With a heavy heart, Kangaroo Point says goodbye to a suburb favourite, as Frida Kahlo’s Summer House closes its doors, another casualty of the increasing troubles that have plagued the hospitality industry.
In the face of rising expenses and after what seemed like a relentless struggle against lockdowns, staff shortages, and a sluggish economy, Frida Kahlo’s Summer House can take no more.
In 2022, even the nearby Medley cafe/restaurant had to close temporarily due to its inability to fill crucial staff positions.
Owner Diego Rodriguez says he has poured his heart and soul into the business for over two years. But the burden of mounting debt and soaring Covid-related challenges became overwhelming.
Sky-high food prices and outrageous wages further compounded the struggle. Despite the restaurant’s efforts to attract customers, there just wasn’t enough resources to stay afloat.
To loyal patrons, the Summer House was more than just a place to eat. It was a vibrant sanctuary where locals found respite and indulgence.
Photo Credit: Frida Kahlo’s Summer House/Facebook
The restaurant’s bold and bright decor paid homage to Frida Kahlo’s iconic artwork and her legendary “La Casa Azul” in Mexico City. It was a slice of cultural paradise nestled between the tranquil riverwalk and the magnificent Story Bridge.
The Prawnster, a Dockside Marina restaurant in Kangaroo Point, has launched a legal battle to save the business from eviction. Owner Martin Brennan acknowledges his uphill challenge as a David against Goliath.
The lawsuit against the State Government marks the latest development in a protracted saga that spans over three years. The Prawnster‘s two boats have remained the sole commercial operators at Dockside Marina, despite being instructed to vacate the premises this May 2023.
The eviction notice came after marina lessee Ken Allsop lost his final bid to alter lease conditions.
Mr Brennan questions why his establishment cannot be relocated to the State Government’s pontoons outside the cultural centre in South Bank. He points out that two other commercial cruise boats made the move at the start of the pandemic and have been successfully operating there ever since.
Photo Credit: The Prawnster/Facebook
Frustrated by the lack of options, he has taken the matter to the Supreme Court, fully aware of the substantial costs involved. He believes that Mr Allsop’s application to amend the seabed lease conditions would have likely been approved had he not expanded his operations at Dockside.
He claims that the expansion to two boats has had minimal impact on the residents of Dockside apartments. Admittedly, The Prawnster faced regular visits from the water police following a complaint about incorrect boat mooring. Additionally, the establishment endured multiple inspections and other complaints.
Mr Brennan, however, said his operation has never been an issue for the government. With a dozen employees and glowing reviews on TripAdvisor, The Prawnster is a well-regarded establishment.
Meanwhile, Mr Allsop has been engaged in a separate battle, trying to appeal the Department of Resources’ directive to remove commercial operators from the marina. The Department insists that the facility was intended solely for recreational boat users.
The Department of Resources spokesperson acknowledges the value of tourism operators on the Brisbane River but emphasizes that lessees must adhere to the conditions of their leases. While the government recognises the need for alternative mooring options, it remains committed to ensuring compliance with the lease conditions.
The expansion of commercial operators in recent years, including jetski and electric boat rentals, prompted complaints from residents of nearby Dockside unit towers. The grievances include noise disturbances from customers, odours emanating from rubbish, and alleged safety concerns due to golf buggies transporting supplies across a public boardwalk.
In February of last year, the Department of Resources ordered all businesses to vacate the marina by April, leading to threats of a floating blockade. However, a moratorium was offered after the marina suffered severe damage during the 2022 floods.
Photo Credit: The Prawnster/Facebook
Despite Mr Allsop’s request for an internal review of the eviction notice, the Department upheld its decision in June, issuing a final notice to vacate earlier this year. Unfortunately for the affected businesses, the promised CBD marina, which was expected to provide a new home for them, will not be constructed.
As a result, The Prawnster and other businesses are left without viable options, placing their livelihoods in jeopardy. While some operators, such as Brisvegas and Jetski Brisbane, have managed to secure temporary alternatives, the increased costs and inconveniences associated with the new locations pose significant challenges.
The proposed residential building is expected to have a height ranging between five to eight storeys. The units will consist of 21 one-bedroom and 29 two-bedroom apartments.
The proposed development at 619 Main Street, Kangaroo Point is considered a challenging undertaking due to the presence of several protected buildings on the site. As a result, the project has been split into two separate applications.
Artist’s impression of proposed residential building (Photo credit: Red Door Architecture)
At present, the site comprises five lots, each featuring a residential building. Among these buildings, one has been recognised as a commercial building with significant historical value, and will be preserved and restored as part of the development plan.
