Homepage Latest News Archives

New Two-Storey Childcare Centre Proposed for Waterworks Road to Meet Growing Demand in The Gap

A development application lodged in February 2026 proposes a new two-storey childcare centre on Waterworks Road in The Gap, designed by Raunik Design Group to accommodate up to 100 children across six activity rooms on a 2,551-square-metre site adjacent to The Gap State School.

The application, reference A006964015, involves the demolition of two existing dwelling houses to make way for the purpose-built early learning facility. It arrives as The Gap continues to face one of the tightest childcare supply situations of any suburb in Brisbane, with independently verified data showing the suburb’s demand for long day care places running significantly above the metropolitan average.

A Suburb with a Real Childcare Shortage

The case for additional childcare capacity in The Gap is well supported by supply and demand data. The Gap currently has 2.4 resident children under five years of age per long day care place, a figure significantly higher than the 1.7 children per place recorded across Greater Brisbane as a whole. Put plainly, The Gap has considerably fewer childcare places per child than the Brisbane average, and that gap directly affects families trying to access care, particularly for children under two where demand is most acute.

Site of the proposed childcare centre — Photo Credit: DA A006964015

As of early 2025, The Gap had five long day care centres providing 350 places across the suburb, serving a population estimated at 18,071 residents, of whom approximately 854 are children under five years of age. The Waterworks Road proposal, if approved, would add 100 licensed places to that supply, representing a meaningful increase of roughly 28 per cent in the suburb’s long day care capacity.

The timing is also relevant. From January 2026, changes to the national Child Care Subsidy introduced the Three Day Guarantee, which provides all eligible families with a minimum of 72 hours of subsidised care per fortnight regardless of their work or activity status. That change increases demand further without adding supply, making new facilities like the Waterworks Road proposal more important to The Gap’s community infrastructure than ever.

What the Development Proposes

The proposed childcare centre sits on a combined site currently comprising two residential lots on Waterworks Road, directly adjacent to The Gap State School. The development covers a gross floor area of 918.4 square metres across two storeys, with a maximum building height of approximately 9.5 metres and a site cover of 35.3 per cent of the 2,551-square-metre block.

The building delivers six internal activity rooms, each with direct access to outdoor play areas, creating the indoor-outdoor learning environment that contemporary early childhood education frameworks emphasise. Three outdoor play areas totalling 737.8 square metres are distributed across both ground and first floor levels, giving different age groups independent access to outdoor space throughout the day. Acoustic treatments are incorporated into the design to minimise noise impacts on neighbouring properties, reflecting the site’s position within a Low Density Residential zone.

Car parking provides 21 spaces including a PWD space and a van space, all contained onsite and accessed via a single crossover from Waterworks Road. Operating hours are proposed as 6:30am to 6:30pm Monday to Friday.

Application planners Place Creation describe the building’s design intent as delivering a high degree of architectural merit, with articulation in built form addressing both the Waterworks Road frontage and the adjacent school. The design uses a range of materials alongside varied setbacks, overhangs and a varied roof form to minimise the apparent bulk and scale of the building when viewed from neighbouring properties.

Addressing Local Childcare Demand

For families across The Gap, Keperra, Walkervale and the surrounding northwest Brisbane corridor, the addition of 100 new childcare places on Waterworks Road addresses a real and persistent pressure. The suburb’s family demographic, its distance from the CBD and its limited public transport connections make local childcare access particularly important. Parents who cannot secure a place near home face significant logistical challenges, and the suburb’s above-average childcare demand ratio means waitlists at existing centres in The Gap regularly extend well beyond what most families can plan around.

The Waterworks Road site’s adjacency to The Gap State School also creates a practical convenience for families managing both childcare and school-aged children at the same address, a combination that reduces the complexity of the morning and afternoon care and school run for working parents.

How to Make a Submission

The development application for the Waterworks Road childcare centre is available for public review on the Development.i portal at developmenti.brisbane.qld.gov.au using reference A006964015. Community members, neighbours and interested residents can view the full application documents and lodge a properly made submission during the public notification period.

A properly made submission must be in writing, include the submitter’s name and contact address, clearly identify the application it relates to, and set out the grounds for the submission with supporting facts and circumstances. Submissions can be lodged through the Development.i portal or in writing to BCC.

Published 28-March-2026.

