A lower speed limit is coming to the Bardon Roundabout, with the limit set to fall from 60km/h to 50km/h between Gerler Street and Birdwood Terrace from mid-September 2026.
The Transport and Main Roads Department (TMR) has announced the permanent change along a section of the Western Arterial Road around the roundabout. The change will cover the section between Gerler Street and south of Birdwood Terrace.
Photo credit: Facebook/Michael Berkman – Greens MP for Maiwar
The decision has been welcomed by Maiwar MP Michael Berkman, who described it as a “HUGE win” in his campaign to make the Bardon Roundabout more people-friendly. Mr Berkman said he had been calling for a lower speed limit and safety improvements at the roundabout since 2018.
A long-running push for safer access
The Bardon Roundabout sits near Rainworth State School, a childcare centre, small businesses, Bowman Park and Bardon markets. According to Mr Berkman’s campaign, locals have raised concerns for years about safety for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists in the area. Earlier improvements identified by the campaign included visibility improvements and new pedestrian refuges.
A community survey conducted by Mr Berkman’s office between September 2022 and April 2023 also examined safety around the roundabout. The survey report published by Mr Berkman’s campaign found that 66.7 per cent of respondents supported reducing the speed limit to either 40km/h or 50km/h on MetRoad 5. About 21 per cent did not support a reduction, while the remainder were unsure.
Photo credit: Google Street View
The survey also asked about pedestrian safety infrastructure, with the campaign reporting strong support for measures including wider footpaths and safer pedestrian crossings.
The findings formed part of Mr Berkman’s advocacy for changes around the roundabout and along MetRoad 5. Now, the 50km/h reduction is due to take effect.
TMR’s notification states that the speed-limit change follows a Speed Limit Review and that the change is intended to improve safety. The works will involve replacing speed-limit signs and installing advance warning and variable message signs to alert motorists to the change. Temporary traffic changes may be required while the work is carried out.
For the campaign, however, the new speed limit is one part of a broader push for pedestrian safety improvements.
Mr Berkman has said he would like to see wider footpaths and more raised pedestrian crossings, commonly known as “wombat crossings”. His campaign has also proposed safer crossings at several entrances to the roundabout.
Those measures have not been announced as part of the September speed-limit works, but remain among the improvements sought by the campaign.
For locals who have raised concerns about safety around the Bardon Roundabout, the speed-limit change will be a noticeable one. After years of advocacy for a lower speed limit and other safety improvements, the change is now due to take effect.
Residents in Bardon may see testing crews working around their properties as Urban Utilities carries out smoke testing designed to find problems that can allow stormwater into the wastewater network.
The work forms part of Urban Utilities’ Wet Weather Overflow Reduction Program, which is being rolled out across priority areas in Brisbane and Ipswich. During 2026, delivery partners RAIN and Veolia are visiting tens of thousands of properties in selected suburbs, with Bardon included among the areas scheduled for testing.
The program is focused on improving the performance and resilience of the wastewater network during periods of heavy rainfall. Urban Utilities says extreme wet weather can overwhelm the network with stormwater, contributing to overflows in low-lying areas.
What crews will be checking
Photo credit: Urban Utilities
Smoke testing is being used to identify defects in wastewater pipes as well as non-compliant private connections. Urban Utilities estimates that around three quarters of stormwater entering its wastewater network comes from private properties. The utility also says its data shows one in 10 properties have non-compliant connections to the wastewater network.
Among the issues being investigated are roof downpipes that have been connected to wastewater pipes. These connections can allow stormwater into the wastewater system during rainfall, increasing the amount of water flowing through the network.
Crews will also look for low-lying overflow relief gullies, damaged or missing wastewater inspection opening caps, leaking or damaged maintenance hole lids, and cracks or breaks in wastewater pipes.
According to Urban Utilities, overflow relief gullies should be positioned at least 75 millimetres above ground level to prevent stormwater entering the network. Alternatively, an appropriate overflow relief gully cap can be fitted.
