Residents of Kedron have come together to oppose a planned 7-Eleven service station on Gympie Road, which will become the fifth service station in the suburb if approved.
Submitted by Wolter Consulting Group Pty Ltd (DA A005697131) and designed by Cottee Parker, the proposed service station will replace the Eagers Holden showrooms on the lot.
The development plans include a canopy with four fuel dispensers next to the convenience store and a potential row of fast food outlets. It also allows for 15 car parking spaces and one PWD parking with the main access on the corner of Kedron and Childers Streets.
Whilst the project doesn’t require community consultation, as a code assessment location, more than 50 locals, both residents and frequent visitors to Kedron and nearby suburbs, filed submissions with Brisbane City Council citing why they don’t recommend the plan’s approval.
Photo Credit: Developmenti/Brisbane City Council
Among the issues raised were:
traffic, especially near the intersection of Kitchener Road
impact on the surrounding narrow streets, which will be used as a rat run
danger to the students and pedestrians
increase in cars during peak hours
the planned 24/7 use of the site which is near a residential area
increased noise and pollution
Some residents also filed an e-petition with Council which has, so far, raked 134 signatures asking to “give due consideration to the concerns raised.” The residents said that they do not want businesses that will create major traffic near their homes. They also said that there are at least 14 service stations within the four kilometres of the site.
“493 Gympie Road is not a suitable site for any business that creates high volumes of traffic in a local residential street,” one local said in the submissions to Council.
Council has yet to decide on the application nor reply to the petition.
Triciclo, aptly named for its three-wheeled mobile conveyance, is the brainchild of hospitality industry newcomers Aly Hope and James Marshall.
Before venturing into this new business which opened in late April 2021, Aly and James worked as a hospital pharmacist and a surveyor, respectively. Today, the two are trying their hand at an entirely new industry with hopes of supplying some of Brisbane’s morning crowd and bikeway regulars with their morning coffee fix on the go.
Kedron Brook Bikeway, oft-visited for its picturesque scenery, stretches approximately 12 to 16 kilometres depending on the route taken. Cyclists can expect a path that starts at Mitchelton and ends at Nundah, or vice versa. Triciclo will be set up at Gordon Park just beside the bridge that leads to Kokoda Park.
For more information on Triciclo, and for the latest updates and announcements concerning the coffee cart, follow their Instagram page. Learn more about the Fonzie Abbott coffee roasters at their website here.
Despite their history, interested parties have singled out these two sites given their significant land holdings. The fact that ALH — which is, in turn, 75 per cent owned by Woolworths — was involved made it more attractive for potential investors given their reputation.
These hotels are being marketed by the commercial real estate firm Burgess Rawson. Investors from abroad, across the state, and even within the state have allegedly expressed interest in the properties, according to Burgess Rawson agent Glenn Conridge.
Kedron Park Hotel and Edinburgh Castle Hotel are particularly attractive due to the size of the land and their potential for future developments in the long run, however it is also clear that they possess a certain degree of historical value as a result of their age.
Kedron Park Hotel
Established in 1881, Kedron Park Hotel was designed by the architect John R. Hall for the hotel’s owner and licensee, Frederick Morris. The building was set up on the intersection of what was formerly known as Gympie and Bald Hills Rd, opposite where the Kedron Park Racecourse once stood.
Morris was involved with organising picnic race meetings at the racecourse as a means of attracting customers to the hotel. During this time period, the hotel had a variety of facilities such as cricket, a bowling green, skittles and quoits, archery, rifle practice, and pigeon shooting. The hotel’s ownership eventually changed hands, and in 1919, James F Cavill became the new licensee.
Kedron Park Hotel, 1960. Photo from Russell Parry.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/260531423995348/
Under Cavill’s ownership, a popular zoo ran behind the hotel. The zoo was renowned for being the home of exotic animals such as crocodiles and monkeys, as well as a parrot capable of swearing.
The Kedron Park Hotel at 693 Lutwyche Road, Kedron Park Rd Photo credit: Facebook/Kedron Park Hotel
On the other hand, Edinburgh Castle Hotel’s origins date back to 1865, where the original building was built by a man named William Orr, and it was positioned on the opposite side of Edinburgh Castle Road.
The hotel received its name from the Scottish settlers who resided in the Bald Hill area, and was owned by the Orr family until Michael Goodwin obtained the license in 1885. By 1888, however, the hotel fell into a state of disrepair after coaches were replaced with railway lines.
In order to adapt, Goodwin applied for the license of a new hotel on the corner of Gympie and Edinburgh Castle Rd. The new Edinburgh Castle Hotel on Gympie Rd, which still stands to this day, was eventually constructed in 1892. The original hotel that Orr built reopened and adopted a new identity as Bonny View.
