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.
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.
In a property market once dominated by its neighbouring suburbs, Annerley has become a market to watch as the median house price hit the double digits for the 12-month period ending September 2021, nearly doubling its performance year-on-year for the same period in 2020.
Highlights
Annerley has been undergoing an urban renewal phase over the last few years, favourably impacting its property market and attracting new home buyer interest.
The median house price has risen to $880,000 — up by 11.82 per cent from October 2020 to September 2021.
However, the unit market is down by 9.28 per cent with a median unit price of $425,000, with buyers opting for smaller, more affordable, two-bedroom builds.
House Price Growth
Times have been changing for Annerley, as the median home price continues its upward trajectory over the past few years. The last 12 months have seen continued urban renewal, low vacancy rates, and brisk house sales.
Invigorated by a growing interest from young professionals and families who have taken a closer look at this suburb which has very good access to schools, employment opportunities, and hospitals.
Amidst a number of rebuilding and restoration projects in the suburb, Annerley’s property market grew by 11.82 per cent from October 2020 to September 2021, pulling the median house price up to $880,000, per figures from Property Market Update.
This southeast suburb, found four kilometres away from the city, has been attracting second home buyers and high-income earners from interstate, who are getting into the market with only the benefit of an online inspection via Facetime because of the border lockdowns. The eagerness and excitement, however, have resulted in the sale of 128 properties during this period with an average market listing of 32 days.
In July, a five-bedroom renovated beauty with brick and white picket fences, spotted gum floors, high ceilings, and a timeless interior, received multiple offers as it went under the hammer. It closed with the highest price for the period at $2,360,000. Boasting of a spacious open plan, the property on Cavan Street is in the school catchment areas and close to numerous parks and reserves.
Unit Price Growth
On the other hand, Annerley’s unit market shows a strong buyer preference for the more affordable two-bedroom builds, with 99 units sold over a total sales of 183 units. As a result, the median unit price dropped by 9.28 per cent down to $425,000. Turnover remained healthy, however, with units spending just an average of 45 days on market before being snapped up by buyers.
Most of the buyers are first-home buyers wanting to get their foot in the door, attracted by Annerley’s convenient public transport and a short commute to the CBD. Apartments in Annerley are largely under low- to medium-zoning areas, giving new owners some wiggle room for home improvements.
About Annerley
Over the years, Annerley has transformed from a “rundown“ suburb into one of the most liveable places in Brisbane, offering an eclectic mix of refurbished colonial homes and modern apartments. Emerging from this vibrant community are a new generation of satisfied residents who know the true value of their homes. The outlook is also positive for this suburb.
Photo Credit: Google Maps
Detached housing is more commonly found in this suburb but apartment dwelling options are slowly catching up as more than 50 per cent of Annerley residents are renters. With a diverse selection of local businesses, this area is perfect for those who want easy access to essentials like schools (Mary Immaculate Primary School or Yeronga State School), parks and sports club (Souths Rugby Union Club), restaurants and cafes, banks, bakeries, post office, and hospitals (Princess Alexandra, Greenslopes Private Hospital).
Ipswich Road is the main shopping or dining strip but all around the suburb are a range of activity hubs for kids and families. Regardless of their interests, they are bound to find something fun to do, and it’s all accessible via a number of road and rail transport options.
“Wonderful location and close to everything from Southbank, CBD and all the restaurants around the area. Great medical hubs around also including PA hospital, Greenslopes hospital and the Qld Children’s Hospital.”
Mayb2
“The food in Annerley is amazing. There’s a good mix of people, from families to students. I definitely recommend this suburb for students, it is well connected to public transport and not as pricey as suburbs closer to the CBD. Live anywhere but Ipswich Rd and you wont have a problem with parking. Plenty of shopping options plus cute cafes. Nice and quiet, a couple of cute parks around.”