What Bardon residents should know
Urban Utilities said residents will receive notice before testing begins. A notification will be left in the letterbox ahead of inspections. Testing is planned for weekdays between 6am and 5pm. Crews may also work on Saturdays between 7am and 2pm if necessary.
There is no requirement for residents to be at home during the inspection. However, crews will need safe access to outdoor areas of properties, including backyards and wastewater maintenance holes.
The utility said property access will take place under the provisions of the South-East Queensland Water (Distribution and Retail Restructuring) Act 2009. There should be no disruption to household water or wastewater services while testing is underway. Taps, toilets and washing machines can continue to be used normally.
Residents can also ask to see identification from Urban Utilities officers and its delivery partners. Urban Utilities says the locations scheduled for testing will be publicly advertised before work starts. The program is intended to strengthen network performance during heavy rain while responding to the pressures created by more frequent extreme weather events and population growth.
A petition lodged by Bardon resident Cooper Giarratano is seeking a formal assessment of whether part of Frew Park could be used for a dirt bike, BMX or pump track facility.
The petition has received 181 signatures and is open until Wednesday, 9 December 2026. It asks BCC to examine underused open space within the Milton park and consider whether a dedicated riding area could be built there.
Frew Park is located at 315 Milton Road, Milton, about 12 minutes by car from Brisbane’s CBD. The park includes green space, tennis facilities, picnic areas, barbecues, exercise equipment, a cafe and a large playground.
The petition argues that the park has enough unused space for bike jumps while retaining room for tennis, playground use, exercise equipment and ball games.
The petition says children already ride bikes at Frew Park, particularly after school. Milton State School is across the road, and the petition says many students meet at the park after classes.
The petition also says children previously made informal bike jumps in the park but were told they could not build them without approval. Those jumps were later flattened.
The request seeks a formal place where young riders could practise trails and jumps closer to home. It says children currently have to travel a long distance by road to reach an area where they can practise that type of riding.
Assessment And Community Input Requested
The petition asks for a site suitability assessment of open space within Frew Park for a dirt bike, BMX or pump track facility.
It also calls for consultation with local families and students from Milton State School to consider community support and design needs.
A further request asks for future funding consideration for the design, construction and maintenance of an approved, family-friendly bike track at the park.
Existing Park Uses Remain Central
Frew Park already supports a mix of recreation uses. The Roy Emerson Tennis Centre includes six tennis courts, a rebound court and other facilities.
The Wendy Turnbull Green provides a large open area with picnic tables and a pathway around the edge that is suitable for scooters and bikes. The Arena playground includes climbing structures, slides, interactive games and play areas for different ages and abilities.
The petition’s case is based on using space it describes as underused while keeping existing park activities available.
The petition also has a Bardon connection through its principal petitioner. The suburb has its own separate riding history, with motorcycle hill-climbing events once held around Purtell Park from the 1930s through to the late 1950s.
Those events were a different form of riding from the current Frew Park proposal, which centres on children using bikes in Milton. The petition is seeking a properly approved space where young riders could practise trails and jumps closer to home.
The proposal remains at petition stage, with the request focused on a site assessment, local consultation and possible future planning for a formal riding area at Frew Park.
A stem cell donor campaign for Rowan Tong-Law, who was living with his family in Bardon when he was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia, has reached Suncorp Stadium as his search for a full donor match continues.
Register for Rowan held a donor registration drive at Suncorp Stadium on 8 August 2026 during the Dolphins and Broncos clash, bringing the campaign into one of Brisbane’s biggest sporting settings.
Volunteers helped people register as potential donors, with the Dolphins, Brisbane Broncos and Stem Cell Donors Australia involved in the event. The Dolphins assisted with planning and promotion and also contacted members about the opportunity to join the registry.
After the event, Register for Rowan thanked the volunteers, people who registered and those who helped spread the campaign message.
Despite the growing response around him, Rowan is still waiting for the full stem cell match needed for his transplant. His teammates at the University of Queensland have also supported donor drives, while his mother Bronwyn Tong has helped recruit potential donors at Suncorp Stadium.
