Welcome to our new column, the Bramble Buzz! Combining the best of Bramble Bites and What’s Hot Around Town, we aim to bring you all the bite-sized news and upcoming events you need to know about every month.
Stay informed and get involved with our vibrant local community through our regular updates and feature stories. Whether you’re looking to participate in local events, lend a helping hand, or simply stay connected with your neighbours, Bramble Buzz has something for everyone. Explore our latest updates and join us in celebrating the dynamic spirit of our community.
Community Stories From October 2024
These stories appeared in the October 2024 issue of the Sandgate Guide.
Magical pre-Halloween market
Get ready for spooky season with a pre-Halloween street market on Sunday, 6 October on the corner of 5th Avenue and Brighton Road in Sandgate.
The market is hosted by local candle shop, The Candle Pitt, and runs from 8am to noon.
Candle Pitt owner Bec said this was the perfect event to snap up all your Halloween-themed décor.
“For anything locally handmade and crafted with love, this is your market,” she said.
Vendors include Crystal Hive, Barb’s Crafty Crochet, Kyan’s Kreations, Bird & Earth, Indulgence, Jo Jo & Lolas Jerky, Poppy & Patch, Seaside Selling, author Louise Page, Bloss and Bec, and Frances Nobel Handmade.
There will also be face-painting and of course, the chance to browse other shops in the Sandgate area and grab a coffee from one of our local cafes. Witches and wizards, this is the event for you!
Walk through history
The Sandgate Museum will be hosting a guided history walk along Flinders Parade. Come and learn something about Sandgate’s historic homes and the people who lived in them. Morning tea on the verandah of historic Meridian will be included. The walk will be held on Saturday, 12 October from 9am to noon. The cost is $30 and includes morning tea. Meet at the Old Baptist Church on Flinders Pde, and please bring a hat and water bottle. Numbers are limited and bookings are essential. To reserve your place, phone 3869 2283 or email info@sandgatemuseum.com.au
Nominate Brisbane’s best
Nominations for the 2025 Lord Mayor’s Australia Day Awards are now open. This is your chance to nominate a special person in our community who makes our city a better place. Categories include:
- Citizen of the Year
- Senior Citizen of the Year
- Young Citizen of the Year
- Australia Day Cultural/Arts Award
- Australia Day Sports Award
- Corporate Citizen of the Year
- Community Event of the Year
- Green Heart Award
- Australia Day Achievement Awards.
Nominations close Monday, 21 October. For more information about the awards or to submit your nomination, visit brisbane.qld.gov.au and search ‘Lord Mayor’s Australia Day Awards’.
Get some poetry in your life
Head along to the next Poets by the Bay meetings, which are held on the third Thursday of every month at 6pm at the Brighton Hotel. This month’s meeting will be held on 17 October. For more information, search Facebook for Poets by the Bay.
See the sea creatures
The next Laurie’s Beach Walk will be held on Thursday, 24 October at 9am. Get up close and personal with all sorts of marine creatures. Meet on the Sandgate foreshore at the front of the old Baptist Church. Please wear shoes that can get wet, and don’t forget your sunscreen. Children must be accompanied by an adult. The walk goes for 1 ½ hours, and bookings are essential. Book via Humanitix.
Pool soaks up the sun
Deagon Ward Councillor Jared Cassidy has secured $170,000 in funding for solar panels and systems to be installed at the Sandgate Aquatic Centre.
“This project aligns with an effort to provide Sandgate with modern, reliable and sustainable infrastructure,” Cr Cassidy said.
A sporting chance
Six community sports clubs across the Deagon Ward will be improved under the Sports Field Improvement Program this year – helping these clubs get ready for the 2025 season, according to Deagon Ward Councillor Jared Cassidy.
This includes weed treatment, aeration of fields and the application of wetting agent and fertiliser.
