Ken Ryan has lived in the Kenmore area for 34 years and as one of Brisbane’s longest-serving Town Planners (initially working in Council then in private practice advising clients seeking planning approvals), he has witnessed many changes to Kenmore, Brookfield, Pullenvale, Anstead, Bellbowrie, Moggill, and Pinjarra Hills. As past president of Kenmore Rotary, he has also seen developments in the local community. In this monthly column, Ken will talk about his observations of the place he has called home since 1986.
Kenmore now thrives on convenient amenities and retailers that have evolved over many years to service the local community.
The shopping centre at 2060 Moggill Road that now houses The Courtyard Medical Centre, Medicines 4 Less, the Chinese restaurant, the burrito bar, 7 Eleven, Billtong and Jerky shop, 4069 real estate and Red Rooster was born in the 1990s. It initially included one of the early self-storage businesses as well as some of the tenants that remain today.
Ron Gove, a local engineer (and a 10-pound pom!) and several of his mates who were expats from Papua New Guinea, were clients of mine that identified an opportunity at the corner of Almay and Moggill Roads at Kenmore.
Our aim was to demolish houses that were a sub-optimal use for their position, and to develop a strip shopping centre with retail and office spaces, and a professional mix of tenants.
Because we limited the shopping centre to under 500 square metres, we did not require the rezoning that major developers had laboured to achieve over decades. Our approach ensured the development was limited to an advertised consent application, now known as a Material Change of Use, and was achieved quickly.
Strategic Location and Mix of Businesses
Our team of experienced investors bought up four dilapidated houses that were past their prime. After approaching well-known developer Griffin and Knowlman, we secured a small vacant lot for motor vehicle access to Almay street. This resulted in an efficient and safe vehicle access to Moggill Road, exit access via Almay street and through the intersection west to Bellbowrie, South to Kenmore Road and north-bound back to Chapel Hill and Indooroopilly.
A combined site of some 4,498 square metres provided scope for a variety of different residential and non-residential development options. The team contemplated town houses, but saw a greater opportunity for convenience shopping, offices and other uses such as travel agencies, that could not be accommodated at Indooroopilly Shopping Centre or at Kenmore Village Centre.
Although this was before the rise of Brisbane’s coffee culture, it was not long before our team also leveraged the changing mix of urban use and community demand to jump on that bandwagon. We sought and gained approval for the Coffee Club development with real estate office, medical facilities opposite at the corner of Merlin Terrace.
We had some hurdles with the adjoining Red Rooster developers but more importantly, we ultimately worked with the local primary school to be able to obtain physical connections to BCC services. In exchange, we provided a guaranteed drop-off zone for parents who could use surplus car parking during their peak drop off times, such as Kenmore Primary School, which had virtually no on-site staff parking or safe drop-off areas.
Also, an at-grade walkway was offered and accepted as a unique solution to their long-term issues. Historically, many state schools have been unable to provide adequate drop off infrastructure for parents of students.
When Alignment of Interests Results in Positive Outcomes
Having the nous to nurture this collaborative approach was critical to ensuring a positive outcome through an alignment of interests. This principle also holds true when interfacing with sensitive residential uses.
For example, several owners in Cranwood St were concerned about reverse amenity issues, such as potential noise, headlight glare, and visual amenity issues, being situated at the rear of a shopping centre.
Through consultation, our team identified landscaping solutions for the rear walls and suggested the use of acoustic devices and blank walls to minimise noise impacts for the new shopping centre, and a restaurant at the front of the well-designed and articulated building form.
Consequently, an owner commended Ron and his team for exceeding promises and obligation during the official completion of the project and opening of the development. This affirmation was reassuring, Our approach of commitment was supported by the team, many of whom lived in the locality with their families and valued the positive regard that the success brought to their reputation in the community.
Again, an alignment of interests can provide a positive outcome for all, and requires a deft touch where developer and resident interactions can typically be adversarial.