A Diagnosis Without Warning In Bardon
The campaign stems from a diagnosis that came unexpectedly for Rowan.
In September 2024, the then first-year University of Queensland physiotherapy student underwent a routine blood test while taking medication for acne. He had shown no obvious symptoms before acute myeloid leukaemia was detected.
Rowan, the youngest of three siblings, had finished at Brisbane Grammar School in 2023, where he had been a prefect and involved in rugby, music and volleyball as both a player and coach. After beginning university, he continued returning to the school to tutor students.
His friendships became an important part of his support network during treatment. When chemotherapy meant he would lose his hair, 17 friends shaved their heads alongside him.
Five rounds of chemotherapy followed, along with complications including infection and periods in hospital.
Rowan later worked to regain some of his usual routine. He studied through the summer to make up for university time lost during treatment and resumed physiotherapy with his cohort in 2025. He also became involved with UQ Rugby and returned to netball and touch rugby.
By March 2025, doctors had determined that chemotherapy had not succeeded and that Rowan would need a stem cell transplant.
His older brother and sister were found to be 50 per cent matches, leaving the family searching for a full match.
Rowan’s mother has Chinese heritage and his father has Scottish and English heritage. A donor with similar Eurasian heritage is considered the most likely prospect for a compatible match.
The family’s search soon drew on communities Rowan already knew through school, university and sport.
After he spoke at Brisbane Grammar on 21 March 2025, registrations with Stem Cell Donors Australia increased from a usual 200 to 300 a month to about 1,300, with 1,200 registrations occurring after the speech.
By December 2025, about 3,000 young people had joined the Australian Stem Cell Donor Registry after hearing Rowan’s story. Eight had already been identified as potential donors for patients elsewhere in the world, although a full match for Rowan had still not been found.
His parents also took the campaign into schools and developed links with donor organisations overseas. At Ipswich Grammar School, 44 eligible students joined the registry during one visit.
Rowan’s Search Continues Beyond Bardon
The Suncorp Stadium event represents the latest stage of a campaign that has moved through Rowan’s school, university and sporting circles while his own donor search remains unresolved.
The need extends beyond Rowan. In August 2026, 248 people in Queensland were reported to be searching for a donor, with 1,300 people waiting nationally.
Potential donors can begin the registration process with a cheek swab. Those identified as possible matches can undergo further assessment before donating stem cells, with the donation process generally compared with an extended blood donation.
For Rowan and his family, the search that followed an unexpected diagnosis while they were living in Bardon has now reached communities across Brisbane, while the search for his own full match continues.
Rosalie Creek isn’t on modern maps. For some locals, it’s not even a thought. But beneath the busy streets of Rosalie, Milton and Auchenflower, and the green expanse of Gregory Park, lies the story of a creek that once flowed freely through the heart of this community—a story buried, but not forgotten.
Once, Rosalie Creek—referred to by various names such as Western Creek and Cribb’s Creek—flowed from the hills of Bardon, through the areas we now know as Rosalie and Milton, and into the Brisbane River. It transported rainwater from a catchment area spanning four kilometers, shaping gullies and creating swamps along its path.
In the mid-19th century, the creek was essential to the landscape. Farmers depended on it. Children may have played along its banks. But as the city grew, its value as a natural waterway diminished.
Clearing land for grazing and crops gave way to houses and roads. The water, once seen as a lifeline, became a nuisance. It was polluted and re-engineered into drains and culverts, making way for progress.
Today, Gregory Park still carries a trace of the creek’s identity. Beneath its shady trees and grassy fields lies the ghost of what was once known as Red Jacket Swamp. But how many park visitors know they are walking on the remnants of Rosalie Creek?
Rosalie Creek connected with a network of creeks along Brisbane’s Crescent Reach, including Langsville Creek, Toowong Creek, and Boundary Creek. These waterways defined the city’s natural contours. Roads like Birdwood Terrace and Given Terrace followed the ridges of the Rosalie Creek catchment, a reminder that the land once dictated the shape of human settlement, not the other way around.