Enoggera’s Gallipoli Barracks and the 9th Battalion’s Road to Anzac Cove

Australian War Memorial

More than a century after the 9th Battalion, Australian Imperial Force, assembled at Bell’s Paddock in Enoggera and marched into history at Gallipoli, the ground beneath Gallipoli Barracks remains one of Queensland’s most significant military sites, carrying a story that reaches directly into the lives of The Gap and Enoggera residents each Anzac Day.

The connection between this stretch of northwest Brisbane and Australia’s defining military moment is not incidental. The 9th Battalion formed at Enoggera near Brisbane and was the first battalion raised in the 3rd Brigade of the 1st Division. When Britain declared war on Germany in August 1914, Queensland answered quickly, and Enoggera became the place where that answer took shape.

From Bell’s Paddock to the Front

The ground now occupied by Gallipoli Barracks has served military purposes since the mid-nineteenth century, but August 1914 marked its most consequential moment. According to a University of Queensland master’s thesis examining the 9th Battalion’s formation, men began arriving at Bell’s Paddock, Enoggera, on 17 and 18 August 1914, pitching tents and beginning to organise. On 21 August, Lieutenant-Colonel H.W. Lee and his fellow officers arrived, and the formal formation of the 9th Battalion AIF began. By early September, the Enoggera camp held the pool from which the battalion’s first contingent was selected.

The 9th Battalion — Photo Credit: Australian War Memorial

The thesis challenges the common assumption that the men who landed at Gallipoli were enthusiastic amateurs with little preparation. Instead, it argues that the 9th Battalion drew on decades of prior military development, training, and inherited tradition that began with Queensland colonial volunteer units in 1867, continued through Federation and compulsory training schemes, and culminated in the battalion’s formal raising in 1914. Enoggera was not simply a mustering point but the culmination of this long military lineage. Locals then and now recognise this connection through the 9th’s identity as the “Moreton Regiment,” a title associated with the pre-war militia that formed the backbone of the new battalion.

The 9th served as the first battalion recruited in Queensland and formed part of the 3rd Brigade alongside the 10th, 11th, and 12th Battalions. Authorities raised the battalion within weeks of the declaration of war in August 1914, and it embarked just two months later. Enoggera played a key role in enabling this rapid mobilisation.

First Ashore at Anzac Cove

What followed made the 9th Battalion’s name permanent in Australian military history. The battalion embarked for Gallipoli on the destroyers HMS Queen, Beagle and Colne and was the first ashore at Gallipoli at 4:28am on 25 April 1915. The battalion formed the vanguard of the 3rd Brigade’s covering force and went on to be involved in all major campaigns on the Gallipoli peninsula until the evacuation in December 1915.

Coming ashore early on 25 April 1915 at Anzac Cove, the battalion joined the rest of 3rd Brigade. Lieutenant Duncan Chapman was identified by historian C.E.W. Bean as the first soldier ashore at Gallipoli. The battalion served at Gallipoli until November 1915, then returned to Egypt before sailing to France in March 1916, where it fought through some of the Western Front’s hardest campaigns, including Pozières, Messines, Ypres and the Hindenburg Line, through to the armistice on 11 November 1918.

A Living Legacy in The Gap and Enoggera

The barracks that witnessed those August 1914 formations carries its history in its very name. On Anzac Day, 25 April 1990, the base was renamed Gallipoli Barracks, a direct tribute to the men who assembled there and made that landing. The Gallipoli Barracks are significant as the training ground for thousands of Queenslanders who served in wars throughout the twentieth century, and the site holds local heritage significance under the Brisbane City Plan 2014.

Today the base remains one of Australia’s largest Army installations, home to armoured, artillery, engineer, signals, infantry, medical and other combat service support units. While the 8th/9th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (8/9 RAR) carries the tradition within the regular army, the 9th Battalion, Royal Queensland Regiment (9 RQR) also maintains the historic link. As the current reserve unit based at the barracks, 9 RQR keeps the numerical connection to those men who first assembled at Bell’s Paddock alive for a new generation of Queenslanders.

More Than History, It Happened Here

For residents of The Gap and Enoggera, the Anzac story is not something that happened somewhere else. It began here, on the paddocks and training grounds that now sit behind the Gallipoli Barracks gates on their doorstep. The 9th Battalion’s formation in August 1914 drew on men from across Queensland, but it was this specific patch of northwest Brisbane where they came together, trained and prepared for what lay ahead.

Each Anzac Day, that history reasserts itself. The Dawn Service, the Last Post and the roll of honour connect directly to the ground residents walk past every day. For families in The Gap and Enoggera, understanding that the men who were first ashore at Anzac Cove assembled just streets away adds a particular weight to the words “Lest We Forget.”

