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Mayo Arts Festival Returns to Celebrate Creative Talent in Ascot

Photo Credit: St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School/Facebook

The sprawling grounds of St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School in Ascot will soon shift into a massive, living gallery as students prepare to host a biennial creative takeover of the campus.

A Festival of Local Flair

Every two years, the school grounds shed their academic routine to become an immersive hub for the arts. The event invites the wider Brisbane community to wander through a curated landscape where the air fills with the sounds of live orchestras, choral groups, and contemporary bands.

How often do you get the chance to witness an entire school’s creative soul laid bare in such an interactive way? From modern jazz dance routines to gripping dramatic monologues, the day serves as a lively, non-stop showcase of raw talent, proving that art is best experienced in person.

The Exhibition Space

Moving beyond the stage, the school’s main halls will transform into a formal gallery. Here, visitors can explore a diverse collection of student work, ranging from intricate sculptures and photography to experimental digital art. Rather than staying behind closed doors, these creative projects are displayed to bridge the gap between the school and the neighbourhood, grounding the event in a shared local experience.

Plan Your Visit

Mark your calendars for Saturday, 1 August 2026. The gates will be wide for visitors from 11:00 AM until 7:00 PM, with no cost for entry. If you are heading to Petrie Street, consider the popularity of the event; street parking often reaches capacity quickly, making public transport a much smarter bet for a stress-free arrival.

Keeping an eye on the official school website for the performance timetable will ensure you don’t miss your favourite act. Given the mix of indoor gallery spaces and outdoor performance zones, a quick check of the local Ascot forecast before leaving the house is highly recommended.

The name of the event—the Mayo Arts Festival—is a deliberate tribute to the Mayo family. Their historical influence remains deeply woven into the fabric of both the school’s land and the surrounding Ascot area. By hosting this festival, the school preserves a legacy that links yesterday’s local history with the creative expressions of the next generation.

Published Date 13-July-2026

Eagle Farm Grandstand To Be Demolished After Final Winter Carnival

Photo Credit: MID-0524-0842

The Eagle Farm grandstand long known as the John Power Stand is set for demolition from August, ending nearly seven decades of use at the Ascot racecourse as plans progress for its replacement, The Terraces.

John Power Stand Nears Closure At Eagle Farm

The John Power Stand at Eagle Farm Racecourse is preparing to come down after nearly 70 years as part of a major change to the Ascot racing precinct.

The final winter carnival meeting at Eagle Farm marked the end of a long chapter for the ageing stand, which was built in 1957 and has capacity for about 4,000 people.

Engineers have determined the structure presents health and safety concerns for patrons, with the stand scheduled to be decommissioned in August 2026. Demolition is expected to begin from August and take between four and six months.

Named after former Queensland Turf Club president Dr John Power, the stand has long formed part of the spectator precinct at Eagle Farm Racecourse, Queensland’s premier thoroughbred racing venue.

Eagle Farm Racecourse spectator stand — Photo Credit: MID-0524-0842

The Terraces Planned For Ascot Precinct

The Eagle Farm grandstand will be replaced by The Terraces, a four-level facility planned with updated safety, accessibility and race-day amenities.

The proposed new stand will include bars, a restaurant with tiered seating and five private suites that can be reconfigured into a larger function room. Planning for the facility has also included public and patron areas, a ground-floor plaza and a rooftop restaurant and bar.

Hassell and RWA Sports Architecture have been linked to the design, which is planned around racecourse views, hospitality spaces and improved facilities for spectators.

Construction of the replacement stand is not expected to start until the new year at the earliest.

The Terraces grandstand concept — Photo Credit: MID-0524-0842

Funding Still Being Finalised

An initial $25 million has been secured to start the first phase of the redevelopment.

The broader project has been placed at $100 million, with Brisbane Racing Club continuing negotiations for the remaining $75 million.

The new spectator facilities are being delivered through a partnership between Racing Queensland and Brisbane Racing Club.

John Power Stand at Eagle Farm — Photo Credit: MID-0524-0842

Racing To Continue During Redevelopment

Eagle Farm is expected to operate under a different model while the redevelopment proceeds.

Both the John Power Stand and the adjoining heritage stand will be closed to the public, with the heritage stand also due for upgrades. The racecourse is scheduled to host its next Saturday meeting on 25 July.

Planning has included exclusion zones to keep race meetings operating during the works. Brisbane Racing Club has spent months preparing for the transition and has said maintaining racing continuity remains a priority.

