A modern signalling system, state-of-the-art platform screen doors, and a revised blueprint for the South East Queensland rail network will be rolled out, once the Cross River Rail becomes operational in 2025.
The redesigned rail connect plan will benefit commuters en route to The Gabba or to their place of work, providing direct access to Albert Street and Woolloongabba within the rail network.
The restructuring covers three sectors. Sector 1 will be implemented via the Cross River Rail twin tunnels.
Expected changes also include the installation of a new modern signalling system along with the implementation of state-of-the-art Platform Screen Doors for underground stations. These will allow the rail network to run more train services more often whilst improving passengers’ safety.
“The rail connect plan is headlined by projects like the Beerburrum to Nambour and Kuraby to Beenleigh track duplications, Gold Coast Light Rail stage three, station upgrades across all of Queensland, plus the manufacture of 65 brand new trains in Maryborough,” Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said.
“This network will be a change for Queenslanders, but it will open the door for future investment and timesaving timetable changes to help Queenslanders get home sooner and safer,” he added.
Mr Bailey added that despite the big change the revamped rail network, which will feature three new sector networks, will open up new public transport opportunities for many travellers to SEQ, locals and visitors alike.
Sector One will directly connect the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast with trains running through the Cross River Rail tunnel from Varsity lake and Beenleigh to Redcliffe Peninsula and Nambour.
Sector Two will have services running from Rosewood, Ipswich, and Springfield through Central then to Doomben, the Domestic Airport, and Shorncliffe.
Sector Three will have trains operating from Ferny Grove going through Central and Southbank before heading to Cleveland.
These train services will run through Roma Street either through the network’s existing stations or the new Cross River Rail station.
“Our rail revolution is all about building for growth and providing a legacy of infrastructure for generations of Queenslanders to come.
“The new network we build now will be the network Queensland kids and Olympic-goers will remember.”
The Cross River Rail, he said, is already supporting more than 1700 Qld subcontractors and will also see the project supporting over 7, 000 jobs on top of thousands of jobs that will be generated by the Queensland-made Train Manufacturing Program and rollout of the European Train Control System.
The $5.4 billion Cross River Rail and the $7.1 billion Qld Train Manufacturing Program are just two of the projects already in Queensland’s rail pipeline.
The list also includes the Gold Coast Light Rail, European Train Control System, and the Automatic Train Operation and Platform Screen Door fitment on New Generation Rollingstock. Learn more about the SEQ Rail Connect here.
Round up the whole family for a bigger and better Annerley Junction Fest! This annual community event brings established businesses, stall owners, food vendors, and local performers together for some fun in the sun in 2022’s “Spring into Annerley.”
Apart from market stalls where locals can shop for good deals, guests can expect food trucks and heaps of activities for kids and grown-ups, running on Saturday, 8 Oct 2022, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., at Ipswich Road junction.
Photo Credit: Annerley Junction Fest/Facebook
The programs lined up for this year’s celebration include:
Live Music featuring Junction Park Parentals, Revelation Groove, and The Worm Turns
Fashion Show and performance by the crazily talented Sellma Soul along with the gorgeous students of Yeronga State High School
Model Railway (JPSS Hall) – All Gauge Model Railway Club Inc
Talent Show
Art Show
Garden Party & Jumping Castle at the Braille House along with a Shinkondo Dojo – Aikido Brisbane (martial arts) demonstration, Dara Chair Yoga, and the Yeronga Girl Guides & The Kurilpa Scout Group presentation
Kids Activities and Face Painting
Kids Story Time at the Annerley Library
Annerley 5 Neighbourhood Watch with Crime Prevention Officers demonstration with a police vehicle for kids to explore
Fire Truck exploration
This is a sustainable event so guests are encouraged to bring their own bags, keep cups and refillable water bottles whilst shopping, watching or joining in the activities. Recycling bins will be set up so you can deposit bottles.
Disability helpers will be all around the junction to provide assistance. The Annerley Junction Fest is a truly inclusive and accessible event.
“There are so many diverse and exciting things that happen in our community. Annerley Junction Fest is a wonderful opportunity to discover them together,” said Jeff Brunn, the chairperson for 2022.