Proper Consultation and Professional Coorperation
Then-Councillor Margaret de Witt was consulted before lodgement. Concerns were also addressed in our professional reporting, with input coming from various disciplines, such as Town Planning, Architecture, Civil Engineering Services, Traffic Engineering, and Acoustic Engineering, among others.
Liaison with Main Roads Department (now DTMR) resolved their issues. After some protracted negotiations, our clients paid for the upgrade of the sequencing of the intersection, even though the development would not trigger intersection upgrades for many years. Despite not being required by legislation, the future public costs of the upgrade were levied by the Main Roads Department on our client.
Cooperation between the adjoining owners resulted in complicated easement arrangements between the owners and their customers, providing optimum sightlines for both cars and pedestrians. This was particularly significant, knowing that in the future, the area opposite Merlin Terrace would be closed to right-turn movements.
Identifying Opportunities
Two prominent lanes of parking spaces and underground car parking provided surplus convenient car parking facilities. The wide verandas and walkways complemented the single-storey appearance of the property from Moggill Road.
The undercroft at the rear of the building provided space for much-needed self-storage units. At that time, these were only available across the Brisbane River at Sumner Park and no other storage or industrial facilities existed to service the community.
When the development opened, the lineup of core tenants included 7-Eleven, a large restaurant, liquor outlet, jeweller, travel agent, hairdresser, and video shop, to name a few.
Unfortunately, subsequent changes with the gazettal of the City Plan 2000 saw changes to limit convenience shopping centres of this size. Further changes in 2014 saw the need to identify any lack of vacancies in existing centres and demonstrate virtually overwhelming needs before any new project is approved. Usually, these projects would be limited to under 250 square metres for a new location.
Existing approved centres and strips enjoy protection from these new projects. In my experience, this stifles innovation and job creation. It also limits a flexible response to evolving local needs and to changes in community composition.
Read: Kenmore’s Future Was Decided in a Heated Debate in the 1980s
Rather than being a dis-incentive to pursue development opportunities, it reinforces the importance of engaging experienced town planners, whose success and longevity has relied on their ability to adapt and respond to changing planning frameworks, economic conditions, political environments, and even the rise of NIMBism.
While some negative sentiment will suggest contraction of the shopping centre and mixed-use market due to online shopping and the affects of COVID-19, I submit that this industry has seen the rebound of many a downturn amidst many innovations such as the proliferation of coffee shops, health food shops, malls, flea markets, cinemas, farm produce markets, internet cafes, car boot sales, and outdoor and footpath dining.
The experiences of meeting in new locations with innovative attractions will inevitably rely on the experiences of past projects, knowing the way through legislation, and addressing community issues.
Ken Ryan has worked both sides of the Planning fence, having started his working life in the planning department of Brisbane City Council. Ken Ryan & Associates has been established for more than 18 years and has a team of dedicated and experienced Town Planners with specific core skills in Development Assessment, town planning site investigations, and planning scheme preparation and implementation.
Free, Federally-funded Coronavirus Testing Clinic Now Open in Kenmore
A Federal Government Respiratory Clinic is now offering coronavirus testing at Kenmore Clinics, for people who are showing mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms.
One of six government-subsidised facilities, the Kenmore testing clinic offers free service, as do the other clinics in Nundah, Logan, Morayfield, Burleigh Waters, and Alexandra Hills in assisting patients with mild to moderate respiratory symptoms.
Who Should Go
Kenmore Clinics stresses that the federal respiratory clinic is “…only for people with mild to moderate respiratory symptoms.”
In Queensland, people who have one of the following symptoms may be tested: fever (or a history of fever) OR acute respiratory symptoms (cough, sore throat, shortness of breath).
Here is a link to the COVID-19 Quiz.
“If you are unwell and you meet the … criteria, you should contact a doctor immediately. Your doctor will decide if you need to be tested for COVID-19,” the clinic website says.