A members’ information night is scheduled at Eagle Farm on 14 July to address questions about the changes ahead.

Published 30-June-2026

Local Theatre Stars Return From Albion To Lead Huge Mamma Mia! Musical

A musical theatre star who honed her craft in an Albion dance studio is bringing her international experience home to headline a massive new production of Mamma Mia! at The Star Gold Coast.

A Homecoming for Queensland Talent

The upcoming season of the beloved ABBA musical will showcase a strong lineup of performers with deep ties to South East Queensland. Taylor, who spent her early training days at the Australian Dance Performance Institute historically based in Albion, is taking on the principal role of Tanya.

She is joined in the production by fellow Queensland Conservatorium graduate Laura Garrick. Both women studied at the Conservatorium’s South Bank campus before launching successful careers that have taken them across the country and overseas.

Bringing Broad Experience to the Local Stage

Both performers are bringing significant industry experience to the Gold Coast stage. Taylor is a triple-threat artist who has toured the United Kingdom in major productions of Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella. Alongside her theatre work, she performs with the vocal group The 7 Sopranos and has directed and toured a national award-nominated theatre show.

Garrick has also built an impressive resume, securing a major industry award for her supporting performance in Kinky Boots and singing the national anthem for major Australian sporting teams like the Matildas. She will make her Mamma Mia! debut as part of the electric ensemble.

Building the Island Dream

The Very Popular Theatre Company is producing the show, featuring a cast of 31 stage performers from around Australia. Set on a Greek island, the story explores the lives of a mother, her daughter, and three possible fathers, all driven by 22 popular ABBA songs. Erin Cornell leads the cast as Donna Sheridan, making up the iconic band Donna and the Dynamos alongside Taylor’s Tanya and Gold Coast local Jo-Anne Jackson as Rosie.

Emily Monsma will play Donna’s daughter, Sophie. Monsma noted her enthusiasm about returning to the Gold Coast to perform in a show she feels deeply connected to, recalling childhood memories of singing the group’s songs with her family and watching a tribute act at the exact same venue.

A Powerhouse Creative Team

The production begins its limited season on 4 September, followed by a blue carpet premiere event on September 8. Director Erin James leads an acclaimed creative team with combined experience working on massive international hits like Wicked and Billy Elliot. The original stage show has reached more than 70 million people worldwide since it first opened in London, and tickets for this new Queensland run are already selling quickly.

Published Date 30-June-2026

What Makes Dunaverty One of Albion’s Most Fascinating Heritage Homes?

Long before Albion became the established inner-city suburb it is today, Dunaverty stood on the corner of Birkbeck and Hudson roads as the home of Scottish migrant Archibald McNish Fraser. More than 130 years later, the heritage-listed residence continues to preserve many of the architectural details that made it distinctive when it was built in 1887.

Read: Redevelopment Aims to Preserve Heritage of Paddock and Members Stands at Eagle Farm Racecourse

From its decorative timberwork to fanlights bearing the names of Fraser’s family members, the house reflects Brisbane’s boom-era development and the career of nineteenth-century real estate entrepreneur Archibald McNish Fraser.

A reflection of Brisbane’s growth

Sketch of Archibald McNish Fraser (Photo credit: John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. Image number: 167284)

Fraser arrived in Brisbane from Argyllshire, Scotland, in 1880 after completing his apprenticeship as a builder. He established himself as a contractor working in Brisbane and Cleveland before expanding into real estate during the mid-1880s.

After purchasing the Albion site from his father-in-law, John Barclay, in 1885, Fraser established the Onward Real Property Mart in 1887, the same year Dunaverty was completed.

Contemporary publications recognised Fraser’s achievements during the late 1880s. They described him as one of the city’s successful young businessmen, while the Queensland Heritage Register suggests Dunaverty may have been built to showcase his business.

Scottish influences throughout the home

Decorative detailing on Dunaverty (Photo credit: BCC)

Dunaverty reflects Fraser’s Scottish background through a range of decorative features incorporated into the house. Scottish thistle motifs appear in the cast iron lacework, timber brackets, ceiling roses and fanlights throughout the residence.

Among the home’s most distinctive features are the fanlights above the doors, which display the names and nicknames Nellie, Charlie, Mima and Katie. The inscriptions refer to Fraser’s wife, Jemima, and members of the Fraser family, adding a personal element to the home’s design.

