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Uncover the History of Slab Hut Farm in Enoggera Reservoir

Enoggera Reservoir is home to a number of heritage-listed sites including its namesake, the Enogggera Dam and Slab Hut Farm.

Slab Hut Farm at Mt Nebo is historically significant for its association with the early opening of Mt Nebo to timber-getters and gold miners. The farm also played a vital role in the development of the area as a farming district in the late 19th century.

History of the Slab Hut Farm

Enoggera Reservoir from The Summit, Mount Coot-tha, Brisbane. Photo credit: Queensland State Archives, Digital Image ID 48/Wikimedia Commons

Although the structures in the farm date from the 1890s, the site has already been occupied since the 1870s.

George Powers Remfry, an English immigrant, selected 80 acres of Farmland at Mt Nebo in 1873. The land he acquired was Portion 844, Parish of Enoggera.

In 1875 Remfry also selected neighbouring Portion 863, which comprised 61.5 acres. Because of this, the land he owned totalled to 140 acres, mostly uncleared. He started building structures and clearing lands for cultivation in 1877.

Unfortunately, his property was declared insolvent in 1880 and Portion 844 was forfeited. However, he retained Portion 863 until 1890.

The McAfees

Slab Hut Farm (1991). Photo credit: Heritage Branch staff

Thomas McAfee of Samford leased Portion 844 from the mid-1890s and purchased Portion 863 in 1897.

The McAfees are the ones responsible for developing both portions as a dairy farm. It was also during their occupancy that the present buildings were constructed. The structures were erected by owner labour with the use of local hardwood and stone.

Supposedly, McAfee built the three-roomed slab house which served as the family’s first home in the 1890s.

The family built a second house which still functions as the main residence in 1910.

McAfee’s widow purchased Portion 844 in 1931. The McAfees maintained the property as a dairy farm until 1959.

McAfees lookout, Mt Nebo Road, Enoggera Reservoir. Photo credit: Google Street View

Running their farm for nearly six decades, the McAfees was a prominent family in the Mt Nebo community. In fact, the community named the lookout just opposite the present entrance to Slab Hut Farm after the family.

Slab Hut Farm’s Significance

Only a few comparable slab structures remain in the Brisbane area. Apart from the Slab Hut Farm, another popular slab house remaining on its original site was at Magnolia Farm at Sunnybank. Sadly, the house was destroyed by fire early in 1999.

Slab Hut Farm is a rare Brisbane survivor of the pioneer era. Moreover, the integrity and intactness of the remaining structures on site makes it even rarer as it provides a unique evidence of the workings of a late 19th century Queensland dairy farm.

The Slab Hut Farm was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.

Ferny Hills Is the Top Suburb Primed for Capital Growth in Brisbane

Ferny Hills tops the list of most promising suburbs in Brisbane along with Eatons Hill and Strathpine, according to property research site LocationScore.

The research revealed the 15 top-performing suburbs over-all which saw Melbourne dominating the list with its suburbs Baxter, Dingley Village, and Gladstone claiming the first three spots, respectively.

Brisbane comes in at third place, after Adelaide, with Ferny Hills having a location score of 76, whilst Eaton Hills scored 75 and Strathpine scored 74. The location score is considered “Good” if it is above 62 and “Excellent” if it is over 77.

Ferny Hills is considered the most viable place for property investment in Brisbane notably for its good-quality homes and proximity to shopping and lifestyle facilities and the Ferny Grove train station.

Baxter (median price of $534,604), Ferny Hills (median price of $546,398), and Birkenhead (median price of $413,460) in Adelaide share a median price below the $550,000 price point.

Sydney ranked fourth with Cromer, Narraweena, and Greenwich, all having a location score of 73. Whilst Sydney properties are not considered affordable, demand is still relatively high which means prices could still grow.

What is LocationScore all about?

About LocationScore

LocationScore is a property-research platform that interprets big data to analyze and rank suburbs in Australia according to their location score. Location scores are more or less indicative of prospects for capital growth.