Anzac Day services in the local area take place on 25 April each year. The Australian War Memorial’s unit record for the 9th Battalion AIF, along with individual service records, are searchable through the National Archives of Australia at naa.gov.au. Further history of the 9th Battalion is held by the 9th Battalions Association at 9bnassoc.org.

Published 27-March-2026.

Enoggera Joins Brisbane’s Knockdown Rebuild Trend With Standout Mittagong Street Sale

Brisbane’s established middle ring suburbs are quietly being transformed, one new build at a time, and Enoggera is the latest suburb to show just how far that shift has gone. The sale of a brand new five-bedroom residence at 30 Mittagong Street for $3,295,000 is a clear signal of growing buyer appetite for quality new homes in established neighbourhoods.

Read: 8 Things You Might Not Know About the Enoggera Reservoir

Dubbed Montana by its marketers, the home sits on a 759 square metre block and was completed in 2024. It was sold by SpinksCo Residential, reflecting the premium now being placed on quality new builds in the area.

30 Mittagong Street before the rebuild (Photo credit: Google Street View)

The residence itself is a study in contemporary family living. Five bedrooms, three bathrooms and two car spaces are wrapped in a layout designed for both everyday comfort and entertaining.

A chef’s kitchen anchors the open plan living and dining area, which opens through full height glass sliders to an alfresco terrace. Outside, a fully equipped outdoor kitchen, in ground pool, poolside pavilion and level lawn complete what the listing describes as a resort style backyard. Upstairs, a secondary living space and study nook offer breathing room for older children, while the ground floor fifth bedroom with its own ensuite works equally well for extended family or guests.

The property sits within the catchments for Oakleigh State School and Everton Park State High School, and is close to several private schools including Hillbrook Anglican School and Mt Maria College. The Brisbane CBD is less than seven kilometres away.

That combination of school catchments, block size and proximity to the city is precisely what industry analysts have identified as the recipe driving knockdown rebuild activity across Brisbane’s middle ring. A recent Place Advisory review found that suburbs fitting this profile, large blocks between 10 and 20 kilometres of the CBD in established school catchments, are attracting a new generation of architecturally ambitious new builds as vacant land closer to the city becomes increasingly scarce.

Place Ascot agent Drew Davies, who has observed the trend closely across Brisbane’s north and middle ring, says the shift is less about building bigger and more about building better. He says boutique, family backed projects are bringing a level of craftsmanship to suburban streetscapes that is increasingly competitive with what traditional developers produce.

RSM Australia national real estate lead and taxation lawyer Adam Crowley says the people pursuing these projects are no longer just from the building trades. Doctors, surgeons and professionals across a range of fields are now asking the same questions about whether to renovate, rebuild or subdivide, and Crowley says the enquiries keep coming. His consistent message to all of them is to get proper tax and structuring advice before committing, particularly around GST, capital gains tax and the limits of the main residence exemption, which can catch even well prepared owners off guard.

Read: The Gap Home Among Eight Brisbane Properties Facing Forced Auction Over Unpaid Rates

For Enoggera residents, the Mittagong Street result is a marker worth paying attention to. This property has demonstrated the land, the catchments and the location that buyers are willing to pay a premium for. If the broader Brisbane trend is any guide, it will not be the last result of its kind.

Published 17-March-2026

Helping Hands: WWI Army Masseuse from The Gap

A masseuse is not the first image that comes to mind when Australians remember the First World War. Yet one of the war effort’s most unusual roles was filled by a woman from The Gap. Pearl Constance Paten was one of only 29 women deployed overseas with the Australian Army Massage Service, using skilled hands to help injured Anzac soldiers begin the long road to recovery.

Who was Pearl?

Born on 3 November 1884 at “Walton” House at The Gap, Pearl was one of only 29 women deployed overseas as part of the Australian Army Massage Service during WWI. It is a distinction that has gone largely unrecognised for more than a century, yet her contribution, and that of the small, determined band of women who served alongside her, helped lay the foundations for what we now know as physiotherapy.

Read: Stan the Ram’s Legacy Lives On at Enoggera This ANZAC Day

Pearl Constance Paten — Walton (Photo credit: The Gap Historical Society)

Pearl’s father Jesse Paten was a self-made immigrant who built a farming and business empire spanning more than 500 acres at The Gap. The family of ten children punched well above its weight.

