Kedron State High School is celebrating the cultural diversity of its community from Monday, 14 September to Friday, 18 September, with Kedron Week bringing students and staff together for a program of cultural and community activities.
Organised with the involvement of the student leadership team, the week gives the school community an opportunity to celebrate different cultures and take part in activities beyond the usual classroom routine.
The program includes a Whole School Assembly, Line Dancing, a Debate and the final of Kedron’s Got Talent. Kpop play dance, Eats and Beats, a Colour Run and a Clothing Drive are also among the activities scheduled during the week.
Photo credit: Facebook/Kedron State High School
The school said more than 80 countries are represented among its students. It describes Kedron Week as a celebration of the traditions, stories, languages and experiences that make up its community.
Celebrating A Diverse School Community
Photo credit: Google Maps/Kedron State High School
The school also highlights community, respect, kindness and “The Kedron Way” as values reflected in the week.
Kedron State High School has a long history of cultural diversity. The school’s history page says more than 20,000 students have attended Kedron and describes multicultural diversity as a longstanding part of its school culture.
The student leadership team is involved in organising Kedron Week, giving students a role in putting together activities for the school community. The school also described student involvement beyond the classroom as an important part of building connections with school culture. Its Student Council provides an avenue for students to share their views with school leadership and develop initiatives.
For the five-day Kedron Week program, students and staff will take part in activities ranging from performances and dance to debating, entertainment and community initiatives. Teachers are also helping run various events during breaks throughout the week, according to information supplied by the school.
The school describes Kedron Week as a way to celebrate what makes its community unique while recognising what brings students and staff together. The focus is on celebrating the cultures represented at Kedron State High School and bringing the wider school community together.
Transport improvements surrounding a cluster of northern Brisbane schools remain in the planning phase, months after Brisbane had expected to release a precinct plan. TheKedron Safer School Precinctcovers Padua College, St Anthony’s Primary School and Mount Alvernia College, which have a combined enrolment of about 3,080 students.
Community engagement conducted in late 2024 generated 311 survey submissions and 11,826 individual feedback points, alongside 385 location markers placed on an interactive map.
Survey results showed 42.7 per cent of respondents rated their overall movement through the area as poor or very poor, while more than 80 per cent gave the same rating to traffic congestion.
Unsafe driver behaviour, extended queues during school drop-off and pick-up periods, limited access into and out of the precinct, and motorists using local streets to avoid major roads were identified among the main perceived contributors to congestion around Turner Road.
Photo Credit: BCC
Infrastructure and Public Transport Under Scrutiny
Feedback gathered during consultation highlighted pedestrian crossings, footpath upgrades and changes to traffic flow as areas for consideration. Public transport performance also featured prominently, with respondents pointing to low service frequency, unreliable arrival times and limited destination coverage as the main barriers to greater bus use.
Council is using the feedback alongside technical guidelines to assess potential measures including traffic-calming treatments and bus-stop improvements.
Earlier State Funding Targeted Three Crossings
Transport investment around the Kedron schools predates the current Council initiative.
Queensland parliamentary records show $479,000 was secured in 2024 for two projects affecting Mount Alvernia College, Padua College and St Anthony’s Primary School. The planned works involved replacing three existing zebra crossings with raised pedestrian crossings, commonly known as wombat crossings.
Published materails also identified the Turner Road precinct as receiving funding through the School Transport Infrastructure Program. The earlier crossing projects were narrower in scope than Council’s current Safer School Precinct program, which covers a broader range of transport issues across the three-school area.
“We expect to be able to share the precinct plan with the community in early 2026, depending on design progress,” the project page stated, as of press time.
Former Queensland Police Commissioner Steve “Golly” Gollschewski, who lived in Gordon Park for about 15 years before relocating to the Sunshine Coast, has died after an 18-month battle with cancer.
Mr Gollschewski died on 4 September, aged 67, after a policing career spanning more than 46 years. His family said he died surrounded by loved ones after a sudden complication during his cancer journey.
Fifteen years in Gordon Park
Mr Gollschewski and his wife, Rebecca, had a home in Gordon Park for about 15 years before selling the property in 2021.
The home was close to Kedron Brook. The couple later relocated to the Sunshine Coast, where property records showed they had bought at Peregian Beach.
His connection to Brisbane’s northside also included police work. An official career biography records that he served at Boondall Criminal Investigation Branch in 1996 before working on the Carter Inquiry and later joining the Ethical Standards Command.
