This year, Bellbowrie and Jindalee homes were amongst the big winners of the 2018 4KQ Best Christmas Lights Competition.
Grabbing the top spot of the West category is the lights display by Evan and Myfanwy Jones of 45 Church Road, Bellbowrie. Their family’s magnificent Christmas lights display is truly one-of-a-kind. Their winning display features a swan lake, gingerbread man, polar bears, and more.
Check out the photos below and see why the Bellbowrie residence is the Best West winner.
Photo credit: www.4kq.com.au
The runner-up for this year’s West Category is a family who has already made the 4KQ Best Christmas Lights Competition an annual tradition. Shane and Debbie Horswill from 20 Curragundi Road, Jindalee started joining the Christmas lights competition 15 years ago.
Photo credit: www.homely.com.au
Apart from being the runner-up, their creative Christmas lights display is also a strong contender for the People’s Choice Award.
Three more homes captivated the judges this year. The following participants in the West Category got the Judges Commendation:
Let It Snow Christmas Lights, 1 Moncrieff Court, Mount Ommaney
Melanie and Len Watson, 5 Kaputar Close, Riverhills
The tours will be running until Friday, 21 December 2018. Take note that each tour departs at 6:45 p.m. sharp and will go for approximately three hours. Refreshment stops are included.
Centenary, as it is known today, consists of several suburbs namely, Jindalee, Mount Ommaney, Jamboree Heights, Middle Park, Westlake, Riverhills, Sumner, Sinnamon Park, and Seventeen Mile Rocks.
Do you know how and why Centenary was formed? Let’s take a look back at the historic past of Centenary and the origins of the names of its suburbs.
Photo credit: cshsoc.org.au
In 1959, Queensland’s Centenary Year, a land developer named Hooker Rex planned the Centenary project. The project was a suburban development proposal that included a number of neighbourhoods with their own services and facilities that are capable of providing for all the needs of its residents.
The development started with the purchase of farmland in 1960. The contract for 1,416 hectare-development was agreed upon by the Council in 1961.
Photo credit: Kgbo/Wikimedia Commons
The Centenary Bridge and Highway were among the most important parts of the development as it provided access to and from the city and the northern suburbs. Officially opened on 14 October 1964, the Centenary Bridge was financed by the developers while the Centenary Highway was built by the Brisbane City Council still at the developers’ expense.
The suburbs and industrial estates that were planned to be a part of the Centenary project were Jindalee, Jamboree Heights, Mount Ommaney, Riverhills, Westlake, Middle Park, and Sumner. Meanwhile, Seventeen Mile Rocks and Sinnamon Park were developed separately.
Photo credit: Facebook/Brisbane Retro
The development was under the management of a public company called the Centenary Estates Limited for six years. In October 1967, the private shareholders were bought out by the Hooker Corporation Limited and the entire project was once again owned by the corporation.
The Establishment of the Centenary Suburbs
Jindalee
Photo credit: Twitter/Property Observer
Jindalee is an Aboriginal word which means “bare hills”. The establishment of the suburb in September 1962 brought the first public transport in the area, a bus going to and from Oxley Station.
Among the earliest establishments in the district were the Jindalee Golf Course, Swimming Pool, Bowls Club and the Looranah St. shopping centre. With its well-established golf course, swimming pool, and sporting facilities, it wasn’t long before Jindalee became a centre for sporting activities.
Jamboree Heights
Jamboree Heights was initially a part of Jindalee. When the Boy Scout held it’s Eighth Australian Pan-Pacific Scout Jamboree in Brisbane, Hooker Centenary provided the site. Later on, the place came to be called Jamboree Heights.
The 50th Anniversary of that historic Jamboree was celebrated in Jamboree Heights in January 2018. During that time, the participants learned more about the first Queensland Jamboree in 1967-1968.
Mount Ommaney is considerably larger than Jindalee and Jamboree Heights. Despite the sloping nature of the terrain in the area, Hooker Centenary was able to develop a number of “Private Courts” in Mount Ommaney in January 1970, a feat considered a first in Australia.
Photo credit: www.mcleodgolf.com.au
Each private court contains approximately seven homes, each with their own private entrance and shared private ownership of internal roads and nature strips.
