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Albany Creek Scout Group Celebrates 50th Anniversary With Community Group of the Year Recognition

Albany Creek Scout Group started the year right with a fresh triumph after being named Dixon’s Community Group of the Year.

Albany Creek Scout Group kicks off their 50th anniversary this 2023 with no less than the Honourable Peter Dutton himself awarding the Scouts with a certificate and trophy for their invaluable contribution to the community.

Having been in operation for 50 years, the community-based organisation comprises all the scouting sections. Joeys, Cubs, Scouts, Venturers and Rovers. Their longevity is driven by their commitment to deliver youth programs, knowledge, skills, and experience for the next generation to learn from.

Albany Creek Scout Group Celebrates 50th Anniversary With Community Group of the Year Recognition — Photo credit: Facebook / Albany_Creek_Scout_Group

The group helps young people achieve great things by creating a competitive environment whilst fostering collaboration and support among each other.

“50 years of Awesomeness has been recognised today with the Albany Creek Scout Group being named Dixon’s Community Group of the Year. Peter Dutton awarded the Scouts with a certificate and trophy. This starts the 2023 Scouting year off perfectly with many things planned to celebrate this amazing community that we have been privledge to be apart of. Well done to each and every leader and adult supporter that has spent anytime within this group helping and assisting our young people to become people of character and resilient leaders for the future.” – Albany_Creek_Scout Group

The group, which will celebrate its anniversary on 26 November 2023, has always been at the forefront of every event that promotes the welfare of the community they serve including Clean Up Australia and the Marine Debris Campaign. They have also regularly assisted in setting up and packing-down school fetes each year and collected towels for different institutions, among other activities, as part of their community service.

Indeed, an award well served!

Published 19-February-2023

Get Your Cupcake Craving Fixed At Whisk & Grind Cafe Eatons Hill

Eatons Hill is known for many great coffee shops, and Whisk & Grind Cafe– which has just opened along Bunya Park Drive–did not disappoint with their delicious coffee and a full range of sweet and savoury cafe-style dishes.

Read: Bluegrass Barbecue Offers Eatons Hill Popular American Dishes

This charming little cafe only opened in January 2023, but the owner, Kim, isn’t a newbie when it comes to running a food business. In fact, she has merged her cupcake shop, The Sugar Shack, into the cafe.

So don’t be surprised if you find endless flavour variations of cupcakes here. There’s vanilla, choc orange, lime coconut and white choc, vanilla biscoff, raspberry with white chocolate, chocolate mint, and red velvet among others.

Photo credit: Whisk & Grind Cafe/Facebook

Aside from gourmet cupcakes, they also have bagels, cheesecakes, waffles, brownies, schnitzels, and croissants. You can also go on a guiltless dessert feast as they have added more vegan treats to their range, which include the vegan carrot cake and the choc rasp muffin.

Coffee is sourced from The Coffee Commune, which is known for its wide range of coffee products, from roasted coffee beans to raw ones.

The space is a beauty, flooded with shades of turquoise and pops of wood, just the kind of place that will make you comfortable whilst catching up with friends or having your breakfast before heading straight to work.

Beyond the friendly and comfortable atmosphere, this cafe is also dog-friendly. Your furry friends can even have their own treats from the cafe.

Read: The Café for The Common Good in Albany Creek Wins Outstanding Social Enterprise

Whisk & Grind Cafe opens 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on weekdays and 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Saturdays. You can find them at 6 Bunya Park Dr, Eatons Hill.

Bridgeman Downs Resident Bellows at Car Thieves, Sends Them Running

Photo credit: Sarah Brown / Unsplash

A Bridgeman Downs resident saved a neighbour’s car from thieves when he bellowed at the group and sent them running. The man said that he is fed up with the escalating instances of youth crimes in many areas of Brisbane.

On Wednesday, 18 January 2023, Stephen Lee’s home security let out a perimeter alert that caused him to check live camera footage on his property. He saw two guys approaching his neighbour’s driveway.

He said that he knew at once what they were up to, prompting him to bellow at the intruders that sent them fleeing at about 2 am. There were four men in the car, he said.

He added that his neighbour’s car was almost stolen just two days prior to the incident. Apparently, his neighbour had to stay at home and take care of his kids whilst his wife was in the hospital as she was about to give birth.

The incredible moments were captured on video where he could be heard shouting invectives at the would-be thieves.

Mr Lee warned that he and the rest of his neighbourhood have had enough and are ready to defend themselves against criminals. Every household, he said, has installed cameras and alarms, and even has baseball bats and immobilisers.