Maps of the old creek system reveal how deeply water shaped the area. What is now the bustling Milton Road corridor was once part of the creek’s path. In the wet season, floods likely turned these lowlands into a maze of swamps and lagoons. Over time, as development surged, those waterways were drained and paved over, leaving behind only their names and a few pockets of green.
Thus, Rosalie Creek has been diverted underground and enclosed within drains. The creek’s course through included:
Ellena Street: The creek would have flowed to Ellena Street near the Welsh Lady cake shop.
Carpark: The creek likely flowed through the carpark located behind Rosalie Village.
Blue Room Cinebar: The creek would have moved beneath the Blue Room Cinebar towards the intersection of Baroona Road and Bayswater Street.
Can the Creek Return?
Though Rosalie Creek is hidden beneath layers of concrete and soil, its story isn’t over. Some Brisbane residents and environmental advocates have begun to imagine what could be. Restoration projects in nearby areas, like Bardon’s Frog Creek in Bowman Park, have proven that old waterways can be brought back to life. There, a concrete drain was transformed into a natural creek, teeming with frogs and native plants.
Could Rosalie Creek follow the same path? Restoring even a small section of the creek could bring back biodiversity, improve water quality, and provide a peaceful retreat for the community. But restoration isn’t easy. It requires resources, time, and, most importantly, a shared commitment from both residents and city leaders. For now, the idea remains a dream—a hopeful vision for a greener future.
For those walking through Gregory Park, or driving past the Western Creek Bridge on Milton Road, the Rosalie Creek is there, hidden in plain sight. Its waters may no longer flow as they once did, but its story continues, waiting to be rediscovered.
Families from the Ithaca Creek State School community can settle in under the stars next weekend, when an outdoor cinema takes over the school oval for a screening of A Minecraft Movie.
The school’s P&C will hold its Outdoor Movie Night on Saturday, 15 August, with the PG-rated film — chosen by ICSS students — screening on the oval at 49 Lugg Street, Bardon.
Gates open at 5:00 p.m., giving families an hour to grab dinner and snacks before the film starts promptly at 6:00 p.m.
The event is open to friends and family members of the ICSS community.
Year 6 Students Take Over the Barbecue
This year’s movie night comes with a new role for Ithaca Creek’s Year 6 students, who will run the barbecue and snack bar.
Money raised through barbecue sales, including non-alcoholic drinks and snacks, will go towards the students’ Legacy Project, graduation celebrations and final-year camp.
Food and refreshments will be available between 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m., while the P&C will manage general admission and the parent bar.
The event is EFTPOS-only and BYO food and drinks are not permitted.
Movie Night Backs School Projects
Beyond the Year 6 fundraising, remaining proceeds from the night will contribute to the P&C’s $20,000 commitment to enhancing school resources and student experiences during 2026.
Tickets are $12.50 per person, plus ticketing and processing fees, with children aged two and under admitted free.
Parents and guardians are required to supervise their children throughout the evening. The movie night is not a drop-off event.
The event listing gives a scheduled finish time of 7:30 p.m., with the evening concluding after the film credits.
The Outdoor Movie Night is presented by the Ithaca Creek State School P&C and platinum sponsor Brisbane Realty. McGrath & Frisby is the gold sponsor, with Meat at Billy’s, Play On Stage and Insight Jiu-Jitsu supporting the event as silver sponsors.
Why Bardon’s Tree Canopy Is Driving Cooler Living in Brisbane
Bardon isn’t just one of Brisbane’s greenest suburbs — it’s one of the coolest, with tree canopy helping push temperatures up to seven degrees lower than treeless parts of major cities.
Australia’s Leafiest Cities Photo Credit: Nearmap
A detailed aerial survey by Nearmap — conducted across more than 5,000 suburbs between February and March 2021 — remains the most recent suburb-level analysis publicly released, ranking the top nine leafiest locations in Brisbane.
Among inner-city suburbs, Bardon recorded around 34 per cent tree canopy cover, placing it at the top of its category and well ahead of many comparable areas closer to the CBD.
