, reinvigorated by the non-judgemental creative community.
Photo credit: ART101 Studio/Facebook
Whether you’re looking to rediscover a long-lost passion or hoping to awaken your inner artist for the first time, ART101 now offers a welcoming space nestled amongst the gumtrees of Kenmore. Just 15 minutes from Brisbane’s CBD, the studio provides room for your inspiration to grow.
ART101 encourages budding artists to get messy whilst exploring their creativity. Now families can unlock that creative excitement together during the upcoming school holidays. On December 15, the School Holiday Art workshop will guide young artists ages 8-15 as they depict Saint Nick’s furry festive feline on canvas. Participants will take home a 25x25cm acrylic painting to commemorate the holiday season.
The session welcomes parents to join their aspiring artists, with spaces available to book separately. ART101 will supply all needed materials, but does recommend sending children along with snacks, drinks and clothing that can handle a few colourful splatters. Unleash the festive fun and register your creative duo today! Visit their website for more information.
A proposed development for a childcare centre in Kenmore has become a bone of contention and debates among residents, environmentalists, and city planners.
The development application (A004808456) for a two-storey childcare facility, designed by Alto Architects, received approval from Brisbane City Council in 2019. A few more applications involving minor changes were filed that were also approved.
A subsequent development application (A006367166), filed in September 2023, seeks a minor change to add an outdoor play area with a bridge and acoustic fencing. This change is argued to be minor and compliant with relevant planning schemes and acts.
The centre for 120 kids, planned within a rural zone, proposes the removal of three existing dwellings to make way for the development. With operational hours between 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. from Monday to Friday, the centre aims to cater to the growing needs of the Kenmore community.
Photo Credit: DA A006367166
Residents of Jessamine Court, a cul-de-sac near the childcare centre, also raised issues against the subdivision of the nearby property and the potential introduction of a new access point to their street. They fear that this could disrupt the quiet, safe nature of the cul-de-sac, impacting the community and local environment, including increasing traffic and affecting the safety of children playing in the area.
Photo Credit: DA A006367166
The opposition also mentions the potential environmental impact, including the removal of trees and effects on local wildlife and koala habitat.
Planners have assured that the proposed childcare centre’s footprint will not encroach on the mapped biodiversity area at the rear of the site, thus preserving environmental values.
Prior to the release of koala habitat maps in February 2020, development approvals were granted without referral to SARA. These approvals predate the regulatory maps and don’t interfere with koala habitat.
Heavy metal drummer Tommy Lee and internet celebrity wife Brittany Furlan took time out from Motley Crue’s Australian tour to have some fun at the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in Fig Tree Pocket last week.
Furlan’s cheeky video posted on Instagram showed the couple giggling as they fed and posed with cuddly koalas and bounding kangaroos. “Best day evvvvva!” Furlan exclaimed in an Aussie accent.
Lee grinned as wallabies nibbled food from his hand. The couple clearly enjoyed their hilarious close encounters with Tasmanian devils, bush turkeys, and other wildlife.
After a day of delightful distractions down under with wombats, wallabies, and more at the sanctuary, it was back to bass drums and sold out shows for Tommy Lee at the Motley Crue and Def Leppard concert at Suncorp Stadium on November 8.
Their tour in Australia, which commenced in Brisbane, was set at the Giants Stadium Sydney on November 11, and will be at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium on November 14.
Like the celebrity couple, visitors can make memories hand-feeding kangaroos, cuddling koalas, and encountering other amazing Aussie wildlife at the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary.
The Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary offers various tours like in the free-range Kangaroo Reserve, which involve getting exclusive photos and encounters with koalas, meeting dingoes, snakes and reptiles up close, and behind-the-scenes platypus house visit, but perhaps the most popular tour option involves morning tea with koalas, professional photos holding a koala, extra access to koala exhibits, a python encounter and photo, Tasmanian devil feeding, and lunch overlooking the Brisbane River.