Every month, each suburb is scored out of 100 using eight key indicators to measure the level of supply and demand:

Days on Market – The lower the average days-on-market are in a suburb means higher demand over supply.
Vacancy Rates – A drop in the vacancy rate may indicate a potential rise in rents.
Vendor Discount – The lower the average discount rate means higher demand.
Rental Yields – Indicates potential capital growth and cash flow for a property market.
Auction Clearance Rates- The higher the clearance rate means a higher demand.
Percentage of Stock on the Market – An indicator or supply. The lower the supply the stronger the prospects for a strong price growth.
Renter Proportion – The percentage of renters in a market compared with the total number of residents. The lower the percentage the better for the property investor.
Online Search Interest – The recorded number of potential buyer searches. Comparing the number of searches over the number of properties, it more or less indicates the level of demand relative to the supply.

Mysterious Case of Orange Turning Purple Finally Solved

Scientists have finally solved the mysterious case in Keperra, about an orange turning purple a few hours after it was cut open.

The “mysterious fruit” was bought by Neti Moffitt at a local fruit and vegetable shop. The fruit looked and smelled perfectly normal after she cut it. Her son ate half of the orange and she left the other half sitting in a bowl overnight.

What happened to the fruit the next morning surprised her—it turned partly purple. What is even more shocking was that the scraps she threw into the bin turned out to be even more purple in colour.

Ms Moffitt immediately contacted the Queensland Health to investigate the case of the mysterious orange. Representatives collected the knife that was used to cut it, and the sharpening tool for forensic testing.

What Test Results Revealed

Anthocyanins, a naturally occurring pigment, had reacted to the traces of iron found on the knife, as revealed by a series of tests conducted at the Forensic and Scientific Services (FSS) laboratory at Coopers Plains in Southern Brisbane.

It turned out that the knife that was used to cut open the orange was sharpened about a couple of nights before the incident. The series of chemical and instrumental tests conducted included UV-Visible spectrophotometry to check for traces of metals and other contaminants, chemical spot tests, and liquid chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometer.

Blood orange

Anthocyanins are naturally found in oranges and are in high concentration in the blood oranges variety. Periods of cold storage, however, may raise the level of anthocyanins and when exposed to iron can cause discolouration. Anthocyanins are natural antioxidants and are known to be safe.

The Queensland Health did acknowledge that the discolouration on Mr Moffitt’s orange was a rare, yet a natural, occurrence. Ms Moffitt was amazed upon learning how a simple act of sharpening a knife can cause such an effect on her orange.

The Gap Median House Price Reaches $678K

The REIQ recently reported the latest housing market statistics which showed The Gap median house price at $678,000. The figure signifies a 2.7% increase over the last 12 months and 23.6% over the last 5 years. In the 2nd quarter of 2018, there were 41 homes sold in the suburb.

Taco Bell Keperra to Open at Bunnings Warehouse

As part of its Queensland expansion, Taco Bell Keperra is set to open at the new Bunnings Warehouse.

This follows the approval of a development application from Bunnings Group to add two new restaurants and a showroom in the Bunnings Keperra redevelopment.

Photo credit: Brisbane Planning and Development Online

Plans for the additional restaurants involve the construction of a new KFC restaurant plus an unnamed fast food restaurant. Even though the name is not specified for the other fast food joint, its design is identical to that of the proposed Taco Bell North Lakes.

Plans for the proposed Taco Bell in Keperra include an indoor and external dining area. It will also have a drive-thru with 11-vehicle queuing capacity.

Taco Bell’s Expansion

It has already been a year since Taco Bell opened in Annerley and to celebrate, they are serving their limited edition OG BEAN BURRITO.

Taco Bell Annerley has been successful in its first year. Because of this, the fast-food giant is ready to open new stores before the year ends. In fact, their Robina, North Lakes, and Cleveland stores are already hiring team members and managers. You may visit their page for further details about these opportunities.