The Edinburgh Castle Hotel at 421 Gympie Rd, Kedron Photo credit: Facebook/Edinburgh Castle Hotel
Edinburgh Castle Hotel
Both of the properties will be available to purchase in an auction held on March 31 at Melbourne’s Crown Casino starting at 10.30am. Registered bidders will also be able to bid remotely through their phones, the online auction app, or from Burgess Rawson offices in their nearest capital city.
An empty lot without any house or structure recently went on the auction block in Kedron, attracting more than 100 bidders who wanted a slice of this up-market area. Within minutes, the 607-square metre property was sold to the highest bidder for $992,000.
Located at 52 Seventh Avenue, this lot became the second property to break the sales record in Kedron in under four months. The site’s selling price was even higher by $410,000 when the former owner first bought the property.
Six years ago, this lot had a single-storey post-war house, which the owner had taken down before putting the property back on the market. The owner has since moved to his new home in Aspley.
Photo Credit: Google Maps Photo Credit: Domain.com.au
This Kedron site is within walking distance to Coles and several primary and secondary schools (both state and private). It’s also within a few metres off the parklands and bikeways. Needless to say, it’s the ideal place for setting one’s roots and building a family.
Apart from the location, interested buyers flocked to the auction for this empty lot because it provided an opportunity for the new owners to build their house on “a blank canvas,” according to one bidder.
Despite the record-breaking sale, however, property agents said that there’s has been growing frustration among buyers who could not take advantage of the low-interest rates due to a lack of supply. The agent, however, advised buyers to keep on looking for their forever home.
What distinguishes the gelato from Kedron’s Miss Sophia’s Gelateria from that of other shops? Their ingredients.
This local gelateria uses Maleny milk as the base before adding local fruits and honey into the mix. The flavors of raspberries, mangoes, strawberries and countless other sweet fruits are enhanced with chocolate and peanut butter, as well as the richness of biscoff and cookie crumbs. All in all, these make for lovely serves of gelato capable of satisfying just about anyone’s palate. Those with dietary restrictions can even enjoy their vegan variants.
Even the tools and equipment employed by this gelateria contribute to the quality of their product, offering a chocolate tap to top orders off with molten Cadbury chocolate. The ingredients themselves are churned with machinery imported from Italy, making for an authentic experience.
Cadbury Chocolate Tap Photo credit: Instagram
The menu doesn’t stop at gelato cones, however. Miss Sophia’s Gelateria also offers an assortment of gelato cakes that come in different shapes and sizes — bars, circles, extra large circles, and even domes in the case of their Cassata Dome. Occasionally, the gelateria also hosts pop-up bakeries, typically on Sundays, where pastries such as croissants and doughnuts can be purchased to accompany any orders of gelato.
Croissants from the Pop-Up Bakery Photo credit: Facebook
Open all week from 12:00PM to 10:00PM, Miss Sophia’s Gelateria can be found at 9 Somerset Road, Kedron. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram for updates concerning deals and dates, as well as information on their pop-up bakeries!
The buying and dining habits of Hungry Jacks customers have changed post-COVID, prompting the fast-food chain to reconsider its plans and build a dual-lane drive-thru section in Kedron and two other Brisbane sites, instead of refurbishing the indoor dining facilities.
In a statement, the management of Hungry Jacks said that they want to respond to the growing needs of customers for quick and convenient food service, following an analysis of their operations in late 2020. The management said that there were fewer customers indoors due to the pandemic but their online and drive-thru sales have increased.
Hungry Jacks Kedron, Annerley and Algester will be the first chain stores to get the dual-lane drive-thru facility, pending approval from the Brisbane City Council (DA A005641466). It’s unclear how many other outlets will be undergoing changes after the first three sites.
As a result of the expansion, the Kedron site on 332 Gympie Road will lose six carparks but the new drive-thru will be able to accommodate 18 queued cars at a time.
The Annerley location will lose just one parking spot for a dual-lane drive-thru that can accommodate 14 cars. On the other hand, Hungry Jacks Algester will lose 13 carparks in favor of a drive-thru lane that can have 17 queued cars.
The first phase of the Bradbury Park improvement project is now open! Kedron residents can now enjoy the magical forest and scooter track, which were completed in mid-July 2020.
The Magic Forest located on the southern side of the netball courts is a small nature play area nestled among the existing trees. This nature play area is designed to encourage kids’ imagination and curiosity. It is designed for children ages 3-10 years supervised by parents and carers.