The renowned Brisbane attraction has also recently launched night tours, where one can discover the sanctuary’s hidden wonders and witness the captivating world of Australian wildlife after the sun sets.
Introducing Mr Grumbles, a Ruffus Betton – that’s a super cute little Australian marsupial. Remember his name because he’s about to become Australia’s newest star.NOCTURNAL, at the Lone Pine Sanctuary, shines new light on Australia’s most famous creatures.
Joining him in the ‘red’ spotlight are four Tassie Devils called Yolo, Zaney, Harvey and Swarf; Bare-Nosed Wombats Bell and Bruce; Koalas Clementine, Patricia, Kandy and Keisha, a cool gang of Bandicoots, Pademelons, Echidnas and Potoroos and Rocky the elusive but spectacular Tree Kangaroo.
These are the stars of NOCTURNAL at Lone Pine Sanctuary in Brisbane, a new $1.4 million first-ever immersive night-time adventure that allows visitors to discover the hidden world of Australia’s fascinating nocturnal wildlife, and it opens from November 1.
A unique and unforgettable journey into Australia’s world famous animal kingdom, Nocturnal starts as the sun dips below the horizon, and the animals come out to play, allowing visitors to witness the incredible behaviours and adaptations of some of Australia’s most elusive and enigmatic wildlife species.
“There’s a whole world of activity that happens after dark that we aren’t privileged to, but Nocturnal gives people that experience, with a tour guide, in a non-invasive way to celebrate Australis’s animal superstars, and educate people about the importance of sustaining their ecosystems,” said Frank Mikula, Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary Curator.
“It’s an Australian native animal treasure hunt, with the prize being able to see these amazing creatures up close and personal!”
Nocturnal is a one kilometre walking adventure called The Wild Walk, through an established Eucalypt planation, mostly on a custom-designed elevated boardwalk which allows the animals full roaming rights across their habitats.
The sanctuary’s brand new multi-million-dollar Nocturnal Precinct features a one-kilometre boardwalk, allowing visitors exclusive after-dark access to seven exhibit spaces and 10 nocturnal Australian species.
Photo credit: Queensland Government
Visitors are given handheld thermal imaging devices, about the size of a mobile phone, that picks up the unique heat signature of animals. Once detected, a red light torch can be used to watch the animals doing what they do, with the red light completely non-invasive.
Photo credit: Queensland Government
Starting 1 November 2023, your family can go on these magical night tours, with expert guides who will lead you on an adventure to spot curious critters like pademelons, potoroos, bettongs, and bandicoots in their natural habitats.
Hosted in tours of 20 people with a dedicated guide who shares details of each animal species, their personalities, and provides feeding opportunities, Nocturnal is set to be a MUST EXPERIENCE for Australians and for international visitors, many who already have the 97-year old and iconic Lone Pine Sanctuary on their travel bucket list.
Photo credit: Queensland Government
The project was made possible through the Queensland Government’s 2020 Growing Tourism Infrastructure Fund, which invested $1.2 million for the development of the new nocturnal precinct.
Lone Pine General Manager Lyndon Discombe expressed his sincerest thanks and gratitude to the Queensland Government for supporting the sanctuary’s vision to develop a transformative and refreshing new tourism experience for the Brisbane region.
“Australia has some of the world’s most unique wildlife and being able to discover their natural behaviours after dark will be an experience like no other – it’s a secret world some of our staff haven’t even seen!”
Tourism Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary’s Nocturnal Precinct is an awe-inspiring opportunity for international visitors to shine a light on the secret nightlife of Australia’s iconic marsupials
This exciting new exhibit is predicted to draw over 500,000 visitors annually and generates additional funding to support Lone Pine’s world-class conservation efforts.
So don’t miss your chance to go wild under the moonlight and discover Brisbane’s captivating nocturnal wildlife. Visit the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary website to book your spot from the 1st of November for these one-of-a-kind after-dark tours.