Grab your tickets to this FREE event to win a fantastic prize when you register your intent to attend. Don’t forget to share your photos on social media with #junctionfest2022!
Annerley has evolved from an area of dairy farms to become a very important hub connecting the south and east of Brisbane down towards Logan and across to Cleveland and Ipswich.
Aerial view of Annerley c.1934 | Photo Credit: John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland
In 1842, Brisbane was opened for free settlement. In the ensuing period of rapid development, Annerley became a vital part of the evolving jigsaw puzzle.
The establishment of Boggo Road in the 1850s created a vital connection between the One Mile Swamp (now known as Woolloongabba) and Ipswich Road via a pathway leading to the top of the Boggo ridge.
The Boggo area is where Annerley now lies.
Thomas Blacket Stephens was one of the earliest settlers in the area. After moving from Sydney in the early 1850s, he built his original house, Cumbooquepa, on a block of land on a ridge overlooking the Brisbane River to the north.
Cumbooquepa is a one-storey house built of masonry and timber, with terracota-tiled and corrugated iron hip roofs.
Cumbooquepa. Photo Credit: Public domain / Wikimedia Commons
Cumbooquepa eventually became part of Somerville House.
In 1856, Mr Stephens acquired a 206-acre land in the Coorparoo area and another block of land on Ekibin Creek in 1857. The boundaries of these lands would later become Ekibin and Sexton Roads, respectively.
Mr Stephens later would go on to become one of Brisbane’s first orchardists in Brisbane’s south side. He established one of the earliest wool scour and tanneries in the district, which he built on Ekibin Creek.
Junction of Ipswich and Annerley Roads c.1915 | Photo Credit: John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland
The area at the junction of Boggo Road and Ipswich Road didn’t have an official name until 1892, when the members of Stephens Division Board with Honourable Digby Denham (later Premier of Queensland) officially named the district Annerley, after a town of the same name located in Surrey, England.
The Thompson Estate
Prior to the separation of Queensland from New South Wales in 1859, Annerley belonged to the Parish of Yeerongpilly in the County of Stanley.
A survey conducted at the time defined the boundaries of the then-District of Boggo, a bustling area where a population of farmers and market gardeners thrived.
The boundaries were defined to include Ipswich road, the cemetery, Rocky Waterholes Creek, and the Brisbane River.
In 1859, additional blocks of land were sold to Joseph Thompson, James Toohey, and John Cockerill. After acquiring the land, Mr Thompson ventured into entrepreneurship, shipping 40,000 pine shingles to Melbourne.
Floods at Thompson Estate, Stones Corner, 1887 | Photo Credit: John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, Negative number: 55976
Mr Thompson would then subdivide his paddocks in the mid-1880s to create the Thompson Estate.
Another significant residential estate established during the time is the St Kilda Estate, which is bounded by Annerley Road, Ipswich Road, and Cornwall Street.
Evolution of Public Transport
Instrumental to the introduction of public transport in Brisbane’s south side was John Soden. He was known for his horse-drawn omnibuses.
In 1879, he purchased Hardcastle’s Hotel, opposite the present-day Chardon’s Hotel, where he opened a small shop and established a mail delivery service.
The mail service initially ran between Brisbane and Rocky Waterholes (Rocklea) but residents soon requested him to expand his service into a regular public run.
In the early 1880s, Mr Soden did just that. At the height of his run, he had a total of 25 buses servicing his routes which included Highgate Hill, Boggo Road, Rocklea, and Mt. Pleasant (now Holland Park).
Workmen in front of a horsedrawn bus, ca 1895 | Photo Credit: John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, Negative number: 6155
From horse-drawn buses, public transport moved to electric trams which began in Brisbane in 1897 and extended to Cornwall that same year.
By 1899, the service had expanded to Mary Street (Dudley Street) on Ipswich Road before further extending in 1914 to Chardon’s Corner.
The arrival of electric trams spurred the transformation of Annerley into a residential area.
The introduction of the railway line from South Brisbane to Corinda in 1884 also played a role in the suburb’s transformation by bringing more settlers into Annerley.