Also, later that day, Police made an emergency declaration in the town of Tara following reports of gunfire on Smallacombe Street at about 3.30 pm. Three cars were allegedly shot at but no one was injured.

Two 16-year-olds were each charged with four weapons offences and three counts of willful damage.

These incidents come as two teenagers were charged with murder and attempted murder in December 2022. North Lakes residents Emma Lovell and her husband Lee were stabbed as they were trying to defend their home from the intruders on Boxing Day.

Emma sustained a stab wound in the chest whilst her husband was stabbed in the back. She died at the hospital.

Published 20-January-2023

Meet The Wonderful Volunteer Behind the Beautiful Transformation of Mahaca Park

Mahaca Park was once a tired outdoor space, until Rosemary Leiss, a beloved Albany Creek community member, gave it some TLC and transformed it into a beautiful, relaxing park. Get to know Ms Leiss and learn how her commitment towards the park all started.

Read: Suburbs Near Albany Creek Where Buying A Home Is Better Than Renting

In 2015, Ms Leiss’ club, the Albany Creek Garden Club teamed up with the local council to develop a memorial garden for the late estate agent Peter Campbell. Mr Campbell founded the first real estate agency in Albany Creek, when his family business opened in 1970.

Ms Leiss decorated the area using her own exotic cuttings and the native plants she got from Moreton Bay Regional Council.

Photo credit: Councillor Cath Tonks/Facebook

Ms Leiss leads a group of women who volunteer their time keeping the park looking beautiful. Two of her friends from her pottery group spend time tending the garden, along with two workers from Council.

Together, they maintain Mahaca Park, which is located at the corner of Keong Road and Albany Creek Road, next to a childcare centre.

As much as the good experiences, like receiving praises for her work, there are also the unpleasant ones. There were instances when people would disregard her hard work, destroy the plants and even sometimes, steal them. But Ms Leiss stays committed to her passion for gardening.

Recently, she has been planning on painting a mural on a wall beside her garden. She’s also looking at turning another local reserve into a wildlife paradise.

Because of her outstanding contribution to Mahaca Park, Ms Leiss has received the Everton Volunteer Recognition Award presented by Tim Mander MP in November 2022.

Read: Supporting War on Food Waste: New Edible Exchange Site Opens in Eatons Hill

Ms Leiss welcomes anyone who would like to get involved and volunteer their time at Mahaca Park.

Kehlani Headlines Inaugural ‘Souled Out’ Fest at Eatons Hotel Outdoor

Dubbed Australia’s first and only new-era R&B festival, the ‘Souled Out Fest’ will make its debut this year, headlined by former teen pop artist Kehlani Parrish, better known as Kehlani.

The event will take place at Eatons Hotel Outdoor this coming 28th January 2023.

Kehlani will be joined by several other contemporary R&B acts, including Destin Conrad, Victoria’s Larissa Lambert, Sydney-based artist Will Singe, Billymarie, Faith Sosene, Bina Butta, The Voice Australia contestant Lara D, Chanel Loren, Pania, Sounds By Noodles and DJ Talisha.

Kehlani is an American singer, songwriter and dancer who shot to fame via the teen group Poplyfe and has so far released three albums including the latest, Blue Water Road. The album features appearances by Justin Bieber, Syd, Jessie Reyez, Ambré and Thundercat.

The album has been well-received by critics and fans alike with 97 per cent of Google users liking it.

Pitchfork described Blue Water Road as Kehlani’s most mature album and “most musically and thematically challenging.”

“Its content is unabashedly queer—especially potent since this is their first release since publicly identifying as a lesbian—in a country bent on supressing non-conforming identities,” the review said.

“It expands their sound palette into orchestral pop and easy listening that clash with the synthetic R&B and rap sounds fans have grown accustomed to. It chronicles a loose, nonlinear story that ends with love and comfort, just as the world is slowly coming back around to physical contact. But most importantly, it shows that for all the skin Kehlani has shed over the years, they haven’t even begun to scratch the surface.”

Kehlani is set to do an Australian leg of their ‘Blue Water Road Trip’ tour, beginning 25 January 2023 in Sydney.

The Souled Out event happens this 28 January 2023 at Eatons Hotel Outdoor. Tickets are now on sale.

buy ticket

Published 3-January-2023

New Bridgeman Downs Homeowners Eligible for 4 Free Native Plants

Did you know that new homeowners in Bridgeman Downs are eligible to get four free native plants to spruce up their gardens?

Bridgeman Downs is one of nine targeted suburbs in North Brisbane whose residents may request the vouchers under the city’s Free Native Plants Program, provided they have just moved into their new dwelling in the current financial year.