TC
“We absolutely love living in Annerley. It was not an area we had previously considered because of distance from family but it is so convenient to everything. We can access Indooroopilly, Carindale and Garden City shopping centre in 15 minutes. We can access the city in 10 minutes and have excellent public transport. We are very close to the PA Hospital and the Mater and so many health/medical professionals are moving into the area.”
Did you know that a new cafe and ice creamery, along with some office spaces, will soon occupy the former Jones Corner Shop along Stephens and Waldheim Streets in Annerley? Whilst the shop has been closed for years, a development application seeking to revive the business site has been filed on behalf of the current landowner.
Per DA A005834241, sections of the property, which has a house on the back and the shop on the front, will be knocked down to make way for the new cafe and ice cream shop. The proposal includes plans to expand the floor space with a second level whilst the backside will be redeveloped as a two-storey commercial occupancy. A parking space for 13 vehicles will also be set up on Waldheim Street.
Prior to the lodging of the application, the developers met with Brisbane City Council in March to discuss the size and bulk of the building. The initial plan exceeded the allowed conditions under the Commercial Character Building Activity Overlay, which has been amended in the DA.
Jones Corner Shop was an old family-run store, owned by William Bond Jones and Winifred Nancy Ethel Jones, whose main customers were the students of the Junction Park State School right across the street.
Per Mapping Brisbane History, the store, established in the 1920s, was the “unofficial off-site school tuckshop” where the students could find many basic needs, and food favourites like toffee apples, doughnuts and meat pies.
The property was sold to the new owners in early 2021.
Annerley House, created by accomplished architectural practice ZUZANA&NICHOLAS, has won one of the six major categories in House Magazine’s 2021 House Awards.
ZUZANA&NICHOLAS took on a renovation project of the Annerley House, which has been recognised for its effective use of space and design for a dwelling under 200 square metres.
The team turned a small timbre cottage into a family home that also incorporated the homeowner’s love for gardening and outdoor play with the children. The work entailed extending the back of the house to create a bespoke space with a reconfigured kitchen, a lovely garden view, and a playroom that doubles as a guest bedroom.
Photo Credit: Christopher Frederick Jones/ArchDailyPhoto Credit: Christopher Frederick Jones/ArchDaily
ZUZANA&NICHOLAS opened up the small house with interconnecting spaces between the indoors and the outdoor garden, with plenty of hidden storage and large windows. Prior to the renovation, the Annerley House was a dark and compartmentalized home that didn’t look inviting for a young family.
“Annerley House is a renovation and extension to an existing cottage that suffered from a poor connection to the backyard and introverted public rooms. The new extension was conceived as an outdoor room that when open, would become part of the garden and connect the house to its setting.”
Winners of the 2021 House Awards were announced in July 2021 and received cash prizes. Meanwhile, Zuzana and Nicholas also worked on the Bardon House, which was shortlisted for New House of the Year over 200sqm Category in 2012, and the Royal Adelaide Hospital Site, which was recognised at an International Design Competition.
Mimsy and Pony Gleeson, the husband and wife duo running Trailer Trash Tattoo in Annerley since 2008, are hosting a Flash Day with eight resident artists and three guest artists for a special fundraiser for the Brisbane City Rollers (BCR).
A Flash Day is similar to flash sales at fashion stores with huge discounts and promotions available for a limited period. Except with tattoos, you will have to wear what you choose for the rest of your life!
The Annerley tattoo establishment has evolved as a bustling hub of art and creativity where the artists are known for their great attention to detail and excellent customer service.
Mimsy, who started doing tattoos inside a 1959 trailer (hence the name!), will lead the following artists covering various styles for Flash Day:
Photo Credit: Mimsy GleesonPhoto Credit: Swasthik Iyengar Photo Credit: Adam Smith
The artists’ stalls will be set at the back of Mimsy’s place, where visitors may also chill out and have fun with some lawn games that will be prepared for the event.