These details remain among the property’s defining heritage features.

Part of the Albion Heritage Trail

Albion Heritage Trail map (Photo credit: BCC)

Today, Dunaverty is included on Brisbane City’s Albion Heritage Trail, which highlights places associated with the suburb’s development and history.

Occupying a prominent corner site, the residence makes what the Queensland Heritage Register describes as a picturesque contribution to the streetscape. Its decorative verandahs, chamferboard construction and hipped corrugated iron roof continue to reflect its late nineteenth-century origins.

More than a century of preservation

Dunaverty (2009); Photo credit: Heritage Branch staff/Queensland Heritage Register

The Fraser family moved to West End during the economic downturn of the early 1890s, although they retained ownership of Dunaverty until 1912. Over the following years, the property was occupied by tenants before being sold to William McGregor, who renamed it Carvarmore.

The house later changed hands several times and underwent additions, including alterations to the rear of the building. Despite these changes, much of the original structure and decorative detailing has been retained.

Read: Tattersalls Lodge: A Heritage-Listed Ascot Asset With Ties to Queensland Racing

Heritage records also note that some original cedar joinery and ironmongery were stolen while the property was vacant in 1998.

Today, Dunaverty remains a heritage-listed boom-era residence, retaining architectural features and personalised details associated with Archibald McNish Fraser and his family.

Published 29-June-2026

Brisbane Airport Turns to Robot Mowers for Greener Airside Maintenance

Photo Credit: Brisbane Airport

Brisbane Airport robot mowers are taking on grass maintenance across airside land, with four autonomous machines being trialled to reduce diesel use, support safe operations and manage large grassed areas more efficiently.

Brisbane Airport Robot Mowers Take On Airside Grass

Across Brisbane Airport’s airside land, a small fleet of autonomous robot mowers is being trialled as part of a new approach to maintaining grassed areas around airport operations.

Brisbane Airport has become Australia’s first major airport to trial the rollout of autonomous robot mowers. Four machines are operating within prescribed safe areas, using sensors, geofencing, real-time monitoring and a physical barrier to keep them inside approved zones.

The pilot program is managing a growing portion of the airport’s 919 hectares of airside land, an area described as equivalent to 54 South Bank Parklands.

Coverage is expected to extend into additional airside areas over time as the fleet grows.

Robot mower at Brisbane Airport — Photo Credit: Brisbane Airport

A Continuous Cut Around Controlled Areas

The mowers are designed to work autonomously within defined zones, reducing the need for manual mowing in selected operational areas.

Unlike conventional mowing, which must be scheduled around air traffic and staff availability, the robotic mowers can operate day and night. That allows grass maintenance to continue more consistently while keeping the machines within controlled areas.

Airside grass maintenance is tightly managed because vegetation around runways and operational zones must be kept within safety requirements. The robotic system is designed to support that work while reducing human exposure to those areas.

Diesel Savings And Greener Grass

Replacing diesel-powered mowing equipment with automated electric mowers is expected to save more than 60,000 litres of diesel each year.

The mowing operation is designed to produce zero direct emissions, with charging supported by solar energy or Brisbane Airport’s renewables-backed electricity network.

The airport has also listed an estimated 70 per cent reduction in vegetation management costs and 250 fewer hours of sweeper truck operations each year as expected benefits.

The continuous mowing process is expected to reduce the use of herbicides and pesticides, while encouraging more resilient, drought-tolerant grass that stays greener for longer.

Trial Recognised By Airport Industry

The autonomous mowing system won an Australian Airports Association innovation award at the organisation’s most recent awards.

Brisbane Airport has linked the trial to its wider use of technology across operations and sustainability work. Its listed milestones include the establishment of a 285-hectare Biodiversity Zone in 2010, an emissions reduction program from 2013, the installation of 18,000 solar panels in 2019, and achieving Net Zero for scope 1 and 2 emissions in 2025.

Other listed initiatives include a 250kW battery energy storage systems trial in 2026, three Green Star 5 Star certifications for industrial property projects, and participation in a sustainable aviation fuel trial with VIVA Energy.

Published 26-June-2026

Where Healing Meets Harmony: Maggie James Celebrated at Ascot for Transforming Hospital Care Through Music

Photo Credit: St Margaret's Old Girls' Network

St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School Old Girl Maggie James has been recognised by the school for a career shaped by music, clinical care and service to critically ill children at Queensland Children’s Hospital.