Also eligible are new residents of Bracken Ridge, Carseldine, Everton Park, Fitzgibbon, Hendra, McDowall, Nudge and Taigum.

Tenants who apply for the free native plants must provide approval from the owner of the property and ensure that this complies with their tenancy agreement.

Applications for residents may be done two ways. The first option is at council libraries, including pop-up or mobile libraries, the ward office, or the Council Regional Business Centre. If the application is in order, the resident will receive a stamped Free Native Plants voucher that they may be presented at participating retail nurseries. The voucher is good for two native plants.

The second option is to apply at the Downfall Creek Bushland Centre, Chermside West or at the Karawatha Forest Discovery Centre in Karawatha, where they can immediately receive another pair of native plants upon approval.

The range of native plants on offer includes ground covers, tufting plants and grasses, climbers like the Wonga-wonga, shrubs like tea tree or Lillypilly, and shaded trees like the Lemon-scented myrtle. Some plants, however, may not be available for the season but can be replaced with a similar type.

CHECK PARTICIPATING RETAIL NURSERIES

Camels Seen on Busy Bridgeman Downs Road After Escaping Church

Bridgeman Downs motorists heading to work on the morning of Dec 16 (Friday) witnessed a baffling scene, as actual camels slowly walked past the cars, bringing traffic to a pause along Albany Creek Road.

The camels apparently escaped the Bridgeman Baptist Community Church, where they were part of the nativity scene for the Christmas shows.

The animals weren’t likely searching for the Three Wise Men nor Joseph, Mary and the baby Jesus. However, the church posted on Facebook that their “camels got a bit lost on the way to Bethlehem!”

Camels have been spotted escaping a nativity scene in North Brisbane earlier today. @6NewsAU pic.twitter.com/Bu5cV2rUxs
— Roman Mackinnon (@RomanMackinnon6) December 16, 2022

According to Melanie Fitzgibbon, owner of Camelot Camels, her husband learned that three camels — Cyrus, Benjamin, and Morgie — were missing when he was supposed to take them for a walk after their morning feeding.

Upon discovery, the caretaker’s heart sank, but they were soon alerted to the camels’ location near a cemetery a few quarter miles away. It took them about 30 minutes to bring the camels back to their safe place.

A few hours later, the camels had their lunch and were resting comfortably before their next Christmas show at the church. The trio is still unaware they have become instant celebrities on the news and on social media.

Comiskey Distillery Opens New Distillery at Eatons Hill Hotel

Photo credit: Comiskey Group / comiskey.com.au

The Comiskey Group expands its Harry Brown bottle shop with the launch of Comiskey Distillery, now taking space at Eatons Hill Hotel.

Comiskey Distillery officially opened on 25 November 2022 at the iconic hotel where they distil vodka, gin, rum, bourbon and their signature spirit “Comiskey Whiskey” produced from its 1,000-litre copper still, alongside Master Distiller, Colleen Walters. Mr Walters is a highly regarded “Flavoursmith” and has a professional history spanning more than 12 years in the fine food and distillery industries.

The Harry Brown bottle shop underwent renovations as part of the new venture which includes 300 authentic barrels, antique trucks, exposed brick, and copper displays among other improvements at the site.

The distillery will also be open to the public, offering spirit and cocktail classes. Here, workshop participants can craft their very own 500ml bottle of gin, brewed from a mini traditional Alembic copper still, with over 100 botanicals to choose from, as guided by expert craft smiths.

Directors Rob, Paul & David Comiskey with Master Distiller, Colleen Walters | Photo Credit: Comiskey Group / comiskey.com.au

Comiskey Distillery will also serve as a training centre for the Comiskey Group staff. Director David Comiskey said that the distillery will be a hands-on training venue for the staff working across the group’s portfolio of bars, bringing Comiskey Group’s offering and service to the next level.

“This really is a passion project of ours, something my dad, brother and I have talked about for a long time. Having owned pubs and bottle shops for many years, it feels like a natural progression for us. We’ve been actively working on this project for over a year and are very much looking forward to seeing the concept come to life” says Director Rob Comiskey.

Next year, customers will also be able to order spirits at any of Comiskey Distillery’s locations including Eatons Hill Hotel, Beachmere Hotel, Samford Hotel and Sandstone Point Hotel, as well as bottle shops. Then later, online ordering through their website will also be available.

The spirits will be bottled with a signature label design that celebrates the Comiskey family’s history in construction. So, expect to see each bottle signed by patriarch Paul Comiskey as a stamp of approval on every batch.

Australian Trade Training College Submits Plans For New Centre In Brendale

With a mission to further drive employment to the Moreton Bay region, Australian Trade Training College has lodged plans for a new training centre in Brendale.