In a bid to alleviate concerns about infection from other patients in the clinic, Kenmore Clinics is quick to assure the public of their precautionary measures. “We have a separate entrance so they are separate from our other patients, and they exit out the back. It is completely safe for other patients,’’ they assured people.
What to Do
Located at Suite 6, 2081 Moggill Rd in Kenmore, the clinic is open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on weekdays only. Bookings can be made via HotDoc by selecting “free GP respiratory appointment” or through the Kenmore Clinics website, or by phoning 3363 1699.
When booking an appointment, people are advised to call ahead and share their symptoms so that the clinic can prepare for their visit.
While waiting for the results of the test, patients are advised to self-isolate. Here are some FAQs and a guide on self-isolation. Currently, test results take 24 to 48 hours to be released.
The doctor will typically call with the test results. “If your results are negative then you no longer need to self-isolate; however, depending on your illness and symptoms you may be advised to continue remaining at home until you are completely well.”
If the results are positive, patients are advised to continue isolation. All positive results are managed by the government’s Public Health Unit.
Children can be affected too. Here is a video on explaining the coronavirus to children.
Kenmore’s Future Was Decided in a Heated Debate in the 1980s
Ken Ryan has lived in the Kenmore area for 34 years and as one of Brisbane’s longest-serving Town Planners (initially working in Council then in private practice advising clients seeking planning approvals), he has witnessed many changes to Kenmore, Brookfield, Pullenvale, Anstead, Bellbowrie, Moggill, and Pinjarra Hills. As past president of Kenmore Rotary, he has also seen developments in the local community. In this monthly column, Ken will talk about his observations of the place he has called home since 1986.
When I moved into Kenmore in 1986, having previously lived in Wavell Heights and Mt Gravatt, Kenmore itself had a very similar population to that which was recorded in the 2016 Census. On the face of it, that is a remarkable thing because Brisbane’s population has more than doubled.
I recall attending a “town hall meeting” at the Brookfield Showgrounds in the mid-1980s that, with hindsight, became the foundation of this trend. The elected councillor for the area, Sallyanne Atkinson, supported by senior staff, presided over a very heated debate.
Brookfield Hall was packed with around 150 people and there were two very clear views represented in the room. The newer owners wanted more local infrastructure, concrete footpaths and bitumen roads, kerbs, gutters, sewerage to their homes. The longer-term residents, however, wanted to preserve the status quo — their tranquil, rural lifestyle.
Some of the developments approved by BCC in that period were estates in Kenmore Hills including Huntington Estate Tuckett Park, further stages of Farmington Downs, and later, the area around Lone Pine in Fig Tree Pocket.
Fast forward to the 1997 Integrated Planning Act (IPA) and the 2000 City Plan. These two stopped rural residential subdivisions of 10,000 sqm (1 hectare) or 2.5 acres from being put up and made rural living in Brisbane a very desirable asset.
Meanwhile, areas in Samford Valley, Moreton Bay, Redland Bay, and Ipswich were actively promoting diversity of home sites and housing choice by encouraging 4,000-sqm lots as desirable for rural, residential living.
Up until the IPA, areas of the western suburbs including Kenmore, Brookfield, Pullenvale, Bellbowrie, Anstead, Moggill, and Pinjarra Hills were able to be rezoned and subdivided.
After 1997, statutory changes particularly affected large blocks of property. Real estate agents who had promoted rural subdivisions were no longer in high demand.
The existing stock of large, suburban lots with family homes was now in demand for lifestyle so close to services at Kenmore Village shopping centre and schools within walking distances at Pullenvale, Brookfield, OLR, and Kenmore.
Land already zoned for housing was purchased for architect-designed houses on large, 1,000-sqm properties in Kenmore Hills, while speculative development of non-urban and rural land ceased.
Even where residents now wanted to develop opposite new subdivisions, (e.g. Greentrees Avenue, Rafting Ground Road), the changes to legislation quarantined these rural areas. Objections to rezoning by new residents were the precursors to today’s NIMBY opponents to development.