Mount Ommaney became a prestige homesite that offers excellent views of the mountains and the city.
The suburb is also home to the first women’s golf club in Australia, the McLeod Country Golf Club, which was completed in 1969. The original golf club was comprised of 9 holes and a clubhouse. It was later extended to a full complement of 18 holes in 1971.
Riverhills
Photo credit: realestate.com.au
Riverhills is named for its ideal location offering sweeping panoramic views of the Brisbane River. In January 1973, it was mainly marketed by the developer as a suburb for young people with young families, designed with a cul-de-sac concept that focuses on having a quiet environment with lots of privacy. Many of its streets were named after rivers, lakes, and other waterways of the world.
Westlake
Photo credit: raywhitecentenary.com
Westlake was named by the developers in June 1973 for its nine-hectare freshwater lake. The developers maximised the landscape to give most of its homesites a view of the vast lake.
Sumner
Sumner was named after the Sumner family who had been farmers and landholders in the area. Though the name was originally given to a road, the suburb later adapted the name in 1969.
Seventeen Mile Rocks
Photo credit: Google Street View
The Seventeen Mile Rocks suburb used to include Sinnamon Park in 1975 as it extended farther west. With the development of Sinnamon Park, the boundaries of the suburb changed and currently, part of the Edenbrooke Estate is in Seventeen Mile Rocks and part in Sinnamon Park.
Seventeen Mile Rocks have gone through several developments under different estate developers namely ECOSSE Investments Pty Ltd, BMD Constructions, Baldwin-Riverlands, and Verandah.
Middle Park
Middle Park was strategically named by the developers in July 1976 to reflect its location in the middle of the Centenary Suburbs. The area offers northerly views of the McLeod Country Golf Club.
Sinnamon Park
In 1989, Sinnamon Park was developed originating from the suburb Seventeen Mile Rocks. The new suburb was named after the family of James Sinnamon and Margaret, who were the pioneer European settlers in the area.
Photo credit: monumentaustralia.org.au
Today, Sinnamon Park houses a memorial dedicated to Thomas Macleod to celebrate his historic flights on 22 December 1910.
These are the historical origins of the names of the Centenary Suburbs. To have a deeper grasp on the history of Centenary, visit Centenary Suburbs Historical Society Inc.
Kerbside Collection is coming to Jindalee on Monday, 28 May 2018 which means that it’s time to get organised.
Organising is probably one of the most daunting tasks especially if you have acquired tons of stuff over the years. Organising and decluttering are considered to be the first steps in living a happier life in a minimalist lifestyle.
Photo credit: CCO Public Domain / pxhere
Kerbside Collection is one of the best ways to get rid of large items lying around the house. It is particularly helpful for people wishing to switch to a minimalist way of living.
The idea is simple, own less and spend more time on things that matter while living comfortably in your home. Whilst the idea may be simple, it may be easier said than done.
Getting rid of things might be tough especially when you are surrounded by stuff that you have bought with your hard earned money. This is where The Minimalists comes in.
The Minimalists, Joshua Fields Millburn (left) and Ryan Nicodemus (right) Photo credit: Facebook/The Minimalists
The Minimalists, founded by Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus, helps millions of people around the world live meaningful lives with less. The duo devised fun decluttering methods to help people jump-start their road to minimalism. These are the 30-Day Minimalism Game and the Packing Party.
30-Day Minimalism Game
Decluttering may be intimidating for some but this game makes it a fun experience. To start, find someone to play the game with, either a family member or a friend, who also want to get rid of their excess stuff.
Photo credit: CC-BY/Serene Vannoy/Flickr
In the first day of the month, each of you must get rid of one thing. On the second day, both of you must get rid of two things, followed by three on the third day and so on. You can get rid of anything from clothes, furniture, electronics, excess tools, etc.
You can choose to donate, sell, or throw away the things you have discarded as long as these things are out of your house by midnight each day.
Photo credit: CC-BY/_DJ_/Flickr
It is easy in the first week but it gets more challenging as weeks come since you would need to get rid of more than a dozen things from your home each day. Whoever can keep the game going the longest wins.
If you decide to play the game, you can use the #MinsGame to share your story or follow other people’s journey.