From detective to commissioner
Born in Brisbane and educated at Mt Gravatt, Mr Gollschewski joined the then-Queensland Police Force in 1980. He served in Maroochydore, Brisbane and Dalby before moving into plain-clothes policing and qualifying as a detective.
His career later included organised crime, intelligence and senior regional commands. He became a deputy commissioner in 2013 after serving as an assistant commissioner and chief superintendent.
Photo Credit: DavidCrisafulliMP/Facebook
Mr Gollschewski also held senior operational roles during major floods, cyclones and bushfires. He was involved in the police response to the 2011 Toowoomba and Lockyer Valley floods and later served as strategic commander for security operations at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, he oversaw police operations involving hotel quarantine, airports and Queensland’s road borders, becoming a familiar figure at public briefings.
Queensland’s top policing job
Mr Gollschewski became acting commissioner in February 2024 and was formally appointed Queensland’s 21st Police Commissioner in April.
At the time, he had already spent more than a decade as a deputy commissioner and more than 40 years in policing. He said his focus was on ensuring Queenslanders were safe and felt safe while supporting officers across the service.
He stepped away from the role in February 2025 after being diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. After treatment, he returned to full duties later that year before announcing his retirement in February 2026.
Police Minister Dan Purdie said at the time that Mr Gollschewski had served Queensland with professionalism and integrity and had led the state through major disasters and emergencies.
National recognition before his death
Mr Gollschewski was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in the 2026 King’s Birthday Honours for distinguished service to law enforcement, counter-terrorism activities and the community.
A Gordon Park home held by the same family for about 30 years has sold for $3.05 million after attracting 10 registered bidders, ending a long period of ownership at 6 Willis Street.
The six-bedroom Queenslander sold on 29 August 2026. Set on an 810-square-metre corner block, it has three bathrooms, multiple living areas, a swimming pool, a large backyard and parking for two cars.
The previous owners bought the home shortly before they married and remained there for about three decades. During that time, the property underwent two major renovations before the owners decided to downsize.
Photo Credit: Ray White Wilston
The two-level layout includes four bedrooms upstairs and another two downstairs. The upper level also contains living and dining areas opening to a rear deck, while the lower level includes an additional bathroom, living space and storage.
The sale brought the property to market for the first time in approximately 30 years.
Ten Register For Gordon Park Auction
Bidding opened at $2.1 million before a buyer’s agent raised the offer to $2.6 million. Six bidders remained after that move, with smaller increases taking the price towards $3 million.
After a pause, the property was called on the market and the contest narrowed to a local mother and the buyer’s agent. The local buyer ultimately secured the home for $3.05 million, with one of her sons present during the auction.
Photo Credit: Ray White Wilston
The buyer had been searching for a home for five years. Before auction day, more than 90 groups had inspected the property over a three-week campaign, while 10 bidders registered for the sale.
The $3.05 million result was the highest auction sale price recorded in south-east Queensland that weekend. The property was among 150 auctions scheduled across the region during the preceding week.
Photo Credit: Ray White Wilston
Kedron Brook Adds Local Context
The Gordon Park home sits close to Kedron Brook, with Archer Street Park and the Kedron Brook Parklands about 250 metres away. Walking and cycling routes, open green space and a dog off-leash area are also nearby.
The property is within the Wooloowin State School and Kedron State High School catchments. It is also approximately six kilometres from Brisbane CBD, while Kedron Brook at the end of the street connects with a wider network of parkland and bikeways.
For Gordon Park singer-songwriter Ethan Dahl, the release of Stay For The Sunrise marks more than a second single. It is another step in a transition that has taken the 15-year-old from performing characters and songs written by others to putting his own stories into the spotlight.
The Brisbane northside musician releases the independently funded track on Friday, 14 August, following his debut single Wrong Girl in June. Both were produced by Australian producer Stuart Stuart, whose credits include Sheppard and The Veronicas.
Behind those releases is an unusual investment. Ethan has used savings earned through years of professional stage and screen work to fully fund his independent music releases — money he could otherwise have kept towards his first car.
“I’ve been saving the money I earned from musicals and acting for several years,” Ethan said.
“I knew I could keep it for a car, but investing in my music is more important to me right now. It’s a big investment, especially at my age, but earning the money through performing and then putting it into songs of my own makes releasing my own music mean even more.”
A New Story After Years on Stage
Ethan began musical theatre classes at six and started working professionally at 11, building experience across musical theatre, television and film before beginning to release music under his own name.
In 2022, he played Benji in Matt Ward Entertainment’s professional production of Priscilla Queen of the Desert at The Star Gold Coast. The following year, aged 12, he became one of three young Queensland performers selected to share the title role in the professional Gold Coast production of Billy Elliot the Musical.