Pearl’s youngest sister Winifred became Queensland’s first female graduate barrister. Her sister Eunice was among the first four Queensland nurses sent overseas, eventually being awarded the Royal Red Cross (2nd Class) for her service at Alexandria and on the Western Front.

Her brother Edward, the youngest of the Paten children, enlisted in December 1915 with the 49th Battalion and was killed by shellfire near Warneton, Belgium, in July 1917. He was 21 years old.

Even eldest sister May served on the home front, driving injured soldiers from railway stations and ports to hospitals as part of the Royal Australian Automobile Club of Queensland Transport Corps.

Massage: Her War Calling

Pearl’s own path into the war effort began long before the guns started firing. In 1902, she sat the entrance exams for the University of Sydney, at the time one of the only institutions in Australia offering formal training in massage. She returned to Brisbane, established herself in practice, including at a clinic on George Street in the city, and became an active member of the Australian Massage Association (AMA).

When war broke out, the AMA wasted no time lobbying for massage therapy to be formally incorporated into military medicine, including as a treatment for shell shock. That campaign paid off. In November 1915, the Australian Army Massage Reserve (AAMR) was established, and Pearl was among its founding members. The work was far from easy. Masseuses routinely saw between 30 and 40 patients a day. Treatments were physically demanding, involving muscle manipulation, hot baths and electrotherapy.

First four Queensland nurses selected for the Australian Army Nursing Service, 1914. (Photo credit: John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, Negative number: 189830)

There was a social battle to fight too. At the outset, many military hospitals were reluctant to employ female masseuses, considering it improper for women to place their hands on male patients. Pearl and her colleagues proved those objections wrong, day after day, through sheer competence and professionalism.

In late 1918, after the Armistice, Pearl was posted to the 14th Australian General Hospital in Egypt, where she served from 28 November until Christmas Day. Her primary purpose appears to have been accompanying the hospital ship HMAT Nestor back to Australia, providing rehabilitation treatment to wounded soldiers during the long voyage home. On board, she was reunited with her sister Eunice, who served as sister-in-charge. When the ship arrived in Brisbane, both women were placed in quarantine at Lytton due to the Spanish Flu outbreak.

Service Records Pearl Constance Paten (Photo credit: National Archives of Australia, Item ID 8010122)

The war may have ended, but Pearl’s work was far from over. Appointed head masseuse at Rosemount Military Hospital in Windsor, she arrived to find conditions that were, frankly, a scandal. The massage ward was not yet finished when patients began arriving. With upwards of 250 patients and just ten masseuses on staff, the department was overwhelmed.

One patient was so incensed he wrote to a local newspaper in June 1919, saying it was only because of Pearl’s “devotion to duty” and her love for her wounded men that the department was functioning at all. The situation drew sustained media coverage and was publicly described as a “disgrace to State.” A new orthopaedic wing with a dedicated massage ward eventually opened by the end of 1919.

Read: Anzac Day: Big crowds expected as Queenslanders turn out to remember fallen

Photo credit: The Gap Historical Society

Pearl married Captain Charles William Scott French in 1923, and the couple built their home “Tula” on the same land as her childhood home at The Gap, a fitting full circle for a woman whose story is so deeply rooted in this community. She remained active in the Australian Masseuses Association and in organisations supporting Queensland war nurses for years afterwards.

This Anzac Day, as wreaths are laid and bugles sound across the country, spare a thought for Pearl Paten, a daughter of The Gap who served her country not with a rifle, but with trained hands and an unshakeable sense of duty.

Published 17-March-2026

New Leadership Pathway Opens for Keperra Youth and Professionals

Photo Credit: Golden Valley Keperra Lions Club Inc./ Facebook

A new generation of local volunteers has officially formed a community service group in Keperra to provide young professionals and students with a way to lead local charity projects.

The Golden Valley Omega Leos held their inaugural event on 22 February 2026, marking a significant expansion for the Lions Club of Golden Valley Keperra. This new branch serves as a bridge for residents who have finished high school but still want to stay involved in helping their neighbours.

While younger students usually join Alpha clubs, this specific group is tailored for those between the ages of 18 and 30. By creating this space, the sponsoring club ensures that the energy and skills of local young adults are kept within the community as they begin their careers.

A New Approach to Service

The group launched with 19 founding members who are looking for a more flexible way to volunteer. Unlike traditional service clubs that might have rigid schedules, the Omega Leos focus on a social and adaptable style of community work that fits around university studies and full-time jobs. Annabelle Trestrail and Holly Rennie have taken on the roles of founding presidents to help organise the team.

