It has been planned for years, but the upgrade for Walter Taylor Bridge still needs to become a reality. As the bridge continues to cause bottlenecks during the peak hours of the day, some residents are putting pressure on the government to address worsening traffic situation in the area.
Photo credit: markbaileymp/Twitter
Protesters will be gathering on Saturday, 5 August at Nadine St Park in Graceville to call for action on people’s request to build a duplicate Walter Taylor Bridge.
Leading the rally is State MP for Yeerongpilly Mark Bailey. Mr Bailey has been vocal on social media, expressing his dismay at how Walter Taylor Bridge was ignored in the last budget.
Mr Bailey hit Brisbane City Council for allocating $650 million to expand Kingsford-Smith Drive from two lanes to three lanes, while not funding the upgrade of one-lane Walter Taylor Bridge.
A second Walter Taylor Bridge connecting Indooroopilly and Chelmer has been proposed for years ago. It involves the construction of a duplicate bridge immediately downstream of the pedestrian and bicycle bridge. The second bridge could provide one lane in both directions or focus on southbound traffic, while the existing bridge will be for northbound traffic.
According to the RACQ survey, 65 percent of respondents supported the plan to construct a duplicate Walter Taylor Bridge, while 24.2 percent were neutral about the idea and 10.8 percent were against the proposal.
Result of the RACQ survey which ended June 2017 showed strong support for a second Walter Taylor Bridge. (Source: live.racq.com.au)
Look forward to this year’s 29th of July. St David’s Fete will be on again at St David’s Anglican Church! This fun annual event for all ages runs from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The whole Chelmer community and locals from the neighbouring suburbs are invited for a number of surprises. There’s something for everyone, especially the kids! How about a try in an animal nursery?
First-Ever Wildlife Nursery Experience
It would be interesting to cuddle with wildlife at the fete. Photo Credit: Featured image from http://wildrangers.com.au
Yes, you got that right! For this year’s fete, the church at Chelmer will be working with Wild Rangers, Wildlife Encounters to give everyone a first-hand experience on nursing adorable creatures from your friendly neighbourhood wildlife. Quite an irresistible surprise for children and adults alike!
From 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., enjoy wildlife at its best and watch the animals to your heart’s content. Go play with the frog, spider, or lizard. And if you’re feeling brave, caress the snake or pat the crocodile. The choice is yours! This is guaranteed to be fun for all ages.
Fun with Stalls Galore
The jumping castle awaits at this year’s fete! Photo Credit: St David’s Anglican Church Chelmer Graceville/Facebook
Kids and kids at heart will also enjoy other entertainments like the jumping castle, face-painting, and inviting stalls. Last year’s event was a blast with these enjoyments. This year’s St David’s Fete will be not much of a difference! It’s going to be pure, clean fun for everyone.
Whether you’re young or old, male or female, there’s a stall for you to indulge in items of your interests. Walk along the suburb’s 62 Chelmer Street East on the stated date. Check out the various stalls for coffee, tea, cakes, snacks, jams, and crafts. There’s even a second-hand bargain bookstore for the avid reading locals. You can also purchase raffle tickets to try your luck on nifty prizes.
Prepare to go hungry for mouth-watering displays at the food stalls. Photo Credit: St David’s Anglican Church Chelmer Graceville/Facebook
Don’t miss out on this exciting, once-a-year St David’s Fete! It’s that time of the year again when the St David’s Anglican Church will be temporarily transformed into a bustling community spot. For inquiries and reservations, call on (+61) 7 3379 8894 or send an email to office@stdavidschelmer.com.au.
Walk along Graceville’s Oxley Road and there you’ll see the beautiful Graceville Uniting Church. It was designed and built by Walter Taylor, a small man renowned for his big dreams and incredible structures, one of which is the Indooroopilly toll bridge that was later renamed in his honor. Just like the said bridge, the church in Graceville was constructed in a cost-efficient manner. It was a building of hope built during the terrible time of Australia’s “Great Depression”.
FREE Open House Tour
Mr Taylor’s heritage-listed church, one of Brisbane’s beloved structures at present, will be included in the Brisbane Open House scheme this 7th (Saturday) and 8th (Sunday) October 2017. In 2016, about 100 best buildings in Brisbane were open for public exploration. Among them are famous structures like the Masonic Memorial Temple, St John’s Cathedral, Ecosciences Precinct, Fort Lytton Historic Military Precinct, Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium, and Walter Taylor Bridge. Click here for the full list.
