Brisbane’s iconic destinations such as South Bank, the Story Bridge, and Mount Coot-tha take center stage as the inaugural Tour de Brisbane starts rolling this April 2019.
Tour de Brisbane is Brisbane Cycling Festival’s concluding event, which is expected to bring over two thousand amateur and elite riders from all over Australia, Asia, and Europe. The cycling event will take on closed roads, scenic inner-city courses of 8km, 45km, and 110km.
https://vimeo.com/315331000
Watch, Play, Stay | Video Credit: Brisbane Cycling Festival / Vimeo
The National Road Series – The Classics, Australia’s premier domestic road-racing event, will hit Brisbane roads for the first time. Delivered by NXsports, the National Road Series – The Classics is part of Brisbane Cycling Festival’s Tour de Brisbane and will feature both men’s (5 to 7 members) and women’s (4 to 5 members) teams as they tackle a fast and technical course, reverse climb up Mt Coot-tha, and fully closed road.
This 2-day event will begin on Saturday 13 April with the Blast Criterium ride at the Murarrie Recreation Ground and conclude with the main event on Sunday 14 April in South Bank.
The new NRS structure saw the inclusion of the Classics Series with brand new events:Tour de Brisbane and Tour of the Tropics. The Classics Series kicked off on 16 February with the Melbourne to Warrnambool event and will culminate with the Grafton to Inverell race this 11th of May.
Blast Criterium Course
https://youtu.be/w8qBQy1hlIY
Tour de Brisbane Course | Video Credit: Tour de Brisbane / YouTube
Tour de Brisbane is headlined by UCI Gran Fondo World Series and will include a number of supporting events starting 11 April.
On Sunday 14 April, Tour de Brisbane will culminate with 8km (FREE Community Ride for ages 6 and up), 45km (Amy’s Rides – Piccolo), and 110km (Amy’s Rides and UCI Gran Fondo) scenic courses.
TdB 8km Family Fondo
TdB 45km Piccolo
Amy’s Rides is a non-competitive recreation ride available to everyone, 12 years old and up, whist the UCI Gran Fondo World Series Age Category is competitive where the top 25 percent finishers will have an opportunity to represent their respective countries at the 2019 World Championships in Poznan, Poland.
TdB Gran Fondo
Through the State’s partnership with the Amy Gillett Foundation, Tour de Brisbane hopes to raise funds for the A Metre Matters, a campaign promoting safe cycling in Brisbane.
Sundays at the Bardon Community Markets are worth the trip. Aside from finding fresh produce for your pantry, you can also enjoy a hearty breakfast and spend an enjoyable Sunday morning with your family, dogs included.
This community market pops up on Baroona Road at the Norman Buchan Park every Sunday from 6:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Aside from the food, people come to the Bardon Community Markets for different products to use at home or to look for gift ideas. Some visitors stay awhile longer to have coffee and mingle, or have a chat at the stalls.
Bardon Community Markets may be smaller compared to other Sunday markets in Brisbane but shoppers appreciate the laid-back, friendly vibe that makes this event one of the best ways to meet and make friends whilst getting your shopping done.
The stallholders change every week so each visit will bring fresh surprises. Stalls are run mostly by local farmers and growers, along with small business owners. Locals interested in becoming a seller at the Bardon Community Markets may email bardonmarket@gmail.com or call 0421289207 to inquire about the space.
Defying the market downturn gripping some capital cities, Bardon managed to rank among the best performing Brisbane suburbs for house price growth in 2018, according to the latest Domain report.
With a 10.1 percent year-on-year house price growth, Bardon was the seventh best performing suburb in Brisbane, with a median price of $990,500. On the other hand, latest suburb data from realestate.com.au shows the median house price for Bardon at $1,015,000 which is more than double the QLD median price of $490,000. A total of 230 houses changed hands from 1 Feb 2018 to 1 Feb 2019.
Sandgate tops the list of 10 best performing suburbs for houses in 2018, in terms of year-on-year price increases, with 18.8 percent growth and a median price of $750,000. Just as impressive, North Ipswich managed to register a year-on-year price change of 17.30 percent or a median price of $366,500, for a second place finish, followed by Graceville, Paddington, and Bardon; all posting above 10 percent growth.
Burpengary East, Carseldine, and Brookfield round out the top 10 with 9.4 percent, 8.9 percent, and 8.8 percent growth, respectively.
