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Little Locals: Church Turned Childcare Centre Opens in Auchenflower

A former church on the corner of Milton Road and Wienholt Street in Auchenflower has been transformed into a fun childcare centre with its own 15-metre indoor slide and outdoor play spaces. Little Locals opened on 9 Nov 2020 to a host of families whose children have been enjoying and settling into their new daycare space.

The family-owned business is Little Locals’ sixth site and will be managed by Sophie Jones, who has 10 years of experience in early education. The facility may accommodate up to 120 children, from ages 6 weeks to 12 years old, who will be cared for, guided and supervised by 30 experienced educators.

Photo Credit: Little Locals Auchenflower/Facebook

Much of the church’s structure has been retained in planning the unique facility, including its stained glass windows, archways and exposed rafters. The old blends with the new as the centre boasts of creative play areas like a water park, racetrack and trampoline.

All over the centre are murals painted by artist JR Ellis, which depicts the wildife of Mt Coot-tha.

“Our centre encourages children to develop a bond with the natural environment through gardening, sorting and participating in a green program which shows respect for the natural world,” the owners said in a statement.

Director Eric Grindley-Ferris revealed that slots for 2021 are slowly filling up, with fees averaging from $134.50 to $139. These prices include lunch and excursion activities.

Residents initially objected to the childcare facility’s construction due to the noise and traffic that could disrupt the homes in the area. Little Locals built acoustic fences and agreed that the outdoor play areas will close by 6 p.m. Mr Grindley-Ferris said that street parking will be avoided since they have 26 underground parking spots.

Council approves ban on LED billboards in Paddington

Paddington residents campaigning against the erection of massive LED billboards at character precincts, such as Given Terrace and Latrobe Terrace, have achieved a win after the Council voted a ban on these electronic signs.

Councillor Jonathan Sri confirmed that Brisbane City Council will make “some minor interim amendments” to the Advertisements Local Law. The new stipulations will it harder for advertisers to secure approval for LED billboard ads in heritage properties and commercial character sites or pre-1911 buildings.

The changes will also make the local law retrospective.

Photo Credit: Jonathan Sri, Councillor for The Gabba/Facebook

The Council has not approved any electronic billboard application since the residents’ protests early this year. In September, an applicant withdrew plans to set up a LED billboard at 284 Given Terrace.

However, the campaign is not yet done as another advertiser managed to erect a billboard on Latrobe Terrace, whilst the deliberation was ongoing.

“Council has now admitted that community consultation was lacking and distinctive character precincts should not have LED Billboards approved. By that logic, the Latrobe Terrace Billboard must be revoked and removed,” Katinka Winston-Allom of the Greens (Cooper) said.

According to reports, a senior official informed Council to approve the sign but public access to the Right To Information documents detailing the approval process has been revoked. The said billboard is currently under Council review.

“The current process is not good enough,” Councillor Peter Matic said in June, following the Latrobe Terrace billboard fiasco. “It’s time for an overhaul and make them subject to more stringent assessment and a full consultation processes. These billboards are out of character; I wasn’t meaningfully consulted, the community wasn’t consulted and there needs to be checks and balances.”

Haig Rd Bistro in Auchenflower to Open Sister Site La Coin in Red Hill

Neo-French restaurant Haig Rd Bistro in Auchenflower is opening a sister site just two kilometres away in Red Hill. La Coin is still in its final stages of sprucing up before it’s set to welcome diners by the end of October 2020.

Arvid Noack invested in taking over the two-storey site once occupied by Plum Tucker on Enoggera Terrace with his new La Coin (“La Kwan”) co-owner Marcus Kerschbaumer.

The pair is also bringing Haig Rd Bistro chef Jean Yann Bouton on board, who will create a two or three-course menu for dinner with a carefully curated range of entrees, mains and desserts. Diners will have the pleasure of constructing their own dinner.

La Coin will offer nearly similar a la carte lunch dishes as Haig Rd Bistro whilst a special day for BYO will be launched when the restaurant settles after the opening day.

Morning fares at the bistro will include Viennese-inspired coffee choices paired with French pastries and cheese-filled sandwiches.