The Brisbane Open House is a FREE annual event successfully launched in 2010. It provides residents and tourists with “the rare opportunity to discover the hidden wealth of architecture, engineering and history in buildings and places” all around Brisbane. Basically, it gives everyone a “behind-the-scenes” to some of the most beautiful structures in Brisbane. Open House Ambassador Darren Lockyer, along with his team, believes events such as this would “foster civic engagement and civic pride.”
Now proudly standing in Graceville’s 215 Oxley Road, the beautiful church made by Mr Taylor was once an ongoing structure seemingly built for hope. It was generously constructed by voluntary labour, along with donated cash and materials, in the period of the country’s “Great Depression”. Despite the hard times, Mr Taylor’s heartfelt desire to build the church was deeply supported by the community.
Hope springs in terrible times. Walter Taylor’s beautiful church stands tall and holy. Photo Credit: Lost Brisbane/Facebook
A devoted Methodist during his time, Mr Taylor incorporated bits of his faith in the church’s design. There are 33 buttresses outside the church recognising Jesus’ 33 years of mortal life on earth before he was crucified. The three candle-shaped windows between each buttress represent the Holy Trinity – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Four panels separate these windows, each representing the Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The 12 windows that run down the sides of the church stand for the apostles.
An inspiration to every church goer, Walter Taylor’s faith can be seen in every corner of the church. Photo Credit: Kris Gall via Brisbane Open House/Facebook
One notable issue during the church’s construction was that it was built over a naturally passing spring. The original timber flooring was eventually replaced when it was easily rotted by the water. A pump was then placed in the basement to keep the water out and the flooring was made into raked concrete covered in tiles. At first, many resented the idea of building the church in its current location given the natural spring below it. Many years later, however, the remarkably well-engineered Graceville Uniting Church still stands proud and beautiful.
Mr Taylor’s innovative ways and incomparable Gothic designs were breakthroughs on the Methodist architecture in the interwar years. He never had any formal training in his chosen industry. He learned all about architecture, construction, and engineering “on the job” at his father’s construction business. Powered by nothing but passion and experience, he inspired many by making people’s lives easier with his useful projects. Those impressive structures he built during his lifetime have been so well-appreciated by everyone, even until today.
Parents with very young children in their twos and fours sometimes find it challenging to find and schedule activities for their kids during the winter holiday break, with everything else that’s going on for the rest of the family.
Here are some good news for the little kiddos at Chelmer and Graceville, including locals over the Walter Taylor Bridge! There are a couple of activities within the area, to be held over the next two weeks, that parents can check out for their little ones.
Chelmer Station Kindy “Open Day”
On 16 June (Friday), the Chelmer Station Community Kindergarten will hold a “Lantern Parade” at 5:00 p.m. followed by an “Open Day” on 17 June (Saturday) at 9:30 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. The Open Day will be an excellent opportunity for little ones and their parents to spend time together. Enjoy the day’s activities and the centre’s beautiful sensory garden.
Located at Chelmer’s 6 Halsbury Street, the community-based and not-for-profit Chelmer Station CommunityKindergarten is inviting all the other “surrounding Kindergartens and Early Childhood Centres” to join them in their lantern walk prior to the “Open Day”. The centre believes that this would be a good “opportunity for the community to come together as one.” Indeed, this can be a meaningful activity to mark the start of the school holiday period.
Chelmer Station Kindy — supporting the community and providing quality kindergarten education since 1951. Photo Credit: Featured image from http://www.chelmerstationkindy.com.au
Chelmer StationCommunityKindergarten is an “Approved Kindergarten Provider”. Since 1951, they have been working to “develop a rich and vibrant pathway forward for the children and families” who live in the suburb and the neighbouring areas. This is an institution that strongly values the “community”.
In line with their mission to “strengthen the community spirit,” ChelmerStation Kindy takes pride in being an institution that “exceeds national quality standards” under the National Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education and Care. During the “Open Day”, the centre’s director, as well as the teachers, educators, and members of the management committee, shall be openly available for talks and inquiries. You may contact them beforehand via phone on (07) 3278 1327 or email at admin@chelmerstationkindy.com.au.