The following sports fields will be receiving works, scheduled for completion in April 2025:
- Deagon Sports Ground, Deagon (Sandgate-Redcliffe Cricket Club)
- O’Callaghan Park, Zillmere (Zillmere Eagles / Aspley Devils)
- Taigum Place Park, Taigum (Sandgate Hawks)
- Tenth Avenue Park, Brighton (Brighton Roosters)
- Wakefield Park, Brighton (Brighton Bulldogs)
- Stanley Park, Deagon
Get wildly creative
Join artist and creative practitioner Kylie Davidson in her private Sandgate studio for a workshop that merges creativity, nature and intuitive design. Participants will use natural materials to create a range of unique artist tools. Emphasis is placed on intuitive creation, allowing nature to inspire and guide the artistic process. Participants will then use these tools to explore approaches to mark-making, expanding their visual language and capacity for expression. Participants will keep any tools that they create during the session, supporting the development of their creative practice.
This session is suitable for artists at any stage of their creative journey and is ideal for anyone experiencing creative block or in need of having their creative selves nurtured. All materials provided. The workshop takes place on Monday, 28 October from 10am-noon. Tickets are $79.39. To book your place click here.
Pumpkins paint and sip
Get into the Halloween spirit at the Sandgate Post Office Hotel on Sunday, 27 October at 2pm. Learn how to paint a gorgeous farmhouse-style pumpkin canvas that can hang in your home all year round. Cost is $59 per person and includes a drink on arrival and all art supplies. To book your place, go to their website or search Facebook for Sandgate Post Office Hotel and go to their events section.
Community Stories From September 2024
These stories appeared in the September 2024 issue of the Sandgate Guide.
Garden Gurus Market Bargains
The Kempster Street Gumbuya Gardens group hosts a fresh market stall on the last Saturday of each month from 8am to noon on Brighton Road in Sandgate, outside the entrance to Aldi.
Group member Michele Kratochvil said the stall was the highlight of the month.
“We meet each Monday afternoon to help master composter Nook Sangwan maintain, feed and rotate the garden compost system,” she said.
“On the second Saturday of each month, we have our club meetings and on the Friday before the stall, we meet to pick and pack produce and flowers.
“Toni, along with her band of talented cooks, make condiments and jams, often using the garden surplus or their own home-grown produce, resulting in delicious, fresh, nutritious food. And our gold thumb gardener Marion nurtures vegetable seedlings for you to grow at home.”
Michele added anyone looking for fresh local produce should look no further than the monthly market stall.
“Come out and taste the difference,” she said. “There are plenty of bargains to be had.”
For more information search Facebook for: ‘Gumbuya Community Garden Kempster Street Sandgate’.
Kerbside Clean-up
It’s time to put out your trash, which could become someone else’s treasure. Brisbane City Council’s kerbside collection dates are as follows:
- Shorncliffe – 30 September
- Sandgate – 7 October
- Brighton – 7 October
- Deagon – 7 October
- Taigum – 7 October
- Zillmere – 14 October
- Boondall – 14 October
- Geebung – 14 October
Remember to get your goods out onto the street a day or two before the listed dates, to make sure you don’t miss out.
For more information on what you can and can’t put out, head to: Brisbane QLD.
See the Sea Creatures
Laurie’s beach walk will be held on Tuesday, 21 September from 9am. Get up close and personal with all sorts of marine creatures on our stunning foreshore. Meet across from the Old Baptist Church on Flinders Parade and please wear shoes that can get wet. All children must be accompanied by an adult. The walk is free, but bookings are essential.
Book your place at: Events Humanitix.
Wax Lyrical with Local Poets
Are you a budding poet? Would you like to meet other poets? Head along to the Poets by the Bay meetings, which are held on the third Thursday of every month at 6pm at the Brighton Hotel. This month’s meeting is on 19 September.
For more information, search Facebook for ‘Poets by the Bay’.
Back in the Swim
The indoor pool at the Sandgate Aquatic Centre has re-opened for the season. The pool itself has had a refresh with some repainting and retiling where it was needed. The outdoor pools will open later in September.