For the December quarter 2018, Brisbane property market posted an almost flat year-on-year growth, after it registered gains in the previous quarters. Whilst industry experts point the reason of the slowdown to the tighter credit access that’s crippling housing market in other capital cities, optimism remains high for Brisbane housing market. Queensland remains to be a favourite among interstate migrants and overseas buyers; with QLD’s strong fundamentals, Brisbane housing market is seen to remain stable, if not growing.
Bardon is among Brisbane’s best performing suburbs in 2018 in terms of units rental increase, according to the Domain Rental Report for December quarter 2018.
Bardon recorded one of the highest rental increase for units with 5.60 percent year-on-year and 12.70 percent five-year increase, or a median rent price of $333, the report said. On the other hand, data from realestate.com.au shows the median unit rental price per week in Bardon at $480, based on 136 unit listings from 1 February 2018 to 8 February 2019. Bardon’s median unit rental price is higher than QLD average of $370.
Photo Credit: Google Earth Pro
The top performing suburbs for units rentals list shows Holland Park taking the top spot with a 12.10 percent increase year-on-year, followed by Clontarf with 3.90 percent year-on-year increase. South Brisbane, Balmoral, Herston, Bulimba, Alderley, Coorparoo, Fairfield, and Mount Gravatt rounds out the list. Overall, the median asking rent for units rose to 5.4 percent over the past year.
As for house rentals, Manly, Ascot, and South Brisbane were the the top three best performing suburbs with year-on-year changes of 14.50 percent, 14.20 percent, and 13.70 percent, respectively. The rest of the list include Nudgee, Tarragindi, Fairfield, Petrie Terrace, Dakabin, Banyo, and East Brisbane.
After suffering from a supply glut, the dwelling demand is slowly picking up in Brisbane, absorbing supply and pulling rental prices up. Also, according to property valuation firm SQM Research, Brisbane’s rental vacancies fell to 2.7 percent in January 2019 down from 3 percent in June 2018 and 3.5 percent in May 2017. As Queensland overtakes Victoria as the most popular destination for interstate migration as of June 2018 — thanks to better economy, employment opportunities, and access to good schools — Brisbane housing market is starting to become a landlord’s market with rental asking prices expected to rise, as vacancy rates continue to fall.
Rather than enrolling their children in a private school, an increasing number of parents are willing to spend a bit more for homes in Brisbane’s most sought-after school catchments, such as the top-ranked Rainworth State School in Bardon.
Rainworth State School recently took the top spot as Brisbane’s best public primary school in 2018, as revealed by Better Education, and interstate home buyers don’t seem to mind paying a premium for a home that is within the popular school catchments, such as this one in Bardon.
Good schooling is one of the primary considerations for parents of school-aged children looking to buy a new home, and is one of the primary drivers for Brisbane dwelling demands, industry experts say.
Queensland School Catchment Map
Photo Credit: Queensland Government / qgso.qld.gov.au
In the last 12 months, house median sale price in Bardon rose 9.47 percent, and 12.55 percent for units median price, according to CoreLogic. As for market demand, there have been 965 visits per property compared to QLD average of 386, according to realestate.com.au data from 1 January to 31 December 2018.
Rounding out the 2018 top 10 public primary schools in Brisbane: MacGregor State School, Ashgrove State School, Ironside State School, Wishart State School, Indooroopilly State School, Sunnybank Hills State School, Chapel Hill State School, Graceville State School, and Robertson State School.
On the other hand, the 2018 top Brisbane state high schools is led by Brisbane State High School, followed by Mansfield State High School, Indooroopilly State High School, Cavendish Road State High School, Mount Gravatt State High School, Kelvin Grove State College, The Gap State High School, Kenmore State High School, Brisbane School of Distance Education, and Stretton State College.
Australia Day is coming up on Saturday, 26 January 2019. For West Brisbane locals, there are several things that you can do at Mt Coot-tha to celebrate the holiday.
Here a few things that you can do at Mt Coot-tha on Australia Day.
Australia Day Run with the BTR Royal Family
Saturday, 26 January 2019 (6:00 a.m.)
Photo credit: Geoff Russell/Facebook
To celebrate Australia Day the Brisbane Trail Runners (BTR) royal family, Team Duffus will be leading a run in Mt Coot-tha’s trails.
The run will start at 6:00 a.m. from the toilet block at J C Slaughter Falls. Runners will be divided into three groups and each will be led by three separate members of BTR’s Team Duffus.
The run will last for about 1.5-2 hours and all participants will meet back at the starting line. Those who wish to join will need to bring their own food and water.
Saturday, 26 January 2019 ( 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.)
Photo credit: Brisbane City Council
If you prefer to explore Mt Coot-tha, this informative guided walk is for you. The Free Guided Discovery Tours explores the beautiful Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mt Coot-tha which is led by volunteer guides.