They are supported by experienced advisors Veronica Dick and Ruth Doyal, who provide guidance as the new members learn how to manage large-scale projects and fundraising efforts.

Future Projects and Local Impact

The club plans to run approximately four major community projects every year from their base at the Kakowan Community Facility in Bunya. Early discussions among the members suggest that the first initiatives will likely focus on animal welfare and mental wellbeing.

Because the members choose their own causes, the projects are expected to reflect the specific interests and concerns of the younger generation in the Ferny Grove and Keperra areas. This hands-on involvement allows the members to develop leadership skills while making a visible difference in their own backyard.

Continuing a Local Legacy

The sponsoring Lions Club is already well-known in the Brisbane region for its work on local parks, medical research, and disaster relief. By supporting the Omega Leos, they are providing a pathway for those who have grown too old for school-aged clubs to continue their journey. This ensures that the tradition of volunteering remains strong in the James Drysdale Reserve area. Residents interested in joining or learning more about the upcoming projects can reach out to the club advisors through their community email addresses to get involved in future planning sessions.

Published Date 10-March-2026

West Brisbane Area Sports Results 6-8 March 2026

FQPL1

Friday, March 6, 2026 (Amcal Arena, Cleveland) – FQPL1 – Men – Round 3
• Redlands United 0 | St George Willawong 2

NPL

Friday, March 6, 2026 (Underwood Park, Priestdale) – NPL – Men – Round 3
• Rochedale Rovers 1 | Lions FC 3

Saturday, March 7, 2026 (AJ Kelly Park, Kippa-Ring) – NPL – Men – Round 3
• Peninsula Power 1 | Olympic FC 1

Saturday, March 7, 2026 (Spencer Park, Newmarket) – NPL – Men – Round 3
• Brisbane City 0 | Eastern Suburbs 4

Sunday, March 8, 2026 (Meakin Park – Field 1, Slacks Creek) – NPL – Men – Round 3
• Brisbane Roar B 1 | Gold Coast United 2

Saturday, March 7, 2026 (Perry Park, Bowen Hills) – NPL – Women – Round 5
• Souths Strikers 0 | Olympic FC 3

Thursday to Sunday, March 5 – 8, 2026 (Allan Border Field, Albion) – Sheffield Shield 2025–26 – Men – Match 25
• Queensland Bulls 173 & 6-44 | Western Australia Men 210 & 229

Saturday, February 28 & Saturday, March 7, 2026 (Jack McLaughlin Oval, Graceville) – Queensland Premier Cricket – Men 1st Grade – Round 15
• Western Suburbs Mens 1st Grade 9-284 | Ipswich Mens 1st Grade 9-397d

Saturday, February 28 & Saturday, March 7, 2026 (Peter Burge Oval, Wellington Point) – Queensland Premier Cricket – Men 1st Grade – Round 15
• Redlands Mens 1st Grade 203 | University of Queensland Mens 1st Grade 5-263 & 0-0

Women Leading the Way in SEQ Catholic School Communities

Communities across South East Queensland are seeing more women step into the top jobs at their local Catholic schools, with a growing number of female educators appointed as principals and heads of college in recent years. As International Women’s Day approaches on 8 March, Brisbane Catholic Education (BCE) has highlighted the appointment of 29 women to principalship or head of college or campus roles over the past two years, reflecting a shift toward stronger female representation in school leadership.

From Graceville and Bardon to Mango Hill, Birkdale and Scarborough, these appointments are shaping the future of education in neighbourhoods across the region. For families, students and staff, it means welcoming experienced educators who will guide school communities through the next chapter of learning and growth.

BCE’s People and Culture Executive Cathy Heffernan said the appointments reflect a broader effort to support and prepare more women for leadership roles in schools.

“Since the program commenced, 38 per cent of participants have progressed into Head of College, Principal or BCE office leadership roles,” Ms Heffernan said.

“Beyond appointments, the program builds confidence, capability and connection, qualities that are essential for leadership in today’s educational landscape.”

*Jessica Lusk, Head of College Unity College (Secondary), Caloundra West*
*Photo Credit: Supplied*

Across BCE schools, female principalship has increased from 33 per cent in 2021 to 50 per cent in 2026. In BCE offices, women now make up 64 per cent of leadership roles, up from 48 per cent in 2021.

Many of the recently appointed leaders have participated in BCE’s Women in Leadership program, which was reimagined in 2024 to strengthen leadership pathways and build a pipeline of future-ready female leaders.