There were exceptions, however. The controversial Court approved acreage subdivisions beside the CSIRO and RSL on Moggill and Pullenvale Roads, but BCC promoted rural residential subdivisions and as a result, up-zoning of rural and non-urban land was no longer supported.
BCC was convinced there was sufficient residential zoned land, so the zoned rural land and non-urban land have remained as a buffer to existing zoned areas. Concurrently, development in adjoining councils of 4,000-sqm lifestyle lots was rapidly occurring.
However, if infill developments had been promoted by BCC, instead of costly greenfield development of sites like Rochedale, Fitzgibbon, and Forest Lake, housing affordability could have been promoted. By allowing the existing infrastructure to be fully utilised, housing costs could be reduced for first home buyers.
Infill development allows regeneration of existing services and community facilities, compared to the enormous costs of extensive infrastructure development to address remoteness from existing community services of transport, parks, employment, and shopping centres.
The history I have observed in Kenmore over the preceding decades, and which does not show any sign of abating in the foreseeable future, shows the dominant interests in the planning industry have seldom reviewed its focus and promotion of new development in someone else’s “backyard,” at the expense of seeking increased housing affordability and residential consolidation in existing suburbs. If we are to address these issues in a meaningful and effective way, we cannot afford to let these obvious opportunities continue unfulfilled.
Ken Ryan has worked both sides of the Planning fence, having started his working life in the planning department of Brisbane City Council. Ken Ryan & Associates has been established for more than 18 years and has a team of dedicated and experienced Town Planners with specific core skills in Development Assessment, town planning site investigations, and planning scheme preparation and implementation.
Click here to go to Ken’s website: http://kenryan.net.au/
People With Knee Pain Sought For University Research
People with knee pain who live near Kenmore and Bellbowrie are needed for University research. All eligible volunteers will receive a course of physiotherapy treatment at no cost!
If you are 45 or older, have had knee pain for more than 3 months, and are not having exercise treatment for your knee, you may take part in a new study. You can apply and learn more at www.peakstudy.com.au.
What is the research about?
The Centre for Health, Exercise and Sports Medicine at the University of Melbourne is conducting a new study across Australia comparing the effects of different ways of delivering physiotherapy for people with knee osteoarthritis.
You do not need to have a formal diagnosis of osteoarthritis to volunteer in this study. Physiotherapy management typically involves the delivery of a structured strengthening exercise program and advice about how to manage and increase physical activity levels.
Physiotherapy may be delivered in any number of ways including:
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What do participants get?
All eligible participants will receive (at no cost to them):
- 5 consultations with a physiotherapist over a 3-month period
- An individualized strengthening exercise program & physical activity plan
- A wearable activity monitor (to keep)
- Educational information booklets and exercise resources
Why do they want to do this research?
Osteoarthritis of the knee is a common condition in adults. It often causes pain and reduces quality of life. It is known that many Australians with knee osteoarthritis are unfortunately not receiving accurate information and guidance about physical activity and exercise and are having trouble managing their knee condition on their own.
Consulting a health professional, such as a physiotherapist, can be helpful in discussing more specific information about osteoarthritis and for obtaining personalised guidance and support around a knee exercise strengthening program and physical activity plan.
This study will help the researchers understand how to best deliver physiotherapy care to people with knee osteoarthritis. Progress of research participants will be evaluated by using questionnaires to monitor their knee pain and their ability to carry out functional activities. Findings from this study will inform physiotherapists and health service providers about the most effective methods of delivering physiotherapy services to people with knee osteoarthritis.
Meet Tom
Thomas Harris is the physiotherapist providing services as part of the new Physiotherapy, Exercise, and physical Activity for Knee osteoarthritis (PEAK) study for participants living around the Kenmore and Bellbowrie suburbs. Tom has been trained as part of the study in delivering quality care based on current research evidence for knee osteoarthritis.
