Qantas has unveiled its new flight training facility adjacent to Brisbane Airport that can accommodate up to 900 pilots a year and will also be accessible to other airlines in the Asia-Pacific region.
The Qantas Group Flight Training Centre, which houses four state-of-the-art aircraft simulators – Boeing 737, 767F and 787 Dreamliner and Dash-8 Q400 plus a Q400 flight training device, used to be located in Sydney. The facility had to be moved to Brisbane to make way for the major road work taking place around Sydney Airport.
Queensland is currently home to more than 500 Qantas pilots who will now have access to the new Brisbane-based training facility for their recurrent training, along with other pilots from neighbouring states and future recruits.
The new training facility will also complement the pilot academy which recently opened in Toowoomba. The new academy which can train up to 250 pilots per year can now have its student pilots go straight to the new facility instead of completing their training program in Sydney.
Photo Credit: Qantas / Facebook
“We are pleased this state-of-the-art facility in Brisbane will mean a pilot can start their career at the Toowoomba Pilot Training Academy, complete their training at the Brisbane simulator centre and then embark on a Qantas Group career flying from their Queensland home base to everywhere from Longreach to Los Angeles,” Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said
The facility will also be opened to other airlines in the Asia-Pacific region, which means that small flag carriers can now take advantage of the new training facility’s simulators for new-recruit training, tenured pilots’ upskilling, and ongoing training.
The transfer of the training facility to Brisbane Airport was made possible through the State Government’s support. Treasurer and Minister for Trade and Investment Cameron Dick said that the partnership brings “extra aviation training capability to Queensland and creates new employment opportunities for training pilots and simulator technicians, including 18 new direct operational jobs.”
“This suite of flight training simulators reinforces Queensland’s pre-eminence as a destination of choice for the aerospace and aviation support industries,” Mr Dick said.
“In a state as vast as Queensland, with our proximity to Asia and the Pacific, aviation industries are a natural fit. Our government is determined to make the most of our competitive advantages when it comes to attracting aerospace companies and aerospace jobs, right across Queensland.
“These simulators mean Queensland-based flight crew don’t have to leave the state to complete their ongoing training.”
Located at 89-95 Stevenson Street, Ascot and 20-24 Nudgee Road, Hamilton, the proposed development will comprise a total of 16 dwelling units of which 14 units will contain three bedrooms. There will be two 4-bedroom pre-1946 houses which will also be incorporated into the townhouse development plan designed by Plus Architecture. The existing dwellings will retain their existing driveway crossover and car parking to Stevenson Street.
Proposed site | Photo Credit: Brisbane City Council / developmenti.brisbane.qld.gov.au Existing Pre-1946 Dwelling Houses at 89-95 Stevenson Street, Hamilton | Photo Credit: Brisbane City Council / developmenti.brisbane.qld.gov.au
“The retention and integration of the pre-1946 dwelling houses maintains a traditional building character, while the proposed new townhouses provide a high-quality and contemporary design outcome that responds to the continually developing and diverse streetscape of Stevenson Street and Nudgee Road, while remaining respectful of the materiality and architectural themes of the remaining pre-1946 character of the street and surrounding locality,” a report from Mewing Planning Consultants assessment said.
Photo Credit: Brisbane City Council / developmenti.brisbane.qld.gov.au
The proposed building will be two storeys high with a maximum height of 9.5 metres. There will also be 37 car parking spaces including 28 residential spaces in private garages; four visitor parking spaces on the basement level; four spaces at the ground level within the house garages situated on Stevenson Street, and one parking space on the driveway located on the ground level of the western house.
Photo Credit: Brisbane City Council / developmenti.brisbane.qld.gov.au Photo Credit: Brisbane City Council / developmenti.brisbane.qld.gov.au
The proposed vehicle access, on the other hand, is via a new 7-metre Type B1 crossover from Stevenson Street, in between the two existing dwellings. A total of 518 sqm of deep planting is also proposed (215 sqm to Nudgee Road and 303 sqm to Stevenson Street frontage), as well as the southern side boundary.
Communal space area | Photo Credit: Brisbane City Council / developmenti.brisbane.qld.gov.au
All dwelling units will also be provided with a functional private open space area via courtyards on the ground level which will be accessible from the main living area.
Moreover, a communal space area to the south-eastern part of the proposed site is also included in the plan. The communal open space will feature a pool, communal lounge area, an open-turf space on the ground level, and an open space roof deck on the upper level.