Additionally, two of the buildings were constructed prior to 1911, further adding to their historical significance.
“It is proposed to retain the pre-1911 components of these buildings as part of the development, with each of the buildings to be marginally shifted with respect to their setback from Main Street,” planners at Urban Strategies stated.
Photo credit: Red Door Architecture
The proposed works for the existing character building on the site include:
Removal of non-original and unsympathetic extensions,
Installation of extra windows on the ground level of the Bell Street façade to improve casual surveillance of the street,
Creation of a more visually appealing extension on the building’s southern side to blend in with the rest of the development,
Restoration of external features, and
Demolition of internal walls to allow for a flexible fit-out of the interior by a future tenant.
Photo credit: Red Door Architecture
Designed by Red Door Architecture, the project aims to utilise the western part of the site for residential purposes, featuring a design that is considered to be of meritorious quality, and provides a strong response to the relevant planning objectives for the site.
The plan includes a podium and basement level car park, offering a total of 62 car spaces and 58 bike spaces. In addition, there will be communal open spaces located on both the podium and rooftop levels of the building.
Kangaroo Point’s C.T. White Park and James Warner Park have been temporarily closed to the public, after routine soil testing yielded traces of lead on park grounds.
Following a routine soil testing tied to the preparations for the Kangaroo Point Green Bridge project nearby, the two sites were quietly closed for remediation in February 2023. The playground and dog park are expected to re-open by April 2023.
There were no signages explaining the temporary closure to the locals who frequent the parks, per Cr Jonathan Sriranganathan. After asking Council, Cr Sriranganathan was told that the level of contaminated soil on C.T. White Park and James Warner Park necessitated the temporary closure.
“Elevated lead levels have been detected in parts of the two parks. Areas where soil is exposed, as in the DOLA, can increase the risk of exposure for users of the parks and therefore Council’s immediate response is to close these areas while an interim solution is implemented,” a Council spokesperson said.
Photo Credits: Google Maps screengrab
The spokesperson further stated that C.T. White Park and James Warner Park are not on the list of Queensland’s Environmental Management Register for contaminated land. But based on the historic information, these parks were a shipyard in the 1800s and an industrial site before the 1940s. The Kangaroo Point parks were not developed until after 1946 thus the contamination likely happened more than 80 years ago.
“Council is working to put in place measures to allow the facilities to reopen while a longer term solution is planned,” the spokesperson said.
In 2021, James Warner Park was transformed into an off-leash dog park despite some objections from the locals who said that Kangaroo Point residents can continue to walk their dogs whilst leashed.
A public health expert, however, said that there is no need to panic about possible contamination to lead.
“You have to consider how much time you spent in the location where this lead is, the routes [of ingestion] and amount of lead that is present,” University of Queensland School of Public Health Associate Professor Nicholas Osborne said.
“It might not be a worry at all, it might be three feet under a very secure amount of dirt which means that humans don’t get any exposure.”
A group of locals has strongly opposed plans to use Raymond Park, the only green space in Kangaroo Point, as a warm-up field for Olympic athletes, as residents start receiving letters informing them of a two-week site survey on Raymond Park to potentially prepare the area for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.
The letter was taken as an indication that the redevelopment of Raymond Park will forge ahead even with little public consultations, as some residents claim that attempts to raise their concerns with officials have fallen on deaf ears.
Friends of Raymond Park Page has a copy of the letter on a post saying that the potential Olympic-standard warm-up track could leave eight families homeless as their houses are at the front of the park. Changes to the green might also destroy the community garden, remove the dog park and the outdoor gym, and impact the 100-year-old soccer club.
Photo Credit: Janita Dal Cin
Paul, one of the residents whose houses could be resumed for a temporary event, also spoke on the radio with Bill McDonald. He said they have been trying to get answers about the plans but no one from the government has replied to their emails.
Max Chandler-Mather, the Federal MP for Griffith, reacted to the letter.
“The first letter residents of Kangaroo Point have received from the Government about the Olympics isn’t to offer a consultation, or ask them if they would like to host an Olympics warm-up track in their backyard, it’s been to inform them that the decision has apparently been made, congratulations, say goodbye to your local park,” Mr Chandler-Mather posted.
“The Queensland Government is pretending like this decision has already been made, when the Federal Government won’t even confirm if they support building a new stadium, let alone demolishing the Gabba, East Brisbane State School and Raymond Park.