To keep up-to-date with all the latest from the pool, search Facebook for ‘Sandgate Aquatic Centre’.
Here’s to Friday
Raise a glass to the best day of the week – Friday – at the Sandgate Post Office Hotel with their new weekly event, Champagne Fridays. Treat yourself, enjoy a romantic date, or simply catch up with friends. Pop like a cork into the Main Bar and enjoy a bubbly glass of Prosecco for just $10. Now that sounds like the way to end the working week!
Home Growers Meet Up
Fruitful Suburbs is an informal group of keen gardeners who have been meeting at Apex Park for the past 15 years. It is an opportunity for locals to gather once a month to swap homegrown produce such as veggies, fruit, herbs, cuttings, seeds, eggs or honey.
It is a great way to pick up useful gardening tips and discover a whole world of curious and uncommon plants.
Everyone is welcome and no money is involved. There is an open invitation to attend and if you are unsure as to what to contribute, bring yourself – and see how it works.
Fruitful Suburbs meets at 9.30am on the first Sunday of each month at Apex Park, diagonally opposite Electea in Queen’s Parade, Brighton.
Community Stories From August 2024
These stories appeared in the August 2024 issue of the Sandgate Guide.
Hollywood in the 4017
Australian and international superstars Bryan Brown and Greta Scacchi were spotted in Sandgate in late June/early July filming the new series of Darby & Joan. Described as a cosy murder mystery, crime/comedy drama, season one was about a retired Australian detective, played by Brown, and an English nurse, Scacchi, who work together to solve the mystery of her husband’s recent death.
Filming for season two took place at a house on Eagle Terrace in Sandgate, as well as at a garage on Barclay Street in Deagon.
You can catch up on the first season for free on ABC iView, or via subscription at AcornTV. No word yet on a release date for season two, when Sandgate locals will be able to see our beautiful suburb on the small screen.
See the sea creatures
Laurie’s beach walk will be held on Tuesday, 27 August from 9am. Get up close and personal with all sorts of marine creatures on our stunning foreshore. Meet across from the Old Baptist Church on Flinders Parade and please wear shoes that can get wet. All children must be accompanied by an adult. The walk is free, but bookings are essential. Book your place here.
Basketball in our backyard
State Member for Sandgate, Stirling Hinchliffe, has announced the Brisbane Bullets will be calling the Boondall Entertainment Centre home for the upcoming season.
He said the move came “off the back of significant growth for the club”.
“This is a terrific announcement which places world-class basketball in the backyard of Northsiders,” Mr Hinchliffe said.
The first home game of the season is 5 October. For more information, go to the Bullets website.
State government funding
The recent Queensland State Government Budget featured some wins for the local community.
The Sandgate Golf Club will be receiving more than $78,000 for a new practice putting green and an upgrade to the driving nets.
Sandgate State School has been given funding to upgrade the tuckshop and a playground area.
And flashing school zone signs will be installed on Signal Row near Shorncliffe State School, and on Phillips Street, near St Joseph’s Primary School in Bracken Ridge.
Raise a glass to yoga
Fancy a bevvy and a bend on the green? Beer Yoga is the newest sensation here in Sandgate and classes will be hosted at The Sands Bowlo every second Saturday. Soak up some afternoon sun, sip on a crisp beer, and bend and stretch at the same time. Sessions are free to attend! All you need to bring is a yoga mat and arrive 10 minutes before the start of class to buy your beer from the bar.
Upcoming dates are as follows: August 3, 17 and 31; September 14 and 28. Classes are held from 4pm to 5pm. This is an 18 + event. To book your place, visit the website.
Get back to nature
Looking to get out and about? Take part in a guided walk through the stunning Boondall Wetlands Reserve. Learn about the plants and animals that make the wetlands an internationally important conservation area.