Mr Noack and Mr Kerschbaumer won’t deviate much from the interior look of La Coin as its sister site. However, the top floor will be reserved to private functions whilst the downstairs section will have a spacious outdoor seating area for a more relaxed dining experience.

La Coin doesn’t have a social media presence yet but you follow Haig Rd Bistro’s Facebook page for the updates.

Lick! Ice Cream: EKKA Fave Opens 3rd Shop in Paddington

Having the blues amidst the bad news you read online? Then swing by Paddington Central for some much-needed comfort food! The third Lick! Ice Cream store has opened this September and it could not come at a better time.

Though smaller than its Graceville and Morningside outlets, Lick! at Paddington Central will offer more ice cream flavours.

Customers may pick from 32 different kinds — that’s eight more than the other stores! — including vegan and gluten-free varieties, alongside classic popular choices like Chock chip cookies and cream, Macadamia praline, condensed milk and the OMG Strawberry.

Batches of Lick! Ice Cream are handcrafted and prepared with fresh, non-artificial ingredients at their Cooper Plains kitchen. However, they’ll soon be moving to a bigger headquarters at Seventeen Mile Rocks.

Co-owner Kim Douglas said that the kitchen expansion is a necessary step as they plan to open more stores in Brisbane and grow the brand. They are also open to supplying retailers and restaurants.

“We have over 900 flavours of ice cream, sorbet and gelato on our database and are adding new ones each week. We currently stock Lick at a number of Independent Supermarkets, delicatessens and fruit and vegetable shops throughout South East Queensland.”

EKKA regulars are familiar with Lick! and its sought-after strawberry sundae. In August, the ice cream shop opened pop-up stores across Brisbane to raise funds for The Prince Charles Hospital Foundation. Lick! sold over 90,000 strawberry sundaes for this initiative.

To know more about is flavours and store hours, follow the shop’s Facebook page.

Given Terrace Estate in Paddington is 100 Years Old!

Did you know that it’s been 100 years since the first lots in the Given Terrace Estate in Paddington were auctioned off to the public?

Cameron Bros. Auctioneers handled the auction of 42 residential sites from Given Terrace, Central Avenue, Ewart Street, and Alma Street. The event took place on the afternoon of 21 Aug 1920.

“This charming estate offers a special opportunity to anyone requiring a residence close to the penny section and within easy walking distance of Roma Street. With glorious views, easy access, and perfect drainage,” the auction advertisement read in a local newspaper.

Given Terrace Estates, today, covers the following streets below. Given Terrace itself remains the busiest main activity centre in Paddington, alongside Latrobe Terrace.

Alma Street
Annie Street
Beck Street (map shows as Mary Street)
Central Avenue
Club Street
Ewart Street
Fernberg Road
Given Terrace
Gladstone Street
Herbert Street
Latrobe Terrace
Macartney Street (map shows as Alice Street)
Mort Street (map shows as William Street)
Ross Street
Royal Street

Photo Credit: State Library of Queensland

Notable Sites in the Given Terrace Estate

Among the features highlighted in the estate included convenience, good drainage and healthy locality. The neighbourhood was also close to the Paddington Tram Line, which was built in 1898 and ushered a residential boom in the suburb.

The tram’s depot was erected in 1915 but a massive fire in 1962 destroyed the building, including 65 of the city’s trams. Conspiracy theories sparked over the real cause of the fire since the exact details were not revealed to the public.

Today, it’s where the shopping centre, Paddington Central, stands.

Given Terrace Estate also has the Paddington Post Office (opened in 1895), the Ithaca Fire Station (opened in 1919), the Sacred Heart Church (opened in 1918), and the heritage-listed site Forester’s Hall.

The hall, built in 1888, was often used by the Ancient Order of Foresters’ Friendly Society, United Brisbane District and the Trustees of Court Foresters’ Hope. It was the site where communities came together to discuss and develop ways to help each other as the society of Queensland grew. According to historians, this showed how Australians adapted the philosophy of mutual aid.

Forester’s Hall also became a landmark that transformed the estate into a commuter hub from a semi-rural community. Today, it’s privately owned by the Order of St Vincent de Paul but its preservation is protected by the Queensland government.