Bim BamBoom will host a June/July Holiday program for kids in Graceville and nearby areas. The program includes a variety of fun educational activities that are sure to keep every child’s holiday blues away.
At Bim BamBoom your kids will be busy with lots of educational toys, art workshops, and children’s birthday parties. With a variety of boredom buster activities, they’re sure to have fun while learning during the school holiday.
Boost your kid’s creativity with Bim Bam Boom’s Art Classes. Photo Credit: Featured image from http://www.bimbamboom.com.au
The June/July 2017 School Holiday Program runs for two weeks and will start on 26 June until 7 July. All their workshops involve “a range of hands-on activities” that will help develop every kid’s socialisation, spatial, and motor skills. Their “Arty Workshops” include fun-themed activities like “Sensory Toddlers Get Messy” (caters to kids aged 2 years and over), “Mini Boomers Move and Groove” (aged 4 years and over), and “Art after School” (aged 5 years and over).
Birthday parties at Bim Bam Boom are always fun and memorable. They cater to custom themes that would suit the birthday kid’s interests. They also have popular themes available for undecided birthday kids to choose from. From invitations, party food, games, activities, and party bags, Bim Bam Boom has it covered so parents can just sit back, relax, and anticipate the birthday party date.
Bim Bam Boom holds their workshops, parties, and activities in Graceville’s 316A Oxley Road, just south of the Walter Taylor Bridge. They’re open Mondays at 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Tuesdays to Fridays (9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.), and Saturdays (9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.). They may also be available at other times by appointment bookings. They’re closed during public holidays. For those arriving with vehicles, street parking is available. For inquiries, bookings, reservations, or confirmations, you may contact them by phone (07 3278 3788) or email (info@bimbamboom.com.au).
Running from 8th to 14th June at The Regal Twin Boutique Arthouse Cinema in Graceville, “The Sense of an Ending” is a movie adaptation of a 2011 Booker Prize-winning novel of the same title by celebrated British author Julian Barnes.
Most authors resign themselves to the reality that their story will never be the same again, once the film adaptation has come out. In fact, Director Ritesh Batrarecounts a meeting that he had with Julian Barnes, about which the only recollection he has are the author’s parting words, spoken jokingly but with more than a hint of resigned acceptance: “Go ahead and betray me.”
Usually, when a book is made into a movie, the two versions either wildly differ at certain points of digression; or they mimic each other ad nauseam in ways that fail to translate effectively from print to screen. To his credit, despite being given carte blanche by the author, Ritesh avoids these directorial pitfalls. Instead, he delivers a marvelously restrained version that, helped along by Nick Payne’s skillful screenplay, remains relatively faithful to the essence of the book, while still making allowances for the vagaries of the use of film as his storytelling medium.
Official Trailer from Studiocanal
In this movie, Jim Broadbent plays the part of Dr. Tony Webster, a cranky, semi-retired doctor in his 70s who runs his own vintage camera shop in London. Still quite friendly with his ex-wife Margaret Webster (played by Harriet Walker), Tony sometimes meets with her over tea to discuss their lives. Margaret has always been Tony’s sounding board. He likes to talk. It has always been her role to listen.
The two remain in relatively good terms, despite the break-up of their marriage. Both are mutually supportive of their daughter, Susie (Michelle Dockery of “Downton Abbey” fame). It is not an ideal family set-up, particularly in one’s golden years. However, Tony seems quite happily settled into his regular routine, until a letter arrives that shakes him out of his comfortable complacency.
Jim Broadbent as Tony Walker. Photo from Studiocanal Production Images
From the letter, Tony learns that he has been bequeathed a section of an old diary by the deceased mother of an old college girlfriend. As Tony attempts to obtain the diary, he struggles to tell Margaret stories from his past. It soon becomes apparent that Tony isn’t telling her everything. The audience, along with Margaret is left wondering what he could be leaving out, and why.
Slowly, with a painstaking build-up of details, Tony’s story is told, using flashbacks throughout the film to complete the quilt of a life stitched from the patchwork of his reveries. The judicious use of flashbacks frequently leaves the audience pondering. Gradually, a missing diary and a letter from the past help piece together a mystery which casts its long shadow over the present.