For educators like Notre Dame College, Bells Creek Head of College Jasmine Brown, the program has had a lasting impact.

“For me the program highlighted the importance of women actively supporting and advocating for one another,” she said.

“I also found the course an opportunity to connect with other like-minded women who shared the same aspirations for senior leadership.

“The impact of the program has endured well beyond its conclusion, particularly for me through the lasting professional relationships I have built.”

Jasmine Brown, Head of College Notre Dame College, Bells Creek
Photo Credit: Supplied

Since March 2024, a number of schools across South East Queensland have welcomed new female leaders, including appointments at St Mary’s College in Ipswich, St Patrick’s Primary School in Nanango, Unity College in Caloundra West, and St Francis College in Crestmead.

Other appointments span communities including Graceville, Bardon, Mango Hill, Ferny Grove, Birkdale, Zillmere, New Farm, Scarborough and Enoggera, where local school communities are now led by experienced educators committed to supporting students, families and staff.

For BCE, the growing number of women stepping into leadership roles reflects a commitment to creating inclusive leadership pathways and recognising the vital contribution women make to education and their communities.

As schools across the region celebrate International Women’s Day, these appointments highlight the strong role women continue to play in shaping the future of Catholic education across South East Queensland.

Name	Position	School	Suburb
Alison Gilbert	Principal	St Mary’s College	Ipswich
Sarah McCarthy	Principal	St Patrick’s Primary School	Nanango
Jessica Lusk	Head of College (Secondary)	Unity College	Caloundra West
Nicole de Vries	Head of College (Primary)	Unity College	Caloundra West
Andrea Hickey	Head of Campus	St Francis College	Crestmead
Bernadette Wright	Principal	Christ the King School	Graceville
Carol Seagar	Principal	St Joseph’s School	Bardon
Clare Hogan	Principal	Our Lady of Good Counsel School	Gatton
Renay Condon	Principal	St Benedict’s Primary School	Mango Hill
Louise Parry	Principal	St Thomas More Primary School	Sunshine Beach
Amanda Steer	Principal	St Andrew’s Catholic Primary School	Ferny Grove
Nadia Galetto	Head of College	St Bonaventure’s College	Flagstone
Jo-Anne Boyle	Principal	Holy Spirit School	Bray Park
Gabrielle Jansen	Principal	St Mary MacKillop Primary School	Birkdale
Cheryl Bell	Principal	St Flannan’s Primary School	Zillmere
Bianca Murphy	Principal	Holy Spirit School	New Farm
Liesl Profke	Principal	St Clare’s Primary School	Yarrabilba
Tracey-lee Cheesman	Principal	Our Lady of Fatima Primary School	Acacia Ridge
Veronica Wasiak	Principal	St Michael’s College	Merrimac
Gemma Lovell	Principal	Mother Teresa Primary School	Ormeau
Velma Erskine	Principal	St Joseph’s Primary School	North Ipswich
Megan Pidskalny	Head of Campus	FisherONE Online Education	—
Jasmine Brown	Head of College	Notre Dame College	Bells Creek
Melissa Fallarino	Head of Campus	Southern Cross Catholic College	Scarborough
Felicity Pryer	Principal	St Pius X School	Salisbury
Lisa Atholwood	Head of Campus	Emmaus College	Jimboomba
Sharon Collins	Principal	Siena Catholic College	Sippy Downs
Kate MacArthur	Principal	Our Lady of Assumption School	Enoggera
Helen Boyes	Principal	St Paul’s School	Woodridge

Published 6-March-2026

Australian Army 125-Year Celebration Open Day Planned At Enoggera Barracks

Photo Credit: Eventbrite

Gallipoli Barracks in Enoggera will open to the public for a community event marking the Australian Army’s 125 years of service.

The Gallipoli Barracks Open Day is scheduled for Saturday 14 March from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Enoggera base, with activities centred on Duncan Oval. Pedestrian entry to the site is listed via Samford Road.

The event forms part of national commemorations taking place throughout 2026 to recognise the Army’s 125-year milestone.

Enoggera Army Open Day — Photo Credit: Eventbrite

Army History Marked By National Anniversary

The Australian Army was established on 1 March 1901 following Federation, when the military forces of the Australian colonies were combined into a national force. The milestone in 2026 recognises 125 years since that formation.

Across the year, a range of events and activities are planned across Australia to acknowledge the history of the Army and the service of generations of soldiers.