The role demanded a new skill set. Ethan had no previous ballet training and began lessons only six months before the audition after learning the opportunity was approaching.
He committed himself to the challenge, developed the skills required and successfully earned the role.
His screen experience has included numerous background roles as well as speaking roles in a television episode and a film. Those professional jobs not only built his performance experience but also allowed him to begin saving for his future.
Rather than keeping those savings for a car, Ethan has redirected the money into writing, recording and independently releasing songs of his own.
The shift is a natural extension of the storytelling skills he developed on stage, but it has also given him something his earlier roles could not: ownership of the words and stories he performs.
“Musical theatre and acting taught me how to tell a story and connect with an audience,” Ethan said.
“Writing my own songs lets me do that in a different way because now the story and the words are coming from me.”
Much of Ethan’s early professional work involved performing established characters and material. His developing career as a singer-songwriter now places his own words and ideas at the centre.
‘Stay For The Sunrise’ Holds Onto the Moment
Ethan’s second single continues that move into original songwriting with an energetic contemporary indie-pop sound.
At its heart, Stay For The Sunrise is about escaping the pressures of everyday life for a night and wanting that feeling of freedom to continue.
“‘Stay For The Sunrise’ is about that feeling where you decide to have a night off from the day-to-day pressure and be free,” Ethan said.
“You know the night has to end eventually, but you want to stay there and make that feeling last for as long as you can. I think that’s something people of any age can relate to.”
The track follows Wrong Girl, Ethan’s independently funded debut single released in June 2026. Both were produced by Stuart Stuart and chart Ethan’s development from young professional stage performer into an independent singer-songwriter.
Live Stages Shape His Next Move
Ethan’s move into original music has developed alongside regular live performances across Brisbane and South East Queensland.
In October 2025, he opened for Australian singer-songwriter Pete Murray at Eatons Hill Hotel. He was also a finalist in the 2025 Ekka Country Music Showdown, finished runner-up in the 2025 Noosa STARS alive! competition and returned as a finalist in 2026.
He has also performed at community events including Redcliffe’s KiteFest, the Pine Rivers Show and the Mother’s Day Classic, as well as regular open mic nights around Brisbane.
Another step came with Ethan’s selection for the 2026 Vermilion High program, an initiative of QUT’s student-run record label, Vermilion Records.
The program works with selected high-school artists, giving them opportunities to develop, record and release original music with support from QUT student mentors and creative collaborators.
Northside Crowds Next in Line
For all the movement between theatre, recording and live music, Ethan’s next performances bring the story back close to home.
He will perform at WindsorFest in Windsor on Saturday, 29 August, followed by the Nundah Festival on Sunday, 13 September.
On Sunday, 11 October, Ethan is also scheduled to perform at the Move Over Mama Luxe Lunch at The Star Gold Coast, returning to the venue where he previously appeared in Priscilla Queen of the Desert and Billy Elliot the Musical.
At 15, Ethan’s professional performance history already stretches across theatre, screen and live music. What has changed is who is writing the material.
The money earned performing other people’s stories is now helping him put his own into the world.
Brisbane has released a draft 20-year vision to revitalise the Kedron Brook catchment, setting out a long-term direction for a healthier, more resilient waterway and a stronger lifestyle and recreation corridor.
The Kedron Brook Revitalisation Draft Vision follows an initial stage of community engagement in 2025, with the feedback received helping shape the latest proposal alongside detailed technical investigations.
The draft is now back before the community, with residents and visitors being invited to comment on how the waterway and surrounding areas could evolve over the next two decades.
Paths, Crossings, And A More Resilient Brook
Photo credit: BCC
For residents who regularly walk, run or cycle beside the Brook, the draft includes several proposed changes to the pathway network. Kedron Brook has about 20km of pathways used by more than 600,000 cyclists and pedestrians each year. The vision proposes upgrades and widening to improve walking, running and cycling connections through the catchment.
Flood-prone sections of bikeway are proposed to be relocated, while safer crossings, more resilient bridges and flood-resilient lighting are among the measures identified for the corridor. The proposals extend beyond paths and transport links. At Grinstead Park, concrete drains are proposed to be replaced with natural waterways, while opportunities have been identified to widen waterway pinch points along Kedron Brook.
The draft also identifies opportunities to strengthen wildlife habitat, improve water quality and restore natural systems, alongside measures aimed at improving the catchment’s resilience to flooding. More shade, seating, drinking fountains, lookouts and additional trees are also included in the vision.