For more than 150 years, the Eagle Farm Racecourse has been highly regarded as one of Queensland’s best racecourses. Did you know that it was once called Camp Ascot, the first military camp established by US Army troops in Australia during the Second World War?
Horseracing in Eagle Farm
Queenslanders enjoyed horse racing before the 1850s in Moreton Bay and New Farm.
Following the closure of the New Farm racecourse in the 1860s, a new site with a grandstand that could seat 350 people was planned in Ascot. The opening of the Ascot Railway Station a few years later brought more race-goers to the racecourse.
Established in 1863, the site then known as Ascot Racecourse or Brisbane Racecourse did not just host horse racing activities but also social and business events.
Photo Credit: Trove/National Library of Australia
Upon the opening of the Eagle Farm Racecourse, the Queensland Turf Club (QTC) assumed leadership and created the Brisbane Racecourse Act in the 1870s. QTC also sought to offer the facilities for other purposes to fund its maintenance and operation. Thus, cricket and polo matches, as well as various club events and meetings, were also hosted on the racecourse.
Photo Credit: Trove/National Library of Australia
Between the 1880s to the 1930s, the Eagle Farm Racecourse saw a lot of expansions and improvements to address the congestion as railway facilities were updated with more stations in the northside amidst the boom in the racing industry.
Photo Credit: Trove/National Library of Australia
Photo Credit: State Library of Queensland
Before World War II, the racecourse had an overhead pedestrian bridge, a new Members’ Stand, a lavatory block, and an extension to the St Leger Stand.
1941: Building Camp Ascot and Camp Doomben
On the 22nd of December in 1941, the ‘Pensacola’ Convoy reached Brisbane’s Brett’s Wharf at Hamilton. The first US Army troops marched up Racecourse Road and there they established tented sites, Camp Ascot and Camp Doomben, at the racecourses.
Photo Credit: Brisbane City Council Library
During the war, the only racecourse to operate as intended was the Albion Race Track.
As an important sporting and recreation facility in Brisbane, Queenslanders did not allow the Americans to alter the buildings or damage the three concentric racetracks. Inspite of that, the Americans still received personal items, such as writing paper, library books and magazines from the Australian Comforts Fund.
1942: Arrival of the 648th US Engineer Regiment
The US Engineer Regiment described the camp as a “big fancy racetrack” in spite of its meagre facilities. The troops had to chop wood every day to supply the kitchen’s fireplace. The kitchen itself only had a makeshift tin shack with coal stoves, an open hearth with primitive utensils. The men slept on the wooden floors of their tents and bathed in the open-air showers.
Photo Credit: Brisbane City Council Library
1943-1944: Camp Turns Into Tent City
Colonel Harold Doud’s Special Intelligence Service (SIS) relocated into Camp Ascot, which was packed with U.S. Army Bell Tents. They placed a temporary movie theatre in the main grandstand and added two warehouses including a Mess Hall with a reading room in the member’s car park. They placed prefabricated, de-mountable huts around the camp but outside the fenced racing circle.
Photo Credit: Brisbane City Council Library
Photo Credit: Australian War Memorial
By August 1945, the SIS vacated Camp Ascot and moved to San Miguel in the Philippines.
In May 1946, the Victory Cup Meeting marked the return of racing to the Eagle Farm Racecourse.
Additional features like a camera tower, the Judge’s Box, the John Power Stand, and the Race Day Stalls were added to the site between the 1950s to the 1980s.
Eagle Farm Racecourse Today
The Eagle Farm Racecourse was listed on the Queensland Heritage Register in 2004 as a combined entry with the Ascot Railway Station. The Brisbane Racing Club (BRC) now manages the racecourse after a merger with the QTC.
The BRC upgraded the racetracks and associated facilities following a $1.2 billion development project. The BRC also introduce non-racing developments with the continued operation for the racing facilities.
A new access road and a residential tower, as well as a boutique hotel, were completed in 2018. The racecourse could also accommodate over 1,600 cars in its refurbished carpark during major race days.
Meanwhile, the Ascot Railway Station was electrified in 1988. Passenger service lines have been limited to Doomben in 1998, where there are newer bus connections.
Did you know that Eagle Farm is now the home of a new Australian Hypersonic Research Precinct, where defence experts will study the technology and conduct flight tests of hypersonic weapons and vehicles?
With a 60-personnel under its wing, the world-class hypersonic precinct in Eagle Farm was purposely-built for $14 million to improve and innovate the science and technology of the Australian Defence.