Taco Bell fans in Queensland are pretty excited about the new stores that will open. There is even a dedicated Facebook group called AUSSIE TACO BELL ADDICTS that’s keeping track of the updates for the new stores.

Current progress at Taco Bell Robina. Photo credit: Matthew Baird/AUSSIE TACO BELL ADDICTS/Facebook

Locals are actively sharing photos of works in the new Taco Bell site in North Lakes and Robina in the group.

Current progress at Taco Bell North Lakes. Photo credit:Baeley Cassar/AUSSIE TACO BELL ADDICTS/Facebook

The fast-food restaurant’s continued expansion proves that there is still a great market for Mexican food locally. Taco Bell may not have won Australia’s heart in its early attempts to invade its fast food industry but the momentum is currently building up for the fast food restaurant as it gains more fans in Queensland.

Additional Car Parks Proposed for Ferny Grove Station

A development application proposing to redevelop the existing commuter parking areas on the grounds of the Ferny Grove Station has been submitted to the Council. The proposal aims to increase the number of commuter car parks at the station to approximately 1,732.

The development application submitted by Honeycombes Property Group involves the development of a new parking station and apartment residential building as well as a new retail centre.

Ferny Grove Transit Oriented Development (TOD)

Honeycombes Property Group’s Transit Oriented Development in Ferny Grove Station envisions to provide a vibrant mixed-use precinct that maximises its connection with the Ferny Grove Station. The TOD also anticipates promoting a variety of uses and employment opportunities within the Ferny Grove area.

Apart from increasing the commuter car parks, plans for the TOD include the development of the following:

384 retail car parks and 85 residential car parks which include 10 residential visitor spaces;
a 64 -apartment residential building arranged in 1,2 and 3 bedroom formats;
a major shopping centre tenant of approximately 3,400 sqm;
a mini-major of approximately 1,100 sqm, and 2,619 sqm of speciality retail;
a gymnasium, cinema complex, and child care centre; and
600 sqm of commercial (medical centre).

According to the TOD plans, the project will be delivered across three stages so that ongoing operation of the rail, train station, and bus interchange will be allowed.

Community Feedback

The local community isn’t supportive of the proposed TOD. In fact, Council already received several submissions opposing the said development.

Locals are concerned that the development will have a negative impact on the environment, traffic conditions, value of properties, as well as the privacy and safety of residents.

Despite the developer’s goal of providing employment opportunities to local residents through the TOD, one submission cited that having a new retail precinct will also affect small local businesses.

Council is still assessing the application.

For further information about the proposed TOD, you may check the Application Details for A005002931.

Friendly Reminders for the Kerbside Collection in Ferny Grove and Keperra

Brisbane City Council’s Kerbside Collection in Ferny Grove and Keperra is coming up. Better be ready before the collection day which will be on Monday, 17 September 2018.

As a friendly reminder, here are a few things to keep in mind before the collection date.

Acceptable Items

Kerbside collection is the best time to get rid of unwanted stuff. However, you should remember that not all items are accepted during the collection. Here is a quick recap of the acceptable and unacceptable items for the event.

Items to be collected:

furniture and white goods (e.g. fridges and stoves)
small household appliances (e.g. fans and toasters)
carpet and rugs
bath and laundry tubs
wood products less than 1.5 metres
bicycles and sporting equipment
electronic waste (e.g. televisions and computers)

Items not accepted:

garden waste (e.g. trees, grass, potted plants)
dirt and stones
bricks and concrete
commercial builders waste
car parts and tyres, including car batteries
general household waste (e.g. food scraps)
liquids
hazardous wastes (e.g. chemicals, oil, asbestos)
gas bottles
glass and mirrors
household waste that normally goes into your waste or recycling bin

Remember to place the items for collection on the kerbside in front of the property by 6:00 a.m. during the collection period.

