What do the Manly Boathouse and the Wild Canary restaurant in Brookfield have in common? They both use Airgarden, a revolutionary gardening technology that enables restaurants to give diners an authentic garden-to-table experience. Simple, sustainable, zero-waste.
Airgarden, one of the latest and most advanced gardening systems in the industry, is a vertical and soil-less system that can grow up to five times as many produce at three times the speed, using 95 percent less water than the average patch of vegetables.
The system was introduced by Brisbane entrepreneurs Prue and Tom Bauer, making use of ‘aeroponics,’ technology that scientists at the National Aeronautics Space Administration in the United States use to grow crops in space.
Aeroponics revolves around growing plants in an environment laden with mist and air rich with nutrients. No soil is necessary, as the seeds are planted in pieces of foam or pots exposed to light and mist.
Photo credit: Richard Stoner II/Wikimedia Commons
What gives it an edge over other systems is how it only takes up one square metre of space, making it the perfect size for someone’s balcony, patio, and other small and tight-fitting outdoor spaces.
Airgarden first launched amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Because it enables people to grow large numbers of crops in such a short span of time, Airgarden has become the perfect system for restaurants such as Brookfield’s Wild Canary to grow food for their restaurant’s use, revolutionising the urban gardening scene and giving diners a true urban farm-to-fork experience..
At Wild Canary, people are free to pick only what they need without harming the environment in any way, creating zero-waste recipes that deliver food straight from the garden and onto the dining table. The cafe’s naturalistic focus lets customers unwind in a botanical bistro with a beautiful garden setting, with ingredients grown using Airgarden.
Photo credit: Instagram/Wild Canary
Despite the system’s use across the country, it still requires additional funding if it is to develop and grow to become a household name in the industry. Those interested in learning more about Airgarden and assisting with their crowdfunding campaign can do so via their website.
Wild Canary can be found at 2371 Moggill Rd, Brookfield, open seven days a week from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on weekdays and 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on weekends. For more information, visit their website here. Follow their social media pages on Facebook and Instagram for the latest updates and announcements concerning the restaurant.
The Brookfield Show Society has three events lined up at the Brookfield Showground over the next two months — the Shell Green T20 Cricket Match in April, and both the Brookfield Ball and the Brookfield Show later in May 2021.
Scheduled for the 25th of April 2021 is the annual Shell Green T20 Cricket Match, which will be held at Brookfield Showgrounds at 10:00 a.m. on Anzac Day, complete with a service to honour fallen servicemen and servicewomen from Australia and New Zealand.
The game has become an integral part of the Anzac Day commemoration, and this year’s match will mark the 10th anniversary of the first meeting between Brigadier Jason Blain’s Army XI and Lord Mayor’s Brookfield United Cricket Club XI.
Participation has become a tradition for emerging army players, serving as a rite of passage as participants are awarded a ‘Baggy Shell Green’. Every year, the Lord Mayor will award the winning team’s captain a shield, and a member of the late Corporal Matthew Hopkins’ family will award players with titles such as ‘Best on Field’ or ‘Corporal Matthew Hopkins Player of the Match Award’.
Photo credit: Brookfield Show Society
Brookfield Ball
Plan a glammed up date night at the Brookfield Showgrounds at the 110th Brookfield Ball, 7:00 p.m. on the 18th of May 2021. The event will offer all-inclusive tickets that cover champagne, wine, beer and soft drinks, as well as a wide range of food both hot and cold for attendants to indulge themselves with.
The Brookfield Ball comes with an evening of entertainment, including a live performance from the local Brookfield band The Setting Suns. Attendees are encouraged to put on their best formal attire and follow COVID-19 requirements applicable at the time.
Those interested in booking a spot at the Brookfield Ball can do so here.
