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West End Bar Bosc to Close After 13 Years on Vulture Street

One of West End’s most loved local institutions is calling last drinks. Bosc, the craft beer and gin bar that has been a fixture on Vulture Street for 13 years, will close its doors for good on 20 June.

Read: Cheers to West End: Exploring Brisbane’s Vibrant Bar Scene

Owner Emily Tankey confirmed the closure in May, describing the decision as one she reached after failing to agree on terms for a new lease with her landlord. A significant rent increase was ultimately the push that brought things to a head.

It is a bittersweet end for a bar that, by all accounts, is going out at the top of its game. Bosc has reportedly been recording some of the strongest trade figures in its entire history in the lead-up to the announcement.

Ms Tankey opened Bosc in 2013 with a clear focus on locally minded craft beer and Australian gin, and the bar quickly built a devoted following. Over more than a decade, it became the kind of place where regulars turned into friends, and friends turned into family.

In an Instagram post announcing the closure, Ms Tankey captured that spirit with characteristic warmth. “Bosc has been the best continuous house party I’ve ever thrown,” she wrote. “I’ve made lifelong friends, taught your kids how to pour their first beer, and honestly I have had the time of my life.”

That sense of genuine community is something customers have long recognised. A Google review describes Bosc as having “a unique charm, with an impressive variety of craft beers and a great selection of Australian gins,” praising the warm atmosphere and the fact that Ms Tankey herself was so often present, “always smiling and making you feel right at home.”

For Ms Tankey, the bar has been far more than a business. She has spoken about the deep personal connections it forged, including friendships that have stretched the full 13 years, invitations to weddings, and even meeting her partner through the community that gathered around the bar. Some of the most important people in her life, she has said, came directly out of Bosc.

Letting go of something so meaningful is never straightforward, and Ms Tankey acknowledged there would never have been an easy time to walk away. But she also struck an optimistic note. In her Instagram post, she wrote that she was, in her own words, “pretty excited about what’s next.”

That next chapter involves relocating full-time to Melbourne, where she already spends a significant portion of her time. She will be pouring her energy into her craft beer brand, Better Together, and completing a masters degree in accounting.

Bosc will not go quietly. Ms Tankey and her team are planning a send-off that reflects the spirit of how the bar began. “Giulio and I have some pretty special things lined up to make sure Bosc gets sent off exactly the way it started,” she wrote on Instagram.

Read: New Rooftop Bar Proposed for Popular West End Hotel

The response from the community has been emotional. Followers have flooded the Instagram announcement with messages of love and farewell. “You will be forever missed, I’ll always love Bosc,” wrote one commenter. Another offered: “Thanks for the good times and memories. Here’s to your next epic chapter.”

Last drinks will be poured on 20 June. For anyone who has ever pulled up a stool at Bosc, between now and then is the time to get in one final round.

Published 28-May-2026

Plans for West End Community Health Hub Abandoned as Historic Police Station Goes to Market

A heritage Queenslander dating to 1884 that once served as West End’s police station has been put to market, ending plans to transform the site at Boundary Street into a health and housing hub for people experiencing homelessness and disadvantage in Brisbane’s inner south.

Read: Old West End Police Station to be Converted as a Community Centre

The deal struck under the former Labor administration was not carried forward, with Queensland’s new administration citing a lack of allocated funding for capital works and operational costs. Not-for-profit services provider Micah Projects had planned to develop it into a centre offering health, housing, and legal services to the local community.

The building sat vacant from 2021, when police relocated to newer premises on Vulture Street. Ownership was transferred from Queensland Police Service to the housing department in early 2022, with the intention of repurposing it for community use.

A Deal That Never Crossed the Line

Those plans gained momentum in April 2025, when the administration pledged $10 million towards the project. The funding was intended to cover capital costs for the new health and housing clinic, and would have complemented Micah Projects’ own $6.1 million investment already committed to the initiative. The federal pledge was contingent on a finalised land-transfer agreement being reached with Queensland.

That agreement never eventuated. Families, Seniors and Disability Services Minister Amanda Camm said the deal left by the previous administration lacked adequate funding, noting that no state money had been set aside for either the capital works or the ongoing operational costs tied to the proposed development. She said any decision about public assets had to account for all associated costs.

