The house on Tarragindi Street is the first property to break the $3 million mark in this South Brisbane suburb on a day that has been one of the strongest auction days of the year. Eight online bidders had their eye on the house before it sold on 7 Aug 2021, as parts of Queensland were on its 8th day of another lockdown.
Ideally suited for a growing family who loves to entertain, the Tarragindi house offers relaxed outdoor living with its expansive backyard, featured with a heated pool and heaps of space for dining and barbeque.
Photo Credit: realestate.com.au
To the center of the house is a gourmet kitchen that’s meant to become the gathering point among families and friends. The home’s architecture is an impressive three-level concrete building with titanium zinc and cedar cladding. It has an easy outdoor flow that faces a gorgeous view of Brisbane.
Photo Credit: realestate.com.au
Inside, the living area has an Italian tiled gas fireplace and custom-built cabinets. A lift brings the family to the second floor, which has a balcony for lounging and entertaining. The home also has its own media room, gym, and a guest bedroom with a separate entry.
Place Estate Agents managing director Paul Curtain revealed that there had been some apprehension in the market because of the new COVID-19 outbreaks.
However, the response from the market remained strong despite the lockdown as most of the properties during the auction closed within or above the reserve price. Mr Curtain said that property experts don’t see the market changing amidst the restrictions as private inspection could be arranged.
Found at a small corner of a row of shops along Windmill Street in Tarragindi is a family-owned business serving what many of its patrons say are the best “value for money” burgers and seafood meals. Little is known about the owners of Georgie’s Corner but the shop could easily be south Brisbane’s hidden gem waiting to be discovered by more customers.
The store quietly opened in early 2019, offering heaps of burgers and chips combo to satisfy the preference of every burger lover. They have Americana-style or Southern-style burgers, a selection of grilled fish burgers, as well as big servings of Australian beef burgers.
The crew also offers grilled or fried chicken burgers matched with salads and housemade dressing. Vegetarians or those who want a healthy option may also order their grilled mushroom and spinach burgers with a generous helping of Turkish rolls.
Photo Credit: FacebookPhoto Credit: Lee Chi Lee/Google Maps
Georgie’s Corner used to be part of Ekka before the government-mandated lockdowns prevented the re-opening of this major Brisbane event. They offered delicious batches of Dagwood Dogs (corn dog) which are easily sold out. However, the corn dog isn’t part of their regular menu at the Tarragindi eatery but perhaps the customers could make a special request.
Photo Credit: Facebook
Meanwhile, every Tuesday, this burger and chips joint serves side dishes for free for customers coming in for takeaways or dine-ins between 4:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Georgie’s Corner has no official site but you can check out their menu via Uber Eats or keep tabs of their deals on their Facebook page.
“Best fish and chips we’ve had, and ultra consistent. Good selection, friendly staff, fantastic prices (usually feed a family of 3 for approx. $30 with leftovers) prepared quickly. Awesome local spot.”
Blockface, Google Reviews
“They had me at chips covered in chicken salt – yum! I got the classic burger, it was great – juicy beef patty and fresh mixed salad. The food was made pretty fast, friendly service and decent pricing. I was very impressed. Great local takeaway, will definitely come again.”
Amy Alexander, Google Reviews
“Friendly service always. Fabulous old fashioned and tasty burgers and chips. A wee gem in Tarragindi. Lovely cooked fish also.”
Sixteen-year-old Hayden Hume, born and raised in Tarragindi, is set to make his debut in the second round of the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Australia (TGRA) 86 Series’ grassroots support category for the 2021 Supercars Championship in Winton at the end of July.
Hayden, a Year 11 student from St Laurence’s College in South Brisbane, is excited to take the next step in his motor racing career after three years of kart racing experience, winning two Junior Club Championships in 2019.
Photo credit: Supplied
The grassroots support category for the 2021 Supercars Championship will pit three teenage motor racing drivers against one another, lining them up on the grid for the first time ever for some exciting wheel to wheel action. This year’s entrants for the category include Hayden, Kai Allen, and Connor Roberts.
According to Hayden, he first got into kart racing in 2016 at a small local club called Auskart where he learned the basics before moving on to Ipswich Kart Club after he was ready to compete at a higher level in both two and four stroke karting. In 2019, he then took part in, and won, two Junior Club Championships.
Photo credit: Supplied
“I would consider the 2020 season in karts, racing in Ka3 junior, competing in the state championships and finishing third in the club championship at Ipswich as my greatest accomplishment so far,” says Hayden, who now intends to focus all his efforts on improving and accumulating the experience and skills necessary to become an even better motorsports driver.