Photo credit: Brookfield Show Society
Brookfield Show
Also highlighting an eventful May is the Brookfield Show 2021, which will also be held at the Brookfield Showgrounds. This event celebrates regional and metro agriculture, spanning three days from the 14th of May all the way to the 16th, with each day offering attendants unique festivities and displays such as the FMX Motorcycle Stunts on the 15th.
The show will feature various activities and exhibits such as horse rides, art pavilions, pig racing, sheep shearing, combat archery, and whip-cracking workshops.
The Brookfield Show’s Dog Competition will also run for over two days due to its popularity, as will the beloved Gill’s Rodeo — an event scheduled for both the 14th and the 15th featuring Happy Hour, bucking bulls, and live music from Route 33 and INEXCESS.
Those who wish to reserve a spot at the Brookfield Show can do so here.
Photo credit: Brookfield Show Society
The Brookfield Showgrounds can be found at 550 Brookfield Rd. For more information on the Brookfield Show Society, visit the Brookfield Showground website here. Follow their social media accounts on Facebook and Instagram for the latest updates and announcements concerning the upcoming events.
After living an accomplished and eventful life as a professional musician, racehorse owner, socialite, and mother, Brookfield resident Joan Davey celebrated her 100th birthday in March 2021 at the Carinity Brookfield Green aged care community.
Joan Davey joined the Carinity 100 Club on Wednesday, the 24th of March 2021, making her the second member this year to do so. Fellow resident Winifred Tazey also celebrated her centennial birthday earlier in January 2021.
In her youth, Joan’s fascination with music pushed her towards a career as a pianist before getting married to Robert, her childhood sweetheart. The couple eventually had children and set their sights on establishing a home for themselves in Adelaide, where they formed a successful electrical business and partook in horse racing.
Joan and Robert eventually divorced, and in the early 1960s, she remarried. Norman, her new husband, brought her abroad as he worked in numerous countries in Asia such as Singapore and the Philippines. Joan established a charity for underprivileged children in Manila, aiming to provide kids with a steady means of vital nutrition.
During the ‘70s, Jean and Norman returned to Australia, settling in Sydney, where they stayed until Norman’s untimely and sudden death. During her time in New South Wales, she worked as a volunteer for the Royal South Sydney Hospital before becoming their chief fundraising officer.
Following Norman’s passing, she decided to return to Queensland to be closer to her daughter and grandchildren. At the age of 80, she met Daniel, with whom she spent 14 years with until his eventual passing. The two spent his last four years in the Carinity Brookfield Green aged care community.
Joan, a hundred years old, is a beloved mother, grandmother, and great grandmother with over 18 descendants to succeed her. Even after Daniel’s passing, she has opted to remain in Carinity Brookfield Green and still lives under their care to this day.
The upgrades to the Kenmore Roundabout are moving one step closer to construction as public consultations begin for one of the worst traffic bottlenecks in Brisbane.
On Monday, 8 March 2021, an interactive consultation page from the Federal Government will open online for the community to provide their inputs on the improvements needed for the Kenmore Roundabout.
Consequently, the government will hold in-person sessions at these dates and times below for residents and businesses interested in the project to talk with the planning team:
WHEN
WHERE
Saturday 13 March 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Kenmore Village shopping centre
Saturday 20 March 6:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Brookfield Market community display
Thursday 25 March 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Kenmore Village shopping centre
Tuesday 30 March 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Kenmore Village shopping centre
The community may also send emails to metropolitanregion@tmr.qld.gov.au or phone 3066 4338 during business hours for their enquiries, ideas and suggestions.
Both Federal and State Governments have committed $12.5 each for the project meant to “improve road traffic flow, the reliability of public transport and bike and pedestrian access, a big win for local commuters right across these transport modes,” according to Federal Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts, the Hon Paul Fletcher MP.
“The Kenmore roundabout is a high-traffic roundabout at key connection point used by western suburb residents heading to Brookfield or out to Pullenvale and beyond,” Queensland Minister for Transport and Main Roads, the Hon Mark Bailey MP said.
