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Kenmore is Among the Top Suburbs for House Price Growth in 2018

Kenmore is among the best performing Brisbane suburbs for house price growth in 2018, the latest Domain report revealed.

With the release of the Domain House Price Report 2018, showing house prices in Brisbane falling 0.20 percent quarter-on-quarter, several suburbs appeared to have emerged resilient and managed to post growths over the 12 months ending December quarter 2018.

Kenmore was the fourth best performer, following Hemmant which rose 12.50 percent, after it gained 11.8 percent for a median price of $738,000. On the other hand, suburb data from realestate.com.au shows the median house price for Kenmore at $700,000, which is higher as compared to the QLD median price of $490,000. A total of 299 houses changed hands from 1 Feb 2018 to 1 Feb 2019.

Photo Credit: J Brew [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Sandgate tops the list of 10 best performing suburbs for houses in 2018, in terms of year-on-year price increases, with 18.8 percent growth and a median price of $750,000. Just as impressive, North Ipswich managed to register a year-on-year price change of 17.30 percent or a median price of $366,500, for a second place finish.

Graceville, Paddington, and Bardon were the other suburbs that posted year-on-year growths of 10 percent or better. Burpengary East, Carseldine, and Brookfield round out the top 10.

For the December quarter 2018, Brisbane property market slightly slowed down to post an almost flat year-on-year growth, after it registered gains in the previous quarters. Industry experts point to the tighter credit access that’s crippling housing market in other capital cities.

Despite this, optimism is still high for Brisbane as Queensland remains to be a favourite among interstate migrants and overseas buyers, coupled with strong fundamentals that are seen to help Brisbane housing market remain stable.

Read: Kenmore: One Of Brisbane Suburbs With Most Growth In 2018

The Portico at Kenmore Village Shopping Centre Set to Open April 2019

Construction of a stylish outdoor dining area at the Kenmore Village Shopping Centre is currently underway and is slated to open in early April.

The Portico, designed by Earthsong Architects, is the Centre’s answer to shoppers’ feedback received during a market research. As revealed in the research, Kenmore Village customers are looking for more food options and a place to dine and spend a date night, catch up with friends, or have dinner with the kids.

Once completed, The Portico will have front tenancies Café Fiori and Shop 55 opening onto the dining area. The outdoor dining area is intended to provide customers of the Centre a comfortable and stylish area to relax whilst enjoying great food.

Photo Credit: Kenmore Village / kenmorevillage.com.au

Works at The Portico project will include: 80-sqm covered outdoor seating area — booth style and loose seating — with a capacity of about 80 people; 3 large ceiling fans and full length blinds; new landscaped garden and attractive arbour; relocation of emergency vehicle bay to the opposite side of the entry driveway; installation of new loading bay and two new grease traps.

Owners of Kenmore Village, Jen Retail Properties Ltd, said that they are delighted with the prospects of providing improvements to the amenity and ambience of the Centre which will in turn enhance the enjoyment of its shoppers.

The Portico is expected to open in time for Easter 2019.

Read: Method to the Madness Cafe: Shakespeare-inspired Cafe in Kenmore Now Open

Kenmore Shopping Centre | 9 Brookfield Rd, Kenmore QLD 4069, Australia

The Brookfield District Museum: Collecting, Preserving, and Sharing Brookfield and Upper Brookfield History

Located on the Brookfield Showground, the Brookfield District Museum is home to Brookfield’s and Upper Brookfield’s collection of historical artifacts and memorabilia from the early settlers in the area.

Photo Credit: Brookfield Showground / brookfieldshowground.com.au

The museum building is a former Pullenvale Farmhouse which has a room that was operated as Pullenvale Post Office between 1879 and 1958. In 2003, the building was moved from White Cedar Road, Pullenvale to the Brookfield Showground and underwent several alterations.

On 3 December 2004, the building was officially opened as The Brookfield District Museum. The museum is divided into three rooms, exhibiting collections from Brookfield pioneering families, the Brookfield Show, and household items from the last century.