Gallipoli Barracks Event Program In Enoggera

Visitors attending the Enoggera open day will be able to meet serving personnel and learn about the roles carried out within the Army.

Displays are expected to include equipment and capabilities from artillery, armour, signals, transport and engineering units. Infantry and medical teams are also listed as part of the presentations.

A range of military vehicles will be on display, including the 40M, HX77, Hawkei, Bushmaster and Boxer.

reserve a spot

Demonstrations And Activities

The afternoon program includes a RAAF flypast scheduled for 2:00 p.m. followed by a Welcome to Country and a welcome to Gallipoli Barracks at 2:15 p.m.

Demonstrations are planned from 2:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and include a mounted infantry scenario, explosive detection dog demonstration, military working dog display, drone racing team presentation, a children’s Run Army 1.2 km dash, and displays of historical military vehicles.

Family activities listed for the day include rides such as a rock-climbing tower, giant swing and slide.

Music And Fireworks

A performance by the Australian Army Band Brisbane is scheduled from 5:45 p.m. to 6:35 p.m. The program is set to conclude with a fireworks display from 6:45 p.m. to 6:55 p.m., before the open day ends at 7 p.m.

The Enoggera event forms part of the wider national program marking 125 years since the formation of the Australian Army.

Published 5-Mar-2026

Keppera Swimmer Jade Gregory Takes on 60km Swim for Laps for Life

Laps for Life

Jade Gregory, a 12-year-old competitive swimmer who grew up in Keperra and now attends Ferny Grove State High School, is spending every day this March in the pool, aiming to complete 60 kilometres of laps to raise $4,000 for youth mental health through the Laps for Life fundraiser, picking up where she left off two years ago as one of the campaign’s standout young achievers.

For Jade, this is not a new commitment. At ten years old, while still a student at Ferny Hills State School, she completed 35 kilometres across March 2024 and raised more than $3,600 for ReachOut Australia, finishing 48th among more than 10,000 swimmers nationally. That result placed her among the top 50 fundraisers in the entire country, at an age when most kids are still deciding what sport to take seriously.

Jade graduated Year 6 from Ferny Hills State School in December 2025 and now attends Ferny Grove State High School. She returns to Laps for Life in 2026 with a bigger goal, a longer distance, and the same conviction that drove her into the pool in the first place.

A Swimmer Who Has Always Known Why She’s in the Water

Jade has been swimming at Ferny Hills Pool since she was two years old, and now trains with a squad. That background of more than a decade in the water gives her 60-kilometre March target genuine credibility. In her first Laps for Life campaign, she pushed well beyond her original distance goal, at one point completing 50 laps of the 50-metre pool in a single session on her second-last day.

That 2024 campaign came with a test of motivation that many adults would have struggled to match. Jade acknowledged that fundraising felt difficult at the start but that knowing she was helping people and building awareness kept her going throughout. Her dad, she said, was her biggest cheerleader. Her final tally reached 700 laps, a figure remarkable at any age.

That combination of endurance, purpose and resolve carries directly into 2026. Her goal this March is straightforward: she is swimming because too many young lives are lost to suicide, and every lap she completes is one more contribution toward making sure there is always a safe place for young people to turn when life feels overwhelming.

Jade Gregory — *Photo Credit: Laps for Life*

Why the Cause Keeps Calling Her Back

The issue Jade swims for does not get smaller between campaigns. Suicide remains the leading cause of death for young people in Australia, and approximately 75 per cent of mental health problems occur before the age of 25. For a 12-year-old starting high school, that statistic is not abstract. It describes her own cohort, her own classmates, and the years ahead.

More than one in three young Australians are experiencing mental health difficulties, yet over a million are not getting the support they need. That gap between need and access is what ReachOut Australia exists to close. ReachOut operates entirely online, anonymously and without cost, providing young people with peer support, resources, tools and pathways to professional help that they can access on their own terms, at any time.

That model matters most for young people not yet ready to walk into a clinic or pick up a phone, and it is precisely what Jade’s fundraising directly supports.

A Growing Challenge With Growing Support

Jade set a personal fundraising target of $4,000 for 2026, with donations already flowing in from family, classmates and community supporters, including a matched giving programme through the PNI Foundation and Antipodes Partners that doubles every dollar raised. Her swim distance target of 60 kilometres is nearly double her 2024 effort, reflecting both her physical development and her deepening commitment to the campaign.