The looped scooter track is at the north side of the existing dog off-leash area. It is around 200 metres long and is designed to cater to different abilities. An area is provided for those seeking more challenging scooter run. This part of the scooter track will have a bypass option for the less experienced riders.
We’re focused on actions that boost our local economy by creating new jobs for residents and that’s why we’re rolling…
The council is now seeking a contractor for the next phase of the improvement plan for Bradbury Park. The next phase will involve the design and construction of a playscape and other major improvements.
Proposed changes include:
A large play space for challenging play for children aged 10-15
New grass area with picnic facilities including shelters, seating, and electric barbecue equipment
Car park upgrade with 40-50 spaces
New basketball half-court
New connecting pathways
New driveway off Batten Street
New bus and passenger drop-off zone
New toilet block
Construction of the major upgrades is expected to start in 2021, pending budget allocation.
For more information about the project, contact the city council or the project team:
call the project team on 1800 884 681during business hours
A major transition is taking place at Top Taste Bakery. After 50 years of operation, its factory on Gympie Road in Kedron will cease operation by May 2020.
Former Top Taste Bakery owner George Weston Foods (GWF) sold the business to the global company Newly Weds Foods in the first week of December 2019. The new owners, headed by CEO Calvin Boyle, plan to focus operations at the Newly Weds facility in Wetherill Park, Sydney.
Whilst 120 workers at the Kedron factory will lose their jobs, some staff will be absorbed by its Sydney site. According to reports, the company has hundreds of employees across its business sites in Queensland but transitioning will be prioritised for workers in Kedron.
In acquiring Top Taste Bakery, Mr Boyle said that there are plans to expand its bakery line with foods developed and created by the Kedron factory all these years.
Mr Boyle hopes that the transition will be fully completed by July or early August.
It’s still unclear what will become of the Kedron factory’s 3.63-hectare site. Per GWF, its parent company, Associated British Foods, has the say over the property.
Did you know that the Legion of Mary had its early beginnings in Kedron 80 years ago? The Franciscan priest Fr Fidelis Griffin established the first praesidium and guided its members at the Church of the Little Flower, which is now known as St Therese and St Anthony Parish in Kedron.
Eighty years later, the praesidium has significantly grown across Brisbane with members from the CBD, Acacia Ridge, Coorparoo, Fortitude Valley, Geebung, Gympie, Herston, Inala, Indooroopilly, Kangaroo Point, Nundah, North Ipswich, South Brisbane, Sunnybank, and West End.
The Legion of Mary Brisbane, 1943. Photo Credit: State Library of Queensland
In late July, the group gathered at the St Stephen’s Cathedral in the city to celebrate 80 years of “strengthening belief and reconfirming the faith” with Bishop Ken Howell presiding the mass.
“Today we salute your members past and present for your commitment to the faith and its lived expression in the service you have offered the Church over these years,” the bishop said in his homily.
“From the days of the first legion at Kedron under the guidance of Franciscan Fr Fidelis Griffin, throughout these 80 years, where various praesidia have been established in every diocese of Queensland, your mission still continues, in different forms and with similar enthusiasm to your original foundation.”
The cover of the Legion of Mary’s Handbook and Tessera Photo Credit: Legion of Mary/Facebook
A lay apostolic voluntary group, the Legion of Mary is composed of Catholic devotees of the Virgin Mary. The members participate in different activities of its parish, such as visiting the elderly and sick family members of parishioners, preparing church members to receive the sacraments school catechetics, holding prayer and rosary sessions, and promoting the devotion to Mary.
The Legion of Mary has its origins in Dublin, Ireland. Today, there are active members in over 170 countries across the world.
Is “play the ukulele” on your bucket list this year? Here’s your chance to learn the basics at a ukulele workshop in Kedron.
Join the Sip n Strum Ukulele Workshop happening on Friday, the 28th of June, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Somerset Studio in Somerset Road. Established singer and songwriter Miss Elm will be conducting the workshop with the students, whilst everyone enjoys some wine or beer with cheese and crackers.
Participants are encouraged to bring their own drinks as well as this ukulele workshop will be a night of unwinding. You’ll be jamming and playing music to familiar songs.
Of course, don’t forget to bring your instrument but there will be ukuleles for hire at the venue if you’re just starting to get a feel of things.
Photo Credit: Miss Elm/Facebook
She tells stories through her song with her ukulele and her 3-octave soprano singing voice. Her music is soul food for the ears and the heart.
Miss Elm is a jazz musician and a drama teacher who has released independent albums played on community radios. She was a finalist at the Queensland Music Awards and was part of the Caloundra Music Festival.
Tickets to the Sip and Strum Ukulele Workshop are at $50 per person. Book a slot via Somerset Studio online.