Ascot Past Student Honoured at Awards Dinner

Maggie James, nee Leung, from the Class of ’97, was named the 2026 Spirit of Service Past Student Award recipient at the school’s Past Student Awards Dinner in March.

The award was introduced in 2024 to recognise alumni whose work demonstrates servant leadership, contribution and service to others. James was honoured alongside Professor Catherine Greenhill from the class of 1987, who received the Distinguished Past Student Award, and Natalie Charlton from the class of 2012, who received the Young Past Student of Distinction Award.

The evening brought together Old Girls, current students and members of the St Margaret’s community. Music also formed part of the event, with performances by the Sculthorpe String Quartet and Year 7 student Minh, who performed a solo cello piece accompanied by Mr Ng.

For James, the award recognised a career that has taken music from the school environment into hospital rooms, where it forms part of care for children and families facing serious illness.

St Margaret’s awards dinner in Ascot — *Photo Credit:* *St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School*/Facebook

From St Margaret’s Music Rooms to Hospital Care

James is a Paediatric Music Therapist and Clinical Lead of the Music Therapy Department at Queensland Children’s Hospital. She has spent 23 years with Children’s Health Queensland.

Her work centres on children who are seriously unwell, including patients in the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit and some receiving palliative care. In that setting, music therapy is used to support pain management, rehabilitation, emotional expression and regulation of heart rate and breathing.

James’ pathway into the field began with a long-standing connection to music. She began playing piano at the age of two and later studied Music Therapy at The University of Queensland. Her interest developed into a specialised clinical career focused on how music can support sick children and their families during treatment and recovery.

Her work includes singing, music listening, songwriting, music-making and the use of instruments. Sessions are adapted to the needs and condition of each child.

In one example from her clinical work, James used percussion instruments and a rearranged children’s song as part of therapy for a toddler recovering from an acquired brain injury. The therapy supported movement goals for the child’s right arm and hand alongside physiotherapy.

Maggie James at Past Student Awards — *Photo Credit: St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School*/Facebook

Music Therapy Work Beyond Brisbane

James’ work has also extended beyond Queensland Children’s Hospital.

Her specialisation in neurologic music therapy in paediatric intensive care has taken her into volunteer roles in critical-care orphanages in China, involvement with the Board of the Butterfly Children’s Hospice, and participation in the International Conference on Children’s Music Therapy in Norway.

She has also completed an MBA at The University of Queensland, extending her leadership work in the field. Her focus includes developing sustainable and equitable music therapy services for children and families.

St Margaret’s Connection Continues

The Ascot past student’s connection with St Margaret’s has continued through family and music.

James’ daughters began their own time at St Margaret’s this year. A collaboration has also begun between the school and Queensland Children’s Hospital, with the St Margaret’s Primary Choir and String Quartet set to perform for children and families in hospital care.

The recognition places James among the school’s past students whose careers have continued into service-focused work beyond the school gates.

Published 25-June-2026

From St Margaret’s to The Lion King: Ascot Graduate Lands Dream Role in Disney Musical

St Margaret's Anglican Girls School/Facebook

Akari Komoto, a graduate of St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School, has landed the role of Music Associate on Disney’s Australian production of The Lion King, currently playing at the Capitol Theatre in Sydney.

It is the kind of career milestone that tends to feel both earned and surprising at once, but for those who watched Akari move through St Margaret’s music programme between 2017 and 2021, the trajectory makes complete sense. She arrived at school not particularly fond of musical theatre. She left bound for one of the most celebrated stage productions in the world.

A teacher’s suggestion that changed everything

Akari credits a pivotal conversation in her final year of school for setting her on the path to musical directing. Her music teacher, Mr Ng, suggested she look into the field, a career direction she had never previously considered. After researching it herself, she realised musical directing combined everything she loved about music into a viable profession.

Before that conversation, her school years had already been building something. Akari performed in three St Margaret’s school productions, and by her own account, the experience transformed her relationship with musical theatre entirely.

“The school musicals were life-changing experiences,” Akari said. “I didn’t really like musical theatre at first, but I had the chance to play in three school productions, and with each one, I felt my love for the art form grow more and more. In the end, I went from disliking musical theatre to wanting to live and breathe it, and that’s when I knew I wanted to pursue it as a career.”

From Ascot, Akari went on to study at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), graduating with a Bachelor of Music Honours in Composition and Sonic Arts, before landing her role on The Lion King.