Sausage Sizzle, drinks, and a bake sale with vegan options will also be hosted at the back by the Brisbane City Roller Roller Derby League. The BCR was invited to run the sausage sizzle fundraiser for their travel teams.
“Our Shop Manager, Stevie, skates with BCR and knows how heavily the league relies on these opportunities to help support their competitive teams with travel expenses. Brisbane City Rollers are an inclusive all-gender league whose core values we respect and appreciate.”
Photo Credit: Stevie/Supplied
“Come along and support our small business, get a fun tattoo, enjoy the sausage sizzle, buy some art, and have a good time!” Mimsy said.
Trailer Trash Tattoo Flash Day will be a COVID safe event with social distancing, sanitation and face mask. Booking for a tattoo will be on a first-in, first-served basis. Payment is cash only.
“We’re super excited to open the doors to our first Flash Day of 2021. We’re keeping a close eye on the ever-evolving Covid-19 recommendations from the government and will be monitoring the event to ensure it’s Covid-19 safe & enjoyable for everyone!” Stevie said.
Ipswich Road, Annerley is named as the fourth worst crash hotspot in Brisbane, mostly due to phone use whilst driving. To help detect mobile phone usage and other traffic violations, cameras will be permanently rolled out on Queensland roads starting 26 July 2021.
It’s a key part of the Palaszczuk Government’s record $1.69 billion road safety plan which aims to reduce the burden of road trauma on communities.
Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey likened distracted driving to drunk driving as silent killers on the state’s roads.
“Our message has always been direct and very simple: just put your phone away,” Mr Bailey said.
Mr Bailey added: “Using a mobile phone while driving has the same impact as getting behind the wheel with a blood alcohol reading between 0.07 and 0.10.”
The trial for the cameras has been going on since last year and during the trial, where 15,000 people were detected illegally using a mobile phone and more than 2,200 were not wearing a seat belt.
Interestingly, Mr Alex Jannink, founder of Acusensus who developed the algorithm that made the camera detection possible, had a biker friend who was killed by an impaired and distracted driver. Since then, he sought to develop solutions to try and reduce this problem
How Does It Work
Artificial Intelligence (AI) software makes it possible to detect actions such as distracted driving and not wearing a seatbelt. The cameras take high-resolution images of the front seat of the car and scan them through AI.
These cameras are capable of operating in all weather conditions and any time of the day. It can watch vehicles across multi-traffic lanes, regardless if installed on overpasses and bridges, or operating from trailers by the roadside.
In Queensland, those who have an open or P2 licence can use a phone hands-free, for example, in a cradle attached to the vehicle. However, the driver should have proper control of the vehicle and drive with due care and attention at all times.
Learners and P1 drivers under 25 years old are not allowed to use a phone in any way whilst driving, including using maps, Bluetooth, and handsfree. Passengers of these drivers also cannot use phones on loudspeakers. Likewise, it is illegal for bike riders to use a phone in their hand when riding or when stopped at the traffic lights.
No seatbelts and other violations
The camera does not only detect who’s using their phone whilst driving. It can also detect if motorists are not wearing a seatbelt. Currently, the penalty for this violation is $413 and three demerit points.
Demerit points are points added to a motorist’s traffic record when they commit certain offences. The fine and demerit points apply to all drivers who use their phone illegally including car, truck drivers and motorcycle riders.
Starting 1 November 2021, any driver caught by the cameras can expect to receive a $1033 fine and lose four demerit points. a three-month period where warning notices will be given to offenders before fines start being issued. The penalties are tough, but Mr Bailey said they are necessary to stamp out driver distraction.
Another popular Brisbane stomping ground has folded up. Leticia Cowburn, the owner of Dudley Street Espresso in Annerley, has said goodbye to the little cafe corner she called “home” for the last 12 years.
The go-to breakfast spot for many south Brisbane locals has shut down operations in the first week of May 2021 as Ms Cowburn said that they could not cope with the economic impact of the pandemic.