Stay Informed

The Council has provided a helpful app to keep you updated with the collection days. The free Brisbane Bin and Recycling app can also help you learn how to recycle more effectively.

Kerbside Collection in Ferny Grove and Keperra — Photo credit: Brisbane City Council/Facebook

After downloading the app, make sure to keep the push notifications enabled so you can receive real-time updates on your app.

You can download the application for free here:

Collection Guidelines

When putting out items for the Kerbside Collection in Ferny Grove and Keperra, please take note of the following:

Keep the piles tidy on the kerb so the footpath or roadway is kept clear.
Remember that the Council will not collect piles larger than two cubic metres (equal to a small box trailer load).
Remove doors from refrigerators and cupboards.
Be careful not to leave sharp or dangerous objects.
Make sure that items can easily and safely be lifted by two people.
Items must be secured if severe weather is expected.

Donate Usable Items

Check if some items in your pile are usable. If there are items that can still be used, donate them. This is a big help in reducing the waste sent to the landfill, plus, you get to help others in need.

You can either donate to GIVIT, The National Association of Charitable Recycling Organisations Inc. (NACRO) or bring them to the Council’s tip shops in Acacia Ridge and Geebung.

These are just a few things to consider before the Kerbside Collection in Ferny Grove and Keperra. To learn more, visit the Council’s Kerbside Collection page.

“Be Prepared” Campaign: A Decade After The Gap Storm

Brisbane residents are urged to “Be Prepared” for extreme weather. During the launch of Brisbane City Council’s summer storm awareness campaign, Lord Mayor Graham Quirk underscored the need to prepare for the summer storm season.

The summer storm awareness campaign was launched on the 10th anniversary of the storm that devastated The Gap. Brisbane is better prepared now than it was ten years ago. After the devastating storm that hit The Gap in 2008, more equipment for SES crews were acquired. A range of new response, recovery services, and advice were also made available for residents.

“Brisbane is a great place to live, work and relax, but we all know our beautiful subtropical climate means our city is prone to severe weather, including flash flooding, storms and bushfires, which is why it’s critical we’re prepared for the summer storm season,” LM Graham Quirk said.

Credit: indoorlightening/YouTube

He said that the council will invest close to $12 million into disaster management in 2018-2019. Part of the spending includes $3.7 million for the acquisition of 12 new SES vehicles. Included as well are equipment and resources to support the 880 volunteer members.

“Our volunteer SES crews, which have doubled in size over the past decade, are critical during the response to severe weather events by providing swift-water flood rescues, removing fallen trees, putting tarps over damaged roofs and much more.

Following the 2008 storm in The Gap, the council upgraded its Local Disaster Coordination Centre to make information gathering and response to the storm hit areas much faster. The council’s preparation includes “bushfire hazard reduction burns, tree trimming, stormwater drainage maintenance and upgrades and our Early Warning Alert Service.”

Credit:Brisbane City Council/YouTube

Residents, for their part, could take steps to reduce risks to their property ahead of the storm events by cleaning up their yards, gutter, and securing loose items.

As part of the “Be Prepared” campaign, the council is providing three free green waste tipping weekends at the council’s resource recovery centres. The free green waste tipping aims to help residents prepare for storm season and minimise the impacts of high winds and heavy rain.

Weekends included in the free green waste tipping are:

September 22-23
October 6-7
October 20-21

Credit:Brisbane City Council/YouTube
The council is also hosting a number of community and school events in partnership with QFES, the Rural Fire Brigade, QPS and the SES. These events will provide more information to residents about their flood and bushfire risk.

For more information about preparing homes and property for severe weather, view the ‘Be Prepared’ checklist online at www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/beprepared or call (07) 3403 8888.

Learn more about preparing your home and property for severe weather at the “Be Prepared” website or call (07) 3403 8888.

The Gap’s Old Coffee Club to Become a New Tavern

A development application has been lodged proposing to redevelop The Gap’s Old Coffee Club into a new tavern.