Tony and Veronica, in their youth (Billy Howle and Freya Manor). Photo from Studiocanal
Scenes from Tony’s youth unfold. Young Tony (portrayed by Billy Howle) dates a young and attractive Veronica (Freya Manor). He gets invited to a weekend at her family’s cottage in the country. Things get more interesting when Tony’s best friend, a clever but troubled lad named Adrian Finn (Joe Alwyn) turns out to be besotted with Veronica too. While there, Tony also meets Veronica’s mother, the flirtatious Sarah (Emily Mortimer) with whom he gets along disturbingly well. It is Sarah who will later leave pages from a late friend’s diary to him.
In his quest to decipher Sarah’s motives for leaving him the diary, Tony finds adult Veronica (Charlotte Rampling) and looks for answers to long-forgotten questions that his reveries have unearthed. The tentative dynamics of their reunion in later life appear in marked contrast to the flirtation of their younger years.
The film depicts a young Tony who feels like he is trapped in “some kind of holding pen.” This perception of being in “some kind of holding pen”, words straight from the novel, seems to be a significant theme running through the movie. The opening voice-over mentions it, along with Tony’s impatient wait to be “released” into his life. In his subsequent life as old Tony, his attempts to master his memories and understand the present events that puzzle him, have put him into another holding pattern.
It gradually becomes apparent that underneath the ennui of Tony’s present life lies a turmoil of events and emotions that have either been repressed, forgotten, or both. The young Tony differs wildly in temperament and manner from the old Tony, and Broadbent gives a fascinating portrayal that elicits both the audience’s sympathy and revulsion at all the right times.
Video Still Photo from the Official Trailer by Studiocanal
Through little gestures, a flash of irritation across one’s face, a brow raised in amusement, or an impatient pursing of the lips, Harriet Walker gives a beautifully restrained performance as the long-suffering Margaret. Her portrayal of a tolerant ex-wife provides the perfect counterfoil to Broadbent’s dry misanthropy.
In book form, the story would have the reader flipping pages, re-reading passages while slowly sifting through “facts” and “perceptions.” Director Ritesh Batra does a good job of revealing the dark edges of a seemingly humdrum set of characters. It’s rather like walking through the door, opening someone’s hall closet, and finding an unremarkable rack of coats. Nothing really stands out from a closet full of coats, until you notice the skeletons within. The subtlety with which the skeletons are revealed is perhaps more powerful than having them jump out of the closet at the audience.
The movie, as did the book, deals effectively with the ripples of events across the pond of time, revealing the frailties of human memory, and exposing the tangled web that people weave, whether by deception or design. In the midst of the flashbacks, the streams of consciousness, and the characters’ vague narratives, the storytelling remains tantalisingly obscure. Key events and the all-important final discovery remain hidden and have to be inferred.
“Go ahead and betray me,” said the book’s author to the film’s director. As it turns out, the film is neither betrayal nor tribute. Like the book, it does not end with any sort of satisfying flourish. There is a sense of events coming to a head; but like the book, and perhaps like life itself, the film gives no clear meaning to motives and events, and no clear endings either.
There is no closure. There is, in fact, no sense of an ending.
“The Sense of an Ending” is showing daily until the 14th of June at The Regal Twin Boutique Arthouse Cinema in Graceville. Click below for more information.
St Aidan’s Anglican Girls School in Corinda was founded in 1929 and enjoys an exalted reputation, but did you know it is the only school in Queensland to be in the top 5 for all NAPLAN results last year; that its girls help build orphanages in Cambodia; or that St Aidan’s girls have an international reputation for building apps?
If we gauge St Aidan’s based on the recognition, awards and honours its students have received and won, it’s easy to say that the school is an overachiever.
Academic and Sports Achievements
2016 was an exceptional year for St Aidan’s as it registered its highest result on the National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) since the NAPLAN test began in 2008. All the year levels (Years 3, 5, 7 and 9) were at the top five for the state for the said test. St Aidan’s NAPLAN results were also above the national average in 2016.
In the past year, St Aidan’s was the highest performing girls’ school in Queensland based on OP results.
The 2016 NAPLAN results are a source of great pride for the school. Mrs Karen Spiller, Principal of St Aidan’s, asserts that the results “highlight the dedication of both teachers and students towards their work.”
Winning the CBCA Brisbane West Regional Readers Cup Competition is just one of the many achievements of St Aidan’s girls. (Photo credit: St Aidan’s Anglican Girls’ School/Facebook)
Aside from excellent performance in academics, St Aidan’s girls are also winners in sports, including tennis, hockey and Cross Country championship. Just recently, St Aidan’s managed to retain the Joan Benson Percentage Shield during the 2017 QGSSSA Cross Country Championship.
