Living in Brisbane
April 2017 Edition
A message from Lord Mayor Graham Quirk
April is another busy month with Easter and ANZAC Day ahead of us.
There are many events and festivals planned, from the Lanham May Fair at Grange, to the Africa Day Festival at Moorooka and the Bluewater Festival at Sandgate. More information on these vibrant festivals can be found inside this edition or at Facebook.com/BNEWhat’sOn
2017 marks a number of significant anniversaries in Australia’s military history. Second World War commemorations include the75th anniversaries of the Fall of Singapore, the Battle of the Coral Sea, the Battle of Milne Bay and the Battle of El Alamein. First World War 100 year anniversaries include the Battle of Bullecourt in France, the Battle of Polygon Wood in Belgium and the Battle of Beersheba in Israel.
This year’s Dawn Service at the Shrine of Remembrance in Anzac Square will be held at 4.28am on Tuesday 25 April. Dawn vigils and ANZAC Day parades are an important part of Brisbane’s commemorations.
In relation to infrastructure, work has commenced on a new Brisbane riverside walk as part of the Kingsford Smith Drive upgrade. You can find more on this and other infrastructure projects inside this edition.
Graham Quirk
LORD MAYOR
Active and Healthy
Be part of our active and healthy city and become a healthier you.
Find your FREE or low-cost activity now. www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/activeandhealthy
Lest we forget
ANZAC Day services commemorate the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War.
This year’s Dawn Service at the Shrine of Remembrance in Anzac Square, between Ann and Adelaide streets in the CBD, will be held at 4.28am on Tuesday 25 April.
The ANZAC Day Parade will begin at 10am on the corner of George and Elizabeth streets, finishing at approximately 1pm. It is facilitated by RSL South Eastern District Ltd on behalf of the units and associations that march.
Together with dawn vigils and memorial services, the ANZAC Day Parade is an important part of the commemorations in Brisbane, honouring local members of the armed forces past and present.
For public transport information, visit www.translink.com.au or call 13 12 30.
For more information on ANZAC Day services, visit www.rslqld.org or call 134 RSL.
Cameron Rocks War Memorial
Works are underway to restore the war memorial at the Cameron Rocks Reserve, ahead of ANZAC Day.
The memorial had been removed and restored as part of the Kingsford Smith Drive upgrade.
Made up of more than 440 individual pieces, a specialist stonemason carefully numbered and mapped each piece during its removal in July 2016, to enable the memorial to be properly rebuilt.
Once restored, the memorial will be located approximately in line with Cooksley Street, improving access and providing more space for residents attending services.
Council has consulted RSL clubs and other organisations to ensure all war memorials, such as Keith Payne Park, Stafford and Nundah Memorial, Nundah are presented appropriately on ANZAC Day. Workers have inspected the memorials and undertaken cleaning and repair works as required, checked flag poles and will replenish annual floral displays.
Landmark river walk construction underway
Work on a new Brisbane river walk is underway as part of the Kingsford Smith Drive upgrade.
Running between Cameron Rocks Reserve and Bretts Wharf in Hamilton, the 1.6km river walk will improve active transport options for local residents and visitors to the area.
It will be a new landmark, separating pedestrians and cyclists and providing a critical link for the local community and visitors, as well as offering exceptional views towards Brisbane’s CBD.
Works over the coming months include the installation of piles and the foundation build of the river walk.
The river walk will provide pedestrians with a two-metre-wide riverside path, separated from a three-metre-wide, off-road cycle path along with regular shaded rest stops to showcase the Brisbane River.
Autumn festival fun
There are many exciting festivals and events planned to entice and entertain throughout April and May.
Over coming months you can enjoy the Lanham May Fair at Grange on Saturday 6 May, a family fun day with pony rides and face painting, or on Sunday 28 May celebrate the rich culture and traditions of Africa as part of the Africa Day Festival at Moorooka.
The Bluewater Festival on the foreshore at Shorncliffe is also set to attract thousands of visitors on Good Friday, 14 April. The festival kicks off Australia’s second largest yacht race, The Brisbane to Gladstone, with excellent vantage points on Shorncliffe Pier. There is also the Backyard Bonanza on Sunday 28 May, which will see McPherson Park at Bracken Ridge transform into a lively, free festival with a youth zone and kids workshops.