“It’s a complex technological challenge to build vehicles capable of flying at five times the speed of sound, that skim the stratosphere, to target any location on the planet,” Minister for Defence the Hon Peter Dutton MP said.
Defence Minister Peter Dutton opening the Australian Hypersonic Research Precinct where he says teams are working on vehicles that can travel 5x the speed of sound and target “anywhere on the planet”. pic.twitter.com/BNva2ZNOg6
“The technology that is developed here will help us to better defend against the malign use of this technology and give us the ability to strike any potential adversaries from a distance and deter aggression against Australia’s national interests.
“It enables Defence researchers to develop and characterise sovereign hypersonic technologies and generate ‘true’ hypersonic flight conditions at large scale in a classified laboratory.”
It comes as Australia and the United States signed an agreement in December 2020 to develop and test hypersonic cruise missile prototypes. Hypersonic technology can exceed the speed of sound by five times or at 6,200 kilometres per hour. Hypersonic drones and weapons, on the other hand, are shaped to manoeuvre and evade radar detection.
Whilst the opening of the Eagle Farm research facility is a step in the right direction, Australia is challenged to develop the high-technology as China and Russia have been taking the lead in their capabilities to deploy hypersonic weapons.
Spying in Ascot? Find out how Nyrambla, a historic home on Henry Street, became a top-secret decoding base in the Second World War.
A Banker’s Home
More than a century after it was built, Nyrambla still stands proudly at Henry Street in Ascot, after having been many things to many people — home to a banker, an alderman, prominent society personalities, even serving as headquarters for code-breakers in the Second World War.
Nyrambla was originally built in 1885 during a time when grand residences were built on the apexes of the hilly suburb of Ascot.
Designed to be a two-storey family house by Brisbane architect James Cowlishaw, Nyrambla took up three large estates spanning from Windermere and Lancaster Roads. It had separate structures for the servants and the stables.
The house was designed for the manager of the Australian Joint Stock Bank, Mr Henry P Abbott.
Per historical records from Brisbane’s Local Heritage places, the Abbotts came from a family of wealthy sheep ranchers in New South Wales and named their home “Nyrambla” after a station owned by Mrs Abbott’s side of the family.
Shortly after Mr Abbott’s retirement from banking, his family decided to return to Sydney where he died in 1903. When the Abbotts left, the Australian Joint Stock Bank rented out the mansion to Mr Patrick Perkins, a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland who came from a family of Irish brewers.
The Subdivision of Nyrambla
By the early 1900s, Nyrambla was subsequently divided to include more tenants thus creating Henry and Abbott streets around the 15-acre estate, as it has existed today. Mr T. Herbert Brown, the son-in-law of Sir Samuel Griffith, the inaugural Chief Justice of Australia, lived in one of the properties with his wife.
Photo Credit: John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland
The bank then advertised and sold the estate in allotments of different sizes. An acre of the site with the original house was acquired by Edward David Miles, an alderman in Charters Towers and a Member of the Queensland Legislative Council.
Photo Credit: Trove/National Library of Australia
Ten years after owning Nyrambla in the mid-1920s, the Miles family sold the property to George Willoughby Whatmore of Centennial Hall Ltd and the Willoughby Trust Ltd. Generations of Mr Whatmore’s family owned Nyrambla, including Brisbane socialite Andree Daws, Mr Whatmore’s great-great-grandchild, until her death in August 2020.
Photo Credit: Trove/National Library of Australia
Photo Credit: Trove/National Library of Australia
Converting Nyrambla into Flats
In 1929, or roughly four years after their patriarch’s death, the Whatmore family agreed to convert Nyrambla from a sprawling mansion into six flats with Cunningham & Jones overseeing the construction. From its main entrance on Yabba Street, the house could now be accessed through Henry Street, much like it is today.
The flats remained family homes, where numerous social events took place among Ascot’s elites.
Photo Credit: Trove/National Library of Australia
Photo Credit: Trove/National Library of Australia
…Then it Became a Spy House
Then in the 1940s, the government requisitioned Nyrambla as a spy house for the Allied Forces led by U.S. General Douglas MacArthur and Australian General Thomas Blamey.
For the next three years, the 18 enlisted servicemen and six officers of U.S. 837th Signal Service Detachment and members of the Australian Women’s Army Service (AWAS) and cryptanalyst from the Australian Cypher Section worked at the back garage to decipher intercepted Japanese codes using a Typex machine and IBM tabulators. The decoded messages were transmitted to Allied bases from all over the world.