“The Government has told residents it’s an “enormous privilege” to host the Olympics. Well it’s not a privilege to lose a brilliant local green space with 100-year-old fig trees, a playground, a dog park, the Kangaroo Point Rovers soccer club, and a community garden.”
No designs nor details of the project scope for the Raymond Park warm-up fields have been released. Both State and Federal Governments have yet to finalise the funding arrangement that will pay for the construction and refurbishment of Olympic facilities.
Meanwhile, Kangaroo Point residents have started a campaign to save Raymond Park and proposed Giffin Park in Coorparoo as the alternative for the warm-up track.
Did you know that for $1,300 per week, you can live at St Mary’s Rectory in Kangaroo Point, where two of the most notable women in Queensland’s history once lived?
The rectory, located next to St Mary’s Church, was once home to Lillian Cooper, the State’s first female doctor and her longtime partner, philanthropist Josephine Bedford. In fact, the stained-glass windows at the rectory are a memorial to Cooper’s legacy.
In its 150-year history, it’s been only three times that the rectory has been up for rent. The property, located at 447 Main St, Kangaroo Point, has remained vacant since Rector Gary Harsh retired in 2021.
Photo credit: mcgrath.com.au
In the listing, real estate group McGrath described the property as a “classic and unique residence that offers some of Brisbane’s most expansive and unobstructed panoramic views of the city, river and surrounding suburbs that will remain a permanent fixture of the significant home.”
“This residence stands as one of Brisbane’s most prestigious and historic addresses and represents the final word in exquisite and stunning riverside living,” the listing reads.
The four-bedroom property features two bathrooms and two car spaces, an updated kitchen, formal dining room and living room, as well as an oversized master bedroom with updated ensuite.
About the Rectory
The rectory c1930 (Photo credit: John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland)
St Mary’s Rectory was constructed in 1889, after the completion of the church hall in the same year.
In 1926, it was purchased by Cooper and Bedford, who renovated it by including a consulting room for Cooper, and a study for Bedford which features a personal library well stocked with books.
Josephine Bedford and Lilian Cooper c1900 (Photo credit: John Oxley Library, State Library Queensland)
The rectory is a large single-storeyed brick residence with verandahs on three sides. It stands on brick piers with honeycomb infill and the entry is through a gabled frontispiece. The verandah has timber posts and balusters. A number of bays on the rear verandah add to the complexity of the corrugated roof which is a series of hips and gables.
The first-ever trial of the Bicycle Awareness Monitors has launched in Brisbane to improve safety and accessibility for cyclists, e-scooters, and e-skateboards using the Kangaroo Point Bikeway.
Two new signs were installed along the Kangaroo Point Cliff stairs and the Riverlife Adventure Centre. The signs work just like the smiling Speed Awareness Monitors, alerting riders if they have exceeded the speed limit of 15km/h.
With more than 3,000 people using this pathway daily, Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said that the BAMs will allow shared paths for pedestrians, cyclists, or scooter and skateboard riders to remain safe for traveling.
“It’s important everyone uses our shared paths considerately and safely,” he said. “Travelling at the correct speed is an important part of this.”
“If you trigger a slowdown message, please do so as it’s important for your own safety and those travelling around you.”
Photo Credit: Bicycle Awareness Monitors/BCC
The Bicycle Awareness Monitors are solar-powered so it’s cost-effective and better for the environment.
“If these signs prove to deliver a positive change in behaviour during this trial, we will explore options to install them on other pathways across Brisbane,” Mr Schinner added.
Whilst Brisbane West Bicycle User Group welcomes the trial, an issue along the Kangaroo Point Bikeway remains unaddressed, where some of the paths are often blocked by cars going to the businesses in the area. The group’s co-convenor, Chris Cox, however, acknowledges the challenges of the said bikeway thus it is ideal for the trial. Mr Cox hopes that BAMs will not prevent better solutions to improve shared paths across Brisbane.
Anna Campbell of Queensland Walks also agrees that BAMs are not enough but it’s also an indicator of a “pinch point” in the shared paths. Ms Campbell wishes Council to be open about sharing data from the BAMs with the transport community to find other solutions.
Two dining destinations have been planned and major opportunities have opened up for entrepreneurs and restaurateurs to provide a novel experience that local foodies can look forward to, at a unique location in the heart of the CBD: the Kangaroo Point Green Bridge.
Colliers, on behalf of the Brisbane City Council, announced that there are two leases for waterfront dining opportunities, pegged to become dining destinations, at the upcoming Kangaroo Point Bridge.
The restaurant is set above water with a gorgeous viewing area of the river, the CBD, Story Bridge, and Kangaroo Point Cliffs. It’s estimated to be 380 square metres with both indoor and alfresco seating.