If you’ve lived in Paddington, especially in the Given Terrace Estate, you can view your old neighbourhood via this online explorer. The photos are from the 1960s to the 1970s.

Paddington Properties Projected for High Price Growth in 20 Years

Market indicators reveal a surge in property prices in Paddington and three other Western suburbs, driven by high demand from investors. In particular, Paddington is enjoying a high perception of liveability from the growing millennial market, who ranked it 10 out 10, a development that’s likely to fuel sales for years to come.

Paddington property searches are apparently the sixth most popular on Realestate.com.au for the state of Queensland. Nerida Conisbee, the site’s chief economist, said that this is usually a good indicator of future price growths.

The suburb also had double-digit home price growth for up to 16 percent a year in recent times.

Amidst this pandemic, cashed-up foreign property buyers are reportedly keen on investing in a house in Paddington because of its good lifestyle and how Brisbane, in general, has handled the COVID-19 crisis.

Other Queensland suburbs showing increased search activities include inner-city’s Teneriffe (7th), and the western areas of Indooroopilly (10th), Ashgrove (11th) and Red Hill (18th).

Apart from buyer demand, young families moving into suburbs could also influence long-term price growth. Ashgrove and Indooroopilly apparently show this trend. Schools in these areas are attractive to families with kids because of their commendable NAPLAN results in recent years.

Inner-city houses, even in the worst streets of the CBD, also command a higher price and can be a good long-term investment.

Ms Conisbee, however, said that COVID-19 may impact this projection. Ultimately, there could be house buyers who will prefer to live in regional sites, instead of the suburbs, as a result of the virus threat.

Paddington Attracting Cashed-Up Foreign Property Buyers Post-COVID

Several industries might be grappling with the impact of the coronavirus lockdown but the property market in Brisbane, particularly in Paddington, is attracting significant interest from cashed-up international and interstate buyers, who are looking to live in a community that could better handle the pandemic.

Alex Jordan of McGrath Paddington noticed the increasing numbers of expats interested in buying in Brisbane, considered an economic safe haven “because of the way we handled COVID.”

Aside from this, Mr Jordan said that what’s luring buyers from abroad or other regions are Paddington’s good lifestyle and affordability compared to other regions. What’s more interesting is that these property buyers from abroad are not actually able to see the site physically. The transactions and communications are mostly done on Facetime or Zoom.

“The ones that I’m exposed to and talking with are looking at properties above $1.5 million and they are looking for something modern or brand new and in a good location – typically in the more affluent pockets such as the inner west that’s close to quality schooling,” Mr Jordan said.

Place Brisbane CEO Damien Hackett also said that whilst there’s a rise in foreign buyers, Brisbane’s property industry, in general, is carrying forward amid the pandemic. REIQ’s last quarterly report revealed a stable market and minimal changes in house prices given the circumstance.

Investors are apparently confident in Brisbane’s housing market, which has prevailed amid the unpredictably. There’s also an increasing number of listings of properties for occupancy or ownership.

Mr Jordan, however, said that demand is greater than the supply in Paddington by at least 30 percent year on year.

Paddington, Petrie Terrace Get High Score from Millennials

What does the younger generation say about Paddington and Petrie Terrace in terms of liveability? Millennials are giving these leafy suburbs a thumbs up, a perfect 10 to be exact, a recent study says.

Both Paddington and Petrie Terrace landed on top spot with a perfect score of 10, along with 12 other Brisbane suburbs, according to the Domain Liveable Cities study, authored by Deloitte Access Economics and Tract Consultants. Experts say that Millenials find Paddington and Petrie Terrace very attractive because of their accessibility to everything and environment-friendly character homes.

The study is based on several indicators including retail, cafes and restaurants, access to trains and buses, employment, tree cover, coast and beach proximity and walkability, and measures liveability in suburbs across Melbourne, Sydney, and for the first time this year, Brisbane.