Queensland Police Service confirmed the site was transferred back to QPS in 2025 after it was assessed as not fit for purpose for a community services hub. QPS then engaged a commercial real estate agent to manage a sale process it described as fair, equitable and transparent. Further detail on how the not-fit-for-purpose determination was made was not provided by QPS or the minister’s office. Decisions about the future use and sale of surplus public assets are routinely made by the relevant department without public disclosure of internal assessments.

From Community Hub to Development Opportunity

The property, located at 96 Boundary Street, was marketed by commercial agents C Property QLD, whose listing described it as a rare inner-city opportunity suited to developers, investors and owner-occupiers. The 1,113-square-metre, District Centre-zoned site was offered for a wide range of potential uses, including mixed-use development, residential, medical, retail and office. The listing noted several value-add possibilities, including raising the existing building, building beneath it, or constructing a new structure to the rear. The expression of interest campaign closed in March 2026.

C Property QLD declined to comment on the outcome of the sale process, citing commercial-in-confidence obligations.

Read: West End Charity Delivers Mobile Medical Service to the Homeless and Disadvantaged

The site sits directly opposite the $1.2 billion West Village precinct and within walking distance of Fish Lane, placing it squarely in one of Brisbane’s most rapidly changing urban neighbourhoods. That location, which made it attractive for community services, also made it a compelling prospect for private development.

The move marks a change in direction for one of West End’s most recognised heritage properties, which had been in public hands since 1884.

Published 28-May-2026

The Last of Its Kind: West End’s Untouched Postwar Home Fetches $2.41M

A four-bedroom postwar home perched on one of West End’s most tightly held streets has sold for the first time in 57 years, fetching $2.415 million at auction.

Read: West End’s Elisi Residences to Break Ground Mid-2026

The home at 43 Bristol Street changed hands on 16 May 2026 after four brothers made the difficult decision to sell the family property following the passing of their parents, according to listing agent Ben Osbourne of Ray White. The home had been in the family since it was built and was offered to market in its original, unmodified condition on a 574-square-metre block.

A local developer who already lives on Bristol Street was the winning bidder, seeing off three other buyers including couples from Ascot and New Farm in a 10-minute auction. Seven bidders had registered on the day. Mr Osbourne revealed properties like this are increasingly scarce, with perhaps only two comparable postwar homes coming to market in West End each year, and that the level of interest still took him by surprise given the current cost of building.

The decision to sell the home without any staging or renovation was deliberate. Mr Osbourne said the raw, unaltered quality of the property was itself part of the appeal, and that buyers responded to it rather than being put off. The developer who purchased it has indicated plans to return the home to its former character.

The sale comes amid a broader shift in a suburb with a rich and layered history. West End has long been home to students, artists, activists and musicians, earning a reputation as Brisbane’s cultural heartland. Musgrave Park sits at the centre of much of that history, playing host to the suburb’s First Nations community through events like the annual NAIDOC Week Family Fun Day, and marking a pivotal moment in Brisbane’s queer history when the inaugural Pride Rally and March finished there in 1990.

West End Median House Price

The numbers tell a story of rapid change. A decade ago, the median house price in West End sat at around $800,000. In 2026, it climbed to $$2,075,000, a rise of 21.5 per cent in the past year alone, according to realestate.com’s latest data.

Mr Osbourne noted that among the active bidders at Saturday’s auction were young families hoping to buy into the local school catchment, something he says would have been unthinkable in West End five years ago. Construction activity across the suburb, he added, is now constant, with high-end developments attracting finished product prices of around $6 million.

Read: Function Well Has Arrived in West End, and It’s Unlike Anything Else on Brisbane’s Southside

With Mr Osbourne tipping a $10 million sale as the threshold that will cement West End’s status as Brisbane’s next prestige suburb, the auction at 43 Bristol Street has made one thing clear: the suburb’s postwar bones are being recognised as something worth holding onto, even as the neighbourhood around them keeps changing.

Published 26-May-2026

West End Arts Venue Featured in Dancing With The Stars Spin-off

Photo Credit: John-PaulLangbroekMP/Facebook

A West End landmark will step into the international dance spotlight, with the Thomas Dixon Centre among the Brisbane locations used for Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro, a new Robert Irwin-hosted series following emerging dancers competing for a professional place in the franchise.