At the time, the closest station was Fairfield. In 1895, after the 1893 flood, the station was moved to its present location. Another station north of Annerley also opened at the present Dutton Park.
Some 19th- and 20th-century Development Milestones
A postal office was established at Boggo in 1880. It was named Boggo Post Office two years later, before it became Annerley Post Office in November 1892, following the official naming of the district to Annerley.
In 1886, Saint Philip’s Anglican Church was dedicated. A 1905 storm damaged the church, although it was later rebuilt and re-dedicated. The current church was consecrated in 1955.
Mary Immaculate Church | Photo Credit: LukeMoloney, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0> / Wikimedia Commons
Other churches established in the area include the Thompson Estate Methodist Church (1888), the Mary Immaculate (1914), and the Annerley Congregational Church (1925).
In 1871, Chardon’s hotel opened its doors at the corner of Cracknell Road and Ipswich Road.
In 1883, Princess Alexandra Hospital was opened, named after the wife of Queensland Lady Diamantina Roma, Bowen’s first governor.
In April 1888, The Thompson Estate Provisional School opened on Oxford Street. From 52 students, the school grew and expanded to a hall on Regent Street. After it moved to Waldheim St in 1893, it officially became a state school.
Other notable schools established in early Annerley include the Ipswich Road Convent School (1917), and Our Lady’s College (1964).
In 1957, the Annerley public library opened at 448 Ipswich Road. Designed in 1956 by architect James Birrell, it is now listed on the Brisbane Heritage Register.
21st-century Annerley
From its dairy farm roots to its development as Brisbane transportation and migration patterns evolved, Annerley has established its place as a significant growth hub in the corridor connecting Brisbane’s south and east sectors.
Based on the 2021 census, Annerley has a population of 11,935 people. Majority of the population are between the ages of 24 to 33 years, with the median age at 33 years old.
A secret message in a bottle written by a 16-year-old apprentice carpenter in 1935 and discovered by restoration workers in 2022 finally made it home, after it was turned over to the writer’s children during a ceremony held atJunction Park State School.
The spire where the note was discovered | Photo Credit: Queensland Heritage Restorations / Facebook
The time capsule that survived being hidden for 86 years was a 15cm tall, green glass bottle that contained a handwritten note by Gordon Benson, a teen apprentice carpenter at the time.
Dated October 12, 1935, the pencil-written letter was placed inside the top spire of the Annerley school. It was discovered by Queensland Heritage Foundation restoration workers in 2021.
The 86-year-old green bottle containing the note | Photo Credit: Queensland Heritage Restorations / Facebook
The note reads: “Douglas Heron, carpenter. Gordon Benson, apprentice. Built this fleshe for Dept of Public Works, 12 of July, 1935. We now are looking down of [sic] you. Since removing it, if any of my children, children are living, pass this onto them. RIP. ”
First half of the written note| Photo Credit: Queensland Heritage Restorations / FacebookSecond half of Benson’s written note | Photo Credit: Queensland Heritage Restorations / Facebook
Gordon Benson worked for the Department of Public works until he reached 60. He served in the army during the second world war. He has five children, 10 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
On 23 August 2022, Transport Minister Mark Bailey presented the written note to two of Benson’s children, Geoffrey Benson and Marilyn Blundell. To the siblings, the message in the bottle is a testament to how their father has always loved his family and thought about his future children.
Heritage-listed Junction Park State School was established on 30 April 1888 and was then known as Thompson Estate Provisional School. In 1889, the school transferred from its four-room cottage in Oxford Street (now between the Pacific Motorway and Norman Creek) to a hall in Regent Street (west of Oxford Street) before again moving to a larger, permanent location in Annerley in 1891.
Residents living near Yeronga Commercial Park are calling on authorities to remove an unauthorised fill at the rear of the property, which allegedly makes flash floods worse as it prevents floodwaters from getting away quickly.
Locals have been complaining about it even before the floods in 2011, and even sought the help of a hydrologist who warned the earthworks significantly increased the flood risk to adjacent homes, but those who were responsible have never been charged.
The subject site is at 133 Hyde Road, Yeronga, which was owned by Moxon Timbers until 2014.