Top suburbs by region from the dataset include Sheldon (66 per cent) in Brisbane’s east, Mount Crosby (60 per cent) in Ipswich, Burbank (55 per cent) in the south, and Pullenvale (52 per cent) in the west. Bardon leads the inner-city grouping, while Wamuran (31 per cent) and Shorncliffe (23 per cent) round out the northern regions.
Region
Top Suburb by Region
Percentage Tree Cover
Brisbane – East
Sheldon
66%
Ipswich
Mount Crosby
60%
Brisbane – South
Burbank
55%
Moreton Bay – South
Bunya
53%
Brisbane – West
Pullenvale
52%
Logan – Beaudesert
Buccan
43%
Brisbane Inner City
Bardon
34%
Moreton Bay – North
Wamuran
31%
Brisbane – North
Shorncliffe
23%
At the time of the analysis, around 79 per cent of suburbs in Greater Brisbane had more than 20 per cent tree cover — a figure that placed the region well ahead of other capital cities including Hobart, Darwin, Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth.
Subsequent reporting and planning updates from Brisbane City Council indicate Brisbane has largely maintained — and in some areas expanded — its urban canopy, reinforcing its position as one of Australia’s leafiest capital regions.
Council-led planting programs have continued through the 2020s, with a focus on increasing shade across suburban streets, parks, bikeways and major transport corridors. Earlier figures indicated around 14,000 street trees were being planted annually across the city.
Beyond aesthetics, the impact is measurable. Brisbane’s urban forest has been credited with removing more than a million tonnes of carbon dioxide each year, while also reducing urban heat, improving air quality and supporting local wildlife.
Council modelling continues to support long-term targets to expand canopy coverage across key infrastructure — including bus stops, boulevards and major roads — by 2031.
“Brisbane’s urban forest removes about 1.45 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year (equalling around 10 per cent of the city’s emissions),” Council reporting states. “Our tree canopy cover makes leafy parts of Brisbane up to seven degrees cooler than treeless areas.”
In suburbs like Bardon, that canopy is doing more than shaping the streetscape — it’s helping define how the suburb lives, feels and performs in a warming climate.
Did you know that Bardon and many suburbs in Greater Brisbane are seven degrees cooler than treeless capital cities in the country?
Did you know that Bardon was originally known as ‘Upper Paddington’ before it was renamed in 1925 after Bardon House, a heritage-listed stone villa in the area?
The 159-year-old house was built by prominent builder and architect Joshua Jeays who also served as a mayor of Brisbane. Based on records, Bardon House was construction started in 1863, only a year after the area was first surveyed.
The first land sales for the area took place in November 1862. Jeays purchased two lots there and later bought 38 more acres of land from a man named Francis Lyon. It was where the iconic Bardon House was built.
Early Years
Barhon House was taken after Jeays’ birthplace, Leicestershire, England, which was home to Bardon, a former village and ‘Bardon Hill,’ which was known as the highest hill in the land.
Photo credit: State Library of Queensland
Jeays trained as a carpenter and builder in Leicestershire before he emigrated to Moreton Bay in 1853 with his wife Sarah and their four children.
They lived in North Quay for a time, but his wife, who was suffering poor health by then, wanted to live near the calmness of the hills and requested her husband to build their home on one of the heights outside the town.
Jeays was known for building homes for well-known Brisbane residents such as Walter Hill, who founded the Botanic Gardens, Patrick Mayne, who owned a house in Auchenflower, and the Cribb family.
Joshua Jeays (Photo credit: State Library of Queensland)
Jeays chose the elevated area of the Paddington hills and built a home there for his wife. However, Jeays refused to reside there after his wife did not live to occupy the house. It was passed to his son, Charles Jeays and then to his daughter Sarah Jane.
Joshua Jeays retired shortly after his wife’s death and stayed at his home in North Quay until his death in 1881.
Prominent Residents
The Lilleys
Sarah Jane Jeays lived at the Bardon House in 1866 with her husband Sir Charles Lilley, who was a former Premier and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Queensland.