Tours start at the Visitor Information Centre.
Bookings are not necessary. To learn more, call 07 3403 8888.
Saturday, 26 January 2019 ( 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.)
Photo credit: Brisbane City Council
Enjoy a free concert from the Brisbane Metropolitan Bands at the Bandstand on Australia day. You can bring a picnic and have a great time with your family whilst enjoying the afternoon’s live music.
Bookings are not necessary for the event. For more information, you may call Helen Johns on 0466 181 578.
Over two thousand amateur and elite cyclists are expected to participate in this year’s inaugural Tour de Brisbane, the city’s newest cycling event that will showcase Brisbane’s most iconic destinations including South Bank, the Story Bridge, and Mount Coot-tha.
As part of the Brisbane Cycling Festival, the Tour de Brisbane, which is headlined by UCI Gran Fondo World Series, will include a number of supporting events beginning 11 April and will culminate on Sunday 14 April via scenic courses of 8km, 45km, and 110km. The courses will take riders to some of the city’s landmarks and iconic spots. Participants may then head to the Anna Meares Velodrome to witness their favourite professional cyclists race at the Six Day World Grand Final.
“The Tour de Brisbane will put Queensland on the map with Brisbane joining the ranks of France’s La Bourgogne and Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro in hosting a UCI-sanctioned Gran Fondo event,” Tourism Industry Development Minister Kate Jones said.
“The event will showcase Brisbane’s beautiful scenery and attract cyclists and their supporters from around the world.
“The Tour de Brisbane together with the three other cycling events will make up the Brisbane Cycling Festival and will inject upwards of $8 million into Queensland’s economy each year over 2019-2021,” Ms Jones said.Tour de Brisbane Course
Video Credit: Tour de Brisbane / YouTube
“With four different distances, everyone from kids and families to the pros can have a pedal and see our city on two wheels,” NXsports Race Director Mike Crawley said.
“We are proud to partner with the Amy Gillett Foundation to promote safe cycling in the city and to raise funds for the Ride for a Metre Matters campaign,” Mr Crawley said.
Tour de Brisbane aims to raise funds for the Ride for a Metre Matters — a campaign promoting safe cycling in the city — through the State’s partnership with the Amy Gillett Foundation.
“Brisbane is already well known for its blockbuster sporting events and we’re thrilled to add an event that encourages spectators to get out of the stands and onto their bikes,” Deputy Mayor Adrian Schrinner said.
“Events like the Tour de Brisbane are a great driver for Brisbane’s economy and contribute more than $150 million of economic impact each year by supporting local jobs as well as the accommodation, retail, hospitality and service sectors,” Cr Schrinner said.
The Queensland Government and Brisbane City Council have secured the festival for an initial three-year period.
Did you know that the heritage-listed Rainworth House in Bardon is over 150 years old?
Built in 1862, the historic home is currently one of the few surviving original timber houses in the area.
Rainworth House is a rare example of a 1860s dwelling of the steeply pitched short-ridge roof variety. The home was originally built as a farmhouse and is now part of suburban Brisbane.
Rainworth is especially significant because of its long and personal connection with Sir Augustus Charles Gregory KCMG CMG FRGS MLC. To date, the residence still bears the stamp of Gregory the practical bushman rather than the prominent public figure.
Sir A.C. Gregory is recognised in several names of places such as Gregory Street, Toowong and Gregory Park, Milton, and the locality of Rainworth itself.
History of Rainworth House in Bardon
Rainworth, residence of Sir Augustus Charles Gregory, Bardon, ca. 1885 Rainworth and outbuildings as seen through the banana palms in front of the property. Photo credit: John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. Negative number: 63037
Sir Augustus Charles Gregory is a famous explorer and surveyor-general of Queensland from 1859 to 1879. He built the home in 1862 and was the sole farmhouse in the area at the time.
He named the property Rainworth after a small town in Nottinghamshire which is close to his birthplace at Farnsfield, England.
Sir Augustus Gregory. Photo credit: John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. Negative number: 16036
Sir A.C. Gregory was a dominant, conservative member of the Legislative Council. Furthermore, he was also a vital personality in Toowong’s local government, a leading Queensland freemason, and an influential amateur scientist.
Despite his high profile, he chose to live a rather simple life in his rustic farm cottage. Serving as his rural retreat and residence, Rainworth has been a place where he could think, invent, create, and write. He lived in the farmhouse until his death in 1905.
Except for the closed-in front verandah, Rainworth House remains largely untouched since Sir A.C. Gregory lived there. It still features an interior of rough cut wide planked walls and ceilings.