He only made the switch to motor racing after his father took him to Norwell Motorplex for some coaching in race cars with professional drivers, and, in his words, he “…was hooked.” Hayden and his father then purchased a Toyota 86 in 2020 to compete in the TGRA 86 Series in 2021 in order to prepare himself for his transition into circuit racing in motorsport.
Photo credit: Supplied
The TGRA 86 Series was envisioned to be the perfect developmental environment for aspiring motorsport drivers. Competitors all drive identical Toyota 86 automobiles that have been modified for high-performance racing, and these modifications are provided via an affordable package that can have them on the track for $50,000 — and that’s including the price of the original car.
“In a grassroots series like this, it is vital for drivers to receive support, as some competing in the series will become future professional racers. I would like to see all young racers in motorsport, to have the opportunity to be supported by professional drivers, in order to improve their skills like the Toyota 86 series does,” Hayden explains.
“Coming into the first race, I have received support from Toyota 86 driver and mentor, Steve Owen, which has greatly improved my skills that are needed to race these cars. If all young drivers could receive this advice, it would assist in the development of skills needed for the racetrack.”
“An area where I feel more attention should be put into, is the media presence of the series, as the talent of the up and coming young drivers is high, there are potentially drivers in this series who will become professionals in the future,” he adds.
Though the tournament was initially scheduled to take place at the end of May 2021, rising COVID-19 cases in Victoria led to the race’s postponement, with the state announcing 12 new cases and a raft of exposure sites. The new proposed event dates have been marked as the 31st of July to the 1st of August 2021.
Catch Hayden’s motor racing debut at the Winton Motor Raceway in Winton, Victoria. For more information and future updates, visit the TGRA 86 Series’ page on the Toyota website here. Follow their social media pages on Facebook and Instagram for the latest updates concerning cars, dates, racers, and other special announcements concerning the event.
Come celebrate the life of the late Michael Ulrich, a beloved Tarragindi teacher and director, with the upcoming Wellers Hill Bowls Club family fun day event “Here Comes the Sun”. The best part? It’s all free!
Taking place on the 23rd of MAy 2021, the event celebrates the life of the Tarragindi War Memorial Kindergarten’s colleague Michael Ulrich. Mr Ulrich was a kindly director and teacher who strived to provide the community with a safe environment for children to learn, live, grow, and develop themselves into becoming valuable contributors to the future.
Throughout the day, event-goers will be able to partake in an array of activities such as games, a bouncy castle, rides, kids’ activities, a raffle, and treat themselves to some food and drink, as well as live music. Here Comes the Sun aims to celebrate not only Mr Ulrich’s life, but also hope for the future by inspiring children and their family.
Activities throughout the day will raise funds for the Black Dog Institute — a non-profit organisation which advocates for mental health awareness and support, as well as suicide prevention.
Here Comes the Sun will be hosted at Wellers Hill Bowls Club at 34 Esher St, Tarragindi. The event will run between 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and entry will be completely free!
Those interested in confirming their attendance can do so by visiting their Facebook event page. For more information, and for the latest updates and announcements concerning the family fun day, follow their main Facebook page.
Toxic African tulip trees are killing off the stingless bee population and Tarragindi has 30 of the trees, according to beekeeper Phil Baskerville. The Brisbane beekeeper has conducted a study to map the locations of all African tulip trees in Brisbane and other Council areas up to the Gold Coast.
Given how difficult it is to pinpoint the exact location of Brisbane’s African tulip trees, local beekeeper Phil Baskerville has made it his mission to find and pin them using Google Maps though it’s clear such a task is too much for one man alone. That’s why he’s asking everyone who can, to help.
African tulip trees, also known as Spathodeas, are native to tropical Africa and have been brought to Australia to be planted as street trees. Initially coveted for their orange flowers, it was eventually discovered that their nectar was toxic to the country’s native stingless bees.
The flowers of an African tulip tree Photo credit: CC-BY-SA/Tatters ✾/Flickr
The trees have since been classified as a category 3 restricted invasive plant under the Biosecurity Act 2014. Giving them away, selling them, or releasing them into the environment is a criminal act with a maximum penalty of $66,725.
Mr Baskerville, who took up beekeeping as a hobby, asks the community to put a pin on the digital map for every African tulip tree they encounter. In Tarragindi alone, over 30 of these toxic trees have been discovered.