Tom studied Exercise Science at Griffith University and has completed a Masters of Physiotherapy. He currently works locally with the Kenmore Bears AFC. He is also qualified as a Level One Accredited Strength and Conditioning Coach.
Where can I get further information?
You can apply now at www.peakstudy.com.au. If you would like more information about the study, please do not hesitate to contact the trial coordinator, Penny Campbell, via phone on 03 9035 5702 or via email at penelopec@unimelb.edu.au.
Understanding Sleep Apnea and Where to Get a Quick & Easy Test in Kenmore
Sleep Apnea can prevent us from having restful sleep, but a better understanding of this condition can help us find the right solution.
On average, we spend 25-35% of our lives asleep. 229,961 hours with our eyes closed. Quality sleep is just as essential to us as food and water. So, what does our body do with all this downtime? What important business do we have to do in the dark? Did Wake Up Jeff from the Wiggles know more than he let on?
The science of sleep is still somewhat a mystery. The biological purpose of a good eight hours rest is still not completely known; all we really know is that we need it. Adequate sleep is imperative to almost every system in the body, from the nervous system to brain, heart, lung function, the metabolism and the immune system.
Recent studies suggest that a lack of good sleep can create a myriad of health issues such as obesity, diabetes, depression, cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure.
What is Sleep Apnea?
One of the leading causes of poor sleep is Sleep Apnea, which is common, but because it happens when you’re asleep, it’s very hard to diagnose.
We all know what the word ‘sleep’ means. It’s the wonderful thing you get to do after work, dinner and a glass of wine. But ‘Apnea’ is a Latin word, which translates literally to ‘suspended breath.’
There are a few kinds of sleep apnea. The most common of which is Obstructive Sleep Apnea. When you sleep, the muscles in your body relax and can even become somewhat paralyzed.
In Obstructive Sleep Apnea, the region behind your throat can become obstructed because your body is so relaxed that the muscles that would usually keep your throat passage open. In such a state, the relaxed muscles can nearly or completely block off your throat. If you have Obstructive Sleep Apnea, you can stop breathing for up to 10 seconds, hence, ‘suspended breath.’
These periods of ‘suspended breath’ in the night cause lowered oxygen levels which leads your body to believe that it is being suffocated. This instigates a stress response, you experience heightened levels of adrenaline, high blood pressure and high heart rate.
In some cases, Sleep Apnea instances can occur hundreds of times per night, so you can imagine the havoc this wreaks on our bodies.
How do I know if I have Sleep Apnea?
There are several questions you can ask yourself to know if you have Sleep Apnea.
- Do you snore?
- Do you wake up tired even after a full night’s rest?
- Do you wake up in the morning with a dry throat?
- Not to be rude, but are you overweight? Overweight people are much more prone to Sleep Apnea due to the simple fact that more weight accumulates around the neck, the area that directly relates to our intake of oxygen.
- Are you depressed? If depression is coupled with any of these other symptoms, then it might be a good idea to take this seriously.
What do I do to fix it?
Fortunately, there are steps you can take to manage Sleep Apnea and eventually get better sleep.
- The first port of call is exercise. Maintaining a healthy weight is the simplest way to fix Obstructive Sleep Apnea. It can take the pressure off your throat and allow you to breathe freely.
- Quit smoking and drink less alcohol.
- Invest in a CPAP machine. A CPAP machine is a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure machine. These machines ensure constant and steady oxygen to your body. Using a CPAP machine will ensure a good night sleep, which will, in turn, support your body and your health. Because your body is getting the rest that it needs in order to heal itself, many of the health issues that arise from sleep apnea will improve naturally.
You can find a great range of these here at Kenmore Amcal Pharmacy.
You need to sleep, and you need to sleep well for your own health. The surest way to know if you have Sleep Apnea is to go to your local pharmacy for a sleep test.
Kenmore Amcal Pharmacy offers half-priced Sleep Apnea testing for the month of January 2020 at $49.00 per test.