This easy two-kilometre walk is for all abilities. Children must be supervised by adults, and participants are asked to wear fully enclosed walking shoes. Please BYO water and snacks. Meet at the Boondall Wetlands Environment Centre on Saturday, 10 August at 10am.
Entry to the wetlands is via Stanworth Road, Boondall. No bookings required.
What’s the Buzz?
Have you got something to share with the 4017 community? What are you talking about at the school gate, online, or at the local café? Do you have an event you’d like to publicise? Contact Brooke to be in the next edition of the Bramble Buzz: jodiem@theguides.com.au
Community Stories From July 2024
These stories appeared in the July 2024 issue of the Sandgate Guide.
Hollywood Comes to Sandgate
It felt like the festive season in Sandgate village recently, with a new romance film, A Vintage Christmas, filming at local café Myrtle and Blossom. The film, which stars Canadian actors Merritt Patterson and Christopher Russell, is expected to inject $1.25 million into the Brisbane economy. No word yet on where the film will be shown or streamed.
Paddling to Glory
Physiotherapist Alana Pacholke, who works in Sandgate, is raising funds to help her get to the World Canoe Polo Championships, being held in China in October.
Alana, 28, has been a member of the Australian women’s team for the past eight years and captained the squad last year at the Oceania Championships.
Canoe Polo is a dynamic team sport, which is played by two teams of five players on a rectangular playing pitch that can be in open water or a swimming pool. Matches are played over two halves of 10 minutes with the aim to score into a goal which is suspended above the water at each end of the pitch.
Alana said she had “paddled all her life” but first began playing seriously 10 years ago.
“This is our first World Championships since Covid with 2020 being cancelled and being unable to travel in 2022 due to Covid restrictions,” she said. “I am hoping to raise at least $5000 to cover travel expenses.”
Winter Break for Swimmers
The Sandgate Aquatic Centre is taking a winter break from now until Sunday, 21 July. In the meantime, all passes will be honoured at the Emily Seebohm Aquatic Centre in Bracken Ridge. The Sandgate pool will reopen on Monday, 22 July.
For more information email sandgate@australiancrawl.com.au
Not So Fantastic Mr Fox
Keen-eyed locals have spotted a fox roaming around the 4017 after dark in recent weeks, with photos of the animal popping up on Sandgate Facebook pages. According to Brisbane City Council, European red foxes are common in the urban-rural fringe areas as they look for food around rubbish bins, barbeque and picnic areas in parkland and dig in backyard compost heaps. During the day they shelter in thick vegetation along gullies and creek banks, in hollow logs, under houses, in drainpipes and even old car bodies.
Foxes can cause problems for native wildlife and local pets. To report a fox sighting, you can call the council on 3403 8888.
Volunteers Honoured
Federal MP for Lilley, Anika Wells, has announced the recipients of the Elaine Darling Lifetime Contribution for Volunteering Awards. They are:
Joy Nielsen, President of the Sandgate Senior Citizens Club; Leanne Eggins, for her 40 years’ work as a police officer and PCYC volunteer; Angela Flaherty from the Nundah Lions Club; Barry Collis, for his work with Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia and volunteer work at St Vincent’s Care Services Viridian Retirement Village; Thomas Grice, for his work with the VMR Brisbane Inc; Patricia Carbis, volunteer with Banyo RSL Sub – Branch & Citizens’ Auxiliary; Maureen Sargeant, volunteer with Banyo RSL; Anne Templeton, volunteer with Banyo RSL Sub Branch; Ludmilla Doneman, chair of WOMENSPACE in Sandgate; Andrea Rhind, volunteer at Prince of Peace Lutheran College, Everton Hills; Melinda Day, volunteer at St Anthony’s Primary School; and Peggy Campbell, Girl Guides Australia volunteer. Congratulations to all the award winners!
Hawks Flying High
Congratulations to Sandgate Hawks players Dan Daye, Mackenzie Sleep, Olivia Lupo, Sammy Bryan, Georgia Smith, Indy Gosbell-Smith and Feb Kanth who have all been selected in the initial South Queensland representative AFL squad. Senior Women’s coach, Ben Long, has also been named as Head Coach of the South Queensland Women’s team. Exciting times at the Hawks!