Why not get out and explore an area outside of your regular stamping ground, socialise with friends and enjoy the great lifestyle and leisure opportunities that this city provides!
For more information, visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au and search festivals.
Award entries open
Multicultural businesses and entrepreneurs still have time to nominate for the 2017 Lord Mayor’s Multicultural Awards for Business.
The awards recognise the success of Brisbane’s multicultural business people and will be presented at a dinner on Saturday 27 May.
Categories include Multicultural Business Person of the Year, the Nick Xynias Multicultural Young Business Person of the Year and the Multicultural Entrepreneur of the Year, with entries open until Thursday 13 April.
If you or someone you know is an aspiring or budding entrepreneur, applications are also open until Friday 21 April for the Lord Mayor’s Multicultural Business Scholarships and Mentoring Scheme. The scheme provides accredited business training and mentoring opportunities for residents from multicultural backgrounds.
For more information or to book tickets for the business dinner and awards, search ‘Multicultural Business’ at www.brisbane.qld.gov.au
Toowong Cemetery at night
To commemorate the spirit of the Anzacs, Toowong Cemetery will host evening activities from 21-29 April.
The cemetery, which usually closes each evening, will keep its gates open later. This will allow visitors to enjoy free, family-friendly events, including a lighting installation and tours. The tours wind their way through the cemetery, taking in different grave sites and telling the stories of the soldiers laid to rest.
Toowong Cemetery is a Brisbane icon and was once the city’s main cemetery. Opened in 1875, it features a number of cultural areas, historical trails and memorials.
For more information and times, visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au or call 3403 8888.
Report it forms
You can report maintenance issues across the city on Council’s website, meaning you can contact us at a time and place of your choosing. Visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au and search ‘Report it forms’.
A great Easter activity – no ifs, ands, or putts!
Swap chocolate for chipping these Easter school holidays and play a round of putt putt golf at the Victoria Park Golf Complex.
The complex will offer free kids’ entertainment, including a jumping castle, giant slide and games, petting zoo, tug-of- war and sack races, along with the usual free playground. Kids get free ice cream from 10am until noon and can also meet the Easter Bunny!
One of Brisbane’s oldest courses, St Lucia Golf Links, will also be open over Easter, offering junior and concession rates.
For more information visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au
City Pools official season change
Beat the heat at one of Council’s pools these school holidays.
Pools offer learn to swim classes, fitness classes, swim stroke development, water sports, squad swimming, water play parks for kids and areas for BBQs and family picnics.
Fifteen of Council’s pools are fully accessible, ensuring people of all abilities can enjoy a swim.
The official pool season finishes on 16 April this year, however, 17 Council pools will remain open with heated water options for year-round aquatic access. This includes heated lap pools and indoor programs.
All Council pools honour the Queensland Government Companion Card, allowing free entry for anyone accompanying a person with disability who requires attendant care support.
For information on pool locations and opening hours, visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au
Views of Brisbane
The front cover of Living in Brisbane frequently features a photo from a keen photographer and now it’s your time to shine!
Simply share your photos on Instagram using #viewsofbrisbane for your chance to be featured.
Get environmental these holidays
Keep the kids entertained during the holidays by heading to one of Council’s three environment centres to enjoy the range of activities on offer.
At the Karawatha Forest Discovery Centre, your kids can learn how to make flying origami birds, join Sparky Do Dah for outdoor developmental activities, make creatures with natural materials and learn techniques to decorate native clay critters.
Downfall Creek Bushland Centre offers kids the chance to explore the wonderful world of water with hands-on activities. Discover the connection between catchments, creeks and oceans using role-play and storytelling and celebrate the end of the school holidays with the Brisbane Nature Rangers Celebration Day.
There’s also plenty on offer at the Boondall Wetlands, including walking trails and picnic facilities.
For more information, visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au
Happy birthday Brisbane Greeters
Our city’s most passionate ambassadors have celebrated their fifth anniversary.