Laps for Life runs across the entire month of March, welcoming participants of any age and swimming ability. In 2024, more than 10,500 Australians took part, collectively swimming 98,828 kilometres and raising $3.4 million for ReachOut’s programmes. For Jade, the number that matters most is not her rank on the leaderboard but the number of young people her total helps reach.

She has also spoken openly about bigger swimming dreams, including the Olympics. The discipline she builds through campaigns like this one runs alongside those ambitions rather than against them.

How to Support Jade and the Broader Campaign

Donations to Jade Gregory’s 2026 Laps for Life page go directly to ReachOut Australia and can be made here. Every donation is matched through the PNI Foundation and Antipodes Partners programme. Community members and local schools wanting to run their own swim challenge in March can register at lapsforlife.com.au.

For young people seeking support, ReachOut provides free, anonymous and 100 per cent online services at au.reachout.com. Beyond Blue is available 24 hours a day on 1300 22 4636. Anyone in crisis can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.

Published 2-March-2026.

Upper Kedron’s Eva Ilov Impresses Judges to Earn Australian Idol Golden Ticket

Eva Ilov/Instagram

Eva Ilov, a 20-year-old singer-songwriter who grew up in Upper Kedron and trained at Performance Studios in Loganholme, has secured a Golden Ticket into the Top 30 of Australian Idol 2026 after one of the season’s most talked-about auditions.

Ilov walked into her audition in front of judges Amy Shark, Kyle Sandilands and Marcia Hines without a prepared song, deliberately leaving the choice in their hands. The calculated risk paid off. The judges selected three contrasting songs: a Whitney Houston ballad, a Chris Stapleton country-soul track that showcased her gritty range, and a Men at Work classic that put a smile on everyone’s face. Her ability to switch genres without missing a step earned immediate praise, with the judges awarding her a Golden Ticket to the Top 30 on the spot.

For a performer who describes herself as a “musical chameleon,” it was an entrance that made the label stick.

A Musical Life That Began in Upper Kedron

Eva Ilov’s connection to music stretches back to childhood in Brisbane’s north-west. Her granddad bought her her first guitar when she was around seven or eight, and her mother, determined not to let the gift go to waste, enrolled her in lessons. Vocals followed naturally not long after.

She appeared in the junior competition Take the Mic in 2012 and later performed in community music series Homegrown Superstars between 2020 and 2022, building stage experience well before any national platform came calling. Her early formal training included the Young Conservatorium Program at Griffith University, where she studied contemporary voice.

View this post on Instagram

By 2025 Ilov had completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Music at QUT, while also building a portfolio of live performances, studio sessions and international recognition. Her recent achievements also include finishing runner-up in the 2025 Your Shot DJ competition and releasing her debut US single in collaboration with Roy Hamilton III and The Singers Company. She also performed as a featured artist at QPAC in 2019.

The Role Performance Studios Played

Before stepping onto the national stage, Eva Ilov was making the regular drive from Upper Kedron down to Performance Studios, to train with vocal coach Lisa Lockland-Bell. Ilov said Lockland-Bell had changed her perspective on singing entirely, helping her build confidence, discipline and control so she could approach music with greater intention and artistry.

Lockland-Bell brings more than 35 years of experience as a vocal coach, performance mentor and voice transformation specialist to her work at Performance Studios, coaching singers, performers and professional speakers from Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Ipswich and Redlands, as well as online worldwide. Her students have appeared on The Voice, Australian Idol, Eurovision and other high-profile platforms.

Lockland-Bell also founded Performance Studios’ Rise Up Competition, a singing contest for young artists from South East Queensland that offers a cash prize and industry training to help emerging performers build a career path. Ilov was a finalist in that competition across 2023 and 2025, making her path from local student to national Idol contestant a direct product of the studio’s ecosystem.

What Comes Next for Australian Idol’s 2026 Season

As of mid-February 2026, Eva Ilov had advanced to the Top 30 and was progressing through the early competition stages, with the show heading toward its live rounds. She joined the first group of Golden Ticket winners announced on the season’s opening night on 2 February, earning her place among 30 contestants selected from across the country.

Season 11 of Australian Idol features hosts Ricki-Lee and Scott Tweedie, with judges Kyle Sandilands, Marcia Hines and Amy Shark returning to the panel. The competition airs Sundays at 7pm and Mondays at 7.30pm on Channel Seven, with all episodes available to stream on 7plus at 7plus.com.au. Viewers can watch Ilov’s audition and subsequent performances online now. Follow her progress on Instagram at @evailovofficial or through her official website at evailov.com.

Published 2-March-2026.