Calling all Brisbanites with a sweet tooth! Catch the Sweet As – Brisbane Dessert Festival on 3 June at Musgrave Park from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Photo credit: The World Food Markets / Facebook
The festival is dedicated to all things sweet. The event will showcase every sweet treat imaginable from brownies, to cheese, to chocolates, to coffee, and many more.
You’re in for an awesome line-up of heavenly treats. What’s even best about this event is that you can literally have sweets all-day long and nobody will judge you. Go ahead and indulge yourself.
Aside from the sweet food, there will be also live music, pop-up bars, entertainment as well as kids activities available for the whole family. Also, don’t worry if you get too high on sugar, there are other street food available to balance it out.
This event is brought to you by World Food Markets. They are dedicated to bringing local communities together through these events whether it be about food, market stalls, and music.
The second release of tickets is here so make sure not to miss it. Get your tickets here.
Address: 121 Cordelia St, South Brisbane QLD 4101, Australia
Ridesharing continues to be competitive in Brisbane, with top player Uber opening an in-person support hub in West End and competitor Ola entering the local market.
Uber was launched in Queensland in 2014 but has dealt with several battles against taxi companies and members of parliament for almost two years as ride-sharing then was illegal. Following the struggles the ride networking giant had to face in the past, the company continues to flourish despite the influx of other ride sharing services such as Lyft and Backseat.
As part of its growth, the first Greenlight Hub of Uber in Brisbane has opened in the West End to provide in-person support to customers. The global transportation network company has found its place at 252 Montague Road.
As Uber grows, so does the competition. Indian ridesharing giant Ola has recently entered Brisbane and the Gold Coast as it continues its rollout in the Australian market.
Since its entry into Australia, Ola has operated in Perth, Sydney, Melbourne, Gold Coast and Canberra.
To celebrate Ola’s launch in Bribane, the company is offering one free ride valued up to $20. Ola also shows its leverage with its no-surge pricing. Its next target is to operate in Darwin, Hobart, and Adelaide.
Back for its 42nd year, the Paniyiri Greek Festival will be happening on 19-20 May at Musgrave Park at the West End and at the Greek Club in South Brisbane. Get ready for a weekend of dancing, great Greek feast, music, and many more!
Over 60,000 Greeks and honorary Greeks are expected to turn up to this weekend-long festival.
There will be over 36 food stalls that will offer the distinct flavours of the renowned mediterranean cuisine. Enjoy delicious haloumi, souvlaki, moussake, baklava, and many more!
Photo credit: Must Do Brisbane
There will also be a lot of dancing, plate smashing, grape stomping, and to Zorba till you drop! You also don’t want to miss the honey puff guzzling competitions.
On Saturday night, watch the great dance-off between Channel Seven and Hit105 stars compete against the title of Greek Dancing with the Stars.
There is also a special place for your kids are the Kids Zone area that will be offering free crafts and games along with dance lessons with the Junior Hellenic Dancers Group. Story Time, a much-awaited session, will keep the younger ones entertained
Photo credit: The West End Magazine
This festival is Queensland’s largest cultural festival. The Paniyiri was established in 1976 and it is a community initiative. The funds that they acquire are given to the South-East Queensland Greek community through the Greek Orthodox Community of St. George., Brisbane’s oldest Greek community.
One of Brisbane’s most popular events venue, The Greek Club, reopens its doors after its biggest renovation in more than 40 years.
The Greek Club first opened in 1975 at its South Brisbane location and has been a great venue for various events ever since. Now, after its three-million-dollar upgrades, the iconic events place promises to bring a luxurious experience to its guests.
Photo credit: www.thegreekclub.com.au
Upgrades in the newly refurbished events place include a boardroom, Acropolis and Olympus function rooms, restaurant, bar, and terrace on the ground floor. Upstairs, the venue includes an extensive grand ballroom and a grand balcony that offers an excellent view of the Musgrave Park and the city skyline.
Currently, the Greek Club has 11 versatile event spaces and an expanded 100-seat function room.
Photo credit: www.thegreekclub.com.au
With 40 years of experience in events and hospitality, the establishment is highly regarded when it comes to serving authentic Greek cuisine. Their new modern Australian functions menu, designed by Executive Chef Jean-Louis Beaulieu, offers a selection of mouth-watering creations catering to an array of dietary options.
An expanded Greek menu is coming up as their Nostimo Restaurant is opens by the end of May 2018. The restaurant will be led by the new Chef In Residence David Tsirekas, current Group Executive Chef for 1821, a Universal Hotels flagship Greek restaurant in Sydney.
Visit their page to learn more about their latest offers and events.
