ithaca creek Archives

Bardon State School’s Forest School Continues Years After National First

Photo Credit: Bardon State School/Facebook

Children at Bardon State School are still learning beyond classroom walls as the school’s Forest School program continues years after earning national recognition as Australia’s first accredited provider.

The school launched the program with Prep students in 2023 and later received approved provider status from the Australian Forest School Association. The program later expanded into Year 1 and Year 2, and school updates show Forest School activity continuing in 2026.

A public March 2026 post shared on the school’s official Facebook page indicated Forest School activities were continuing outdoors, with students taking part in nature-based learning experiences around the school grounds.

Photo Credit: Bardon State School/Facebook

Outdoor Learning Remains Part of Bardon’s Approach

Forest School is presented by Bardon State School as part of its curriculum-linked outdoor learning approach. According to the Queensland Department of Education, students use outdoor spaces to complete curriculum-based lessons including maths, measurement and problem-solving activities near Ithaca Creek.

The program was designed to make lessons more practical and easier for students to connect with in real-life settings. The approach also appears in school materials prepared for families. Information shared through the school’s prep transition resources encourages children to explore nature, build confidence outdoors and develop independence through hands-on experiences.

Inclusion and Sustainability Continue Shaping the Program

The school’s Forest School profile published by the Australian Forest School Association links the program to inclusion, sustainability and environmental awareness.

The association notes that Bardon State School incorporates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives into Forest School sessions while also supporting students with different learning needs, including children with disability and students learning English as an additional language or dialect.

The AFSA profile also states that the school’s environmental strategy links with groups and programs, including Clean Up Australia Day and Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots.

The school’s long-term direction appears closely aligned with those ideas. Bardon State School’s 2025–2028 Strategic Plan highlights inclusion, student engagement and community connection as major priorities following a school review.

Families Continue Supporting Forest School

Community support was a strong part of the program during its early rollout. The Queensland Department of Education reported that parents identified Forest School as one of Bardon State School’s standout features during a school review process. Families also supported the fact that the program was developed and led by school staff rather than external providers.

More than a year after becoming Australia’s first accredited Forest School provider, Bardon State School continues presenting outdoor learning as part of its early years approach. Along Ithaca Creek and across the school grounds, students continue using natural spaces as part of curriculum-linked learning.

Published 11-June-2026

What Exactly Is the Gordon Road Detention Basin — and Should Bardon Residents Be Paying More Attention?

Tucked away near the slopes of Mount Coot-tha, the Gordon Road Detention Basin in Bardon is easy to overlook. It sits quietly within the suburb, easily missed by passing traffic. But Queensland law classifies it as something worth paying attention to: a referable dam.

Read: Bardon Flood Relief Drainage Upgrade Begins on Lorward Avenue

That’s not a term most people know off the top of their head, but it carries real weight. Under Queensland legislation, a dam is classified as referable if a failure impact assessment demonstrates there would be two or more people at risk downstream if the dam were to fail. Every referable dam is required to have an Emergency Action Plan that outlines how to manage the dam during an emergency, including inundation maps of potential downstream impact.

Brisbane City owns three referable dams: Forest Lake Dam in Forest Lake, the Gordon Road Detention Basin in Bardon, and Gubberley Creek Basin in Kenmore. Of those three, the Gordon Road basin sits squarely in one of Brisbane’s most densely settled inner-west communities, with parts of Bardon and the broader Ithaca Creek corridor, which includes Rosalie, lying downstream.

Gordon Road Detention Basin Catchment (Photo credit: dlgwv.qld.gov.au)

All dams in the Brisbane local government area are ungated, meaning water is not controlled through the operation of gates. They are designed to spill when water levels get too high, and in some circumstances a dam spill may result in downstream flooding, localised road closures, and in extreme situations, an uncontrolled release of water.

That last scenario is precisely what an Emergency Action Plan is designed to manage. In a dam-related emergency, everyone has a responsibility for their own safety. That is not bureaucratic boilerplate. It is a genuine reminder that emergency plans only work when the community they are designed to protect is actually aware of them.

