Mount Ommaney Archives - Page 2 of 2

The Rich History of How Centenary was Formed

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

Read: Celebrate Jamboree’s 50th Anniversary in Jamboree Heights

Mount Ommaney

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.

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

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

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

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.

Today, Sinnamon Park houses a memorial dedicated to Thomas Macleod to celebrate his historic flights on 22 December 1910.

Read: Thomas Macleod and the Birth of Queensland Aviation in Sinnamon Park

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.

Mount Ommaney Special School Celebrates Its Silver Anniversary

Mount Ommaney Special School will be holding its 25th anniversary on the 13th of November starting at 9:30 a.m.

Established in 1992, the school now has close to a hundred students. In celebration of their Silver Anniversary, the school will also pay tribute to their principal, Ian Lowe, who has presided over the faculty for almost 20 years. To recognise his dedication and service to the school, a playground will be named after him, to be officially launched in his honour on that day as well.

There will also be a showcase of photos and artefacts that show the school being built. The current Principal, Susan Christensen, is excited for their anniversary and very eager to see what lies for them in the future.

The school has won numerous awards through the years. In 2015, the school was awarded a regional Award for Inclusive Practices by Showcase Awards. In 2014, they also won an award for Excellence in Community Partnerships in recognition for their drama program.

Part of the school’s vision for the future is to have each student communicate independently through a system where technology will play a significant role.

Mount Ommaney & Other Centenary Suburbs Finally Get the Sumners Road Upgrade

After years of being stuck in traffic on Sumners Road, motorists will be glad to know that the road will now finally get an upgrade. An LNP Government will build the Sumners Road overpass upgrade to ease traffic congestion and also help improve the traffic flow on the Centenary Motorway.

LNP’s local MP Tarnya Smith has been lobbying for this upgrade for three years and now she has reached victory. It wasn’t an easy battle.

In 2016, residents signed a petition that gained more than 3000 signatures. However, there was no allocated funding for the project then, although a Transport and Main Roads study in 2010-11 supports the idea. There is a study that says that a duplication of the overpass would help reduce traffic congestion. The overpass serves the residents of Sumner, Jamboree, Riverhills, Middle Park, and Darra.

Residents have been trying their best to avoid the overpass when going to work or school because it would take you a long time to get to where you’re going if you go by this route. A lot of Centenary residents would drive to Oxley or Darra train stations instead of taking the buses as well.

Left Out of State Budget, Centenary Motorway Will Continue Peak-Hour Crawl – RACQ

“Always the bridesmaid, never the bride,” that’s how RACQ spokesperson Renee Smith described Centenary Motorway as it once again missed out in this year’s State Budget.

The state’s peak monitoring body was calling on the Palaszczuk Government to make the Centenary Motorway a priority before the 2017-18 State Budget was announced. But the State Budget turned out to be a disappointment to Centenary when the major highway did not receive funding for upgrades.

Because of the budget snub, motorists would have to wait yet another year for their hope of improvements to the main thoroughfare.

The RACQ spokesperson noted how for several years, there have been planning studies but no money for actual construction.

“Since 2004, there has been money put aside for planning for the major thoroughfare but the State Government has fallen short of providing significant funds to improve choke points along this vital road,” said Ms Smith.

The government allocated $700,000 for planning research that started in 2016. By the looks of it, that would continue up to this financial year.

RACQ stressed that leaving Centenary Motorway as is would mean that drivers will continue with the crawling speed during peak hours.

Latest studies from RACQ revealed that some section of Centenary Motorway registered the slowest traffic speed during peak hours in Brisbane. Motorists are travelling way below the average speed compared to last year. From Warrender Street and Sumners Road, for instance, traffic speed dropped by as much as 26 percent in the hours between 6:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m.

“It’s waited long enough – let’s reward the Centenary and its thousands of commuters for their patience, with actual funding commitments to improving this major corridor,” Ms Smith said.

Mount Ommaney Ignored

Mount Ommaney MP, Tarnya Smith also voiced out her disappointment at how Mount Ommaney was ignored in the State Budget.

Ms Smith wrote on her Facebook page how the budget was a complete let-down for Mount Ommaney residents. She expressed dismay that there was no funding for upgrades of Sumners Road and Centenary Highway.

“Once again for the third year running, the elephant is still in the room. Sumners Road is left without funding and worse still, commuters are still stuck in traffic,” Ms Smith said.

Read Ms Smith’s Facebook Note.

Find out more about Queensland Budget 2017-18.

Beautifully Destructive: Mount Ommaney “Bambi” Problem Is Getting Out of Hand

There’s no stopping feral deer from wreaking havoc in Mount Ommaney. Yes, they look like Bambi. Yes, some residents are against the selected annihilation of these animals. But the deer are running wild and they pose a huge threat, not only to the suburbs’ bushland, but also to passing motorists.

Recently, two motorists were lucky to have escaped separate incidents on the Centenary Highway after crashing into and killing a deer. The motorists were left unscathed but this has caused sufficient alarm to the president of the Centenary and District Environmental Action Inc. Shealagh Walker, who has broached the idea of a cull of feral deer.

Ms Walker understands that the Brisbane City Council is in a tricky situation because a lot of residents will be upset if they choose to pursue culling the deer. She said that while they look harmless, they have been eating all the native grass in the suburb and have been ruining bushland reserves in the neighbouring suburbs.

In fact, Ms Walker has placed knitted protectors around her trees because the deer have been eating them. She also suggests the intervention of the Queensland Government for the quicker elimination of the deer.