City Cave Kenmore, a wellness centre in Kenmore, has introduced new membership options designed to provide discounted access to their relaxation services.
Starting November 1, memberships will be available for massage, infrared sauna sessions, and float therapy.
According to Taylor Fielding, owner of City Cave Kenmore, the new membership options aim to make wellness part of guests’ regular routines whilst saving them money. Fielding said the goal is to make self-care and wellness more accessible so everyone can experience the benefits of their services.
Photo credit: City Cave Kenmore/Google Maps
The massage membership offers either two or one 45-minute massage per month at reduced rates. A single 45-minute massage typically costs $110, but with the Massage Cave Club membership, members can enjoy two 45-minute massages per month for just $179, providing savings on massage sessions.
Photo credit: City Cave Kenmore/Google Maps
For infrared saunas, members can get either two or one 45-minute sessions weekly at discounted pricing ($64 for two sessions instead of $45 for a single sauna session).
Photo credit: City Cave Kenmore/Google Maps
Similarly, float therapy membership includes two sessions monthly at a lower cost than paying individually. A casual float session typically costs $89, but with the Float Therapy Cave Club membership, members can get two sessions per month at the discounted price of $119.
The memberships are intended to make services affordable and encourage regular relaxation as part of a self-care routine. They provide significant savings compared to paying per individual service.
Located at Brookfield Road, the wellness centre provides an array of wellness options including massage, float therapy, infrared saunas, and more. The spa serves the surrounding communities of Bellbowrie, Brookfield, Moggill, and Chapel Hill.
Kenmore shoppers have become well acquainted with the selling of Kenmore Rotary Raffle tickets over the last 20 years, both Kenmore Village Shopping Centre and Kenmore Plaza being the venues to exhibit the trailer and sell the tickets. However, the 2023 rendition will have a new challenge.
Due to the major renovation of Kenmore Village, Kenmore Rotary Club has decided to leave the Trailer and all its prizes there instead of the usual towing of it between the two centres.
Previously, Kenmore Village was the Friday and Saturday venue for the trailer and the selling effort and Kenmore Plaza hosted the trailer and sales effort on Sundays.
This year, the trailer will remain at Kenmore Village, as the sales campaign will run from November 2 to December 3.
The Trailer Raffle is the major fundraiser of the year for Kenmore Rotary. Here are the organisations that benefited from a donation from the Trailer raffle last year:
The Women’s Crisis Support Service
DV Support is considered a priority by Kenmore Rotary and the WCSS was made a beneficiary. Kenmore Rotary, in conjunction with Karana Bellbowrie Rotary, paid for a full mould cleaning of their facility; the construction of a Children’s Cubby House; the construction of a Children’s Sandbox with shade cover; and the landscaping of the children’s play area.
Photo Credit: Kenmore Rotary
Photo Credit: Kenmore Rotary
Other areas of help offered to the refuge included the donation of new clothes for women and children, financial cover for a child’s emergency medical intervention
STEM
Kenmore Rotary offers a scholarship for a local Year 11 student to attend the 10-day National Youth Science Forum.
Kenmore Rotary runs the Solar Buddy program via several junior schools including those at St Peters Lutheran College, OLR, Kenmore State School, Ambrose Treacy and Chapel Hill State School.
The students construct a solar light and include a written message with each light, which are then sent to PNG to help combat the lack of electricity over there which means children cannot study after dark.
Solar buddy lights improve student reading & study time by 87% for the children that receive them. This also eliminates the use of kerosene lamps which have proven to be very dangerous for children.