Council records indicate that the former owner of the said property told a Council officer that filling the creek would help ‘improve drainage.’
Around 20 years later, residents have been suffering its aftermath and the problem only became worse after the 2022 flood.
One of the potential actions of the residents is a class action against both Council and the property owner, for compensation should flooding occur and damage affected properties. Compensation can include increased insurance premiums that may result in the increased risk of flooding.
Photo credit: Google Street View
Minister for Transport and Main Roads Mark Bailey wrote a letter to Council, asking Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner for an immediate investigation on the matter.
Mr Bailey wanted to know how development has been allowed to occur in the past, to identify any ongoing flood impacts it is causing for local residents.
The Transport Minister also wanted to proceed with investigations to see what rectification measures can be identified to retain the natural drainage flow capacities.
In response to the issue, a Council spokesperson said they have no current plans to undertake any creek or drainage modifications on council land in this area and any changes on private land would be a matter between individual landowners.
Still, BCC’s compliance team has initiated action regarding the alleged illegal use of the property, with reports that it’s also being used for sport and recreation other than the storage of timber.
Spring Bloom Art & Design Show, the popular biennial exhibition featuring the works of emerging local and renowned artists, marks its 48th year with another must-not-miss exhibition for art lovers. Over 200 original artworks will be on display at the two-day event at St Sebastian’s Primary School in Yeronga.
Brisbane’s best artisans in the field of 2D artwork, 3D sculpture, glass and ceramics, miniature work and jewellery making will showcase their work in interactive activities, demonstrations and creative stalls.
The Spring Bloom Art & Design Show Gala Evening is an event for adults on Saturday 10 Sept 2022, from 6:30p. p.m.and will be filled with quality art, music, auctions, raffles, food, and wine.
Tickets are $75 which includes an Osteria Epoca 3-course meal, two drinks and access to Art Show and Gala Jewellery Tent.
The Spring Bloom Art & Design Show Family Day on Sunday 11 Sept 2022, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. is a family-friendly fun day with art demonstrations, creative stalls, and interactive activities for all ages.
Beautiful artwork made by the children of St Sebastian’s will also be on display. Entry is a gold coin donation, with free and low-cost activities on offer as well as access to food vans and coffee.
Photo Credit: Supplied
This is a fundraiser for the school’s goals to procure equipment and technology, as well as enhance the classrooms’ teaching support and other general school improvements.
After the COVID disruptions in the last two years, the school community is looking forward to achieving its fundraising goals and reconnecting.
“Boy Swallows Universe,” a uniquely Brisbane production for a new Netflix series, will be filming at the Boggo Road Gaol and other Brisbane landmarks in the coming months.
“Boy Swallows Universe” is an adaptation of the 2018 international bestseller of the same title, which was written by Bracken Ridge local Trent Dalton. The semi-autobiographical story centers on Eli Bell, 13, and has themes like “drug addiction, ex-cons, poverty, violence and the discovery of hope through the power of love,” per Variety.
It begins with Bell receiving a mysterious phone call in a secret underground room, ordering him to save his mother at the Boggo Road Prison on Christmas Day.
Mr Dalton said that his book is a “very deep and personal love letter” to Brisbane.
“This adaptation to the screen couldn’t happen anywhere else, and I am proud to be part of this exciting adventure on my home turf.”
“Brisbane-based author Trent Dalton captivated the world with his brutal yet magical tale set in 1980s Brisbane among iconic local landmarks such as Boggo Road Gaol and Brisbane City Hall’s clock tower,” Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said.
Photo Credit: IMDb
“This uniquely Brisbane production will also boost our local screen industry by injecting around $33 million into the Queensland economy and creating approximately 185 jobs for cast and crew, and an estimated 2500 extras.”
Brouhaha Entertainment, Chapter One, Anonymous Content and Netflix will produce the limited eight-part series. John Collee has adapted the book for the screen and will be executive produced by Troy Lum, Andrew Mason, Kerry Kohansky-Roberts, and Joel Edgerton.