We spoke to Mrs Spiller about the reputation her school has established.
Tech Girl Superheroes
Among the recent achievements that St Aidan’s is so proud of is its success in the field of mobile app development. St Aidan’s girls won in a national competition and were selected to represent Australia in a global challenge.
Georgia Brown, Robyn Conradie, Emmaline Monteith and Jessica Miller created an app called Pawsout, which connects dog owners with dog walkers. But instead of connecting with professional dog walkers, the app invites young, amateur dog walkers who want to spend more time outdoors and exercise. This also benefits dog owners who may not have time to take their dogs out. Learn more about the girls’ Pawsout app.
After winning the top prize at the Next Tech Girl Superhero in 2015, the girls were sponsored to attend the Technovation competition in San Francisco.
Speechability is one of two Australian apps that made it to the Technovation semi-finals (Photo credit: Video still from Speechability/YouTube)
Another batch of St Aidan’s girls also impressed in the arena of app development. Aeshlein Ralston, Lilyan Sullivan and Alisa Timofeeva developed a wonderful mobile application called Speechability. The app is designed to assist people with autism to find a variety of nearby jobs that will suit their skills and ability.
The Speechability app has been named as one of 200 semi-finalists in the Technovation Challenge. The St Aidan’s girls will be pitching their app in San Francisco in August 2017.
The success of the girls exemplifies St Aidan’s commitment to developing and encouraging student interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
As part of its ongoing efforts to provide an environment to foster STEM development, the school is enhancing its Innovation + Design Hub in a redevelopment project worth $4.7 million.
Mrs Spiller tells us about St Aidan’s upcoming Innovation + Design Hub and their overall plan for STEM.
Music and Language Make a Difference
So what makes St Aidan’s students so good in all their endeavours, from academics to innovation to sports and fitness? Mrs Spiller believes that the secret lies in their unique music and language program.
One of the things that make St Aidan’s stand out from the rest, is its inclusion of music and language into the curriculum of students from Kindergarten to Year 3. Each day, students get 20 minutes of music education and 20 minutes of language, either Japanese or Chinese.
These short daily courses, over time, help stimulate the students’ thinking. Mrs Spiller attributes the school’s success in topping NAPLAN to this program of adding music and language in the daily curriculum of young kids.
Giving Back to the Community
St Aidan’s also makes it a point to give back to the community. The school is active in fundraising events such as the Mater Chicks in Pink Fun Run, which is held annually to support women battling breast cancer.
St Aidan’s outreach programs also extend beyond Australia. Every two years, the girls raise funds to reach out to an orphanage in Cambodia. The girls visit an orphanage to work and play with the kids in that orphanage.
This clip features St Aidan’s volunteers interacting with an outreach community in Cambodia.
Shaping Children’s Future
For St Aidan’s, more important than all the accolades and awards is seeing their students ready to integrate into the world and confident in being who they are.
Mrs Spiller talks about what St Aidan’s hopes for their girls.
St Aidan’s hopes to impart the core values of the school to its girls. When the time comes for them to leave St Aidan’s, they will become a valuable part of the community, they will leave their mark upon the world just like these notable alumni of the school:
Kate Carnell (’72) – Businesswoman and former Liberal Party politician, who served as the third Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) from 1995 to 2000
Sarah Clarke (’89) – National Environment and Science Correspondent for ABC
About eight years have passed since the last resident of Walter Taylor’s inhabitable bridge left in 2009. Formerly known as the Indooroopilly Toll Bridge, Australia’s longest span suspension bridge is the only one in the country that harbors a lot of memories and untold stories. Until now, traces of residency are still visible. These traces form the undeniable imprints of the people who once called the bridge’s towers their home.
Today, few passersby stop to wonder about what happened to the newly-washed laundry that once dangled on the line strung outside the bridge. Today, there is nothing there to see. The bridge’s inhabitable towers were immediately closed for occupancy after the last resident left. Eventually, however, it reopened for public tours with the Brisbane Greeters. What people only know now is that life went on inside the bridge’s pylons. To the curious, the question still remains: How was life inside the Walter Taylor Bridge?