If you would like any further help, to be tested for Sleep Apnea or to find help managing it, come on down to our pharmacy to find a friendly team to assist you.
Katie Robertson is a writer, editor, and avid health researcher, paving her own way to wellness. Katie has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in writing.
When she’s not working, Katie lives in the world of fiction and you can often find her hiding in her herb garden with a good book.
Police Reminds Residents in Inner West Area to “Lock Your Vehicles”
Residents in the Inner West area including Kenmore are reminded to lock their vehicles following a spike in the number of car break-ins in recent weeks.
The police said that in almost all of these reported cases, the vehicles broken into had been left unlocked. The targeted inner west suburbs were Kenmore (10), Indooroopilly (six), Mitchelton (six), and Auchenflower and Toowong (four each).
Police provided these tips on what to do when you leave your car:
- Remove the ignition key: Whilst the engine can be started without the key, thieves are more likely to break into a car with the key in it.
- Close and fasten all windows: Windows should be fully wound up. Be particularly careful with sliding windows as they would sometimes appear to be firmly shut, but the spring catch hasn’t engaged properly. Quarter glass windows also need care as they provide the thief with an easy way in.
- Lock all doors the boot: Ensure that you have taken the keys with you even when the car is left in the driveway or in the garage. When you get out of the car, double check that you have locked all the doors and the windows are fully closed. Also check that the boot is locked.
- Don’t leave property in the car: Don’t tempt the thief. Take all valuable property out of the car. If you have to leave valuables in the car, make sure they are out of sight (preferably locked in the boot).
All small valuable items should be taken with you. Never leave your vehicle unsecured even if only for a few moments and make sure you activate your alarm or anti-theft device every time you leave the vehicle.
Have any information for the police? Please contact Policelink on 131 444 or provide information using the online form. Or report information about crime anonymously to Crime Stoppers by calling 1800 333 000 or via crimestoppersqld.com.au.
For stolen cars or motorcycles, provide the registration number, make, model, colour and the time and place of the offence.
Kenmore Christmas Giving Tree Sends Holiday Cheer to Elderly
Kenmore Village Shopping Centre is sending Christmas cheer to elderly folks who would not have any gift to open this season of giving.
Through efforts of the Rotary Club of Kenmore and Helloworld Travel Kenmore, the Christmas Giving Tree lets shoppers at the shopping centre spread a bit of happiness to those living in age homes.
Currently, there are still tickets left, so anyone wanting to express their generosity can head over to the Christmas Giving Tree located in front of Helloworld Kenmore. Choose a suggestion from the remaining labelled gift tags hanging from the tree and return the gift to the people at Helloworld Travel.
Aside from the Christmas Giving Tree at Helloworld Travel, Kenmore Village Shopping Centre is also partnering with Kenmore Rotary Club to receive donations from shoppers through its Christmas Hamper Collection Box. The gift hampers will be given this Christmas season to people in need.
Visit the collection box at Centre Court to see the full list of suggested items to donate.
Kenmore Filmmaker Peter Hegedus Wows Festival Circuit with ‘Lili’ Documentary
Kenmore local Peter Hegedus has once again put his hometown on the map as his powerful documentary, “Lili,” was featured in two major film festivals this year.
In June, Mr Hegedus submitted “Lili” to the Sydney Film Festival competition for the Documentary Australia Foundation Award. The documentary emerged as one of the 10 finalists.
Mr Hegedus’ work was also one of the highlights of the Brisbane International Film Festival, where he graced the panel discussion with the audience after the screening.
Filmed in 2018 in his native land of Hungary and across the continent in Canada, “Lili” is about a young mom who had no choice but to leave for Australia without her two-year-old daughter at the height of the Hungarian Revolution in 1956. Her second daughter, Edie Hart, found out about her missing sister, Lili, named after her mom, as a teenager living in Brisbane.