Early view of Rainworth homestead and outbuildings, Torwood, ca. 1875 Rainworth was in Baroona Road at Torwood. The home was built for Sir Augustus Charles Gregory who was an explorer and also became the first Mayor of Toowong in 1902. Photo credit: John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. Negative number: 63785
Following Gregory’s death in 1905, the subsequent owner, Robert Philp, merchant and politician, rented the property, as did ensuing owners. When the ensuing owners subdivided the estate, they relocated the house from nearby to its current location in Barton Street.
In 1949, Frederick and Mildred Howell rented and later purchased the property. Their descendants continue to occupy the premises.
Rainworth House in Bardon is added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992. It remains to be a significant landmark of the area to this day.
Whilst not considered dramatic, the Brisbane property market managed to record steady growth amidst projected market downturn in Australia; with a new record high median-price for houses over the past year and several suburbs posting house price growths, including Bardon.
Queensland performed well as Brisbane, Gold Coast, and Sunshine Coast recorded house price growth, according to the September quarter of the REIQ Queensland Market Monitor report. The Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast SD, and Brisbane recorded growth of 3.8 percent, 6.3 percent, and 2.3 percent respectively, with Brisbane hitting a new median-price high of $675,000.
“Queensland’s economy is proving itself to be a good performer, against a backdrop of national gloom, with new jobs bringing population growth and demand for housing,” REIQ CEO Antonia Mercorella said.
“The southeast corner is our powerhouse, without a doubt, but additionally we’re seeing strong results in regions that have been struggling.
“The resources sector is improving and we’re seeing regions such as Mackay and areas of western Queensland firmly in recovery,” Ms Mercorella said.
Bardon, Queensland 4065 Australia
For Brisbane LGA, the most sought-after price range is $500,000 – $750,000, with sales representing almost half of the house sales for the past 12 months. The top suburbs for house price growth in Brisbane include Bardon, Brighton, Ashgrove, Wavell Heights, Bald Hills and Bridgeman Downs, Wynnum, Tarragindi, Eight Mile Plains, Mount Gravatt East, and Manly West.
The same cannot be said about the units market, though, as it continues to suffer from oversupply bringing down Brisbane LGA annual median unit price by 2.2 percent and 3.4 percent over the past quarter; however, it still recorded a 5.5 percent growth from 2013.
Some suburbs still managed to record double-digit growth despite the overall drop in the median unit price. Rochedale, West End, Gordon Park, North Gate, Yeronga, Toowong, New Market, and Red Hill make up the list of suburbs with double-digit growth for units in Brisbane.
From being a residence to a number of notable personalities to becoming a parish and then a school, Bardon House has indeed established itself as the most significant home in the suburb of Bardon.
The family that built the home named it Bardon as it reminded them of Bardon Hills in Leicestershire where they used to live in England. The suburb eventually carried the Bardon name as well.
Located at 41 The Drive, Bardon, the iconic residence continues to serve the community and is now a part of the St Joseph’s primary school complex.
Early Days
Joshua Jeays, 1909, builder of the Bardon House. Photo credit: John Oxley Library, State Library of QLD. Image No. : 109863
Bardon House was built in 1863/64 by Joshua Jeays, builder, architect, and early mayor of Brisbane. It is thought that he constructed it for his wife Sarah, who died prior to its completion.
After arriving in Moreton Bay from England in 1853 with his wife and four children, Joshua Jeays established himself as a reputable builder and contractor in Brisbane. Among his notable creations was the Old Government House.
From 1854, Jeays and his family lived in a house at North Quay.
Apart from being a renowned builder, architect, and contractor, he was also involved in local politics. Jeays became an alderman of the Brisbane Municipal Council in its foundation year, 1859 and also served as Mayor in 1864-1865.
View of Bardon House from the drive, 1930. Photo credit: John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. Image number: 196955
Jeays purchased two country lots in the Brisbane suburb in the first land sales for the area in November 1862. He later acquired 38 more acres of land from Francis Lyon in early 1863. This was where he built the Bardon House.
Jeays reportedly constructed Bardon House around 1863/1864. The house’s name came from Leicestershire County’s highest landmark, Bardon Hill, which was close to Joshua and Sarah Jeays’ respective hometowns of Loughborough and Beeby in England.
Unfortunately, Sarah Jeays died in July 1864 while her husband was serving as the mayor of Brisbane. After her death, Joshua Jeays retired from business and never resided at Bardon House, remaining at their North Quay residence until his death in 1881.