Inhabitable Towers
The bridge, which was built and designed by Walter Taylor, was primarily meant to solve the dilemma of vehicular travel from Chelmer to Indooroopilly. Before it was built, automobiles and travellers depended on ferry service to take them across the Brisbane River. The bridge, when it finally opened on 14 February 1936, made the lives of travellers a whole lot easier. The only downside, however, was that they must pay the toll upon crossing the bridge.
For the convenience of the toll collectors, the bridge’s pylons at the Indooroopilly side were thus made to be inhabitable. The first toll collectors and their families at the time were the earliest occupants of the bridge. As time went by, the descendants of these collectors maintained the toll-keeping and residency in the bridge’s pylons.
The great view the tollkeepers and their families had for years must have been something worth living in a bridge tower for. Photo Credit: Everywhere History/Facebook
Meanwhile, the tower at the Chelmer side of the bridge was rented to university students between the 1970s and 1980s. Traces of their occupancy are still visible up to now on the walls and ceilings inside the pylon. For sentimental reasons most probably, the traces were preserved as they leave a lasting remembrance of the cheers, laughters, and tears that once resided in the wide halls of the tower.
After Mr Taylor’s death in November 1955, the bridge he built was then renamed in his honour. In 1965, management of the bridge was eventually taken over by the Brisbane City Council. The toll fee was removed and travellers then started crossing the bridge for free. In 1992, Walter Taylor Bridge, with its impressive towers, was included in the Queensland Heritage Register.
The Unforgettable Last Moment of Occupancy
One of the last residents of Brisbane’s inhabitable bridge made headlines in 2009 when he had to be rescued by firefighters using a crane. The 300-kilogram 57-year-old man, who does not want any further attention from the media, apparently suffered from an asthma attack. He phoned for an ambulance but paramedics later reportedly found it was “impossible to stretcher him down two narrow flights of stairs” inside the tower where he resided with his family.
“A decision was made to cut out a window in the room where the patient was and get him out and on to a crane. It all went pretty smoothly,” said Steve Marmotta, a station officer from the Taringa fire brigade.
The man was then taken to the Royal Brisbane Hospital as he was already in a critical condition when rescued. According to council maintenance workers in the area, the said man “had not left the building” for years. They said it could not have been possible for him to do so since he won’t be able to “get down the narrow flights of stairs.”
It was confirmed that the man and his family are descendants of Mort Green, the bridge’s tollmaster whose family was privileged to reside in the tower for 70 years. After the last of the Greens was rescued, police authorities then ordered the bridge closed before 5:00 p.m. on 19 August 2009. Since then, no family has resided in the bridge again.
Open for Tours
Now referred to as Brisbane’s Art Deco towers, regular tours are being conducted for free by the Brisbane Greeters. The 60-minute tour features a two-kilometre bridge precinct walk and a chance to experience what it’s like to be inside the pylons. Each tour departs from the corner of Railway Avenue and Lambert Road, next to the Indooroopilly Station. For inquiries on how to prepare and what to do on or prior to the tour, you may contact the tour guides via email (brisbanegreeters@brisbanemarketing.com.au) or phone (+61 7 3156 6364).
The lantern parade will be on Friday, 16 June, starting at 5 p.m. The event will be held at Faulkner Park Netball Courts in Graceville.
This is the fourth year that the community-based early education centre is conducting a lantern parade. The event is a perfect time for the community to come together in for a night of food and fun.
All surrounding kindergartens and early childhood centres are invited to join in making lanterns and the lantern walk. There will be delicious German food and drinks as well as Gluhwein for sale.
The next day, 17 June, will be the centre’s Open Day from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. On that day, the centre’s director, teachers and educators will be on hand to talk to visitors and their children. Visitors coming to the Open Day can also spend time in the beautiful garden of the centre.
About Chelmer Station Community Kindergarten
Chelmer Station Community Kindergarten is a Lady Gowrie affiliated kindergarten. As a Lady Gowrie kindergarten, the centre provides early childhood education program for children in the year before they start school.
The centre is community-based and has the expertise to customise early childhood services based on the needs of the local children and their families. Get to know more about Chelmer Station Community Kindergarten on Open Day. You can also visit their website at www.chelmerstationkindy.com.au for additional information.