The Council’s Lifestyle and Community Services chairman Matthew Bourke said that they are trying to resolve the issue. Last year, they caught 100 feral deer and they aim to capture the same number this year. What do they do to the animals? They euthanise them following capture, under specific targeted management programs.

A recent estimate shows that there are around 400 feral deer in Brisbane. Other areas that have a high number of deer sightings based on the BCC’s 2016 record are Pullenvale, Brookfield, Jindalee, Upper Brookfield, and Pinjarra Hills.

Please report any deer sightings. Call 3403 8888.

Mt Ommaney’s Wealth to Blame for Public Transport Woes?

Richer suburbs tend to have weaker public transport and Mount Ommaney is a perfect example.

Public transport experts have established that suburbs perceived to be richer tend to have insufficient public transport systems. Robert Dow, administrator for lobby group Rail Back On Track, told Domain Group that mass transit is weaker in richer suburbs because a huge number of residents own cars.

“I think they said: These people are rich, they’ve got cars, why should we be giving them public transport,” Mr Dow told Domain.

This holds true for suburbs like Mount Ommaney, which is among the inner to middle ring suburbs suffering from the worst access to public transport to CBD. Other inner and middle ring suburbs that ranked lowest include Bulimba, Yeronga, McDowall, Riverhills, Middle Park and Albany Creek.

According to data from TransLink Journey Planner, it takes 45 minutes to travel a distance of around 12.7 km from Mount Ommaney to Brisbane CBD.

Read: With Travel Time from Bulimba to CBD Ranked Among the Worst, Locals Revive Calls for Bridges to Teneriffe and Hamilton

Public Transport Not a Real Estate Factor

A common factor among the seven suburbs with unsatisfactory mass transit is the high cost of houses. Mt Ommaney has a median price of $800,500, while Bulimba median price is at just a little over $1 million. Mr Dow also pointed out that these suburbs do not have good access to trains and their bus networks are poorly structured.

Despite the lack of public transport, real estate agents say that residents and buyers are generally not bothered. Real estate in these areas is still in high demand even without the public transport.

Many people in wealthier suburbs own cars, so their main concern is focused on roads and infrastructure for private vehicles.

Mr Dow believes that public transport connectivity needs to be improved in the inner and middle ring suburbs. He believes that a stronger mass transit network is needed to future-proof these suburbs in case of demographic changes. “We think every demographic group needs public transport,” he said.

Music at the Hub is Back to Entertain at Mt Ommaney

It’s time for some relaxing and entertaining music again as Music at the Hub returns at the Centenary Community Hub in Mount Ommaney in June.

Music at the Hub is presenting musicians Jodi Murtha and Angela Toohey on Saturday, 17 June 2017. The event will be from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Jodi is a Brisbane-based folk musician known for her laid back style of acoustic songs. Her music is described to have strong melodies with interesting stories. Jodi performs all over South East Queensland as a soloist, bass player or backing vocalist. She released her first solo EP called “Contents Unknown” in 2016.

Listen to Jodi’s music at Soundcloud.

Visit Jodi’s website at www.jodimurtha.com for more information.

Angela writes emotive ballads exuding love, loss and growth. Her music is rich in imagery and occasional howling at the moon. Angela draws from her musical theatre experience to entertain and captivate the audience. Learn more about Angela’s music at www.angelatoohey.com.au.

(credit: lisaminooli42/YouTube)

Angela’s top notch vocals and strong rhythm guitar amazingly blended with Jodi Murtha’s instinctive bass and harmonies will surely make the mid-year Music at the Hub one enthralling evening.

Event Details:

Date: Saturday, 17 June 2017,
Venue: Centenary Community Hub, 171 Dandenong Rd, Mount Ommaney
Cost: $10 per person. Free entry for those 14 years old and below.

Bookings are appreciated and recommended to help organisers in setting up the venue. Vegetarian and gluten-free choices are also available. There will be light meals such as cheese, nibble platters and snacks. Limited beer, wine, coffee, tea and soft drinks will be sold at affordable prices.

For bookings, email info@ccconnect.asn.au or call 0499 999 772 to secure your table.

Mindfulness Comes to Mt Ommaney

Less stress, better sleep and a joyful life. These are just some of the benefits that the Mindfulness Works course offers people in the Centenary area.

Two sets of mindfulness meditation workshops will be held at the Centenary Community Hub in Mount Ommaney. The classes will be conducted by occupational therapist Debbi Lacey, an expert in stress and anxiety management. She is trained in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.

The mindfulness workshop will be held on four Thursdays and is suitable for beginners or those who have never practised meditation before.

The Centenary sessions are part of the Mindfulness Works training sessions happening at different venues in Brisbane.

With the workshop, participants can have a better understanding of mindfulness meditation and how they can practise it every day. The course is not simply an introductory training session. Attendees will be able to practise between classes so they can experience the benefits of mindfulness in their daily lives.

The workshop promises to be a practical and fun activity where the language used is straightforward and modern. It will be perfect for people who are interested in learning this meditation technique to help them cope with everyday stress and live a more fulfilling life.

Find out more about mindfulness meditation in this short video.

The sessions at the Centenary Community Hub will be on 4 Thursdays from May 4 to May 25 and from July 27 to August 17.

For more information, visit the Mindfulness Works Australia website at mindfulnessworksaustralia.com.au.

Get directions to Centenary Community Hub, Mt Ommaney.