Most people may prefer a spacious and trendy bookstore with a cosy atmosphere for browsing but there’s nothing quite like this Bardon bookshop found on Morgan Terrace. Truth be told, this store wasn’t set up to impress visitors but behind its run-down appearance, Logical Unsanity Books and Miscellaneous Phantasmagoria could be described as a treasured sanctuary.
Among styrofoam boxes that work as shelves and a hodgepodge of old furniture, Logical Unsanity Books has a book collection that may be the envy of other well-funded and well-maintained libraries.
People come inside, browse the current books and simply pay whatever they could afford — or take the books for free. Bring a suitcase for your haul, just in case!
Photo Credit: FacebookPhoto Credit: Facebook
Yarran Jenkins has had this Bardon bookshop for more than five years and it surprisingly thrives 24-hours-a-day without a staff nor security. He admitted that he initially didn’t want to mind a store day in, day out so he decided to leave it open for anyone interested.
Over the years, Logical Unsanity Books has built a loyal following, who aren’t necessarily from Bardon. Mr Jenkins believes that people enjoy coming to the shop despite the way it looks because no one will judge them.
The owner said that he has seen blue-collar workers, who actually love a good book or two, coming back to his store.
Photo Credit: Facebook
Logical Unsanity Books has a guest book with inspiring messages from the shoppers. Many of these messages express gratitude for leaving the store open 24/7 as it has saved them from stress and anxiety, especially during late nights.
This bookshop doesn’t provide for Mr Jenkins’ basic needs, like food or rent, but it brings him a lot of good karma. It has opened the doors for him to set up his main store in West End. The Book Merchant Jenkins is a specialty shop for rare or antiquarian books.
A Bardon childcare centre development proposal has received hundreds of resistance from residents because of its dangerous intersection location on Chiswick Road.
Public submissions continue to pour on the development application (A005563407) lodged with Brisbane City Council in October.
The developer, Corella Property Investment Trust, wants to build a childcare centre with a left-in, left-out Chiswick Road access and a 22-vehicle parking space. A traffic assessment indicated that the planned driveway will not bring any significant impact to a pedestrian refuge island near the crossover.
Photo Credit: Brisbane City Council
However, residents are voicing out serious concerns about safety. Chiswick Road is opposite the hilly Cecil Road, which peaks in traffic during school runs and pick-ups since there are three primary schools in the area.
Multiple chicanes have been installed on Cecil Road to encourage cars to slow down but locals said that driving through this particular street might be comparable to the challenging Bathurst racing car course.
“This part of Bardon is already burdened by 2 schools that jam traffic up in the morning and the evening—and now you want to add a third hazard?” one resident said.
“The T-intersection adjacent to the site is extremely busy now especially during peak hours which is not good considering small children will be thrown into the mix. Secondly. the area is already well serviced by child care centres, there are at least ten. Thirdly, the community demographic is not one of the families with very young children, most are primary or secondary school age, so why the need?” another local shared in the public submission.
Michael Berk, Greens MP for Maiwar, posted on Facebook that he also submitted his reasons for opposing the Bardon childcare centre development after residents informed him of their concerns. Mr Berk said he’ll make a formal submission to the Council as well.
“We would like to see significant safety upgrades, especially to make sure parents can safely walk with their kids for drop-off and pick-up,” Mr Berkman said.
Bardon mumpreneur Sarah Yip of KEASE International has been named as a finalist in four categories of the 2020 AusMumpreneur Awards which aim to celebrate and recognise outstanding Australian Mums in business.
Sarah, who is the managing director for Kease International will be competing against fellow mumpreneurs in the following categories:
The awards, presented by The Women’s Business School, are given to outstanding businesswomen who have achieved success in areas such as business excellence, product development, customer service, and digital innovation. They are particularly designed to recognise women who have done successfully well in balancing motherhood and business.
For 14 years, Sarah has established a strong reputation in the areas of emotional intelligence, leadership, and team dynamics. She is a well-known global keynote speaker on “EI in the Age of AI” as well as on topics of diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
Photo: Supplied
In 2019, Sarah led KEASE in its expansion and rebranding to “KEASE International,” offering holistic and bespoke leadership solution services that include capability development, coaching, and on-going support.
The company’s list of clients includes those in government, private corporations, ASX200 listed companies, and elite sporting managers.
Sarah’s biggest achievement is evident in how KEASE International operates. Each associate in the company is a subject matter expert in a certain field. The fields of expertise range from digital transformation to creative thinking, design, and emotional intelligence. KEASE International creates long-term relationships with its clients to identify areas of growth that can be turned into projects.
New Business Venture During the Pandemic
Sarah is happy to be named as a finalist for AusMumpreneur Awards and is proud of her team’s achievements during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I’m particularly proud of how we’ve come together as a team and pivoted the business to not only find relevance but also in helping other leaders thrive through COVID‐19,” she said.