Who says learning science is boring? What if you can learn interesting and relevant scientific facts while having a nice cold beer in the pub?
Pint of Science is a charity event where the most brilliant scientists deliver the latest in findings in scientific research through interesting and relevant talks in a local pub.
Photo credit: Facebook/Pint of Science AU
The event aims to provide an environment where people can discuss research with those who carried them out. No prior knowledge of the subject is required.
Established by a community of postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers in the UK in 2012, Pint of Science is now a three-day celebration that happens every year in the month of May. The talks are mainly run by volunteers and take place simultaneously in nearly 300 cities across 21 different countries.
Photo credit: Facebook/Pint of Science AU
This year Pint of Science is supported by CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency and will take place in 16 cities on 14, 15, and 16 May 2018.
West End is one of the sites for Pint of Science in Brisbane. Six different events will be held at the Catchment Brewery and Loft West End. Check out the list below to see the topics and be quick in booking tickets as one of the six events has already sold out.
Choosy Brains and Babies’ Brains
Monday, 14 May 2018 (7:00 p.m. -9:30 p.m.)
Photo credit: pintofscience.com.au
Booking for this event is probably one of the best decision you’ll make. Two talks about our brains will be discussed in this event including how we make decisions and how alcohol can affect the cognition of babies.
Learn more about how the brain works whilst enjoying great food at the same time. Prizes are up for grabs for those who can answer some trivia questions.
“Making Decisions in the Human Mind” will be explained by Claire Naughtin (Senior Research Consultant, CSIRO’s Data61). She will be exploring the science behind how humans make decisions and why we sometimes struggle with multitasking.
“Frisky Whisky and Cheeky Pints” will be discussed by Diana Lucia (PhD Student, University of Queensland). She will be discussing the risks of alcohol consumption around conception and prior to pregnancy recognition when it comes to the health of the growing fetus.
If you are a robotics fan, you should check out this event where experts will share all about the life and times of robot research and how new robot technology can help us with our needs in the future.
Munch on some good food while learning and get a chance to win Pint of Science merch if you can answer trivia questions.
“CSIRObotics: Robotics Research at CSIRO” will be presented by David Howard (Research Scientist, CSIRO). With the help of his colleagues, he will take you on a journey to the past, present, and future of robotics research at CSIRO. Learn how they create transformational technology that tackles the unique challenges in Australia.
“Social Robots in the Healthcare Field” will be shared by Nicole Robinson (Researcher, Queensland University of Technology). Learn about modern-day robots that can interact and communicate with people and how they can be used as an assistive tool for people in the health and wellbeing industry.
Two different topics in one night. This event will explore the relationship between art and science and how spider venoms can be used for drugs.
“Art + Science = ?” will be presented by David Harris (Artscience Researcher, QCA-Griffith University/Physics Museum Curator, University of Queensland). He will be showing what happens when art and science meet, plus more crazy things that can come out when the two disciplines are combined.
“Fight Creepy with Crawly” is a topic from Samantha Nixon (PhD Student, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland; CSIRO Agriculture and Food). She will be explaining how spider venom can be transformed into life-saving drugs for humans and animals.
Venue: Catchment Brewery 150 Boundary St, West End
This is an event dedicated to ocean-lovers. Learn about the tiniest members of the ocean and their importance to the big blue. You will also be amazed to know how the ocean influences the weather. Sit down, relax, and have a pint whilst learning how to beat the weatherman.
“Tiny and Powerful” is a presentation from Julian Uribe-Palomino (Plankton Researcher, CSIRO). Here, she will showcase the unknown world of the planktons, what creatures are part of it, and why we should care about them.
“Waves and Weather” will be discussed by James Thompson (Meteorologist, Bureau of Meteorology). He will be discussing how to predict the weather and explain the science behind the tools and techniques used at Bureau of Meteorology.
The current hot topics online will be discussed by experts to shed a light on the meaning of blockchain and the Internet of Things. Time to be more aware of the buzz on the internet while indulging in great foods which are half-priced since it’s a Wednesday night.
“Avoiding Machine Overlords” by Dr Philip Valencia (Senior Research Engineer, CSIRO). In this talk, Dr Valencia will introduce how Artificial Intelligence is being applied to the Internet of Things (IoT).
“Blockchain, Cryptocurrency, and Genomics?” by Dr Caitlin Curtis (Research Fellow, The University of Queensland) and Dr James Hereward (Research Fellow, The University of Queensland). In this talk, the experts will be exploring cryptocurrency, the basics of Blockchain, and its application in genomics.
Venue: Catchment Brewery 150 Boundary St, West End
It promises to be a ballistic weekend as Ballistic Beer Co opens its new venue in West End.