“It’s also a key access point to Kenmore Village and the local retail precinct in that area, as well as Kenmore State School nearby. Installing traffic lights will better control traffic flow through the intersection, and we’re also providing new on-road bike lanes and dedicated pedestrian crossing facilities,” he added.
Photo Credit: Australian Government
Kenmore Roundabout Key features
Upgrading the roundabout by signalising the intersection.
New on-road cycle lanes
Installing safer facilities for people walking and riding with shared pathways and signalised crossings
24 different suburbs have reported incredible levels of noise caused by aircraft following the opening of Brisbane Airport’s second runway in July, 2020. In Brookfield, a community meeting has been called to discuss the issue.
Over the past several weeks beginning in late 2020, the Brisbane Flight Path Community Alliance (BFPCA), a group that brings communities negatively affected by Brisbane Airport’s flight paths, collected a total of 2000 responses from the Brisbane public over Christmas complaining about the noise, which exceeded the number of responses about environmental concerns brought about by the runway.
With the runway built over residential areas, it was only natural for thousands of angry locals to complain. The new runway has led to an uneven distribution of flight paths, with 75% of night operations taking place over the bay, much to the chagrin of suburbs in Southeast Brisbane.
Summer flight paths of the new runway of Brisbane. Left depicts morning flight paths in northerly winds. Right depicts overnight flight paths in calm weather. The marker represents Brookfield. Photo credit: BNF Flight Path Tool
According to the BFPCA, the population density of the 24 suburbs affected have increased by 40% in the past 15 years. Thousands of families are having difficulty sleeping, concentrating or relaxing, and with new flight patterns brought about by the second runway, property values are decreasing due to the noise.
An investigation staged by the Aircraft Noise Ombudsman is currently underway, and the BFPCA is set to submit a major report as part of the investigation in the next few weeks to help put an end to noise pollution brought about by aircraft. To address these issues, the BFPCA has organised numerous public meetings, with one scheduled for Brookfield on the 11th of March, 2021.
The March 11 community meeting hosted by the BFPCA will be held at the Upper Brookfield Community Hall at 6:30PM. Additional details can be found on their Facebook event page.
The proposed creation of a Wessel Petroleum service station in Brookfield could have potentially disastrous consequences for the platypus population in Moggill Creek.
Despite the concerns raised by locals, Wessel Petroleum explained that the service station in the works will actually be beneficial for the site as it plans to raise the ecological value of the surrounding areas, revegetating the nearby creeks. People did not respond well.
Many locals objected to the plan, believing that run-off chemicals produced by the station would flow into the creek and cause harm to the platypuses that call it home. In order to prevent that, Storm Water Consulting (SWC) issued a report that suggests the damage could be mitigated with on-site wastewater treatment, sediment fences, and chemicals could be guided to small holding ponds to avoid disturbing the wildlife in Moggill Creek.
The reception of Wessel Petroleum’s station-to-be has not been positive, with many residents doubting the ecological measures proposed by SWC. The presence of other petroleum stations within the surrounding area, such as the ones in Kenmore, Bellbowie, Karana Downs, and many other suburbs also dissuaded locals as there was no need for more stations — especially not one that could bring harm to the neighbouring platypuses.
Platypus numbers have already been dwindled in recent years as uninhabitable waterways have forced them to disperse, and travelling on land is when they are at their most vulnerable to predators.
Despite the economic downturn brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, Brisbane’s highly desired areas for buying acreages are reportedly experiencing an upswing.
Suburbs like Brookfield and Pullenvale are attracting plenty of interest from people who are considering a move to a semi-rural property where they can have plenty of outdoor space to relish in the beauty of nature and its natural benefits.
Brookfield and Pullenvale, both ideal areas for acreage living, are experiencing a Renaissance of sorts. In both suburbs, eager buyers are looking at properties that can range anywhere from one to 20 acres.