Photo: Supplied
In the wake of COVID-19, Sarah and her team found an opportunity to gather business leaders to share challenges and come up with realistic solutions during such uncertain times. This has culminated in a new business venture called The Leaders Lounge.
“In April this year we set-up Leaders Lounge as a safe learning space and a way to provide on-demand coaching and mentoring to leaders, where content was 100% designed around their specific challenges; they asked the questions, we provided the guidance and answers.
“This service has made a measurable difference to leaders who felt isolated, uncertain and under pressure in these extraordinary times, and has continued to grow month by month.”
As Ausmumpreneur Awards celebrate business mums in the country, Sarah feels proud of the opportunities that KEASE International is providing her mostly female team.
“Over 90% of the KEASE Associates are females and mothers. Through KEASE they’ve found a safe place to connect with others who understand and a workplace that offers flexibility and inclusion, not often found in standard workplaces,” Sarah said.
“By creating an inclusive and supportive environment, we have been able to attract and retain top talent.
“Furthermore, fostering an environment of mutual trust, support and rewarding meaningful contribution, we have been able to form new collaborations and client relationships. It’s a win/win situation.”
A Coles Local and Vintage Cellars bottle shop may soon open across a retail complex in MacGregor Tce, if a development application lodged with the Brisbane City Council successfully passes approval. While it may mean business and jobs coming to the ward, traffic concerns over the location could hamper its success.
Those opposed to the development said that the location of the mini-store is a busy area and a Coles Local will likely intensify the congested traffic in a known bottleneck. MacGregor Tce has two narrow lanes that easily fill up with cars coming from the retail stores.
The proposal also includes 105 parking spaces. This means more carpark access for shoppers but more traffic on the road, which could also lead to road accidents.
“The location of a shopping precinct in this area will negatively impact the flow of traffic in an already busy and difficult to exit area,” one opposition to the development application stated.
“The amount of car parking provided will encourage car trips levels that will have a significant impact on surrounding land, including amenity and pedestrian connectivity, ” another resident said.
Photo Credit: PD Online/Brisbane City Council
But Pradella, the developer, sought a traffic assessment of the site from an independent consultant, which stated that a Coles Local may generate less traffic even during peak periods.
“The proposed development is anticipated to generate in the order of 250 vph (vehicles per hour) during the weekday PM peak period and 286 vph in the Saturday peak period,” Cardno stated in its assessment. “This indicates the proposed development generates 78 less vehicles in the weekday PM peak and 148 less vehicles in the Saturday.”
Councillor James Mackay said that Council should carefully weigh the proposal’s traffic implications in as much as he welcomes the development. MP Michael Berkman, on the other hand, also asked the Council to study the proposal and consult with the community as it will affect commuters and the neigbourhood.
The MP’s call comes as Cr Peter Matic said that the proposed development fits with the zoning requirements, which means it’s code-accessible and won’t require appeals from residents. He said that State Assessment and Referral Agency (SARA) should also look into the traffic implications since Macgregor Tce is a State Government controlled road.
If approved, the development will knock down three mixed-use commercial and retail buildings. Coles said it’s not the developer or the owner of the site but it advocates for safety and will ensure that this is a key consideration in the planned site.
Commuters traveling on one of Bardon’s busy roads will soon notice that their trips have taken a turn for the better.
Local state MP Michael Berkman (Greens) is pushing for the improvement of several dangerous sections of MetRoad 5 and the roundabout at the Rainworth, Boundary, and Rouen Roads intersection.
The Department of Transport and Main Roads, under Minister Mark Bailey, and Mr Berkman have been working together to identify and address safety hotspots.
Signages and Handrails
The Bardon roundabout is a notoriously dangerous spot for pedestrians. It is a hub for community traffic from the nearby Bardon shed, a childcare centre, shopping strip, Rainworth State School, and Norman Buchan Park.
Photo Credit: Google Maps
“I have recently secured some simple safety improvements at the roundabout including high-vis signage and handrails, much better warning signs for motorists and some vegetation trimming to improve visibility,’’ Mr Berkman said in a statement for the press.
Meanwhile, portions of MetRoad 5 running through Bardon are included in the safety campaign, from Kedron to Toowong, including MacGregor Tce, Boundary Rd, Rouen Rd, and Frederick Street.
Speed Limit Downgrade & Traffic Light Upgrades
MetRoad 5 (Photo Credit: Google Maps)
The major changes being recommended along MetRoad 5 include a reduction of the speed limit along the stretch between the MacGregor Tce shops and the roundabout on Rouen Rd and an upgrade of the visibility of traffic lights at the MacGregor Tce and Simpsons Rd intersection.