West End Steps Into The Dance Spotlight

West End’s Thomas Dixon Centre has become part of a new chapter in the Dancing with the Stars franchise, with the Robert Irwin-hosted spin-off completing filming in Brisbane.

Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro is an ABC US series produced by BBC Studios. The show is hosted by Queensland-born wildlife conservationist Robert Irwin, who was previously named champion of Dancing with the Stars season 34.

The series follows 12 up-and-coming dancers as they live together and compete for a place as a professional dancer in the next season of Dancing with the Stars. Unlike the main program, the focus is on emerging dance talent seeking a professional role within the franchise.

Thomas Dixon Centre Among Brisbane Filming Locations

Filming took place in Brisbane earlier in 2026, with locations including the Thomas Dixon Centre in West End, the home of Queensland Ballet.

The choice of location gives the series a clear connection to Brisbane’s performing arts scene. The Thomas Dixon Centre is closely associated with dance in the city, making it a natural setting for a program centred on ballroom performers competing for a place on a major television stage.

The production also brought screen work to Brisbane during filming, with an estimated $7.2 million contribution and around 110 local cast and crew employed.

Photo Credit: John-PaulLangbroekMP/Facebook

Robert Irwin Leads The New Format

For Robert Irwin, The Next Pro continues his connection with Dancing with the Stars, moving from competitor to host.

The judging line-up includes Mark Ballas and Shirley Ballas, bringing established dance figures into the new competition format. The series is produced by BBC Studios, with Conrad Green serving as showrunner and executive producer.

BBC Studios’ recent work connected to Queensland also includes the upcoming Bluey feature film from Brisbane’s Ludo Studio.

Brisbane-filmed Series Heads to US Television

Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro is scheduled to premiere on Monday 13 July on ABC in the United States.

The series places a local arts venue within a new dance-focused television format. For Brisbane, it adds another screen production to the city’s recent film and television activity, while giving the Thomas Dixon Centre a role in a program built around the next generation of professional dancers.

Published 21-May-2026

Fire Ant Nests Found At Musgrave Park As Residents Sound The Alarm

A cluster of fire ant nests has been discovered at Musgrave Park in South Brisbane after a local resident spotted the nests earlier in May and alerted Brisbane’s local officials and the National Fire Ant Eradication Program.

Read: Homeless Tents Cleared from Musgrave Park in West End

The nests were located in the corner of the park nearest to Musgrave Pool and Edmondstone Street, close to a large green shed. Nearby residents shared additional nest location information with Cr Trina Massey, who raised the matter directly with officials through the Committee for Sustainability, Greenspace and Environment.

Treatment and community response

Cr Massey confirmed two rounds of treatment were carried out at the park. Cr Massey encouraged residents to continue monitoring the park, noting that recent rainfall can make nests harder to identify.

Some residents expressed concern that Brisbane mowers had passed over the nests prior to treatment, potentially pushing the ants underground and out of sight. Residents also understood that hormones, rather than contact-kill treatments, had been used on the nests. This method does not kill ants immediately but works to reduce a colony’s ability to repopulate over time.

Residents can report sightings to BCC on 3403 8888, the National Fire Ant Hotline on 13 22 68, or to Cr Massey’s office on 3403 2165.

About fire ants

Fire ants were first detected in Australia in 2001 at the northern port of Brisbane. Since then, they have spread across Queensland, into parts of northern New South Wales, and into the Murray-Darling Basin, according to the Invasive Species Council.

Their stings can be fatal to people and livestock in severe cases. They also pose a threat to native ecosystems and can spread through cargo containers, potted plants, soil and mulch.

The Mount Gravatt Showgrounds recently experienced temporary closures across the grounds and car park after fire ants were found there.

Festival preparations continue

Set-up for the Paniyiri Greek Festival, which this year marks its 50th anniversary, is set to take place at Musgrave Park, with the event running 23 to 24 May. Around 50,000 visitors are expected to attend.

Read: West End Transforms for Paniyiri, Queensland’s Largest Greek Festival

Co-chairman of the Paniyiri volunteer organising committee Kos Kastrissios said in a media interview that the committee was monitoring the situation and would follow direction from Brisbane local officials and Queensland’s Fire Ant Suppression Taskforce if any changes to the festival’s layout were needed.