Read: Le Bon Choix Celebrates Opening Of New Production Facility In Brendale

Australian Trade Training College, a not-for-profit training organisation, is planning to offer workshop-based practical activities in order to train local apprentices and trainees across several traditional trade areas.

Besides the workshop-based practical activities, ATTC will also provide classroom-based theory learning.

The subject site, located at 36 Kremzow Road, Brendale, would be transformed into an educational establishment which will offer real-world educational experience to students.

The first level office, amenities and lunch room will accommodate staff administration whilst the ground floor offices and amenities will be built for student training.

The ground floor warehouse areas will be used for hands-on training of mechanical and tool components in a controlled environment and another existing warehouse will be used for storage requirements, including storage of the 1.1m3 bulk bins, bicycle parking and lockers.

Participants attending the site will primarily be those who are already engaged in apprenticeships and traineeships, employed by local businesses, many already in the Brendale area or are visiting the site to fulfill their off-the-job training requirements.

“A range of benefits will be derived from the proposal, including local employment generation and additional services that better meet the needs of the community,” the planning documents read.

Read: Did You Know That These Notable Personalities Are From Albany Creek?

ATTC provides training for various industries, such as automotive, building and construction, cabinet making, electrotechnology, plumbing, telecommunications, and work health and safety.

At present, ATTC also operates other facilities within the MBRC region along Scarborough Road, Scarborough and other locations within Brisbane. They currently have a training centre in Banyo.

Did You Know That These Notable Personalities Are From Albany Creek?

Albany Creek is home to some of Brisbane’s most notable personalities. Most are in the field of sports, and some are in the entertainment industry. Get to know more about them here.

Read: Amended Planning Laws Allow Granny Flats To Be Rented Out to Anyone

Patrick Rafter

Photo credit: CC BY 2.0/Tourism Victoria/Wikimedia Commons

The former world No. 1 tennis player attended Albany Creek State High School. He was a member of the school’s successful 1988 Tennis Squad. Just three years later, he started his career as a professional tennis player and the rest is history. His breakthrough came in 1997 when he played for the French Open.

Matt Renshaw

Photo credit: CC-BY-SA-4.0/Dave Morton/Wikimedia Commons

His family moved to Albany Creek when he was 10 years old and there he played cricket with his dad in their backyard. He was a player for Albany Creek Hawks from 2006 to 2010 before he became a rising cricket star.

Nelle Lee

notable personalities — Photo credit: shake & stir theatre co/Facebook

Nelle Lee is the artistic director of shake and stir, one of the country’s leading contemporary theatre companies touring Australia and New Zealand since 2006. Before pursuing her passion for acting at the University of Southern Queensland, she grew up and attended school in Albany Creek. Today, as the artistic director of shake and stir, she adapted some of the production company’s hits including A Christmas Carol and Jane Eyre.

Scott Daruda

Whilst he was born in Papua New Guinea, the Super Rugby player grew up and played football in Albany Creek. As a professional rugby player, he was best known for playing the centre/fly-half position.

Jessica and Lisa Origliasso

The identical twin sisters, also known as The Veronicas, were born and raised in Albany Creek. Two of the country’s most notable personalities, they have attended both the Ferny Grove State High School and Wavell State High School. They moved to Los Angeles in 2001 but returned to Queensland in 2019 to be closer to their mum.

Ben Tune

Photo credit: CC BY 2.0/thomasrdotorg/Wikimedia Commons

The former Australian rugby union player grew up in Albany Creek and later attended school at St Paul’s College in Bald Hills. After retiring from the sport in 2007, Tune focused on new ventures, and became the CEO of a sport and talent management company.

Geoff Trapett

Photo credit: CC BY-SA 3.0/Australian Paralympic Committee/Wikimedia Commons

The Australian Paralympic athlete who won three medals over two Paralympics also grew up in the suburb and attended the Queensland Academy of Sport. In 2009, he was one of the first 150 people to be added to the Queensland Sport Hall of Fame.

Lisa Skinner

Photo credit: Australian Sports Commission/YouTube

She studied at Albany Creek Primary School and studied gymnastics at her local gym club when she was six years old. She competed at the 1996, 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games. She was best known for being the first Australian gymnast to qualify for an individual event final at the Olympics.

Robbie Kruse

One of the most notable personalities from the suburb is Robbie Kruse, who played his junior football with Albany Creek in the Pine Rivers district before starting a professional career with A-League side Brisbane Roar and later Melbourne Victory before moving to Germany in 2011.

Read: Eatons Hill Hotel Developers Planning Massive Strathpine Development