Those exploring to get back to basics, to slow down their pace, and to figure out how to build a sustainable lifestyle — amid the hoarding and depletion of supplies as highlighted in this pandemic — are finding that these suburbs southwest of the city remain seemingly untouched by modern developments.
Yet Brookfield and Pullenvale are still close to the hub in Brisbane CBD that it’s fine to miss most of what’s happening there. It’s also easy to plan a quick trip to the city when needed.
This 1.12ha property on McMullen Road, Brookfield has its own swimming pool, tennis court, rainwater storage tank and solar hot water. The space is great for riding horses or bikes in the paddocks, with a 360-degree view of mountains and valleys.
Photo Credit: Rachael Spinks/Spinks & Co Residential/Domain
In Kamala Drive, Pullenvale sits a 4ha house that looks like a plantation mansion. Impressive for private and family entertainment, this home has a gourmet kitchen and casual kitchen, as well as an alfresco area with an in-ground pool and spa.
Photo Credit: Paris Arthur/Place Graceville/Domain
Observers note that this trend has been building up for some time. The isolation during the coronavirus lockdown has had people thinking that living close to a densely-populated community does have its drawbacks and risks, as it’s these places where outbreaks usually start.
People are starting to realise that there are other things you can do in your own house than sit on the couch or be stuck indoors. The idea of having a bigger backyard has never been more appealing than today.
At least three distinct markets find the allure of living in Brookfield and Pullenvale — the knockdown market, the city-dwellers and people with money to invest in a bigger property, according to Domain.
Glen Olive House. St John’s House of Rest. St Christopher’s Lodge. Friary Pottery and Friary Fayres. Brookfield Centre for Christian Spirituality. Over the years, the Old Friary Complex has gone through multiple incarnations and metamorphosed into what it is now.
The Old Friary Complex located at 139 Brookfield Road in Kenmore Hills was once a special centre for the Anglican friars in Brisbane. Developed as a self-sufficient farm and social facility, the site was formally known as the Centre for Christian Spirituality.
From 1965 to 1987, the Old Friary was frequented by the locals and was referred to as “the Friary” as it was bustling with activities and forging fellowship, especially among the young members of the community. Aside from tending to the nursery and learning pottery, the friars and their friends in the community also carried out social work around Brisbane.
But the history of the Old Friary began decades before this. The house owned and designed by one of Brisbane’s most notable architects, Richard Gailey, was actually built in the 1890s. It was part of a structure known as the Glen Olive House in Toowong.
Mr Gailey from Donegal settled in Brisbane in 1864 and achieved to establish his practice within a year. Known for designing the Fernberg (Governor’s residence), Brisbane Girls Grammar School, Baptist Tabernacle, the Regatta hotel and the Orient hotel, Mr Gailey built Glen Olive as a landmark site with a ballroom, an atrium, and several rooms with extensive verandahs.
Photo Credit: State Library of Queensland
In 1901, Dr E. S. Jackson purchased Glen Olive and decided to sell the property in sections. William Melbourne Watts, then the Queensland’s Land Commissioner, bought a section of the house, which was to be erected at his 47 acres lot on top of a hill in the “beautiful Brookfield district.” Watts bought this land in Kenmore Hills from Charles Patterson, a timber merchant.
By 1925, Mr Watts transferred the ownership to his son, William Phillips Watts, who then sold 24.5 acres of land in 1933 to the Brisbane Franciscan Communities led by Reverend Robert Bates of the Franciscan order of the Church of England. At that time, the Old Friary was known as St John’s House of Rest for aged men.
From St John’s House of Rest to St Christopher’s Lodge
With several staff rooms and a large dining room, the complex could accommodate 30 men who helped cultivate the vast land. But as a hilltop site, this self-sustaining home for the aged was found to be too remote to cater to the needs of its aging occupants. When St John’s Home of Rest relocated to Toowong in 1934, the Brookfield site became a boys’ home and was renamed to St Christopher’s Lodge.