Photo credit: BCC
Cr Adrian Schrinner said the proposal was intended to make Kedron Brook an even stronger nature-based destination.
“Our vision is for Kedron Brook to become an even better nature-based destination, with well-lit paths, safer crossings and more resilient bridges, more shade, seating and drinking fountains, new lookouts, and more trees to help create cooler, leafier neighbourhoods.
“While we cannot prevent flooding, we can plan for it. This draft vision will improve flood resilience, restore the natural function of the Brook where possible and protect the natural environment that makes it so special.”
The draft vision describes Kedron Brook as a place where people can walk, ride, play sport, connect with nature and enjoy their local community, while planning for a more flood-resilient landscape.
The proposed measures cover movement and recreation along the waterway, as well as environmental restoration and flood resilience. Any changes would form part of a long-term approach rather than a single construction project.
Have Your Say
Photo credit: BCC
Community members can provide feedback on the draft vision through an online survey or by attending one of nine information kiosks being held at locations throughout the catchment.
An upcoming session will be held at Hickey Park in Stafford on Saturday, August 15, from 9am to 11am. Other sessions are scheduled at Teralba Park, Kalinga Park, Dash Street Park, Shaw Estate Park and Grinstead Park throughout August and early September.
Community engagement closes at 11.59pm on Sunday, September 6, 2026.
The consultation page states that community input will help shape the final Vision. The draft vision and consultation details can be viewed through Brisbane’s Kedron Brook Revitalisation consultation page.
A concrete-lined section of Downfall Creek in Stafford Heights is being reshaped into a more natural waterway, with Grey Gum Park remaining accessible where possible as construction changes part of the local park.
For pedestrians, cyclists and dog park users, the project will mean construction activity around a space that will continue to be used while the work is carried out. Temporary fencing, machinery, increased noise and managed access are expected in parts of Grey Gum Park, while the dog park will remain open throughout construction.
Work on the Downfall Creek channel naturalisation project was scheduled to begin from Monday, 27 July 2026, with the project now listed as in progress.
Access through Grey Gum Park will be maintained where possible, although pedestrians and cyclists may encounter traffic control and temporary detours around the work area.
Some tree removal and vegetation trimming will also be required to safely deliver the project. Machinery will operate within sections of the park during standard work hours, bringing additional activity and noise while construction continues.
Despite those temporary changes, maintaining usable community space is one of the stated aims of the project.
The works focus on a 115-metre section of Downfall Creek, replacing part of the existing concrete-lined channel with a more natural creek form.
A Different Look for Downfall Creek
Sections of concrete will be removed before excavation and reshaping of the creek. Rocks, logs, sandstone boulders, rock pools, native vegetation and other habitat elements are planned for the new creek environment.
Landscaping and revegetation will extend along the creek and surrounding areas, with the project intended to improve water quality, provide habitat for native species and strengthen ecological connections along the waterway.
The work is also intended to support the long-term health of Downfall Creek, which flows through Brisbane suburbs before reaching Moreton Bay.
Nearly $2.7 million is supporting the project through the Australian Government’s Urban Rivers and Catchments Program.
North Brisbane Catchments has said it proposed the project. Community responses posted with its announcement included support for the planned changes, while one commenter expressed hope that the work would be carried out well.
Grey Gum Park Works Continue Into 2027
Initial site works include fencing, surveys and access track construction before the project progresses through concrete removal, excavation, rock placement, creek restoration and extensive revegetation.
Construction is expected to continue into 2027, subject to site and weather conditions. During that period, temporary controls will remain around the work area while access through Grey Gum Park is maintained where possible.
The dog park will remain open throughout construction.
Gordon Park photographer Tyler Sharman has won the Open Category of the 2026 Lord Mayor’s Photographic Awards with an image capturing people trying to stay dry during a Brisbane downpour.
His winning photograph, Rush Hour, earned the top prize of $5,000 after being selected from more than 2,200 entries in this year’s competition. Taken on a rainy day at the corner of Edward and Adelaide streets in Brisbane City, the photograph shows a lone pedestrian hurrying through the wet streets to stay dry.
The image reflects this year’s theme, Everyday Brisbane, which focused on genuine moments, people and places across the city.
A Brisbane Downpour Frozen in Time
“I captured this photograph on a very rainy day on the corner of Edward and Adelaide Streets. People were in a rush to stay dry,” Sharman said in his official awards entry.
The photograph went on to win the Open Category, with its subject reflecting the rainy conditions described in Sharman’s entry.