Residents have long complained about speeding drivers disregarding traffic lights at the intersection around that shopping strip.
It is unlikely, however, that any speed limit change could materialise soon. Such changes need to have the support and participation of stakeholders from the QLD Police Service and BCC, along with a plethora of technical research and recommendations from traffic engineers and inspectors.
Barrier-Protected Pedestrian Crossing
Pedestrians will also have a barrier-protected refuge to make crossing the area of MacGregor Tce located south of the roundabout at Latrobe Tce, safer and easier. This would be particularly helpful for people pushing prams, older people and those with limited mobility, and those in wheelchairs.
The largest begonia display in Queensland is back for another year at the Mt Coot-tha Botanic Gardens. Begonias-A-Plenty 2020 is a great opportunity for gardeners, horticulturists and green fingers to find a wide variety of begonias, including new hybrids, rare and endangered species.
Hosted by the Queensland Begonia Society, Begonias-A-Plenty will be underway on Saturday, the 29th of February 2020 at the Mt Coot-tha Botanic Gardens Auditorium. The plant showcase will run from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
This will be the best time to buy begonia varieties that are not available at most nurseries. Did you know that begonias do not grow naturally in Australia? Well, on display at this event are hundreds of begonia varieties created by Queensland and Australian growers.
Aside from admiring the quality and variety of the begonias on display, guests may meet and talk to members of the Queensland Begonia Society for tips and advice on caring and growing begonias.
By 10:00 a.m., a full-hour plant workshop will be underway, which will be followed by a “Name This Begonia” competition and a raffle draw. Guests may also peruse books for sale, as authored by local begonia experts.
Begonias-A-Plenty is guaranteed to be an enjoyable and enriching full day for plant lovers.
For further details about this event, phone (07) 5502 2579 or email shevi71b@gmail.com (Shevanti Seneviratne).
Brisbane City Council’s Outdoor Cinema in the Suburbs is on a roll again! Movie buffs looking for a change in scenery can look forward to a series of family movies to be screened for FREE in Jubilee Park.
For 2020, the family event will kick off on Saturday, the 18th of January, in Bardon. Succeeding screenings are also scheduled on the 15th of February and the 4th of April.
Outdoor Cinema in the Suburbs opens at 4:00 p.m. with some pre-movie activities since there’s still a bit of daylight at this hour. The screening will officially start at 6:30 p.m. when the sky is darker.
Previous outdoor cinema events presented family-friendly films like “Peter Rabbit,” “Incredibles 2,” “Hotel Transylvania 3” and “Goosebumps.” The Council has yet to confirm what Bardon locals will get to see. To get the updates, follow the Council’s Facebook event page.
Photo Credit: David McLean/Google Maps
There’s more to enjoy at this event as you’re already there in Jubilee Park. The children can have fun at the playground whilst the older kids could play frisbee, board games and cards by their picnic spot.
Needless to say, movie night in the park is easily the most inexpensive enjoyment you can have in the company of the people you love!
Here’s where the rest of the free Outdoor Cinema in the Suburbs screenings will be taking place around Brisbane:
Registrations are not needed at this event. Just bring your whole family or group at Jubilee Park and set your picnic blankets or cushions. Share your food or buy from the food stall and then enjoy the film!
Neighbourhood Coffee Roasters may have left this historic general store space on Rainworth Road in Bardon but their delicious, locally roasted coffee is still available on site, at Goodfolk Cafe, where the good folks in the neighbourhood can still get their favourite brew along with some new brunch options.
Goodfolk Cafe is owned by Adam Murphy and Nick Turner, who also run the Gramps Cafe in Red Hill. The partners grabbed the rare chance to acquire this charming Bardon space to open a dining establishment that has an inviting community feel.
Adam and Nick repainted the walls and added a few share tables, including a large 16-seater, for communal dining. Now, over 100 patrons can be accommodated for breakfast or brunch and the children may also play at the spacious garden in the backyard.
Photo Credit: Goodfolk Cafe/Facebook
The restaurant’s menu is still changing and growing as Goodfolk Cafe gets into the swing of things. For now, customers may enjoy the classics like toasts, poached eggs, a bowl of seasonal fruits and vegan specialties, which are prepared with ingredients coming from the on-site garden.
Photo Credit: Goodfolk Cafe/Facebook
Photo Credit: Goodfolk Cafe/Facebook
Aside from growing most of its ingredients and making its own hot chocolate, chai syrup and almond milk, this place is a sustainable establishment. Its owners have adapted an efficient waste-management system that makes use of its kitchen wastes as compost for the garden. Goodfolk Cafe also makes us of biodegradable straws and takeaway cups are recyclable.
Goodfolk Cafe is open from 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. daily. By mid-2020, the restaurant could obtain its liquor licence.