“Brisbane has earned its reputation as a one-stop-shop for production, including film-friendly locations, experienced local crew, renowned post-production facilities and a fantastic studio facility in Screen Queensland Studios,” Screen Queensland CEO Kylie Munnich said.
“Boy Swallows Universe” was previously adapted for the stage and was presented by Queensland Theatre, Brisbane Festival and Queensland Performing Arts Centre.
Get ready to witness and enjoy a different kind of competition among six breweries, including Helios in Yeerongpilly, as they take each other on at the Battle of the Beers invitational!
Joining Helios are Currumbin Valley Brewing, Moffat Beach Brewing, Parched Brewery,
Precinct Brewing, and White Lies Brewing for the competition on Saturday, 13 Aug 2022, from 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at 15 Palomar St in Yeeroongpilly.
The winning beer will be decided by the attendees.
A certain style of beer and guidelines have been set for this competition (hop-forward and between 5.5 – 7% ABV), and the competing breweries will submit one beer each that matches this outline.
Photo Credit: Supplied
Patrons attending will sample each of the beers across the day, as the entire Helios venue opens up to ticket holders only. Representatives from each brewery will give a brief talk on their submitted beer throughout the day, and ultimately, the beer which has sold the most across the bar will be named champion!
The event will also feature food trucks galore, DJ entertainment, prizes throughout the day, and of course, plenty of quality beers.
Photo Credit: Supplied
Tickets to the Battle of the Beers are now on sale, which come with a schooner of your choice (of the beers entered) on arrival.
Citing the end of their lease, Community Kids Annerley gave parents a two-week notice of its closure, sending mums and dads scrambling to look for alternatives from facilities that have been booked out months or years in advance.
The childcare centre announced on its official site that it will be “closing its door permanently on 15 July 2022.” The facility has also sent parents the notice of its impending closure, citing the end of its lease.
Community Kids Annerley has around 80 to 100 children, between the ages of six months to 5 years old, under their care. The facility, which has been open for 25 years and managed by Gold Coast-based G8 Education Centres, has recommended The Learning Sanctuary Yeronga, The Learning Sanctuary Tarragindi, and The Learning Sanctuary Camp Hill as alternatives.
Parents, however, want more answers as they have paid fees in advance. They also want to know why they were advised just two weeks if the centre had known its lease was ending months earlier.
Many of the parents are healthcare workers who now need to take a time off to look for new childcare centres. They regret losing Community Kids Annerley because its workers have been attentive to their children.
“We have contacted other local daycares who are full. We are stressed and heartbroken. We are working families and if we cannot find our children an alternative. We have no idea what we are going to do,” the parents wrote in the petition on Change.Org.
“The daycare has been part of the community for more than 25 years and is a safe and fun place for our children. The daycare holds a special place in our hearts and in the community. We have been told that despite numerous efforts from the daycare the landlord would not renew the lease. We are also devastated for the educators who we consider to be part of our community. We are angry at G8 for poorly managing this situation.”
A spokesperson for G8 Education Centres, said that they had been negotiating the lease and were hoping to continue operating. However, after failing to forge a new agreement with the landlords, the centre immediately notified the families.
G8 Education Centres is one of Australia’s biggest childcare providers. In April, the company said that its earnings were affected by COVID and the February 2022 flooding.
Date: Saturday 25 June 2022; Time: 9 am to 4 pm Monday 27 June 2022; Time: 10 am to 5 pm Tuesday 28 June 2022; Time: 10 am to 5 pm Cost: Free; Ideal for: Children aged 2-10 years and their carers
Each day of the school holidays, kids can simply drop into the Annerley Library for a fun session of free art and craft activities.
Cartooning workshop: Cute manga monsters with Phil Judd
Date: Saturday 25 June 2022; Time: 11 am to 12 pm
Cost: Free; Ideal for: Children aged 7-12 years
Photo Credit: Brisbane City Council / brisbane.qld.gov.au
Wouldn’t it be more fun to be able to create your own anime character?
This workshop is specially designed for children who love manga and anime characters. Participating children will get to learn how to create their own cute manga monsters as well as create a character profile, add cartoon elements and ink the final drawing.
To reserve your spot, phone Annerley Library on 07 3403 1735.