Known as one of Brisbane’s top bars, the Salisbury-based independent brewery is ready to head north in the craft beer loving inner city.
From south to inner-south. Ballistic Beer opens a new venue to add to its popular Salisbury pub. (Photo credit: Ballistic Beer/Facebook)
To celebrate the opening, Ballistic Beer is hosting a launch weekend from Friday, 11 May continuing all weekend until Sunday, 13 May 2018. There will be live music, brewer’s shouts, merchandise giveaways and so much more.
Destination Bar
With the opening of its second venue, Ballistic Beer aims to make the West End place a destination bar for the neighbourhood. Every craft beer will be fresh, with no warehousing and no middleman.
Photo credit: Ballistic Beer/Facebook
Ballistic West End Alehouse & Kitchen is taking over the premises of Pour Choices on 208 Montague Road.
Expect the alehouse to bring out award-winning craft beers that made it famous across the city. There will also be a guest tap that will feature some great beers from around the country.
Aside from Ballistic craft beers, the new West End venue will make use of the kitchen on site to serve contemporary classic dishes that should go perfectly well with the brewpub’s beer.
A group of inner south locals are not happy about the possibility of constructing the new inner city south high school at Dutton Park.
The Ecosciences Precinct in Dutton Park is the State Government’s preferred site for the much awaited secondary school promised for residents of the Brisbane’s inner south. However, some residents are opposing the idea.
A newly formed group, the Inner South Education Coalition (ISEC), is one group that is actively opposing the possible selection of the Dutton Park site. In their Change.org petition, they enumerated several issues should the Dutton Park site be chosen. One is the access and safety of children coming to and from the school. There is also concern about the insufficient access to green space as well as the lack of relief for Brisbane State High School enrolments.
The group believes that should the school be built in Dutton Park, then students would be travelling from West End and South Brisbane along dangerous main transport arteries of Annerley Road, Dornoch Terrace and Gladstone Road.
Proximity is another issue. In 2021 when the new school opens, there would be more than 1,700 students living within 1 km active travel zone of the two other sites being considered, Kurilpa and Davies Park. In contrast, the Dutton Park site would be 1 km away to only about 480 students.
Based on statistical data, the group thinks that five years after the new school opens, there would be some 1,500 students within catchment boundaries who will not have access to a public high school in 2026.
Better Alternative
The Queensland Government is choosing among Dutton Park, Kurilpa Point and Davies Park to build the new school. For the state government, the Dutton Park site provides the best option considering land ownership, cost, site constraints and impacts, access to transport and partnership opportunities.
For the ISEC, the Davies Park site provides a better opportunity for a larger new high school that can keep up with population growth. The site also provides safe active travel options and better access to mass transport.
The group believes that the site would be a better investment as it would be in an area where it is most needed, based on population projections.
The state government is still in the process of consulting the community about the site for the new school. Some consultation sessions have been completed. But those who wish to send their feedback can do so by completing the feedback form or by sending an email to BuildingFutureSchools@qed.qld.gov.au.
Residents have until Monday 30 April 2018 to send their feedback.
Queensland Ballet has been one of the major contributors to Queensland’s arts and cultural offering. However, growth is restricted in the current centre due to the size limitations and the quality of existing facilities. To reach its goal of becoming a leader on the world stage, one of the institution’s strategies is to redevelop the Thomas Dixon Centre to be a state-of-the-art ballet centre.
Conrad Gargett was the appointed architect for the redevelopment project. The proposed designs were already submitted for approval and are now available for public viewing.
Pedestrian view from Drake Street towards Montague Road (East Approach) Photo credit: Conrad Gargett
3D View of Drake St Photo credit: Photo credit: Conrad Gargett
Studio 04 with Integrated Service Beams Photo credit: Conrad Gargett
The proposed designs intend to enhance the efficiency of their Wardrobe and Production teams, attract more talent, and provide new performance spaces.
The plans also include the rectification of the heritage-listed building.
Heritage Rectification plan for South and West Elevation Photo credit: Conrad Gargett
Pedestrian view from Raven Street towards Montague Road (East Approach) Photo credit: Conrad Gargett
To see more details of the design, feel free to view the proposed designs and landscape designs. A video fly-through display of the proposed plans can be accessed in the foyer of the Thomas Dixon Centre. Simply visit their reception during business hours.
The desirability of West End and other inner-city suburbs did little to prevent an oversupply situation in the apartment sector. This has resulted in some 52 apartment projects being stalled or completely abandoned in the past year.
With projects being stalled, it means that around 10,000 units will be removed from the market.