Published 19-May-2026

West End Winter Solstice Twilight Market Brings A Winter Night Out To Davies Park

As the afternoon light fades over West End, Davies Park is set to take on a different rhythm — one shaped by warm food, open-air stalls, live music, bonfires and the glow of a winter market after dark.

The West End Winter Solstice Twilight Market will return in 2026, turning the familiar market setting into a night-time gathering built around food, craft, entertainment and seasonal warmth. The event will be held on Friday, 19 June from 4:00pm to 10:00pm at Davies Park, 277 Montague Road, with free entry.

The setting will be familiar for regular visitors. West End Markets are normally held every Saturday morning at Davies Park along the Brisbane River, drawing people to the suburb for fresh produce, food, handmade goods and the area’s relaxed market atmosphere. The winter solstice event shifts that experience into the evening, giving the market a cooler-season mood and a more festival-like pace.

More than 150 specialty stalls are expected, with a mix of gourmet street food, global flavours, artisan products, handcrafted goods, local finds and gift items. The event is designed around browsing as much as eating, with visitors able to move through rows of stalls while entertainment unfolds throughout the night.

Brisbane events — Photo Credit: Supplied

Winter Warmth At The Centre Of The Market

Bonfires will be one of the event’s key winter features, giving the twilight market a seasonal focus beyond its food and retail offering. Pop-up bars will also serve craft beer and traditional Glühwein, adding a warm drink element suited to the colder evening setting.

The Glühwein has been highlighted as one of the market’s signature winter offerings, pairing the spiced drink with the event’s twilight hours and open-air layout. Together with the bonfires, it gives the night a distinct seasonal identity while keeping the event tied to West End’s casual market style.

Food will also remain central to the experience. The market will feature street food and gourmet options from across global flavours, giving visitors a broad mix of choices for dinner, snacks or a longer evening of grazing through the stalls.

West End Markets — Photo Credit: Supplied

Music, Performers And Family Activities

The market program will include live music, roving performers and children’s activities, creating a wider event experience for families, food lovers and market visitors.

The entertainment is expected to run alongside the stalls rather than sit separately from them, adding movement and atmosphere across the night. Children’s activities will give families another reason to stay, while live performances and roaming entertainment will carry the energy of the market through the evening.

This mix of food, stalls and entertainment gives the West End Winter Solstice Twilight Market a broader purpose than a standard shopping event. It is positioned as a winter night out, built around the suburb’s existing market identity but shaped for a different time of day.

West End’s Market Scene After Dark

The event also shows how the West End Markets can shift from their usual Saturday morning pace into a night-time format. Davies Park remains the anchor, but the mood changes with the later hours, the winter setting and the focus on warm drinks, lights and live entertainment.

Free ticket registration is available, with registered attendees able to enter a draw for a gourmet market hamper. Entry to the market remains free.

The Winter Solstice Twilight Market brings the area’s familiar market culture into the evening — not as a replacement for the regular Saturday market, but as a seasonal version built around food, music, bonfires and a winter night under the open sky.

Published 15-May-2026

West End McDonald’s Fitout Approved for Melbourne Street Site

Building work is anticipated to begin in June 2026 on a new McDonald’s restaurant at 220 Melbourne Street, South Brisbane, a site on the border between South Brisbane and West End, after planning documents confirmed approval for a fitout to commence.

Read: Voluntary Liquidation Process for Melbourne Street Popular Italian Restaurant

Rumours of the development had been circulating for well over a year, generating discussion across online forums including Reddit and Facebook, where responses were mixed, with some residents expressing opposition and others acknowledging the prospect of local employment.

Construction firm Store Tec has notified nearby residents and businesses of overnight works scheduled between 9pm and 6am from 1 June to 3 July, with most activity expected to wrap up by 1am on working nights.

Community raises questions about local fit

Melbourne Street — Photo credit: Brisbane PD Online – A007012001

Cr Trina Massey has raised concerns about the approval process. She said the decision to approve the development without community consultation reflected problems in the planning system, and called for greater support for local businesses over corporate expansion.

West End Community Association (WECA) president Seleneah More said residents had been engaged on the issue for more than a year. She pointed to structural factors shaping the Boundary Street corridor, including rising rents, post-COVID underinvestment, shifting consumer trends and long-term vacancies, as contributing to conditions that favour larger operators over smaller, independent businesses.