“Gorgeous coffee and chai. They make their own almond milk and it’s divine. The place has an overall nice feel to it. We started with breakfast (amazing avo on toast) and ordered a chai because we didn’t want to leave! Staff super friendly. My favourite spot in Brisbane!”
~ Mini Lolo, Google Review
“On the way to the Bardon Shed, I drove past this cafe. Remember I had an impressive brekkie here last time so parked my car and checked it out. When I approached the cafe, I then realized that it has changed the name as the Goodfolk Cafe. Walked in and the first thing attracted my gaze was the plain croissants sitting on top of the counter. They looked great and tempted me to give it a go. Took a seat at the corner and I could not wait to see how my visual appraisal was. When the passionate barista brought me the croissant, the episode that I had my best croissant a few weeks ago in Pairs appeared in my mind. The first cut by the knife reflected the flaky and layered texture of this croissant. Ha! I found another place who serves real croissant in Brisbane! Not only that, the coffee of Neighbourhood brew was perfectly matched my palate. Tell you a secret tip of its croissant, they get as frozen produce from France and baked them in house. No wonder it is so good.”
A great opportunity has opened up for Bardon artists and innovators as the Brisbane City Council recently announced it is accepting applications from individuals who may benefit from the Creative and History Grant for 2019-2020.
For this particular phase, three Creative and History Grants have been opened:
However, if you or someone you know could use the grant for a creative project, a unique product or profitable idea, consider attending the Creative Grant Information Sessions first at one of six sites around Brisbane:
Date/Time
Location
Monday, 4 Nov 2019 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Brisbane Square Library 266 George Street, Brisbane City
Designed to help artists and innovators craft an impressive application, these sessions, hosted by the Council, are free-of-charge. However, you have to register for a ticket as the slots are limited.
The Creative Grant Information Sessions will provide you with ideas on:
the different creative grant programs available
grant guidelines and application forms
advice on project eligibility and
tips on making an application
Photo Credit: rawpixel/Pixabay
About Creative and History Grants
Every year, Brisbane City Council sets up these grants to encourage local artists, innovators, historians and organizations to flourish in their chosen field of expertise. Funding their projects is a stepping stone that should open bigger opportunities for progress and change to benefit the local community.
When Bardon local Scott Rimington and his family join a sea of purple for the annual National Walk for Pancreatic Cancer in Brisbane, on Sunday, the 20th Oct 2019, they will be hoping that pancreatic cancer will get the same attention as breast cancer.
“I may need to update my information but when I last looked more people die of pancreatic cancer in Australia than of breast cancer,” Scott said. “Still [there are] lots more women diagnosed with breast cancer but through research funding, improving identification and treatments, the survival rates have improved remarkably [for breast cancer patients].”
Scott lost his wife of 35 years, Annie Cridland, to an aggressive form of pancreatic cancer in 2016. Since Annie’s diagnosis, he has been supporting the research to help improve pancreatic cancer detection and treatments. He has been sharing his time and resources to the foundation more so after his wife passed away.
Photo Credit: Ross Schumacher
The Hope for Pancreatic Cancer Research
Scott hopes that the same progress will happen to pancreatic cancer research. Thus, he has been urging family members and friends to raise awareness and participate in the Put Your Foot Down Walk for Pancreatic Cancer.
Joining Scott at Teralba Park at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday are his daughters Emily and Evie, Annie’s friends and even Annie’s dog, Nell. They will be amongst other families throwing their support for pancreatic cancer patients and the institutions that ensure there will one day be an end to this deadly disease.
“There is something very special about sharing with other families and treading the same path we have,” Scott said.
Whilst he looks forward to the yearly walk for a cause to be with the families and meet the actual experts who have been working on finding a cure, Scott still has mixed emotions about this fundraiser.
“In some ways, I wish it wasn’t on as it is such a potent reminder of how pernicious this particular cancer is,” he said. “Every year you meet people and families that have been down the same or even tougher pathways than our family.”
“But in truth for me, the most important thing is to entice people to donate to Avner pancreatic cancer research as it is only funding that is going to keep the research momentum up in this seemingly intractable cancer area.”
Photo Credit: Avner Pancreatic Cancer Foundation/Facebook
If you’re keen on joining Scott, you may still register for the Walk. On-site registration will take place on the day of the event if you can’t do the online registration. Just be there at 8:30 a.m. or earlier.
The Walk is open for any age but participants above 16 years old will need to sign up for $25 as part of the fundraising efforts. Don’t forget to wear anything purple!
Photo Credit: Avner Pancreatic Cancer Foundation/Facebook
You don’t need to be present at the Walk to support the cause. You may still donate online from among the participant’s profiles. As of press time, $16,586.00 has been raised in the days leading up to the big event.