A recent report from economic analysis and forecasting group, BIS Oxford Economics, indicates that rapid completion of apartment buildings in West End and other inner-city suburbs has brought the market into saturation.
The oversupply, which is predicted to last until 2025, has left nearly 20% of apartments in the area unoccupied.
Overdevelopment Taking Its Toll
Some developers have backed out from project development due to factors such as declining investor demand, and restrictions on interest-only loans. Adding to the issue are growing development costs and lower income from rent.
The saturation of the apartment market in the inner city is a result of what is seen as overdevelopment in the inner-city.
In recent years, the area has experienced rapid and record growth in terms of apartment building development. During the 2017-2018 financial year, an estimated 8,300 units will be completed, an increase from the 5,700 units built in the previous year. In 2019, some 5,000 units are expected to be built.
West End, CBD, Spring Hill and Toowong and Hamilton are ahead of other Brisbane suburbs when it comes to the number of apartments coming to the market.
West End was seen to lead the rest of the Queensland in the property market. However, the rapid development of high-rise and large-scale projects posed a negative effect on investor income.
The growing number of high-rise residential projects in the area has left many units unoccupied. With supply drastically overcoming demand, rent prices eventually plummeted.
Concerned locals have voiced out concerns over the growing number of high-rise developments in the area. Among the more vocal critics is Councillor Jonathan Sri (The Gabba), who believes that the focus should be on making dwellings affordable and not large apartment projects.
Despite the shelving of 10,000 apartments, some industry experts are not worried. They see the situation simply as the market correcting itself.
Developers are reacting to the saturation in an effort to limit supply. But optimists still think that eventually, the market will boom again and will see those 10,000 units completed in a few years.
On Mollison Street in West End, an extraordinary restaurant is bringing the colours and flavours of African food to Brisbane locals. But underneath the tasteful culinary experience, Mu’ooz Restaurant & Catering is empowering African women refugees in the city.
Photo credit: www.muooz.com.au
Fittingly situated in the culturally diverse suburb of West End, Mu’ooz is a not-for-profit offering traditional Eritrean cuisine. The restaurant’s name is literally translated as ‘tasty and healthy’ in Tigrinya, the language of Eritrea and some parts of Ethiopia.
Mu’ooz serves traditional African food that’s best for sharing with family and friends.
All dishes are served with Enjera bread, a pancake-like sourdough that is a staple of the Eritrean diet. The eating experience involves tearing off a piece of enjera and wrapping in it a portion of food and eating the whole thing without using cutlery. Guests can, of course, request to use cutlery, but for the full African food experience, it is best to eat without them.
Behind the success of the restaurant is a strong and remarkable woman who has spent a great part of her life fighting for the disadvantaged. Saba Abraham, a women’s rights activist in Eritrea, fled her home country due to war and for fear of persecution.
After moving from Sudan, Kenya and Egypt, she finally came to Australia in the early 1990s. She feels lucky to be living in a peaceful country that respects human rights. But at the same time, she feels guilt and sadness for losing loved ones due to the conflict in her home country.
Saba made it her purpose to assist other women refugees who are trying to fit in their new environment in Australia. That purpose is the very essence of Mu’ooz.
Get to know more Saba Abraham in this special documentary.
Social Enterprise
The restaurant is a social enterprise that provides African refugee women with jobs and traineeship to help them stand on their own. Most refugees come to the country with very little to zero education. They struggle to learn the language, making it difficult for them to find a job.
Through Mu’ooz, these refugees get a chance at finding the kind of life they wish to live in Australia. It becomes their training ground where they learn to speak English and transition to other areas of society.
10 Years of Mu’ooz
In 2018, Mu’ooz celebrates ten years of empowering African women refugees. Since 2008, it has employed and trained more than 160 women.
To mark its 10th year, the restaurant is hosting an event called, An Evening in Africa – A Celebration of 10 Years of Mu’ooz.
The event is set on Friday 20 April 2018, from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
The road to 10 years wasn’t all smooth-sailing. Economic downturns affected its operation and at one point it nearly closed sometime in 2015. Thanks to the volunteerism of its staff and board members, it managed to stay open up to present time.
This year, the restaurant hopes to further expand its traineeship by 20%. It is also pursuing engaging events that suit the interest of the community. Aside from the usual African cooking classes, it now offers vegan cooking classes in response to clamour from the vegan community.
There is so much to celebrate for the Eritrea restaurant, which has succeeded throughout the years through the dedication of its founder and its staff. It has become popular among locals, not only for its delicious food but also for its unique social endeavour.
Find out more about Mu’ooz by visiting their website at www.muooz.com.au, or follow them on Facebook for updates.