Brisbane greeters officially launched in 2012, with just 12 volunteer greeters. Today, there are 200 red-clad volunteer greeters who have welcomed more than 50,000 visitors to our city.
The program ensures Brisbane puts its best foot forward, connecting residents, visitors, delegates, international students and migrants with our most welcoming city-proud residents.
Brisbane Greeters help promote the city by linking customised tours with major events, including the inaugural Global Tens and World Science Festival.
To celebrate their five-year milestone, greeters raced through the streets of Brisbane, collecting clues as part of a scavenger hunt.
For more information, or to book a greet, visit www.brisbanegreeters.com.au
Vote now for your favourite act
From Monday 24 April you can cast your vote online for your favourite local musicians with The QUBE Effect 2017. Artists have filmed their original song on the QUBE stage – a square-shaped frame – with 360 degree cameras.
Finalists are in the running to win the chance to perform at BIGSOUND 2017.
Votes for the People’s Choice Award can be cast through Council’s website and an industry panel will award prizes from event partners.
Now in its third year, the competition is an innovative and contemporary music program providing promotional opportunities for emerging Brisbane musicians.
Voting closes on Monday 8 May.
For more information, visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au or call 3403 8888.
Keep the kids entertained these school holidays
There is an exciting range of school holiday activities at libraries across the city from now until 17 April.
Children can enjoy writing workshops, gardening sessions and the opportunity to meet a walking, talking robot.
They can also take part in workshops to learn about creating miniature gardens, seed art, succulent gardening and kitchen gardening, or join author Casey Ardron as he leads a writing workshop based around his adventure book Xavier Wintersbee and the Book of Virtues.
Humanoid robots will also appear at libraries across the city and children will have the opportunity to meet, dance with and learn to code a humanoid robot to speak.
To find out what’s happening at a library near you, visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/libraries
The Capital, six months on
In just six short months, The Capital has become a hive of activity. Located in the Queen Street Mall to provide early-stage startups with affordable city office, meeting, collaboration and event space, The Capital is now home to about 170 people working on approximately 80 startups.
Resident startups include a drone company, a company changing how commercial law is delivered and a Berlin-initiated startup, working in Brisbane for a year to develop the next generation of skateboards.
There is even a social enterprise beer company that sells beer to make money for worthy causes.
If you, a member of your family or friend has a great idea they would like to bring to life, or a start-up that could benefit from advice and collaboration visit www.thecapital.net.au
You can also book a tour of The Capital or learn more about events taking place.
Become an online shopkeeper
Did you know Australians spent $41.3 billion online last financial year? And, before you think it’s all going overseas, research has shown that 76% of that spend was local.
If you’re running a business from home, from an office, a studio or clinic and don’t have a website capable of taking online payments, you’re missing out on possible opportunities for more revenue.
Online payment options mean your ’shopfront’ will be open 24 hours a day for customers and clients to book and pay for an appointment or order your product when they think of it.
If creating your own website is too much, you can use sites like eBay, Etsy or Shopify to offer online options with minimal fuss.
Digital Brisbane’s Power-Up Workshops can help with these decisions. For more information visit
www.digitalbrisbane.com.au
Take a walk on the arty side
Have you seen Council’s four public art walking trails? Each one focuses on a different theme – art and the river, our city’s contemporary art and architecture, our city’s cultural heritage and World Expo ’88.
Meander along the Brisbane River’s edge, saunter through the city’s historic plazas and squares or stroll around the CBD. You’ll see historic, heritage-listed and contemporary works of art, sculptures, war memorials, wall reliefs and gargoyles commemorating Brisbane’s history.
Maps are available for all trails, as are printable brochures and tables detailing artwork background, artist details and location information. For more information, visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au and search ‘public art trails’.
50 years ago this month
April marks 50 years since construction began on the current Victoria Bridge, which continues to serve residents of our river city today.
A number of bridges have spanned the site of the Victoria Bridge, including a temporary wooden structure that opened in 1865 and a ‘more permanent’ bridge which opened in 1874 and was washed away by flood waters in 1893.
In 1897, the next Victoria Bridge was opened, coinciding with Jubilee Celebrations for Queen Victoria.