Leadership
Kenmore Rotary has long focused on developing young leaders in our community, to that end it invests funds into 5 Leadership programs:
Aspiring Leaders Program mentoring Yr 11 students potential leaders at Kenmore State High School
“The Club is run by volunteers that dedicate their time to improving our community, we really appreciate the support every year for our Trailer Raffle, as our major fundraiser, and we are delighted once again to be able to offer the trailer and it’s full array of prizes, kindly donated by sponsors, to the lucky winner,” a spokesman for Kenmore Rotary said.
eWaste Connection, a community initiative in Kenmore Hills that provides a lifeline for people with disabilities and promotes e-waste reduction and sustainability, is one of the standout finalists for the annual WasteSMART People’s Choice Award.
eWaste Connection runs workshops for individuals with disabilities six days a week. Together, they recycle, repair, or refurbish all types of electronic and electrical waste.
The refurbished items are then donated to domestic violence refuges and other charitable organisations, which sell them at affordable prices. In 2022, the eWaste Connection community volunteered an impressive total of 4,914 hours, diverting a staggering 114,642 kilograms of e-waste from ending up in landfills.
How eWaste Connection Started
Monique Lowndes, a dedicated mother, embarked on a mission to provide a meaningful purpose for her son with disabilities. Her inspiration came from noticing her son’s fascination with disassembling electronic devices, which led her and her family to establish a group dedicated to dismantling electronic materials and finding ways to recycle their components.
Today, their initiative is thriving, with new locations and over 230,000 kilograms of eWaste recycled. More than 250 participants have engaged in eWaste workshops, underscoring the growing demand for their work in the community.
The significance of their efforts goes beyond recycling. They offer valuable opportunities for some of the most disadvantaged members of the community, providing them with a sense of purpose. Furthermore, they extend support to the families and caregivers of the participants by offering much-needed respite.
The project’s remarkable efforts have earned them recognition in the past, with eWaste Connection previously receiving the WasteSMART Community Award in 2020 and the WasteSMART Business Award in 2022. Their consistent commitment to sustainability and community engagement has led to their nomination as an All-Star finalist for the 2023 WasteSMART People’s Choice Award.
Brisbane’s Lord Mayor, Adrian Schrinner, spoke enthusiastically about the WasteSMART Awards.
“Brisbane is recognised as Australia’s cleanest and greenest capital city, and I want to make sure it gets even better for future generations. The WasteSMART People’s Choice Award recognises individuals, community groups, and businesses who undertake waste-smart activities with a $350 prize up for grabs,” he said.
The People’s Choice category includes various finalists, ranging from charity and not-for-profit groups diverting various types of waste from landfills to innovative businesses using methods such as worm farms, establishing produce gardens, and creating in-house sustainability teams. These finalists are exemplary examples of the sustainability initiatives that are helping to maintain Brisbane’s reputation as a clean and green city.
The WasteSMART Awards, organised by the Brisbane Sustainability Agency on behalf of the Brisbane City Council, are proudly sponsored by Containers for Change Queensland, Cleanaway, and The University of Queensland. The winners in the 12 WasteSMART Award categories, with a combined prize pool of over $4,000, will be announced during a ceremony at Brisbane City Hall in November 2023.
When Help Enterprises, the organisation responsible for managing the McIntyre Centre, announced the Pinjarra Hills centre’s unexpected closure due to operational difficulties, the local community was eager to see the organisation resurrected. A group of community members are now in the process of seeing what, if anything, can be done.
For nearly six decades, Help Enterprises has provided vital assisted therapy and support to disabled individuals, earning deep respect and admiration from the local community.
The McIntyre Centre had its humble beginnings at the home of Peter and June McIntyre in 1964, with the noble goal of aiding disabled individuals through horse-riding therapy. The program’s immense success soon necessitated a move to a 16-hectare site. For 53 years, it thrived, continuing its vital work until it was gifted to Help Enterprises in 2017.
Help Enterprises invested approximately $4 million in the school’s infrastructure and improvements after it took over operation six years ago. At its peak, the Centre was said to have had a stable of nearly 40 horses, with around 16 programs weekly.
Despite these efforts, the organisation revealed that it was costing them around $700,000 per month to keep the school running, with funding from the National Disability Insurance Scheme falling short.