McDonald’s outlines its commitment to the area

McDonald’s Australia has pointed to the economic contribution the development will make to the area. A spokesperson said the new restaurant represents more than $5 million in investment and is expected to generate around 80 jobs during construction and a further 120 ongoing positions once open. The company said the restaurant will be run by a local licensee and pointed to its longstanding presence across Brisbane communities spanning more than 50 years.

The approved fitout, listed on Brisbane’s development portal (application number A007012001), will include a public dining area, self-service kiosks, a McCafe counter, delivery and pick-up zones and an external seating area. Planned works also include upgrades to signage, glazing, awnings and interior finishes.

Overnight construction hours were approved to reduce disruption to traffic and pedestrians on Melbourne Street, with road and footpath closures considered impractical during peak daytime periods.

Read: Great Spots for Organic Food Options at West End

What to expect during construction

Residents and nearby businesses have received letters from Store Tec outlining expected impacts during the construction window, including increased noise, traffic disruptions and temporary access restrictions.

WECA has been active on planning matters in the suburb and has indicated residents will continue to raise concerns.

Published 5-May-2026

Magpies Turn Pressure Into Points in Davies Park Grind

It wasn’t one moment — it was a slow squeeze. From the 12th minute to the final whistle, Souths Logan Magpies kept finding ways to turn opportunities into points, building a 28–14 win over Mackay in Round 8 of the 2026 QRL Hostplus Cup at Davies Park on Sunday, 3 May 2026.

By the time the Cutters found rhythm, the game had already been shaped.

Early punch sets the tone

The Magpies struck first through Kieran Tempest in the 12th minute, and they didn’t wait long to double down. Aublix Tawha crossed at 15’, then again at 21’, as Souths Logan surged into control with three tries inside the opening quarter.

Mackay steadied late in the half, with Jimmy Ngutlik finishing in the 35th minute to keep the contest alive, but the damage was already there.

At 16–4 by halftime, Souths Logan had the scoreboard and the tempo.

Cutters push, Magpies respond

Ngutlik struck again early in the second half (47’), narrowing the margin and giving the Cutters a genuine opening.

It lasted briefly.

Mason Barber crossed in the 59th minute to keep Mackay within reach, but every step forward was matched. Callum Eggerling’s try at 65’ halted any momentum shift, restoring the Magpies’ buffer at a critical moment.

When Max Bandit crossed at 71’, it effectively closed the contest — the final margin a reflection of control rather than a late blowout.

Built on execution

The difference sat in the follow-through. Byron Johnson converted four of Souths Logan’s five tries, ensuring their early dominance translated cleanly onto the scoreboard.

Mackay managed just one conversion in response, leaving them chasing the game despite scoring three tries of their own.

Five tries to three told part of the story. The timing of them told the rest.

Souths Logan didn’t need to explode to win this — they just needed to be sharper in the moments that mattered.

And across 80 minutes, they were.

Published 2-May-2026

Function Well Has Arrived in West End, and It’s Unlike Anything Else on Brisbane’s Southside

Function Well has opened its West End flagship, bringing a $15 million, four-level wellness hub to Brisbane’s southside that combines 24/7 training, five boutique studios, a full recovery zone and an on-site Turkish café under one roof for the first time in the brand’s history.

The West End location, which opened its doors on Monday 27 April, is the most ambitious project yet from founders Darren and Natasha Bain, who have spent more than 16 years shaping Brisbane’s fitness and wellness landscape. Their original Function Well opened in Newstead, where it still operates across three levels in the Breakfast Creek Lifestyle Precinct.

A second location at Toombul was lost to the 2022 floods. West End is the fresh chapter, and at 3,000 square metres it is built to be the definitive expression of everything the brand has been working toward.

“Function Well West End is our most elevated offering,” Darren Bain said. “We set out to design a premium, high-performance environment that brings together our four pillars, mindset, movement, nutrition and restoration, to support total wellbeing for our members.”

Four Levels Built Around Yin and Yang

The philosophy running through Function Well has always balanced intensity with stillness, effort with recovery. That yin and yang approach shapes how the West End space is designed, with high-performance training zones on one side of the member experience and a genuinely luxurious restoration offering on the other.