Once a well-forested area, timber became a prominent industry in Brookfield. During the 1800s, timber was hauled by the Bullock team to the rafting ground and rafted down the Brisbane river. Timber also end up at ‘Bon Accord’ — Brookfield’s own sawmill, established by Charles Patterson in 1875 — on Brookfield Road. The Rafting Ground Reserve and Rafting Ground Road now serve as reminders to this early Brookfield industry.

Bullock team in action – circa 1890

Photo Credit: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

Many of the tools and photographs representing this era, along with early farming equipment from early twentieth-century Brookfield settlers are on display at the museum, such as a waistcoat worn by one of the area’s major landholder to his wedding in 1854.

Also included in the museum’s collection are many of historical research and publication produced in the past fourteen years and some of Brookfield Show Society and Brookfield Pony Club archives.

The Brookfield District Museum is open 9 a.m. on Brookfield Market Saturdays, the first and third Saturdays in each month, and during Brookfield Show. Off-street parking and disabled access are available at the site.

Brookfield District Museum | 665 Brookfield Rd, Brookfield QLD 4069, Australia

Read: Brookfield Old Friary in Kenmore Hills Seeks Expression of Interest

Kenmore: One of Brisbane Suburbs With Most Growth in 2018

Kenmore was one of the top suburbs with most growth in 2018 as Brisbane topped capital growth over the last 12 months. This is according to CoreLogic’s Hedonic Home Value Index – December 2018.

Four of Brisbane’s subregions were among Australia’s top 10 in terms of increase in dwelling values over the 12 month period. This, whilst the Australian housing market recorded its largest quarter-on-quarter decline since December 2008, with half of the eight capitals recording declines in dwelling values.

The downward trend, however, is not happening in Kenmore and Centenary suburbs, which contributed to significant value growth in Brisbane West.

Kenmore and Centenary suburbs have become more attractive to families looking to upsize. Home price in these areas are cheaper by as much as 20 percent compared to other suburbs. The same holds for other Brisbane regions like Brisbane East and Moreton Bay regions, thereby contributing to increase in values.

According to realestate.com.au, the median house sales price in Kenmore from 1 January to 31 December 2018 was $743,000, an increase of 30.4 percent from the same period five years ago, with a total of 134 homes sales. Kenmore housing prices, whilst comparatively cheaper, is already a sought-after suburb and experts believe it is likely to ride along Brisbane’s property growth in 2019.

Through 2018, Australian dwelling values declined by 4.8 percent and slipping 2.3 percent over the December quarter. CoreLogic attributes the overall weak market conditions to access to credit, as lenders become more conservative than ever with their lending practices.

Among the top performing subregions for change in dwelling values, Brisbane had four that recorded an increase: Brisbane West by 3.1 percent, Brisbane East by 1.4 percent, Moreton Bay North by 1.3 percent, and Moreton Bay South by 0.7 per cent.

Whilst other capitals cities managed to record growths, the rise in values were achieved despite a slower pace of increase or accelerating rate of decline. The soft growth in these capital cities proves that the weakening housing market is not confined to just Sydney and Melbourne but is also being felt in most regions across Australia.

Read: Kenmore: Among Home Renovation Hotspots In Brisbane

Method to the Madness Cafe: Shakespeare-inspired Cafe in Kenmore Now Open

Method to the Madness Cafe, a Shakesperean-inspired cafe recently opened its doors to Kenmore locals, serving all-day breakfast and turning into a lively bar by night.

Opening last December 2018, Method to the Madness Cafe pays homage to a famous line from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, “Though this be madness, yet there is method in’t”; and truly, there is more to this cafe than meets the eye, something you’ll discover once you step inside.

Photo Credit: Method to the Madness / Facebook

Method to the Madness Cafe is located at the corner of Marshall Lane and Moggill Road and owned by Reagan Nongkhlaw and Urvik Bhalani. The venue’s theme is undeniably inspired by the beloved Bard with a dedicated wall filled with his famous quotes, a bookshelf full of Shakespeare’s works, and dishes named after his plays, yet it has a modern and airy atmosphere.

Photo Credit: Method to the Madness / Facebook

Breakfast and lunch are served with freshly brewed coffee, tea, smoothies, and breakfast cocktails such as Jealousy (crushed pineapple, vanilla ice cream, coconut milk, and white rum).