Sitting in the pit at the Capitol Theatre

The Music Associate role places Akari directly inside the production’s musical operation, and her first show as Keyboard 1 in front of a live audience was an experience she has described in vivid terms.

“It’s such a surreal and overwhelming feeling being part of this show,” Akari said. “From the very first note of ‘Circle of Life’, you can feel the audience shift as they’re taken back to the film and their childhood.”

“A moment that made it feel real was playing my first show as Keyboard 1 in front of an audience. I don’t think I’ve been that nervous in a long time — my arms and legs were shaking during the first song but by halfway through Act 1 I started to relax and really felt present with the rest of the band and cast. That was the moment when it really hit me.”

The production she is now part of has reached more than 124 million people worldwide across its decades-long run. The Australian season brings the full scale of that production to the Capitol Theatre, with the visual artistry, costume design and live musicianship that have made it one of the most recognised stage shows in history.

The show’s themes land differently from inside the pit

Working on The Lion King has given Akari an unexpected personal resonance with the story she helps tell every night.

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“In the short time I’ve been working on the show, it has made me more aware and prouder of my Japanese heritage,” she said. “That idea of understanding who we are because of the people who came before us is such a powerful message that should be constantly retold, and it’s something that resonates with me. To be able to play even a small part in sharing that legacy story with so many people is incredibly special and something I’m so grateful to be a part of.”

That reflection extends to how she thinks about the arts more broadly, and about the role that school communities play in shaping what young people believe is possible.

“The arts is truly a unique and powerful community,” Akari said. “It’s provided me with a sense of purpose and direction. It also fosters empathy and understanding in a world that should strive more towards those qualities.”

Experience the production live

Disney’s The Lion King is currently in a strictly limited season at the Capitol Theatre in Sydney. The production runs approximately two hours and thirty minutes including a 20-minute interval and is recommended for ages six and up. Accessible performances including Auslan-interpreted, audio-described and relaxed sessions are available during August.

Tickets and session information are available here.

Published 25-June-2026

Champion Performances Continue for St Margaret’s Girls in Pool and Water Polo Arenas

Students at St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School in Ascot are marking a series of sporting achievements, including success at the Royal Life Saving Society Queensland Secondary School State Lifesaving Championships and Australian squad selection for Year 12 student Bless Daly.

Read: Music Journeys: How St Margaret’s Old Girls Are Inspiring the Next Generation

The achievements span both lifesaving and water polo, with students earning recognition at state and international levels.

Lifesaving Team Continues Championship Legacy

Photo credit: Facebook/St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School

A team of 42 St Margaret’s students travelled to Sunshine Coast Grammar School on 2 June to compete in the Royal Life Saving Society Queensland (RLSSQ) 2026 Secondary School State Lifesaving Championships.

The students retained the Sheena Dyason Shield for Champion School Female while also securing the Judith Beal Shield as the overall champion school. The result continues a long tradition of success for the school’s lifesaving program.

The pool lifesaving competition is run by the Royal Life Saving Society and includes a range of events for both individuals and teams. The school’s lifesaving program has enjoyed sustained success over many years, with St Margaret’s claiming the Sheena Dyason Shield for Champion School Female at the Queensland Secondary Schools Life Saving Championships for more than 20 years.

In its Facebook post, the school said the result reflected the students’ hard work and commitment and congratulated every student who competed.

Water Polo Star Earns National Selection

Photo credit: Facebook/St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School

Adding to the celebrations, Year 12 student Bless Daly has been selected in Australia’s 15-player squad for the 2026 World Aquatics Water Polo World Cup Finals, which will be held in Sydney next month.

The selection marks another milestone for Daly, who recently made her debut as an Aussie Stinger, representing Australia at the World Aquatics World Cup Division 1 competition in the Netherlands.

During the tournament, Daly was named player of the match. St Margaret’s congratulated Daly on her selection. Her inclusion in the Australian squad brings her a step closer to her long-term ambition of representing Australia at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Read: St Margaret’s Ascot Educator Named Among Australia’s Most Influential 2025

Sporting Success Across Multiple Disciplines

The recent achievements span two of the school’s sporting programs, lifesaving and water polo.

From its long-running success in lifesaving competition to Daly’s selection for an Australian representative team, the achievements mark a significant period for the school’s sporting programs.

The results add to a growing list of sporting achievements by St Margaret’s students during 2026.