The 20 most liveable suburbs for millennials according to Domain include:

Suburbs	Score (out of 10)
Milton, Fortitude Valley, Petrie Terrace, Brisbane City, South Brisbane, Paddington, Ascot, West End, Spring Hill, Albion, Newstead, Kelvin Grove, Bowen Hills, Newmarket	10
Red Hill, Teneriffe, Woolloongabba, New Farm, Windsor, Toowong	9

A total of 16 indicators were used in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane, which include: density of cultural services, retail, cafes and restaurants, access to trains and buses, ferry, employment, crime, tree cover, primary and secondary education, mobile and internet access, open space, tree cover, topographic variation, coast and beach proximity, walkability, and congestion.

Access to ferries was also used as an additional indicator in Sydney and Brisbane and access to trams was measured in Melbourne. Also, for Brisbane and Sydney, airport noise was also considered, and for Sydney alone, harbour and ocean views.

The results were then weighted to reflect a person’s different priorities at different stages in life, which in the case of Millennials, they lean towards communal activities, prioritising culture, cafes, mobile/internet, public transport and local jobs.

Petrie Terrace Will Be Among the First Suburbs to Benefit From a $9.1-Million Tree Planting Pledge

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner has recently announced his $9.1-million pledge to go towards planting thousands of trees across the city, including the streets of Petrie Terrace.

Algester, Bowen Hills, Fortitude Valley, Kelvin Grove, Manly West, Milton, Petrie Terrace, and Riverhills will be the first suburbs to benefit from the initiative, if the LNP gets re-elected.

The lord mayor announced his commitment to making the largest investment in greenspace and parks ever in Brisbane, explaining that he grew up with a real appreciation for nature, wildlife and Brisbane’s incredible outdoor lifestyle.

“Today I’ve announced that a re-elected Team Schrinner will invest $9.1 million over four years in the city’s largest ever street tree planting program,” Cr Schrinned said in his social media post.

“A Brisbane with more street trees is a cleaner, greener and more liveable Brisbane!”

The funding will go towards planting of the most suitable trees and landscaping, as well as a watering plan, to ensure that the trees will survive and thrive. The tree planting drive will be delivered over four years.

Cr Schrinner also pledges a massive $100-million green space revamp that will include new BMX tracks, beach-themed play areas, super-sized playgrounds and new sports facilities, including a $35-million transformation of the Nudgee Recreation Reserve and $6-million cycling-themed park at Murarrie Recreation Reserve..

In 2019, Council allocated $22.8 million towards planting and maintaining trees across Brisbane; $2 million went to tree planting projects to improve amenity and beautify local shopping areas and busy traffic corridors in Paddington, Zillmere, Greenslopes, and Murarrie.

Paddington’s Newest Gourmet Cupcake Shop Is Now Open

Photo Credit: Sweethearts Cupcakes/Facebook

Brisbane has a fair share of cupcake shops, but there are only a few stores offering vegan and gluten-free options. If you’re thinking of indulging minus the guilt, check out Sweethearts Cupcakes, a new cupcake shop in Paddington offering healthy versions of gourmet cupcakes.

Sweethearts Cupcakes has both permanent flavours and rotating specials. Whilst Jo’s cupcake shop offers a plethora of cupcakes to choose from, their signature fluffy vanilla bean cupcake with raspberry icing topped with fondant is a must-try. For the health-conscious who wants to satisfy their sweet tooth a bit, there’s the vegan red velvet with vegan chocolate ganache and gluten-free orange, almond, and toffee cupcake.

This pink-themed cupcakery is led by Jo James-Watts, who dreamed of owning her own cake shop since she was 8 years old. Her favourite artistic outlet is decorating cakes. Now that her two kids have both grown up she already has the time to take this passion to the next level.

“Cake isn’t just about enjoying something delicious, it’s about connection. It’s what we have to mark any special occasion and celebrate life’s special moments with and appreciate who is in ours,” Jo said.

Photo Credit: Sweethearts Cupcakes/Facebook

Jo uses locally sourced ingredients, including sprinkles from Sprinkle Dust and coffee from Blackstar. You can also head into their store to pick up a bag of Blackstar Coffee Roasters’ beans to use at home. Aside from coffee, they also offer teas, juices, iced drinks, and milkshakes.

Sweethearts Cupcakes is located at 153 Latrobe Terrace, Paddington. They are open from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm on weekdays except Mondays and from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm on weekends. Check out their Facebook page or website for more information.