 


Breakfast menu options include A Serpent’s Egg Your Way” (two eggs — poached, fried or scrambled — with grilled tomatoes, and hollandaise on sourdough), Hunt Thy Peas (Avocado spread on six seeds, chimichurri pea smash, lemon myrtle goats cream, prosciutto, and poached egg), and Be Not Afraid of Greatness (Wagyu spag bowl brioche sandwich, tomato chutney, fried egg, pecorino, and crispy panchetta).

 


Popular lunch picks include these hearty meals: O That Way Madness Lies (Crispy chilli pork burger, onion jam, apple slaw, pickled veggies, and crispy chats), Stay True to Thyself (Chicken spaghetti carbonara, mushrooms, and bacon crumbs), and Grain Salad (Mixed grains, caramelised onions, pomegranate, Drambuie currants, crunchy seeds, and Greek dressing) with option to add grilled chicken or smoked salmon.

There is a kid’s menu too, featuring ham and cheese toastie, cheese toastie, Little Eggs (One egg, poached, fried or scrambled served on square toast with bacon), and Little Waffle (Served with maple syrup and vanilla bean ice cream).

Method to the Madness Cafe serves breakfast all-day whilst lunch is served from 10:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. As a way to welcome 2019, the cafe will start serving dinner too.

3/9 Marshall Ln, Kenmore QLD 4069, Australia

Read: Keith Harkin Set To Perform At The Retro Bar Kenmore In February 2019

Keith Harkin Set to Perform at The Retro Bar Kenmore in February 2019

Keith Harkin, Irish singer/songwriter and former Celtic Thunder member, is touring Australia next year and is slated to play at the Retro Bar in 13-14 February 2019 — his only two shows in Brisbane.


Keith’s first solo debut album with David Foster and Verve records was released in 2012. Both his second solo album “On Mercy Street” and Christmas album “Nollaig” reached number one on Billboard’s World Music Charts. The last time Keith performed in Brisbane was back in 2012, as part of the Celtic Thunder, at The Entertainment Centre.

In 2019, Keith Harkin tours Australia as a solo artist, with scheduled performances in Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Bendigo, Hobart, Launceston, Sydney, Newcastle, Burleigh Heads, and Brisbane — where he will be playing for two nights at the Retro Bar. VIP Tickets includes early entrance into the venue and an opportunity to meet, take photos, and chat with Keith.

About The Retro Bar

Established in 2010 by Peter & Carmel Costigan, The Retro Bar is a 60s-inspired cocktail lounge located at Moggill Road in Kenmore, offering live music featuring local and international artists. Open Mic Night is held every Thursday to support upcoming musicians as well. In 2015, Richard Harrison acquired the Retro bar.

The Retro Bar is also a great venue to hold exclusive functions such as birthdays, film shoots, training sessions, and product launches. Customers can book the entire venue which includes use of the stage, dance floor, lighting and audio-visual equipment, along with serving of finger food and drinks tailored to the occasion and customer needs.

The venue also offers non-exclusive option — booking part of the venue — to cater for smaller-sized gatherings. The bar serves a range pizzas such as Hawaiian, Supreme, and Margherita; and all-time favourite snacks like mixed nuts, nachos with bruschetta and sour cream, and meatballs with fruit chutney.

The Retro Bar’s cocktail menu includes Fluffy Duckling (Bacardi, advocaat liqueur, cream, lemonade), Japanese Slipper (Midori melon liqueur, cointreau, lemon juice), and Jelly Bean Bad (Ouzo, blue curacao, grenadine, lemonade).

The Martini Menu, on the other hand, includes Butterscotch Martini (Absolut vanilla vodka, butterscotch schnapps, creme de cacao), and Turkish Martini (Vanilla vodka, creme de cacao, rosewater, turkish delight).

Read: Brookfield General Store And Cafe | An Old-School Dining Experience

The Retro Bar Kenmore | 4/2071 Moggill Rd, Kenmore QLD 4069, Australia

Brookfield Old Friary in Kenmore Hills Seeks Expression of Interest

The heritage-listed Old Friary in Kenmore Hills is on the market, but some concerned locals are pleading for the Anglicans of the Diocese to reconsider the sale.