The 29th of May marks the Kerbside Collection day for some areas over the Walter Taylor Bridge, namely: Chelmer, Graceville, Sherwood, and Oxley. With only a few days to go, you are probably starting to get ready by now. To make things easier for you, here are four tips on how to prepare for the upcoming collection.
1. Declutter your stuff, the KonMari way.
The KonMari way suggests categorising items before deciding what to get rid of. Photo Credit: Marie “Konmari” Kondo/Facebook
KonMari is a decluttering method introduced by Marie Kondo from Japan. The process basically involves gathering all the items you want to organise from all over the house then grouping these items in categories like “shoes”, “clothes”, or “books”. This process will allow you to concentrate on each category; thereby making the course of decluttering faster and easier.
Once the items are categorised, go through them and start deciding what to get rid of and what to keep. The best thing to do is to put in your mind that “everything has to go”. Then, choose only those items that “spark joy.” According to the KonMari method, “keep only those things that speak to your heart. Then take the plunge and discard all the rest.”
2. Check the BCC’s list of Acceptable and Non-acceptable items.
Mayor Tom Tate of Gold Coast assists workers collect non-acceptable kerbside “rubbish”. Photo Credit: Redland City Bulletin
Be careful when putting your unwanted items on the kerb. Due to previous Kerbside Collection incidents, the Brisbane City Council (BCC) has set standards on things that are acceptable and those that are not. To prevent any further inconveniences on both the BCC and the community, illegal dumping fines will be imposed for non-acceptable items that are not removed on the kerb within seven days of the collection period.
3. Measure your pile according to BCC’s pile limit.
BCC imposes limits on the pile size. Photo Credit: http://www.1coast.com.au/Book-a-Bulk-General-Waste-Collection
For everyone’s convenience, the BCC has also set a limit on the measure of respective piles that locals can mount up. Be sure to measure your pile. It should not exceed two cubic metres. If you have a lot of items you want to discard, organise them further upon piling on the kerb to save more space for bigger items. Note that the BCC will not collect items from piles that exceed the imposed limit.
4. Determine which stuff you can donate or recycle.
Too many unwanted items? Consider donating or recycling. Photo Credit: http://babyology.com.au/miscellaneous/charity-begins-at-home-a-guide-to-donating-baby-goods.html
If you find you have a lot of items you want to get rid of and your pile already exceeds the BCC limit, consider other options instead. There are a few other ways to efficiently discard those unwanted items. You may find that not only will you be decluttering your space, but you will also be discarding items for a good cause.
For one, the BCC has resource recovery centres (or transfer stations) you might want to check out. They are located in Chandler, Ferny Grove, Nudgee, and Willawong. These upgraded centres offer “free recycling for vehicles under 4.5 tonnes RGVM.” Help reduce the amount of waste landfill and bring your items to one of the centres. They are open seven days a week (including holidays) from 6:30 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. Fees and charges apply or you can just use your waste vouchers instead.
Items given to the BCC centres go to the Council’s tip shops in Acacia Ridge and Geebung. Run by Endeavour Foundation, the proceeds of these shops are used to support people with disabilities. The shops are open every weekend from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Feel free to stop by.
Another way to discard items is to check which ones are still usable. As the practical adage goes, “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” Certainly, there are items that are still pretty much useful to others. Consider donating them. You can bring/send these items to GIVIT or NACRO.
GIVIT is a “national not-for-profit” organisation with an online service that lists items “urgently needed” by other locals. The service also “connects you to trusted charities” where you can donate useable items.
NACRO (National Association of Charitable Recycling Organisations, Inc.) is Australia’s “peak organisation” for charities and charity op shops. They accept recyclable items like “clothing, furniture, household and workplace goods.” These items will be either be given to the disadvantaged or used for funding local welfare programs.
There you go! Once you have everything sorted out, you will then be ready to put all those unneeded items at the kerb. Do it on the weekend prior to the designated collection schedule. Note that on the day of the collection, everything must already be on the kerb by 6:00 a.m.
Remember to pile the items tidily so the streets won’t look like some stray dogs have just toppled a big wheelie bin. Put smaller items in boxes and fold the clothes neatly. Big items like refrigerators, cupboards, and couches, should not block the pathway or even a miniature section of the road.
For more information about BCC’s kerbside collection, download the award-winning Brisbane Bin and Recycling app here. The app is totally free and it comes with a reminder feature, too. That way, you won’t be able to miss out on your suburb’s collection day.