Sarah Jane and Sir Charles had five daughters – Annie, Ethel, Gertrude, Sibyl, and Grace, and eight sons – Edwyn, Charles, Walter, Harold, Arthur, Alfred, Bertram and Wilfred.
Sir Charles Lilley (Photo credit: John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland)
Sir Charles was a barrister and journalist, who gained popularity for advocating the separation of Queensland from New South Wales.
The Lilleys were believed to have stayed there for only a year, after it was advertised in 1867, describing the house, as a “stone villa, containing ten rooms beside coach-house, stables, out-offices, and garden, and 40 or 90 acres of land securely fenced.”
Exley Family
Exley was born and raised in London but came to Queensland under contract to the QLD Government and was admitted to the Department of Public Instruction.
He also worked as an assistant teacher at the Brisbane Central Boys’ School before being appointed as headmaster of the Ithaca Creek School, which is one of the oldest schools in the State.
Arthur Exley, fifth from left, on the back row (Photo credit: garlandmemorial.com)
Meanwhile, his wife Elizabeth was also known for her work on social services for women and children. She was among the people behind the establishment of the first Queensland branch of the Anglican missionary organisation the Mothers Union and the District Nursing Association.
Arthur and Elizabeth lived at the house along with their five children until 1925.
Franciscan Sisters
Franciscan Sisters (Photo credit: Missionary Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception Australia)
Following the Exleys, the residence and the surrounding land was acquired by Archbishop James Duhig for the Roman Catholic Church, for use as a convent and church for the new parish of Rosalie (now Toowong).
The Franciscan Sisters resided there and held classes for around 31 students. Later on, a benefactor donated a significant amount of money for a new school, now St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School.
From Upper Paddington to Bardon
Bardon in the 1930s (Photo credit: John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland)
In 1925, the same year the house was turned over to the Catholic Church, the Ithaca Town Council renamed the area Bardon, taken after Jeays’ villa.
An advertisement for the lot sales in the area described it as “high and healthy with magnificent views” and “only six minutes from the Paddington Tram Terminus.”
During this time, the area became so popular with young families that a new school was needed.
In 1928, Rainworth State School, now one of the leading schools in Bardon, opened its doors to 238 students. Back then, there were only five teachers and eight classrooms.
Bardon’s population grew and car ownership saw a gradual increase. Around this time, Bardon became a more convenient and desirable suburb.
Bardon House at Present
Bardon House in 2017 (Photo credit: Queensland Government Heritage Branch Staff)
Today, Bardon House is considered as one of the oldest landmarks in the area. It is located at 41 The Drive, Bardon and forms part of the campus of St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School.
As part of the Catholic school, Bardon House served as a convent, classrooms, school administration and music rooms.
The house is one of the few examples of Victorian Gothic style stone houses in Queensland, featuring a complex steeply pitched roof of intersecting gables and dormer windows. Other houses with the same style as the Bardon House are the old Roma Villa in Roma St, which has undergone renovation, and the Kedron Lodge.
It was constructed of a combination of coursed and uncoursed squared rubble and rough faced sandstone, providing protection to corners, doors and windows.
It was entered on the Heritage Register on 21 October 1992. Because of its elevated position, Bardon House is a prominent feature along The Drive and makes an important contribution to the streetscape.
Rosalie locals with a passion for good pizza now have a new neighbourhood destination to add to their regular rotation. Johnny Gio’s has opened its doors at Unit 3, 11 Nash Street — bringing its Sydney-born brick oven pizza tradition to the heart of Rosalie for the first time.
The brand is no newcomer to Brisbane. It made its Queensland debut in New Farm earlier this year, and the Rosalie store marks its second Brisbane location — a sign the concept has found a warm welcome north of the border. Founded by Jonathan Faro, Johnny Gio’s has grown to more than 20 locations along the east coast, with outposts in Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne and now two in Brisbane.