The Anglican Church first investigated the possibility of selling when it launched an Expression of Interest campaign for the property at 139 Brookfield Road in October 2018. According to the sale listing, the owner will consider sale, partial sale, joint venture or lease of the 2.64-hectare site.

Old Friary Kenmore Hills
Old Friary site seeking Expression of Interest. (Photo credit: www.realestate.com.au)

On the site are two houses, a chapel and a community facility used for events. The listing also states potential options for the site, including an aged care, retirement, place of worship, childcare and community residential. It is situated in close proximity to Kenmore Village Shopping Centre and various cafes, restaurants, schools and medical facilities.

Read: Kenmore: Among Home Renovation Hotspots in Brisbane

Local Opposition

Some locals are not happy that the Anglican Church is selling the Old Friary as they are concerned that future developments would endanger the heritage listing.

Since the launch of the Expression of Interest, some residents have expressed opposition to the possible sale or lease of the property. They have started a petition on Change.org to urge the Anglican Church to retain the Old Friary.

The petitioners said that the site’s buildings, community resources, green spaces, peace and tranquillity should be protected from development. They are primarily concerned that if the potential developer levelled all or part of the site for development, it would be a great loss to the community.

Concerned locals also pointed out that if the property is sold, the church should ensure that it is offered to a buyer who would look to improve and cherish the character of the place. They are united in the hope that the Old Friary will continue to be a community-focused site for generations to come.

Properly named ‘Brookfield Centre for Christian Spirituality, the Old Friary open to the public during daytime as long as there are no booked events. The public can freely visit the grounds to enjoy the peace and tranquillity or spend some quiet time in the chapel.

Find out more about the Old Friary.

Read: No Money Involved: Brookfield Food Swap Promotes Sustainable Living at Monthly Event

Kenmore Container Deposit Site Backs Out

The government’s Container Refund Scheme (CRS) has been encouraging Brisbane residents to recycle in exchange for money. However, residents from the west side would need to find an alternative as the planned Kenmore container deposit site did not materialise.

To stop residents from the west side having to drive a little farther, Kenmore Rotary has stepped in with local partners to organise collection points in the Kenmore area.

Kenmore Rotary has established collection points at two locations:

  • Ewaste Connection, 98 Brookfield Rd, Kenmore Hills
  • Pullenvale Marketplace, 8 McCaskill Rd, Pullenvale

By leaving your containers at those two drop-off points, all funds raised will go to good causes as Kenmore Rotary members donate their time to raise money for worthy causes.

Before the CRS started in November 2018, Kenmore was one of the suburbs where a container deposit facility was planned. Unfortunately, the charity behind the initially proposed site did not push through with their plans when the refund initiative started. This means that the nearest container refund points are the Envirobank site at Jindalee Home Centre and Re.Turn-it site at Salvos, Sherwood.

Container Exchange, the organisation responsible for developing and running the container refund scheme in Queensland, and its operator Return-It are still looking for other solutions to cater to residents from Kenmore. They are hopeful that more deposit sites will be available once more operators get onboard.

 

Read: Kenmore: One of the Generous Suburbs in Brisbane

Container Refund Scheme


Credit: Queensland Environment/YouTube

CRS is one of the government’s programs that promote the recycling rate in Queensland whilst reducing the amount of drink containers that are littered everywhere.

Queensland calls its container refund scheme as Containers for Change. This program provides people with an incentive to collect and return eligible containers for recycling, in exchange for a 10 cent refund payment.

Eligible containers for the container refund scheme. Photo credit: www.qld.gov.au

Eligible containers include most aluminium, glass, plastic, steel and liquid paperboard beverage containers between 150ml and 3L. Containers that are NOT eligible for a refund include the following:

  • plain milk containers
  • glass containers which have contained wine or pure spirits
  • large containers (1L or more) which have contained flavoured milk, pure juice, cask wine or cask water
  • cordial or vegetable juice containers
  • sachets above 250ml which have contained wine
  • registered health tonics.