Rather than focusing on a landmark, Rush Hour captures people responding to the rainy conditions on a Brisbane street. The photograph captures a moment from a rainy day in Brisbane City.
2026 Lord Mayor’s Photographic Awards
Photo credit: BCC
This year’s competition invited people who live, work or study in Brisbane to photograph the people, places and moments that make up everyday life in the city.
More than 2,200 entries were submitted for the 2026 awards, covering scenes ranging from city streets and riverside views to wildlife, family life and cultural experiences.
Sharman’s Rush Hour led the Open Category, with Wynnum photographer Nigel Wesley taking second place for Shooting the Breeze. Wesley’s photograph captured neighbours enjoying an afternoon chat and earned a $2,000 prize.
Bulimba photographer Jonathan Wood placed third with Australia, an image showing a child enjoying a sprinkler and trampoline on a summer day. Other category winners included Maria Pena, who took the Student Category with Quiet Mornings, and Lewis Bin Doraho, who received the Lavonne Bobongie Award for Flying Low, featuring a Super Hornet during a Riverfire practice run.
The Green Heart Category went to Nicolas Willemsen for Council of the “Crest” Fallen Choir, while Alex Harding won the Social Media Category with When the Fountains Sleep. Three photographs were also selected for the new Brisbane Postcards Collection.
The winning photographs and People’s Choice finalists can also be viewed at free exhibitions across Brisbane. The exhibition at the Museum of Brisbane runs from August 1 to November 1, while Brisbane Square is hosting the display from August 3 to 28 and the Brisbane Airport Domestic Terminal from August 3 to 31.
Did you know that Queensland’s oldest continuously performing male choir has been singing for more than 140 years? Established in 1884, the Brisbane Apollo Male Choir has continued performing through changing eras, including both World Wars, while remaining active in Brisbane.
Today, that musical heritage continues in Stafford, where the choir has rehearsed at St Clements on the Hill Anglican Church Hall in Eudunda Street since 2018. The move followed a decade at St James Anglican Church Hall in nearby Newmarket after increasing traffic noise prompted the search for a quieter rehearsal venue.
From Brisbane Liedertafel to Brisbane Apollo
Audience photograph of a ‘Liedertafel smoke concert’ held in the Exhibition Concert Hall, Bowen Hills, 1901 (Photo credit: John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland)
The choir’s story began after an appeal in 1884 invited interested gentlemen to form a male choir in Brisbane. Sixteen men answered the call, leading to the formation of the Brisbane Liedertafel on 16 July 1884.
Early rehearsals were held in Messrs Pollard and Co’s warehouse at 120 Queen Street under the direction of H. J. Pollard, with W. A. Calfisch as accompanist. The choir presented its first public concert at the original Brisbane Town Hall in Queen Street on 16 July 1885.
“Liedertafel,” a German term meaning “song table”, reflected a tradition of men gathering around a table to sing together in harmony. During World War I, patriotic sentiment led the choir to adopt the name Brisbane Apollo Club in 1916. The name honoured Apollo, the Greek god associated with music, song and poetry. In 1993, the organisation was officially registered as Brisbane Apollo Male Choir Inc.
More Than a Century of Song
The 1930 Brisbane Apollo Club with conductor Leonard Francis (Fourth from left; front row) Photo credit: Clare Faragher via brisbaneapollochoir.com
The choir built a strong reputation for its performances, particularly under conductors Leonard Francis, who led from 1913 to 1936, and Percy Brier, who directed the ensemble from 1936 to 1939. Contemporary newspaper reports praised the choir’s musical standards and performances.
In 1985, the choir celebrated its centenary with a commemorative concert at Brisbane City Hall. Proceeds from the event were donated to St Vincent’s Hostel at South Brisbane.
Over the years, the choir has rehearsed at several Brisbane venues, including the Shaftsbury Centre in Spring Hill and St James Anglican Church Hall in Newmarket before relocating to Stafford in 2018.
Continuing the Tradition in Stafford
Photo credit: Brisbane Apollo Male Choir
The choir is currently led by musical director Guillaume Lemay-Yates, an experienced conductor, singer, instrumentalist and arranger who is also an accomplished saxophonist and pianist.
Rehearsals are held every Monday from 1.00 pm to 3.30 pm at St Clements on the Hill Anglican Church Hall. Men interested in singing are encouraged to enquire about joining the choir.
Today, the Brisbane Apollo Male Choir continues its weekly rehearsals in Stafford, carrying forward a tradition that began in Brisbane in 1884.