Published 24-June-2026

Albion Memorial Wall Gives Fallen Firefighters a Lasting Place of Honour

Photo Credit: QFD/Facebook

A new memorial wall at Queensland Fire Department Headquarters in Albion has created a public place of remembrance for 60 firefighters who died in the line of duty while protecting Queensland communities.

A 12-metre memorial wall has been unveiled at Queensland Fire Department Headquarters in Albion, carrying the names of 60 Queensland firefighters who died in the line of duty.

The wall stands at the entrance to the new headquarters, giving the tribute a prominent and publicly viewable place within the facility. It honours Queensland Fire and Rescue and Rural Fire Service firefighters whose service ended while protecting communities across Queensland.

Memorial wall at Albion headquarters — Photo Credit: QFD/Facebook

The earliest name listed is Brisbane volunteer firefighter James Thomas Mooney, who died on 25 March 1877.

Family and friends gathered for the opening of the memorial wall, marking a formal moment of remembrance for those named on the tribute. The wall is open for relatives, friends, QFD personnel and members of the public to view.

A Public Place for Remembrance in Albion

The memorial has been installed as part of the new QFD headquarters in Albion, following an extensive refurbishment of the facility.

The headquarters is now home to more than 900 QFD personnel. With the wall positioned at the entryway, the names of fallen firefighters are placed where they can be seen by those working at the site and by visitors to the headquarters.

Fallen firefighters honoured in Albion — Photo Credit: QFD/Facebook

Its public location gives families, colleagues and the wider community a clearer place to remember firefighters who died in service. Rather than being limited to internal recognition, the memorial brings those names into a visible space connected to the ongoing work of Queensland’s fire services.

The opening also marked the launch of Queensland Fire Legacy, a dedicated charity supporting QFD staff, volunteers and their families.

Community Response Follows Opening

Public responses to the memorial described it as a fitting tribute to fallen firefighters and a permanent reminder of the risks faced by frontline crews.

Several comments shared after the opening thanked those involved in creating the wall, while others offered messages of remembrance for the firefighters whose names are now displayed at the Albion headquarters.

QFD memorial wall entrance — Photo Credit: QFD/Facebook

The feedback centred on the wall’s role as a respectful and lasting tribute, particularly for the 60 firefighters recognised for losing their lives while serving Queensland communities.

Future plaques on the memorial wall will also recognise personnel lost as a result of service, including deaths linked to recognised presumptive illnesses.

The memorial wall was officially unveiled on 19 June 2026.

Published 23-June-2026

Why This Deep-Fried Wagyu Curry Bun Is Turning Heads at Eat Street

Eat Street Northshore

OKO OKO, a new Japanese micro-restaurant at Eat Street Northshore in neighbouring Hamilton, is serving what its founders describe as the world’s first wagyu kare pan — a panko-crusted, deep-fried Japanese curry bun built around Queensland wagyu from the Darling Downs.

For Ascot residents who already make the short trip to Eat Street on a Friday or Saturday night, the new addition gives a compelling reason to visit. OKO OKO on 12 June behind a Shinjuku-styled pagoda facade, at 221D MacArthur Avenue, Hamilton, one of the most distinctive new fit-outs in the precinct’s history.

The kare pan — Japan’s beloved deep-fried curry bun, invented in Tokyo in 1927 and now the subject of its own annual national grand prix and a 50,000-member enthusiast association — has never previously been made with wagyu at its centre.

OKO OKO’s version uses Darling Downs wagyu from Sandalwood Feedlot, one of Australia’s oldest and most awarded producers, combined with a cheesy curry filling, panko-crusted and cooked to order.

Six months on a single dish

Founder Michael Otway says the kare pan took six months of development before the team was satisfied. “The dough, the curry, the wagyu, the cheese, the fry,” he said. “Queensland wagyu changes the dish. No kitchen in Japan or anywhere else has done it this way.”

The global head chef behind the menu previously worked at Nobu London and Yoko Brisbane. The full menu extends into okonomiyaki, yakisoba, yakisoba pan and other Japanese street food staples, all built to the same level of care as the hero dish.

OKO OKO is open at Eat Street Northshore every Friday and Saturday from 4pm to 10pm and Sunday from 4pm to 9pm. Entry to Eat Street is $6 per person. Drive or take the CityCat to Northshore Hamilton, a 250-metre walk from the gate.

Published 13-June-2026