Take note that all containers smaller than 150mL and bigger than 3L will not be eligible for a refund.

Non-eligible containers. Photo credit: www.qld.gov.au

Read more about the container refund scheme through the Containers for Change website.

Read: Kenmore: Among Home Renovation Hotspots in Brisbane

 

Kenmore State High School Student First Ever FAI World Drone Racing Champion

A teen from Kenmore State High School was proclaimed as the first-ever FAI World Drone Racing champion in Shenzhen, China.

Fifteen-year-old Rudi Browning bested 127 other drone racers from 34 countries after four days of fast-paced competition. The FAI World Drone Racing Championship, the first-of-its-kind competition, was designed to showcase the drone pilots’ racing skills as thousands of fans watch the competition that was streamed online.

The first FAI World Drone Racing Championship ran from 1-4 November at the Shenzhen Universiade Stadium. Apart from the general individual and national team classifications, it also included female and junior pilots classifications.

The FAI World Drone Racing Championships 2018 involved three stages:

  • Qualification: competitors race to determine the placing for the first round of the elimination stage
  • Elimination: successive rounds that lead up to the semi-finals.
  • Final: the ultimate and final race to determine the eventual Champions and Vice-Champions.

Video Credit: MERCADRONE/YouTube

The drones used in the competitions are multi-rotor aircraft with at least three motors or propellers. Each drone weighs no more than 1 kg (including batteries). For real-time flight video images, the drones were fitted with an on-board video camera that transmitted images to the headset worn by the pilots. This allowed the competitors to steer the tiny aircraft around the circuit.

The track in China is considered as one of the best ever built for a drone racing competition. The 650-metre long track was created in the shape of a Chinese knot. There were three levels with obstacles and gates that the drone pilots had to fly up, down, over, and through. The drone race course was lit up at night with 7,000 metres of LED lights that created a stunning visual experience to everyone watching.

For winning the drone racing championship and placing third in the junior competition, as well as for being part of Team Australia that won the national classification, Rudi took home more than $US 24,000 in prize winnings.

Kenmore: One of the Generous Suburbs in Brisbane

If there is one thing that Kenmore locals can be proud of, apart from scoring high on the healthiest suburbs study, it is that the latest Domain Healthy Brisbane research also revealed that residents in this generous suburb also have giving hearts.

Domain, in partnership with Deloitte Access Economics and Tract Consultants, brought the first ever Domain Healthy Suburbs–an in-depth study of suburbs in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane and the health opportunities that these places provide to its residents.

A total of 10 indicators, including Volunteering, that either help or hinder health were used to determine the healthy suburb score. These indicators are categorised under Recovery, Hindrance, and Promotion.

The healthy suburb indicators:

  • Walkability
  • Active transport to work
  • Open space
  • Tree cover
  • Access to fresh food/supermarkets
  • Volunteering
  • Fast food stores
  • Liquor stores
  • Hospitals
  • Allied/Community health

Photo Credit: Domain/domain.com.au/healthy-brisbane/

Domain reported that the volunteering population in Kenmore is very high. In fact, some better-known charity organisations have a waiting list of individuals wanting to volunteer and the waiting time is quite long. Such is the case of Tom Bassingthwaite, who said that he had to wait a year before a spot was opened for him. Mr Bassingthwaite has been doing volunteer work for the past two-and-a-half years for a charity initiative called “Meals on Wheels”—delivering food for the frail and/or aged, and people with disabilities.

Photo Credit: sabinevanerp/Pixabay.com

Authors of the study also underscored the difficulty of measuring social indicators such as feelings of community and belonging, yet they are important and can influence the mental health outcomes. For this study, the use of volunteering as an indicator is based on the assumption that the level of volunteerism in a community affects the level of social connection amongst its residents.

Not only did Kenmore score well on volunteerism, it also scored high on Tree Cover and Walkability. The top ten suburbs teeming with kind-hearted individuals are Chelmer, St Lucia, Ashgrove, Kenmore, Bardon, Fig Tree Pocket, Corinda, Chapel Hill, Grange, and Graceville.