The digital map made by Phil Baskerville, with each pin representing an African tulip tree. Photo credit: Google Maps/African Tulip tree
Though their planting ceased over 20 years ago, the damage to Queensland’s ecosystem had already been done. An estimated 2,000 of these old tulip trees still remain in Brisbane, however their numbers have spread and increased all across the state — likely the result of birds eating the flowers of the trees and scattering the waste.
Those interested in helping Mr Baskerville can keep an eye out for these invasive trees, which can be distinguished from regular trees through their vibrant orange flowers. Once spotted, locals can mark them on Google Maps by placing a pin on their location.
African tulip trees stand out amidst more common trees. Photo credit: CC-BY-SA/bobosh_T/Flickr
A distinctively familiar retro house on Marshall Road in Tarragindi is going on the auction block for the first time in 38 years and it’s one with an equally interesting history as Mater Prize Home No. 22.
Anyone who has walked or driven past this house for the last 57 years has admired its quirky beauty. Designed by architect John Dawson and builder Les Smith, it’s one of 100 houses built for the Mater Prize Home Art Union fundraising initiative.
“I’ve only been eyeing it off for about 6 years when I drove past it for the first time and almost crashed while staring at it,” one local said in the Facebook group Retro Houses for Sale.
“The amount of times I’ve driven past and audibly sighed at this home’s beauty…and now it’s for sale!”
But in 1964, when Mater Prize Home No. 22 went up the market for the first time, it was billed as “the latest ultra-modern Mater prize home.”
Photo Credit: realestate.com.au
The house features four “dazzling bedrooms,” an “ultra-modern kitchen,” a deluxe dining room, lounge with a built-in sofa, patios and two garages. It also has a well-manicured garden with a “secluded barbecue area,” which was quite forward-looking at that time.
Some time ago, the former owners added security grills on the patio as an airy pet enclosure. Over the decades, this house has retained almost all of its original retro features, including the original hardwood flooring underneath the carpets.
Mater Prize Home No. 22, protected as local heritage-listed property, went up for auction on-site Sunday, 28 March 28, 2021.
People Went Out of Their Way to See It
When Mater Prize Homes were first sold, people would queue to see the properties and marvel at “modern conveniences” like airconditioning, plus design features like open-plan living, en suite bathrooms and built-in wardrobes. Today, these may be common features in many middle-class homes but these were considered “high-end” and “cutting edge” decades ago.
In those days, families would pack in their cars and drive down to look at a Mater Prize Home, if they have one near their area, as if they were on an excursion.
What is the Mater Prize Home initiative?
The Mater Prize Home initiative was established in 1954 and aimed to raffle off beautiful houses to Australian families to support the projects of Mater Foundation. Proceeds of this initiative went to supporting the patients’ financial needs during hospitalization, purchasing new life-saving equipment, funding research and diagnostics to treat and prevent even life-threatening diseases, and providing for the patients’ mental health care.
The Mater Foundation received more than $6 million in donated properties that were offered to the public via the house raffles. Tickets to the raffles had an initial cost of $2.
If you’ve been by Wellers Hill Bowls Club in Tarragindi in recent weeks, you may have noticed the ongoing construction work to the front of the community space. Some upgrades are being done to improve the outdoor areas and further renovations will continue indoors in the next four months.
The club confirmed the redevelopment in a post on Facebook as the first stage of the earthworks has gotten underway. This phase covers the construction of the wheelchair-accessible path to the entrance and the removal of the front garden section whilst changes will also be made to the courtyard.
Despite the construction, Wellers Hill Bowls Club will continue to trade and serve visitors. The normal activities guests have enjoyed through the years, such as the Thursday Trivia Nights and Jack Attack (barefoot bowling), will not be interrupted.
It is business as usual at the club! In fact, the weekend food truck showcase is still in full force with the following line-up for the month of March:
Photo Credit: Facebook
The upkeep and harvest from the Tarragindi Community Garden next door will not be affected by the renovations. However, the gardeners might have to make some sacrifices and use the rear entry for some weeks.
Meanwhile, Wellers Hill Bowls Club is seeking suggestions from the community for someone with a creative idea to turn a white wall into a beautiful mural. Do you know an artist who could make use of this free canvas?
Photo Credit: Facebook
“We’re interested in some pieces that represent our club, the community or even just something nice to look at while we undergo renovations,” the club officials said.
Email bookings@whbowls.net if you have brilliant ideas on what design could go on this wall.
The renovation works are expected to finish by June 2021.