Packing Party
Photo credit: CC-BY/Lars Plougmann/Flickr
This is quite an extreme method for decluttering and is very helpful if you are planning to move anytime soon. Whilst it is labour intensive since it requires a lot of preparation, it can be really effective if you practice it.
In this method, it would be great to have some friends over to help you pack all your stuff into boxes as if you’re moving. In the next few months, only take out those items that you use and after about three months, the items left inside the boxes should either be donated or sold.
Photo credit: CC-BY/Nicolas Huk/Flickr
This method can help you zero-in on what you truly need and help you decide on which stuff can go away. You are less likely to miss whatever is inside those boxes since, as they say, out of sight, out of mind.
Decluttering this way can help you save room when you are planning to move-in to a new home since you would only be left with the essentials.
These methods can be handy for those who require a bit of help in cleaning up their home from excess stuff. It is no surprise as to why the popularity of Minimalism is growing so fast around the world. In Brisbane alone, there are already 600+ people who are adopting this lifestyle.
Have you seen random decorated rocks in Jindalee and across other Centenary suburbs?
Blame the 4074 Rocks.Members of the group paint and hide rocks as a random act of kindness to bring an unexpected smile to the someone face and pass it on. Each painter posts photos of their rocks as well as the finders.
The rocks are hidden just about everywhere – from parks, to somebody else’s backyard, you can simply find a decorated rock under a bush or along the street. Each rock also comes with a “4074 Rocks” tag.
Tracy Schandendorff, the program director, said it all started when their teacher found a decorated rock. This gave her a brilliant idea to involve the kids in the program.
The Centenary Landscapes will be donating rocks for the little artists as well to support the kids’ creativity.
Piggy Back Cafe, a part of the Venzin Group has kicked things up a notch as it changes the cafe scene in the Jindalee shopping strip.
White tables and chairs are situated outside the cafe, ideal for customers prefer to be al fresco whilst enjoying a cup of coffee. Once inside, you’ll marvel at how the rustic styled furniture perfectly blends with the dark blue walls, exuding a calm and cozy ambiance. The large windows surrounding the cafe let in an abundance of natural light whilst whimsical hanging bulbs light up the cafe at night.
The cafe serves an all-day breakfast menu ranging from their red velvet french toast, avo and matcha green tea bagel to a hearty breakfast burger on brioche with fried egg, bacon, avo, spinach, cheddar, smokey mayo, and beetroot relish.
Photo credit: Piggy Back Cafe
For lunch, have a bite of their Piggy Back Po Ham, which contains provolone cheese, ham, and sweet pickle relish on toasted baguette, and it comes with sweet potato fries.
Health-conscious customers can also choose from a selection of salads and healthy meals such as the slow-roasted baby beetroot or the Piggy Back salad. There are also vegan and gluten-free items on the menu.
Photo credit: Piggy Back Cafe
There’s something for everyone and your kids have meals to choose from as well. The Ham and Cheese soldiers is a popular choice. Bring along your four-legged friends and they will be provided with water bowls outside the cafe.
Rainbow in a Cup
What makes the cafe even more popular is their selection of rainbow latte. Their coffee is from Fonzie Abbott. In 2016, Emily Columbis, a barista of the cafe was featured in a news outlet for her creation of colourful coffees.
Photo credit: Piggy Back Cafe
Emily uses food dye and the help of YouTube to hone her creative ideas and just like magic, they became known for rainbow coffee. It is one of the most requested items at the cafe.
YouTube/Insider
Aside from the rainbow coffee, they also have a selection of smoothies, teas, and milkshakes.
The Brisbane West Bugis enthusiastic over the development application submitted by Westpoint Autos on Sinnamon Road in Jindalee. The development could provide cyclists with better bicycle access and improve the safety of riders.
Photo credit: Chris Cox for South West Brisbane
Chris Cox, BUG’s spokesman has said that the bicycle access to the Centenary Bikeway via Sinnamon Road is troublesome during peak hours with vehicles blocking the path.
Should this new development be approved, a new bridge will be built across Jindalee Ck for site access. The cycling group thinks that this is a great opportunity to include an off-road cycle way connected to that bridge that links to the Centenary Bikeway.
The site is zoned as sports and recreation, which means that it must be re-zoned as commercial use hence needing public consultation.