Laurie’s Beach Walk
Discover Sandgate’s amazing sea life on Laurie’s Beach Walk, Tuesday, 30 July from 9am. Come and meet the interesting animals such as hermit crabs, amphipods, moon snails and shell house worms. Please wear covered shoes which can get wet, as well as sunscreen and a hat. Join the walk on Flinders Parade, near the old Baptist Church at the end of Cliff Street, Sandgate.
This is a free event, but places are limited. Please book at www.lauries-beach-walk.eventbrite.com.au/
Community Stories From June 2024
These stories appeared in the June 2024 issue of the Sandgate Guide.
Sandgate Pool Teams With Charity
Sandgate-based charity Share the Dignity recently announced they have installed a Dignity Vending Machine at the Sandgate Aquatic Centre. The centre is the first council pool in Queensland to provide free period products. The charity said anyone attending the pool can now access free period products at the push of a button, and they hope to see more council facilities follow suit. Share the Dignity’s Bloody Big Survey has shown 39.7 per cent of people who menstruate have missed swimming each month due to having their period.
Meet Our Sea Creatures
The next Laurie’s Beach Walk will be held on Friday, 28 June at 9am. Get up close and personal with all sorts of marine creatures. Meet on the Sandgate foreshore at the front of the old Baptist Church. Please wear shoes that can get wet and don’t forget your sunscreen. Children must be accompanied by an adult. The walk goes for 1.5 hours, and bookings are essential.
Photographers Invited To Snap Up Awards
Brisbane City Council is inviting anyone who lives, works, or studies in Brisbane to submit their best snaps, with the 2024 Lord Mayor’s Photography Awards now open. This year’s theme is ‘Brisbane in its best light’ and encourages photographers to share the places, people and experiences that make our city shine brightly. Entrants can win cash prices from $1000 to $5000 across eight categories.
Applications close at 4pm on Friday, 7 June. For more information visit the Brisbane City Council website.
Get Your Trivia On
Think you know your stuff? Test your knowledge at one of the most popular trivia events in the 4017. The Bracken Ridge Tavern (BRT) hosts trivia every week on Wednesday nights from 6.30pm. It’s free to attend, and according to manager Chad White, has been going from strength to strength since launching in November last year. “Typically, we have between 50 and 90 people each week, and many love having a meal beforehand or even during the trivia itself,” Chad said. “Prizes that we have already awarded this year include box tickets to the NRL Magic Round for people, signed Broncos jerseys, $200 wine hampers, thousands of dollars in venue vouchers, $500 Heston Blumenthal barbecues and so much more. We have a strong focus on giving good prizes, and having a lively, friendly atmosphere for all ages and types of people.”
For all the details on the BRT trivia nights, go to the BRT website.
Stretch It Out At Pilates
A free Pilates class will be held on Friday, 7 June at 6.30am at Arthur Davis Park, Flinders Parade, Sandgate. This is an all-ages class and no bookings are required. Meeting point is at the gazebo.
For more information contact Sharon at Precision Pilates on 0439 996 049.
Guided Wetlands Walk
Join experienced Volunteer Guides in a guided walk through the stunning Boondall Wetlands Reserve. Learn about the unique plants and animals of the wetlands on this gentle, easy, all-abilities 2km walk. Participants can visit the Bird Hide, observe distinct changes in vegetation and discover why Boondall Wetlands is an internationally important conservation area.
The walk will be held on Saturday, 15 June from 10am to 11.30am. The cost is free and no bookings are required. The walk starts at the Boondall Wetlands Environment Centre, 31 Paperbark Drive (entry via Stanworth Rd), Boondall. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Please wear a hat, insect repellent and fully enclosed walking shoes. Please bring your own drinking water and snacks.