Sixty years since the deadly revolution, Edie is still looking for an answer on why her mother abandoned her older sister, an answer she seeks for closure, to heal the trauma once and for all. Mr Hegedus and his film crew followed her family in their search to deliver an emotional story of desertion, facing one’s demons, and ultimately, reconciliation.
“This film is about how people justify their actions and expose themselves, how history shapes the fate of families,” Mr Hegedus, who also works as a professor at Griffith University, said. “What happens to families who are torn apart and how that trauma is passed on to the next generation.”
Mr Hegedus has long been an unwavering part of the Hungarian community in Brisbane. Born in Budapest, he moved to Kenmore in 1991 and studied film at the Queensland College of Art. He has been gracing and bagging several awards at film festivals in Australia and around the world since becoming a professional filmmaker in the late ‘90s.
Visit the ‘Lili’ website to buy the film or request a screening. You can also join their mailing list to know if it’s showing in your area.
Free Gentle Exercise Session Offered to Newcomers at Kenmore Tai Chi School
If you would you like to improve your physical fitness with an exercise routine that isn’t too rigid, check out the Tai Chi School of Gentle Exercise in Kenmore, where first-timers can enjoy their introductory Tai Chi class for free.
Tai Chi was once an ancient Martial Arts defense training. Today, however, it has been adopted as an exercise routine involving deep breathing and slow movements because of its proven physical mental benefits.
This exercise works against headaches, insomnia, arthritis, back problems, and high blood pressure, among other conditions. It’s also a stress buster and may boost the immune system.
New classes will start at the Tai Chi School of Gentle Exercise on Friday, the 23rd of August 2019, at the Holy Spirit Anglican Church Hall at 1036 Moggill Road. The session at the upper hall will start at 12:30 p.m. Be there in your most comfortable workout clothes a few minutes earlier to sign up and prepare for the class.
The whole course lasts for eight weeks and comes with a free DVD instruction so you can also practice and master Tai Chi relaxation techniques at home.
Tai Chi School of Gentle Exercise has been around since 1983 and has accredited instructors led by Glenn Blythe.
“For the ninety percent of people who have never done Tai Chi that join, I slowly teach the basics such as Joint Alignment, Posture and Spinal Alignment and how this creates movement without placing stress on the joints,” Mr Blythe said.
For more details about the classes, phone 3883-1508.
Why Kenmore Couple Ted and Nola Carlow Deserve a Distinctive Honour
Ted and Nola Carlow certainly did not expect to receive a distinctive honour from the local community and Council. Though it was a simple plaque and there was no ceremonial fanfare to it, the gesture behind the award merited great value as this Kenmore couple is no ordinary pair.
In May, Member of Parliament Dr Christian Rowan bestowed the special award to the Carlow couple for simply being an inspiration to the residents. For decades, this Kenmore couple has been waving and smiling at cars and passersby from the porch of their home near the Kenmore roundabout.
“It was a privilege to formally recognise Ted and Nola Carlow, who are iconic Kenmore locals,” Dr Rowan said. “Each and every day as residents enter into, and out of, Kenmore, you can see Ted and Nola with their trademark smile and wave. Thanks again Ted and Nola for being such an integral and welcoming part of our community over the past 70 years.”
There was a time, however, when the couple went “missing” from their porch that it triggered a panic from the residents. People looked for them on social media until it was confirmed that they are doing fine.
The reason for their brief absence wasn’t elaborated but locals were relieved to know that the Carlows are back on the porch and waving at their neighbours. Messages poured online from residents who have looked up to the couple.
“I waved at 12 and still wave at 31. Ted and Nola are a Kenmore institution!” Suki Bloom revealed.
“I waved to them every afternoon for nearly 4 years in primary school and when I recently drove past there (over 8 years later) it was as if they recognised me and they waved,” said Anton Immaraj.
“I remember as a child always looking out for them as we drove past. I haven’t lived in Brisbane for 9 yrs, but every time I head down to see friends and family I still look for them,” Jacqui Kimbers shared.
The Carlows are in their ‘90s and have raised daughters in Kenmore.