In a post on Facebook, Ms Cowburn said that her decision to close Dudley Street Espresso permanently was not made lightly.
“I know this will be a shock to most of you. And I want to apologise for not being able to say goodbye in person,” the shop owner said. “But after some back and forth with our landlords, we’ve decided to call it a day.”
“Times have been tough, for everyone. But for your little local cafe, it’s been extremely tough,” Ms Cowburn said further. “The struggle is real and only getting tougher, which is why we had to make the gut-wrenching decision to permanently close our doors.”
Mr Cowburn will spend the next few months mapping her “next possible venture” but for now, she will take time out and spend it with her loved ones.
Photo Credit: Facebook
The shabby-chic facade of this corner cafe contributed to the value of Dudley Street Espresso as a local treasure. Behind this unassuming facade was one of the friendliest places to hang out in Annerley, whilst enjoying reasonably-priced coffee with a generous order of the best-toasted paninis.
Annerley locals said they are sorry and sad to see the cafe fold up but they understood the business decision.
“I lived in Annerley for nearly 20 years and when the boys opened Dudley it was stand out the best thing ever. You should be so proud of all you’ve achieved because you’re a superstar. You will be so so missed.”
Abby Mollie
“Big congrats to you guys on an amazing cafe that is leaving on a high note. A big chunk will be missing from Annerley for all that you guys brought to the area. Very excited for everyone’s new chapter ahead. And you all have definitely earnt some R&R.”
Emily Clare
“So sad to read this but at the same time and so incredibly proud of you and the team. Like so many others, I’m grateful to have met you and your beautiful team. Always will be hands down the best piccolo and savory muffins in Brisbane!”
Kasia O’Shea
No word yet on will take over the lease of the former cafe.
The proposed Coles supermarket in Annerley may have been given the green light, but construction could still be delayed as locals hope to stop the development due to various concerns.
In March 2021, Hopgoodganim Lawyers lodged a notice of appeal to the Planning and Environment Court for the refusal of the development application citing its incompatibility to the area.
“The proposed development will have a function more than that of a local neighbourhood service provider and is of a scale which is not consistent with surrounding detached housing,” the notice of appeal reads.
Plans submitted by Capital Transactions Pty Ltd described that the proposed development involves a new neighbourhood centre, which will consist of a supermarket with liquor store and offices at 776 – 792 Ipswich Rd, Annerley.
Before Council approved the development on 12 February 2021, it received a total of 105 submissions. Located on one of the busiest roads in Brisbane, the biggest issue raised by the community is traffic, especially around the intersection of Ipswich and School roads, which is a T-intersection. Traffic congestion will be created on the already-busy road, residents say, once construction of the new supermarket starts.
The developers are also seeking the creation of two additional pedestrian crossings, one on the northern leg of Ipswich Rd parallel to the existing southern leg crossing and one across the new entrance to the basement carpark.
Lambert & Rehbein noted that a right turn lane from Ipswich Road into the development site at the Ipswich Road /School Road intersection does not form part of the application. In an email sent by Council to traffic engineering consultants reads: “Council does not intend to accommodate a right turn (north bound) for this site as part of Ipswich Rd corridor upgrade.”
“This four-way intersection was not considered in the long term plan, with this intersection planned as a T-intersection,” L&R wrote.
In line with this, an alternative location for right turning vehicles has been proposed as part of this application from the initial traffic impact assessment onwards.
Engineers at L&R said the existing right turn lane at Aubigny Street has been shown to have sufficient capacity to adequately meet the demands of both the background and design traffic volumes in the 10-year design horizon.
“A revised Traffic Engineering Report endorsed by an RPEQ engineer is to be provided which addresses these issues and demonstrates the proposed mitigation of this increased crash risk and satisfactory operation of the right turn from Ipswich Road into Aubigny Street,” L&R wrote in response to Council’s advice.