The training side covers a 24/7 gym floor alongside five custom-built boutique studios offering reformer Pilates, a heated immersive yoga room and functional training sessions. The space is also an official HYROX training club, making it one of Brisbane’s primary destinations for the global fitness racing movement, which combines eight kilometres of running with eight functional workout stations.

The recovery side is equally considered. Members move between a sauna, hot and cold plunge pools, compression boots, massage therapy, red light therapy, a Recovery Cave and private recovery suites. It is the kind of restoration offering that previously required a dedicated day spa visit, now built directly into a gym membership.

A premium business and social lounge gives members a third mode entirely: a space to linger, connect, or catch up on work after training.

A Turkish Café Completes the Picture

The nutrition pillar at West End takes the form of Sureyya Kahve, a nutrient-led Turkish café from the team behind KAILO Wellness Medispa. The café reinforces what Function Well has always argued: that food is not a footnote to a fitness routine but an integral part of it. The presence of a full café operator of this calibre on-site signals that West End is designed as a destination, not just a gym you pass through.

“We’ve always believed in a holistic approach, where community and results sit at the core of everything we do,” Bain said. “What excites us now is bringing that philosophy to a new level within a true all-in-one lifestyle destination. Our team is incredibly proud and excited to officially open the doors and welcome the West End community into something truly unique.”

Visit Function Well West End

Function Well West End is at West Village, 97 Boundary Street, West End. Membership options are available at here. Follow Function Well on Instagram for class schedules, studio bookings and member updates.

Published 30-April-2026

West End’s Award-Winning Aizome Bar Launches New Tasting and À La Carte Menus

Aizome Bar, the 10-seat venue on Montague Road in West End named Gourmet Traveller Bar of the Year 2025, has introduced new tasting and à la carte menus as part of an updated food offering at the bar.

Read: A Year of Pride and Performance at West End Bar Come to Daddy

The menus are designed to provide a more flexible entry point into the +81 dining philosophy, the concept that underpins both Aizome Bar and its adjoining omakase restaurant, Sushi Kappo. The bar format allows guests to engage at their own pace, whether through drinks only or a fuller dining experience.

The food program is overseen by Chef Ikuo Kobayashi, who also leads the kitchen at Sushi Kappo next door. Kobayashi’s background includes time at some of Japan’s most prestigious Michelin-starred restaurants. At Aizome Bar, the venue says his approach adapts the discipline of kappo-style dining into a format suited to a bar setting.

Across both menus, dishes are prepared without gluten, dairy or nuts. The venue describes this as a deliberate philosophy, one it says reinforces purity, balance and precision rather than functioning as a dietary restriction.

What’s on the New Menus

The tasting menu is priced at $90 per person and runs across six courses: three starters, two mains and a dessert.

Starters include seared beef tataki with broccoli, tomato and soy milk cream cheese; sashimi of the day; and chawanmushi, a Japanese savoury egg custard made with Canadian snow crab. Mains are a Marble King Wagyu Sirloin MS9+ sukiyaki with seasonal vegetables and free-range egg yolk, and a salmon avocado roll. The meal closes with a sweet finale dessert.

The à la carte menu includes bar snacks and dishes the venue says are designed to pair with its drinks offering, across a range of price points. Options include:

Edamame $8
Tomato Caprese with soy cream cheese $18
Sashimi of the Day $12
Chicken Karaage $20
Diced Marble King Wagyu Fillet MS9+ $20
Uramaki rolls (6pc) with Tasmanian ocean trout and avocado, or ebi and avocado $12 each
Inarizushi (2pc) $8
Wagyu Curry Rice $19
Sake-lees and Chocolate Soy Ice Cream $8

The Drinks Program

The bar’s drinks program defines the Aizome Bar experience. The venue is known for its Neo cocktails, developed by Tony Huang and Tim Pope, which are prepared over multiple days using freeze-integration techniques and served in a wine-style format.

A Cocktail Experience option is also available, offering a curated flight of six 60ml cocktails, each aged over five days. The broader drinks list includes wine, sake and spirits.

Read: Cheers to West End: Exploring Brisbane’s Vibrant Bar Scene

Aizome Bar sits under the +81 brand, named after Japan’s international dialling code, alongside Sushi Kappo. Reservations are available through the +81 website.

Aizome Bar is at 259 Montague Road, West End.

Published 30-April-2026