The food is the main event. Every pizza starts with hand-stretched dough made fresh in-store, then goes into the brand’s signature brick oven for a thin, crispy result. The Rosalie menu carries the same lineup that has built the chain’s following elsewhere, including crowd favourites like the Johnny Vodka — topped with vodka sauce, loaded mozzarella and pepperoni — and the Burrata Queen, featuring pomodoro, cherry tomatoes, garlic confit, basil and a generous serve of burrata. Beyond pizza, there’s cheesy garlic bread with a hot honey drizzle, a fresh Caprese salad, vodka mac and cheese, and tiramisu to finish.
Johnny Gio’s is primarily a takeaway destination, making it well suited to families picking up dinner after a trip through Rosalie Village, or anyone after a reliable order-in option on the western side of the city.
The store operates Monday to Saturday from 4pm to 10pm, and opens earlier on Sundays from noon. Orders can be placed in store, via the Johnny Gio’s app, or through major delivery platforms.
Bardon residents will soon have one fewer nearby swimming option, with the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) confirming that the Kelvin Grove Pool will permanently close on 1 September 2026.
As one of the closest indoor pools to Bardon, the facility has served students and has also been accessible to local residents and community groups. Its closure, alongside the planned shutdown of Centenary Pool on the same day, has prompted concerns about where swimmers across Brisbane’s inner north-west will go next.
The QUT Sport Fitness and Aquatic Centre at 44 Musk Avenue, Kelvin Grove will be redeveloped into a new teaching, research and high-performance gym facility. QUT says the project is intended to strengthen real-world learning opportunities for students while expanding research and industry engagement. The university expects construction to take approximately six months, with more detailed timing to be confirmed as the project progresses.
Community Concern Over Losing A Nearby Indoor Pool
Photo credit: Google Maps/Melissa
Community members have also raised concerns about the broader role the facility plays beyond swimming. A petition calling for the pool to be saved describes Kelvin Grove as the only 25-metre indoor pool on Brisbane’s northside, providing a year-round venue for learn-to-swim classes, rehabilitation, fitness programs and community recreation. Petition organisers argued that relocating swimmers to QUT’s Gardens Point campus is not a practical solution for many because of its CBD location, travel barriers and the different type of facility available there.
Cr Seal Chong Wah has also questioned the decision, saying public pools serve as community hubs as well as places for exercise, rehabilitation and swimming education. In a public statement, Cr Chong Wah said there were concerns that the closure had been announced without consultation with the wider community.
Cr Chong Wah also noted that Kelvin Grove Pool is scheduled to close on the same day that Centenary Pool is expected to be handed over for Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games preparations. According to Cr Chong Wah, the simultaneous closures could increase demand at nearby public pools, including Ithaca Pool, Spring Hill Baths and Newmarket Pool.
QUT Says Redevelopment Will Support Teaching And Research
Photo credit: QUT
QUT explained that the closure is necessary to make way for a new teaching, research and high-performance gym facility that will strengthen real-world learning opportunities for students while supporting research and industry engagement.
The university said members who primarily use the Kelvin Grove pool can discuss alternative membership arrangements with QUT Sport. It has also identified nearby public swimming facilities, including Ithaca Pool, Spring Hill Baths and Newmarket Pool, for people seeking options closer to Kelvin Grove.
Calls For More Public Swimming Facilities
In separate letters to QUT Vice-Chancellor Professor Margaret Sheil AO and Brisbane City’s Civic Cabinet Chair for Community and the Arts, Cr Vicki Howard, Cr Chong Wah called on the university to reconsider the closure and undertake community consultation. Cr Chong Wah also urged Brisbane local officials to begin long-term planning for additional public pool facilities in the city’s inner north-west.
The letter argued that the loss of both Kelvin Grove Pool and Centenary Pool will disproportionately affect residents who rely on accessible public swimming facilities, including older people, renters, migrants and people living with disability. Cr Chong Wah said ensuring communities have access to local swimming facilities will become increasingly important as Brisbane’s summers become hotter.
QUT has not indicated that it intends to reverse its decision. For Bardon residents who regularly use Kelvin Grove Pool, the closure means having fewer nearby swimming options from September while discussion continues about the future of public aquatic facilities in Brisbane’s inner north-west.