The refuge, now managed by the Franciscan order’s Sisters of St Clare, taught the boys to farm and their produce was regularly sold at the Brookfield Show. The young men were also guided and molded with cultural, moral and religious convictions until they were old enough to leave the boys home and start their new life as adults. Reverend Bates also secured the boys’ education at universities around Brisbane.
However, St Christopher’s Lodge ceased to operate when Reverend Bates died in 1955. Part of the hilltop land was also sold to the Presbyterian Church, which established the Blue Care Aged Care Facility and Iona Nursing Centre in Brisbane.
What remained of St Christopher’s Lodge became a base for the friars for its church missions until the property was transferred to the Corporation of the Synod of the Church of England Diocese. In 1966, the site persisted as a self-sufficient farm and handcraft manufacturers as operated by Anglican Society of St Francis. The structures were also rehabilitated whilst Henry Clark & Sons built a new chapel designed by Merrin and Cranston Architects.
Photo Credit: The Old Friary/Facebook
‘Friary Pottery’ and ‘Friary Fayres’
By the 1970s, the friary was used as a temporary housing facility for volunteers. It attracted many guitar-playing hippies who enjoyed tending to the farm, making preserves and moulding pottery. Thus, the brands Friary Pottery and Friary Fayres were born and its products were sold at various Brisbane markets and events.
Some of these products also found its way onto the shelves of the department store David Jones. The items created for Friary Pottery and Friary Fayres were also mandatory gifts to VIPs who visited Brisbane, including Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth.
Brookfield Centre for Christian Spirituality
By the 1990s, more extensive renovation and upgrades were done to the site to establish the Brookfield Centre for Christian Spirituality. It became a public place for locals to enjoy some quiet time if there were no booked events taking place. Additional contemplation areas were built and planted with trees with the help of volunteers, whilst a coffee shop with a gift store operated in the area from 1995 to 2004.
In 1998, part of the site became a private residential housing estate known as the Friary Fields whilst the centre continued to be a place of retreat and a venue for community activities. The Brookfield Centre for Christian Spirituality was cited as a local heritage place in 2017.
In 2018, the Anglicans expressed interest to sell or lease the Old Friary despite some opposition from the locals. A year later, the Uniting Church’s Blue Care bought the property under the agreement that much of it will still be used as a community area.
The annual Brookfield Show is back! Experience and celebrate the community spirit by participating in the activities to be held at the Brookfield Showground, located 5.3 kilometres from Kenmore, from Friday, the 17th of May 2019 to Sunday, the 19th.
The event, hosted by the non-profit Brookfield Show Society Inc., will actually mark its opening with the announcement of the winners of the Art, Children’s Art and Crafts, Photography, Sculpture, and Woodwork contest on Thursday night. This competition was participated in early April by students from Brookfield State School.
Sculpture, and Woodwork contest on Thursday night. This competition was participated in early April by students from Brookfield State School.
Then the next morning at 9:00, the pavilion will open its doors to the actual activities of the Brookfield Show with the Equestrian Events. There will be more fanfare in the afternoon, such as:
Rodeo
Sideshow entertainment
Live Music (at the Member’s Bar)
The Brookfield Show will also have a session for riders with disabilities, which will be introduced for the first time at this year’s event.
Saturday and Sunday’s activities, on the other hand, will feature more entertainment and exhibits at the pavilion. Sections will be divided into the different show as well as arts and crafts competitions.
There will also be a dog show at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday.
To know which exhibits you can visit, check out this map from the organizers.
The REIQ recently reported the latest housing market statistics which showed Brookfield median house price to be among the highest in Brisbane at $1,670,000, a 15.2% increase over the last 12 months and 17.8% over the last 5 years. In the 2nd quarter of 2018, there were 3 homes sold in the suburb.
Meanwhile, Kenmore posted a 4% annual increase in median house price at $687,500. The figure is 28.9% higher over a span of 5 years. During the 2nd quarter, 37 houses were sold in Kenmore.