Bardon House’s Prominent Residents
Charles Lilley on his wedding day, 1858. Photo credit: John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. Negative number: 111372
In early 1866, Jeays’ daughter Sarah and husband [Sir] Charles Lilley (later Premier and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Queensland) lived in Bardon House. However, the Lilley’s occupancy of Bardon House appears to have ended by mid-1867.
Following the Lilley’s is a succession of notable Brisbane residents and their families occupying the property for various periods of time. Famous personalities who occupied the residence included Thomas Harlin, the First headmaster of Brisbane Boys Grammar School, and [Sir] Thomas Mc Ilwraith (later Premier of Queensland).
Hon. Thomas McIlwraith. Photo credit: John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. Image number: 21383
Moreover, John Stennett from the pharmaceutical firm Elliot Brothers and his family occupied Bardon House from 1878-1886. Subsequent residents from the mid-1880s to early 1900s were stock and sharebroker Brownlow Cole and customs officer Charles William Rich, as well as Johannes Christian Brunnich, a government agricultural chemist.
When Joshua Jeays died in March 1881, his Bardon estate remained in the ownership of the Jeays/Lilley family until 1911.
The Exley Family
Bardon in the 1930s. Photo credit: John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. Negative number: 133637
Bardon House was leased to Arthur Exley who lived there with his wife Elizabeth, five daughters, and son from 1903 to 1925. They are amongst the longest tenants at the property.
Exley had an extensive career with the Department of Public Instruction and was the headmaster of the nearby Ithaca State School when his family moved to Bardon.
Elizabeth also played a prominent role in the community. Her works were related to social services for women and children. She helped establish the first Queensland branch of the Anglican missionary organisation the Mothers Union and the District Nursing Association.
The Exleys remained in the Bardon House until Archbishop James Duhig purchased the property in 1925. Photo credit: John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. Negative number: 105251
After the death of the estate’s owner, Edwyn Lilley in 1911, Arthur Exley, master builder Arthur Barltrop, and solicitor Patrick O’Sullivan acquired the Bardon property holdings. The three formed the company Bardon Estate Limited and subdivided much of the land for new housing.
Allotments were offered for sale in four stages between 1912 and 1921. The original Bardon House driveway was gazetted as a road called The Drive as part of the subdivision. Five acres of land were retained as surroundings for the house.
The Exleys remained at Bardon house until the property was purchased by Archbishop James Duhig, for the Roman Catholic Church in 1925 for £2250.
After its establishment, church services were held in St Mary Magdalene’s Church instead of the Bardon House. Photo credit: CC-BY/bertknot/Flickr
The first mass was celebrated at Bardon House in March 1925 by Monsignor Lee of nearby Rosalie Parish. The mass was held in the central room of Bardon House, with the mantelpiece and table substituting as an altar.
Along with the official designation of the suburb, the parish of Bardon was declared in 1926. It was the 38th Parish of the Archdiocese.
Appointed in 1925, Father Max Irvine, the Chaplain at Stuartholme Convent, became the first Parish Priest of the parish of Bardon. He also resided at Bardon House. However, by the following year, services were no longer held in Bardon House, since a church-school named St Mary Magdalene’s (originally spelt Magdalen) was constructed within the grounds.
Bardon House as a School
Bardon House as St Joseph’s Convent, Bardon, 1959. Photo credit: John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. Negative number: 74791
Original plans for the parish of Bardon included using it as a school but this did not happen until 1938. When Parish Priest, Dr O’Donoghue vacated Bardon, Archbishop Duhig invited nuns of the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Conception to occupy the place.
The Franciscan Sisters moved in on 19 January 1938 to establish a convent and new primary school, to be known as St Joseph’s.
St Joseph’s School was opened on 24 January 1938 with 31 male and female pupils. With the help of an anonymous donation of £1000, a separate school building located between Bardon house and the church was constructed on the site by the end of the year.
As part of Bardon House’s adaptation for a convent and school use, the north facing verandah was enclosed to accommodate a classroom. Moreover, the eastern verandah was also enclosed with lattice around whilst the stone walls of the enclosed verandahs were also rendered.
Bardon House Now
After the war era, St Joseph’s School continued to develop and grow. Several school buildings and sporting facilities have been constructed on the grounds since this time. Furthermore, most structures on the school site now date from post-2000 era.
Today, the earliest surviving school building is the 1958 Forrest building, immediately west of Bardon House.
Bardon House was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992. The iconic residence-church-school remains to be a part of the St Joseph’s primary school complex.
The Victorian Gothic style stone house continues to impress passersby with its fine workmanship and architectural style.