Photo Credit: BCCPhoto Credit: BCC
On the other hand, the cafe will be by the CBD landing of the green bridge, close to a new urban plaza that will be built where Edward and Alice streets meet the Brisbane River. It’s approximately 90 square metres.
Photo Credit: BCC
Per the Council, “The two waterfront food and beverage opportunities will deliver something truly unique to Brisbane and a dining destination that becomes a quintessential part of Queensland.”
“The plaza will be located at the entrance to the City Botanic Gardens and the start of the Kangaroo Point Green Bridge, providing a gateway for residents and tourists to the CBD and riverside boardwalks.”
Interested parties may phone Colliers for queries via 0431 772 510 or 0421 170 033 (during business hours).
The sun continues to shine in the Sunshine State capital as the property market in over half of the suburbs in Brisbane, including Kangaroo Point, sustained rising trend and sales activity for the period April 2021 to March 2022, contrary to some expectations.
In Kangaroo Point, the median house price exhibited a 52.20 per cent rise for the period of April 2021 to March 2022, assuring buyers of the sound performance of their investments in this tightly-held market. According to Property Market Updates, Kangaroo Point’s median house price now sits at $1,660,000 for the said period.
About 30 homes were sold for this period within an average of 102 days on market. Despite the market time, property punters have predicted that houses across Brisbane, especially in the inner cities, will experience a price hike of over 30 per cent, triggered by the confirmation of the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.
In June 2021, a prestige waterfront home with an impressive scale and sleek contemporary design netted the highest deal for the period.
Kangaroo Point Unit Price Growth
Kangaroo Point’s unit price growth might not be as astronomical as the house price growth but it is holding steady. With a modest 4.60 per cent rise, the unit median price is currently at $580,000.
For this period, Property Market Updates logged 527 units sold for an average of 71 days on market. There were 205 two-bedroom units sold, highly-coveted by buyers.
Amidst all the speculation in the market, industry experts are confidently betting on the inevitable increase of the unit market in Kangaroo Point, leading up to the 2032 Olympics.
Vertical living, with its proximity to universities and sports complex, as well as the heaps of burgeoning infrastructure projects nearby, such as the Cross River Rail, Queens Wharf, and Eagle Street, will keep Kangaroo Point very attractive, especially for first-home buyers.
Kangaroo Point Property Market Post-Flooding
Kangaroo Point was deeply submerged during the recent flooding but many experts agree this will not dampen the property market’s performance all that much.
Whilst some price falls could be expected, Brisbane’s inner cities remain more affordable than other Australian cities. Buyers also tend to overlook the risks of the opportunity to acquire a property overlooking the Brisbane River.
Photo Credit: Google Maps
During the 2011 flooding, the hardest-hit suburbs took three years to recover but those in the inner cities improved at a faster rate or at least 50 per cent above the prices pre-flooding. More high-end homes in Kangaroo Point have been selling than ever before, according to one property agent.
For the first time in more than three decades, heritage-listed Pineapple Hotel hits the market and experts expect the Kangaroo Point sale to break records.
The 2,947sqm property, touted as one of Brisbane’s last “independently owned A-Grade hotels”, offers expansive redevelopment and value add opportunities. The two-storey hotel is a top 200 gaming venue with 35 machines – current value estimated to be about $10 million – and the ability to increase to 45.
The Singleton family who has owned the Pineapple Hotel for more than thirty years has decided to offload the property, offering it either as a leasehold or freehold going concern. Pundits predict the sale could break the record set when the Stock Exchange Hotel was acquired by the Australian Pub Fund in 2013 for $35 million.
Bars, steakhouse, function rooms, onsite and detached bottle shops and a glass house beer garden comprise the well-balanced mix of trades featured at the hotel.
Photo Credit: Brisbane City Council / heritage.brisbane.qld.gov.au
First opened in 1864, the Pineapple Hotel was built as a wooden house fronting the formerly Ipswich Road. The house was replaced by the currently existing building between 1886 and 1887 which was designed by John Hall and Sons. The hotel is situated near Raymond Park which then was a pineapple plantation, thus aptly naming it Pineapple Hotel.
Given its proximity to the Gabba Cricket Ground, the hotel became a popular spot for sports enthusiasts and served as a home base for a number of sporting teams.
The Pineapple Hotel has changed hands and underwent alterations and renovations several times over its 158-year history. The Singleton family acquired the asset in 1990 and also made extensive renovation and restoration of the hotel.