The group has already put in a submission. An excerpt:
“(We) request additional requirements added to this development that any new bridge to provide access to the development site must provide off road cycle access to connect to the Centenary Cycleway and signals located at Sinnamon Road/Centenary Highway intersection, avoiding the current conflict situation with general traffic on Sinnamon Road.”
They also submitted a photo of the site that includes their cycle path suggestion, which they posted on their Facebook page.
Photo of the site from above and a vague suggestion of where a cyclepath could be put through. Photo credit: Brisbane West Bug / Facebook
The group thinks this is the perfect opportunity for the local cyclists to lodge a submission via the PD Online website before it closes on 7 February.
Queensland is getting hot and certain areas in the state are becoming even hotter than ever. The Queensland University of Technology has just released the Top 10 Sweatiest Suburbs and Jindalee is one of them.
A study by QUT faculty of health associate shows that people in these Top 10 suburbs are at a higher risk of heat-related hospital admissions. This list is affected by several factors such as the average age in the suburb, income and landscape.
The Top 10 suburbs are:
Bowen Hills
Northgate
Brisbane City
Jindalee
Deagon
Archerfield
Robertson
Camp Hill
McDowall
Kuraby
The study also shows that suburbs with lower risk of heat-related illnesses have a lot of green space whilst wealthier suburbs can afford air conditioning units to combat the heat.
Queensland Ambulance Service reminds locals to keep cool and stay indoors away from direct sunlight. Children and elderly are the most vulnerable to the summer heat, which is why they advise locals that with any signs of heat exhaustion seeking medical attention right away is important.
Signs of heat exhaustion include headaches, nausea, dizziness and cramping.
Jindalee Boat Ramp 2002 Photo credit: Queensland Government
They have recently installed a new monitoring point at a pedestrian bridge at Jindalee Recreation Reserve on Wongaburra St., which can help save the local environment. This is why they are encouraging the locals to take photos and create a time-lapse digital record of the waterway.
Jindalee Boat Ramp 2017 Photo credit: Google Maps
According to the network, the photos provide a visual representation of vegetation change over time.
The other monitoring post has been installed on Osborne Road, Mitchelton. This project allows locals to contribute towards the ongoing care of local catchment groups and Habitat BrisbaneBushcare Groups restoration works by taking photos.
You can email your photos at bcn_monitoring@outlook.com
Deer seem to be roaming the night in Jindalee. A resident spotted a herd of deer snacking on her neighbor’s gerberas.
It seems like the deer hopped over the fence and just started feasting on the neigbourhood lawns. Residents are not actually surprised because this dry season has urged deer to take advantage of watered lawns.
However, they are concerned with the damage that the deer can bring to their properties. The deer are known to destroy foliage and spread a seed of weeds as well as trample on seedlings.
According to the Glen Alchin, the director of All Critter Pest Control, trapping is the best option and there’s little one can do to prevent the deer from coming, especially when they are hungry.
The Brisbane City Council has also set some guidelines to control deer from coming into people’s property. They urge residents not to feed or attempt to befriend them. Also, collecting fallen fruit from trees from around your property as well as the removal of bird feeders will help prevent deer from getting inside your property.
Exclusion fencing will also keep them out. Lights can also deter deer especially the ones that flash a red light strobe but this has to be moved frequently so the deer doesn’t get used to it.
Concerned citizens experiencing problematic NBN service are gathering at a meeting at Jindalee Bowls Club on Tuesday, 29 August 2017.
The promise of NBN connection was for superfast broadband connection allowing users to browse the web, stream movies and do other activities online all at one time. But the current experience of users in the Centenary area falls short of the promised superfast connection.
The event will be hosted by Oxley MP Milton Dick, who said he organised the meeting due to significant demand from Centenary locals complaining about the NBN rollout.
A number of residents in the western suburbs have been reporting drop-outs and poor customer service from the NBN service provider. This is the second meeting of its kind. The first was one held at Springfield Lakes last month and attended by around 100 people.
Steven Jones MP, Shadow Minister for Regional Services, and State Labor candidate for Mt Ommaney, Jess Pugh, will also be at the meeting.
The meeting will be from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Light refreshments will be provided during the meeting.