Children can still learn so many things while on a break this summer holiday and if your family lives in Tarragindi or the nearby suburbs, then your kids can join a fun and exciting robotics program conducted by Junior Engineers.
Junior Engineers, established in 2013, provides young Australians with the avenue to create, learn to code, and master skills that are significantly useful in an era ruled by technology. The Robotics Program is designed as educational, enjoyable and entertaining with experienced industry experts guiding the students.
For this summer holiday, the following Robotics Program classes have opened up and will be taking place at the Wellers Hill State School on Toohey Road, Tarragindi.
WHEN
WHAT
OVERVIEW
16 to 17 Dec 2019
8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Learn to Code Through Gamification for Grades 2 to 3
Students learn the foundations of coding through a combination of block-based and text-based programming languages. Coding environments include Scratch and CodeMonkey which cover languages such as CoffeeScript and Python. Own laptop required.
Build Your Own Arduino Smartwatch and Code It With Awesome Smart Watch Functionality for Grades 4 to 9
Kids get to build their own smartwatch and code it with awesome smartwatch functions. Students learn to code their devices with a REAL, text-based programming language C++ as well as learn key principles in robotics and mechatronics. Own laptop required.
The classes are ideally tailored with a ratio of one teacher to nine students. The approach to learning includes hands-on training, face-to-face encounters and the online setting.
Since it opened in 2013, Junior Engineers has enriched over a thousand students in 60 schools across Australia. Its main headquarters is at Finsbury Street in Newmarket.
For two Sundays a month, the Brisbane Sunday Social Dance Club hosts an old-time dancing social at the Wellers Hills Bowls Club on Esher Street in Tarragindi and if you haven’t had the chance to join this community activity, consider coming to the next event as it might just change your life.
The next old-time dancing social is happening will be on Sunday, the 25th of Aug 2019, at 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Put on your dancing shoes and jive to the beat featuring original music from Australian musician Walter Willans. Find a partner and have fun performing the rumba, foxtrot, quickstep, tango or salsa.
Old-time dancing social is a regular community event established by the club since 1993. As a recreational activity, it has brought together groups of people from Tarragindi and nearby suburbs.
“We achieve this goal by providing a welcoming environment where people can come together to enjoy social interaction, physical exercise and mental stimulation,” as stated in the Brisbane Sunday Social Dance Club‘s mission statement.
Indeed, being part of a group that does fun stuff together, such as social dancing, can bring positive results. Participants feel good with this communal experience, where they can improve their social skills, boost their self-esteem, and enhance their creative outlet.
Social dancing also an invigorating form of exercise to strengthen the bones and muscles. Thirty minutes on the floor can burn as much as 150 calories without causing undue stress to the muscles and joints.
This activity breaks mundane routines and enhances brain functioning as dancers have to remember the choreographed steps and sequences taught by the club’s dance teachers, Alan and Lynelle Armitage.
No need for advanced booking to join this dance. Simply come to the Weller Hills Bowls Club and pay for the tickets as you come in.
You’ll need a mood and energy booster after a long and gruelling week at work. Why not spend some time at the SkinSpirit Day Spa in Tarragindi for a bit of a pick-me-up?
Located at 212 Cracknell Road, this award-winning spa uses chemical-free skincare products to rejuvenate your skin. Attended by professionally trained and compassionate staff, you’ll receive the best pampering that will dissolve your stress and lift your spirits.
SkinSpirit Day Spa provides massages, facial treatments, waxing, brow sculpting, lash tinting, manicure and pedicure, makeup and spray tan. If you don’t know what to get, the spa has special packages lumping treatments that their beauty and wellness experts have carefully thought out.
Your first visit to this spa won’t be your last. They are quite good at what they do that they have won returning clients over and over.
SkinSpirit Day Spa has a well-designed and well-equipped facility with private and separate treatment rooms for your comfort. You’ll leave this place mellowed and relaxed after a few hours of pampering.
The spa opens at 9:30 a.m. Monday to Friday and usually closes at 5:00 p.m. But trading hours are stretched until 7:00 p.m. for Wednesday and Thursday.
“My first experience here was a gift voucher. I had a facial and it was amazing. Extra attention to little details and the most amazing scalp massage. Perfect way to treat yourself.”
~ Ainsley Groves, Google Reviews
“Hands down the best service I have ever had. I first went to them 12 years ago when they were local to me over at Calamvale and followed them to the new location they were that good. Michelle and her staff are amazing please go see them!!”