A Suburb With a Long Memory for Flood Water

Ithaca Creek (Photo credit: CC-BY-SA-3.0/Robertwhyteus/Wikimedia Commons)

For Bardon and Rosalie residents, flood awareness is hardly a new concept. Ithaca Creek, which runs through the heart of the area, has a long history of inundation. Historical records show the Ithaca Creek area was considered swampy and flood-prone, and was frequently inundated throughout the twentieth century. More recently, the creek has continued to make its presence felt. During Cyclone Alfred in March 2025, Ithaca Creek at Bardon flooded and cut off roads, with locals noting they have become accustomed to flooding at the creek over recent years.

Flooding in the area is also set to become a more prominent issue on paper, not just in practice. Brisbane’s flood study of the Ithaca and Enoggera Creek catchments, incorporating climate change modelling, has resulted in more than 10,000 properties being added to flood overlay maps, with many of those in Bardon, Red Hill and surrounding suburbs.

Against that backdrop, questions remain about how well-informed downstream residents are about the dam upstream. Queensland law requires dam owners to inform people in the Population at Risk so they can be prepared and know what to do in a dam-related emergency.

A nearby situation in 2025 showed just how quickly a detention basin scenario can escalate. In March of that year, an emergency alert was issued for the Gubberley Creek Detention Basin in Kenmore, also a Brisbane City-owned referable dam, with residents advised to prepare to leave as a possible failure was flagged. The alert was later cancelled, but it served as a live reminder that these structures are not merely theoretical risk items on a planning document.

Read: The Streets of Bardon: How Time Reshaped Local Thoroughfares

Does Your Property Fall Into the Downstream Hazard Zone?

Public notification and general information are sent based on an established protocol within the Gordon Rd EAP that covers:

Residents will receive letters about the dam and can sign up for free Brisbane Severe Weather Alerts (via Council or the free Weatherzone app).
FloodWise Property Reports (free online) show property-specific flood risk, including if within a Referable Dam Area.
Automated Brisbane Severe Weather Alerts will be sent to subscribers, if dam warning triggers are reached.
In extreme events, the below emergency alert will be issued to nearby residents.

Properties on Gordon Rd and on portions of Outlook Crescent, Vista St, Simpsons Rd, and Barnett Rd are within the Emergency Messaging polygon.

Emergency Messaging Polygon
Image Credit: Page 47 of Gordon Rd EAP

For residents wanting to check whether their property falls within a downstream hazard zone for the Gordon Road basin can check the Flood Awareness Map here. More information about the Gordon Rd Emergency Action Plan can be accessed here.

Published 31-March-2026

Bardon Flood Relief Drainage Upgrade Begins on Lorward Avenue

Residents along Lorward Avenue in Bardon are set to see flood relief, with a major stormwater drainage upgrade now underway and due for completion by June 2026. The project aims to reduce the risk of localised flooding in a street that sits within the catchment of Ithaca Creek, a waterway that floods on a regular basis.

Read: The Streets of Bardon: How Time Reshaped Local Thoroughfares

The works involve installing new stormwater pipes and pits to increase the capacity of the underground drainage network. The upgraded system is designed to carry additional stormwater flows to Ithaca Creek, improving the overall performance of the network during significant rainfall events.

To keep surface disruption to a minimum, Brisbane said micro-tunnelling techniques are being used, a method that minimises surface disruption while enabling new infrastructure to be put in place.

One key aspect of the works involves securing access to a property at 37A Lorward Avenue, which sits close to a critical section of the new stormwater pipe. An easement has also been obtained across land through the Karalee Country Club, an arrangement that, according to Cr Seal Chong Wah, proceeded without opposition from the club’s owners.

Cr Wah, who spoke in support of the project in chambers late last year, described the upgrade as delivering “much needed new drainage infrastructure” for the area. The project is expected to provide a 10-year Average Recurrence Interval (ARI) immunity from stormwater flooding, a technical benchmark that measures how often a flood of a given size is likely to occur. There are also hopes the works will reduce sewage overflows during storm events, something Cr Wah noted had been “quite disturbing to this community.”

Read: Bardon State School Leads Australia with First Accredited Forest School Program

“We have the largest amount of development on any flood plain in Australia, and the consequences of that in a climate crisis world will be challenging – probably devastating. It is critical that this council invests in flood and climate resilience,” she wrote.

Residents with questions about the Lorward Avenue works can contact Brisbane on 07 3403 8888.

Published 31-March-2026