The situation has been further exacerbated by a dramatic decline in the number of annual rides provided, plummeting from 7,500 when Help Enterprises took over to a mere 2,800.
Help Enterprises has contacted the previous owners of the horses, some of whom have expressed interest to take them back. Two of the older ones are being rehomed with former McIntyre staff members.
Help Enterprises has also initiated the process of selling the other horses, raising concerns about the future of the centre’s assets.
A committed group of community members formed a steering committee to strategise the revival of the McIntyre Centre. They are working on a proposal to present to Help Enterprises, despite the organisation’s reluctance to comment or respond.
Mr. John Williams, the President of the Lions Club of Brisbane West, conveyed the community’s desire to see the McIntyre Centre restored as a community asset.
He underscored its significance to the disabled community and various other local groups, highlighting the urgency of its revival and likening its absence to a deeply felt loss.
Whilst Help Enterprises has not been forthcoming with details about the Deed of Gift, Queensland University Law Professor Ross Grantham sees potential solutions. If the Deed of Gift permits amendments, court involvement might not be necessary. Alternatively, transferring ownership of the organisation to another charitable entity could be a better alternative.
Did you know that the Moggill Koala Rehabilitation Centre and the Lone Pine Sanctuary in Fig Tree Pocket are harnessing the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) by using facial recognition technology to help save the koalas?
Efforts to bolster the survival of koalas are now complemented by the innovative work of a team of Griffith University AI researchers and ecologists, who have secured funding to advance their ‘facial recognition’ camera technology at koala crossing locations across South East Queensland (SEQ).
For the third consecutive year, these researchers are working to deploy state-of-the-art “facial recognition” camera technology at strategic koala crossing locations across SEQ.
This groundbreaking initiative aims to monitor and understand how koalas utilise these crossing points, ultimately providing invaluable research-based insights to help safeguard this declining population.
Leading this pioneering study is Professor Jun Zhou from Griffith’s School of Information and Communication Technology. The project’s inception was made possible by a $90,000 Community Sustainability Action Grant awarded by the Queensland Government’s Department of Environment and Science in March 2021, followed by an additional $100,000 grant from DES in June 2023.
“This project extends our innovative AI-powered koala monitoring system to cover wider areas of koala habitat in South East Queensland, and engage with 14 local community groups across 10 local government areas to facilitate the installation and maintenance of the camera network,” Professor Zhou shared.
In July 2021, the team successfully deployed 24 AI-powered cameras at strategic koala crossing locations within the Redland City Council area. These cameras automatically activate in response to koala movement, capturing hundreds of videos and images which are then transmitted to a server at Griffith University.
The AI technology developed by the research team studies these videos and images, enabling it to identify individual koalas.
Photo Credit: Google Maps
Caroline Moss, Queensland Rail Group Senior Manager Environment & Sustainability, emphasized the significance of this research.
“A research project like this helps us to understand how this technology can be applied, not only here in the Redlands, but where appropriate in other locations, given that Queensland Rail operates a really large network,” she said.
To ensure the AI can accurately distinguish one koala from another based on their appearance and movements, the research team collaborated closely with conservation groups such as the Koala Action Group Redlands, Daisy Hill Koala Centre, Moggill Koala Rehabilitation Centre, and Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary.
“We can see from the data that koalas are in trouble here. They’ve recently been listed as endangered in Australia, and Southeast Queensland was formally a hotspot. The driver of that decline has been urbanisation,” Dr. Douglas Kerlin, a co-researcher, said.
The research project is particularly relevant during the breeding season when koalas face increased risks, including collisions with vehicles.
“We’re all about sharing information, and it’s really good to be able to put people in contact and create that conduit between researchers so that everyone can get to the same goal faster,” Frank Mikula from Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary near Kenmore, highlighted the importance of collaboration.
“The technology does the heavy lifting for us, and that’s really important moving forward.
“With increased knowledge about how koalas are crossing roads, we can better inform mitigation and management so that we can ensure a better long-term future for koalas.”