Plans for the refurbishment of The Gap’s Old Coffee Club involves the construction of a tavern with indoor and outdoor dining. The proposal intends to preserve the height and scale of the existing building and refurbish the vacant tenancy.

The idea of converting the Old Coffee Club into a new tavern is welcomed by some locals saying that such a place is needed in the suburb. However, some residents are concerned about parking and the tavern’s current location.

According to the proposed plans, the tavern will be utilising existing car park spaces of The Gap Village shopping centre. Access locations are retained to Waterworks Road and Glen Affric Street.

The Council had already carried out an initial review of the development application. The Council is now requiring the developer to address a couple of issues. One of the concerns raised is that the outdoor dining might interfere with pedestrian traffic as it is too close to the entrance and pathway to the shopping centre.

The developer has three months to address the issues enumerated at the Council’s Information Request prior to the assessment of the application.

Should the application be approved, the new tavern will be operating from 10:00 a.m. to midnight seven days a week.

For more information, check out the Application Details for A004980868.

The Gap Neighbourhood Plan: Final Call for Submissions

The Gap local residents have until 5 P.M. 10 September 2018 to let their voice be heard regarding the proposed The Gap Neighbourhood Plan. The Brisbane City Council started the neighbourhood planning process last April 2016 and prepared the draft neighbourhood plan following feedback from residents.

The Gap Neighbourhood Plan will serve to guide future developments whilst maintaining The Gap community’s suburban lifestyle and character. No significant growth in population of The Gap is expected in the next ten years. It is still deemed necessary, however, to create a neighbourhood plan to guide future developments in the area.

The neighbourhood plan draft is in keeping with the Brisbane City Council’s vision for “a well-planned, liveable and efficiently serviced city.” The neighbourhood plan will refine City Plan through proposed amendments including the Village precinct, identification of potential development areas, and zone changes.

The Gap Neighbourhood Plan Boundary

The Gap neighborhood Plan boundary — *Photo credit:Brisbane City Council/Facebook*

The Gap Neighbourhood Plan Proposed Village Precinct

*Photo credit:Brisbane City Council/Facebook*

The Gap Neighbourhood Plan Proposed Development Areas

The Gap Neighbourhood Plan Proposed Zone Changes

Here Is How to Lodge Your Submission:

You can download the factsheet about how to make a submission or download information about City Plan terms and concepts.
Read the full draft of the neighbourhood plan.
Find out how the draft plan might affect you.
You can lodge your submission online by 5 p.m. Monday 10 September 2018.

The council cannot consider feedback over the phone or in person as formal feedback at this stage of the process, as the neighbourhood plan is a legal document.

The Gap Neighbourhood Plan Timeline

Mid-2016 to 2017-Background research

900 online survey responses
Community Planning Team meetings
Information kiosks on 20 and 21 September 2016.

October 2017-Release of draft strategy document

47 submissions made by letter, email or in-person at kiosks
173 comments via online form and interactive mapping tool
642 votes via the interactive map
one Community Planning Team meeting
four information kiosks in November and December 2017.

Early 2018-First draft of neighbourhood plan

Council prepared a draft neighbourhood plan to amend City Plan based on community input and further technical reviews of the area.
The Queensland Government completed a state interest review and approved the draft plan for public notification and final community submissions.

Current stage-Submissions period

Release of the draft statutory neighbourhood plan for final community submissions
Submission period is until 5pm, Monday 10 September 2018.

Late 2018

Council will consider changes to the draft neighbourhood plan following a review of the submissions.
The Queensland Government will then complete a second state interest review.

Late 2018 to early 2019

Adoption of the statutory neighbourhood plan and inclusion in Brisbane City Plan 2014.
Council will also release further information on other activities and opportunities that the community can get involved with to further progress the vision for The Gap’s future.

Keep yourself updated with the developments regarding The Gap Neighbourhood Plan by subscribing to their email updates.