Photo Credit: Ozatwar.com
“At Nyrambla, Central Bureau decrypted a Japanese Army Air Service signal intercepted by No. 51 Wireless Section at Darwin. The signal contained the Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Japanese Fleet, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto’s itinerary for his forthcoming trip to Rabaul. As a result, on 18 April 1943, Yamamoto’s aircraft was intercepted off Bouganville by US P-38 Lightning fighters and he was killed. In May 1943, the 837th Signal Service Detachment was renamed Special Intelligence Service led by Colonel Harold Doud,” per historical accounts from the Queensland WWI Historic Places.
Nyrambla Today
Photo Credit: Lost Brisbane
In its modern existence, the former spy house became a nine-bedroom house with seven bathrooms, six-car garage spaces, two sunrooms, with a living room area on the second floor. It had a separate guest wing as well as an art studio for its last Whatmore descendant, the Daws.
Photo Credits: Lost Brisbane, Ray White Real Estate, Facebook
Despite countless renovations, Nyrambla kept most of its late Victorian features with a hipped corrugated iron roof, iron cresting and finials, and street-facing gable. Each story of the house is featured with a verandah with a metal curved roof in the typical fashion of 19th-century dwellings.
The verandah levels are fortified with timber posts and top rails with cast-iron balusters, whilst tall, vertical arched windows are featured on the right sidewalls. The house itself is an elongated rectangular structure with U-shaped wings on the backside where the kitchen, the breakfast room, and the maid’s quarters are located.
The long rooms of the main house are divided using folding doors. Six bedrooms and a sitting room fill up the spaces on the second floor, whilst several fireplaces with tiled hearths and marble mantelpieces are found all over the house.
New Owners
The Central Bureau consisting of soldiers from Australia, the USA, Britain, Canada, and New Zealand used Nyrambla until 1945, whilst titles to the property stayed with the Whatmore family. Over seven decades, Nyrambla was called home by many tenants, who were Brisbane VIPs like Jan Powers, Billie Brown, and Blair Edmonds.
Did you know that Hendra could soon be getting a new childcare centre and sport & recreation facility with a basketball court and handball court?
Lethem Street Projects has submitted a development application to establish a 239-place childcare centre at 25 Lethem Street, the former home of the Hendra Lawn Bowls Club.
With a height of 8.7 metres, the two-storey building is designed to be of a house-sensitive scale that easily integrates with the surrounding uses.
Designed by Mijollo International, the proposed development includes a provision for a 2,254-sqm private outdoor sport and recreation facility which will contain a 556-sqm basketball and handball court.
The courts will be available for hire outside the main hours of operation of the childcare centre.
Photo credit: Brisbane City Council / https://developmenti.brisbane.qld.gov.au
The 239-capacity childcare centre will have a total of 2,458.8 sqm of gross floor area and will contain a total of 11 activity rooms broken down as follows:
Room 1 (including outdoor) – 39sqm gross floor area that can accommodate up to 12 children, and an 848sqm outdoor space;
Room 2 – 39 sqm gross floor area that can accommodate up to 12 children;
Room 3 – 52 sqm gross floor area that can accommodate up to 16 children;
Room 4 – 52 sqm gross floor area that can accommodate up to 16 children;
Room 5 – 65 sqm gross floor area that can accommodate up to 20 children;
Room 6 – 65 sqm gross floor area that can accommodate up to 20 children;
Room 7 – 71.5 sqm gross floor area that can accommodate up to 22 children;
Room 8 (including outdoor) – 107.25 sqm gross floor area that can accommodate up to 33 children;
Room 9 – 71.5 sqm gross floor area that can accommodate up to 22 children;
Room 10 – 107.25 sqm gross floor area that can accommodate up to 33 children;
Room 11- 107.25 sqm gross floor area that can accommodate up to 33 children;
Photo credit: Brisbane City Council / https://developmenti.brisbane.qld.gov.au
There will be 52 car parking spaces provided across the basement level plus two outdoor play areas and two common indoor play areas.
The childcare centre’s proposed hours of operation will be 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Mondays to Fridays, whilst the multi-purpose courts will be available through bookings, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Mondays to Sundays.
After hovering around the $1.5-million mark for the last three years, the median house price in Ascot displayed a 27 per cent increase in the 12-month period ending September 2021.
Ascot property market had a remarkable 27.4 per cent growth from October 2020 to September 2021.
The median house price for Ascot’s market is now at $1,911,000, with 135 houses sold for this time period.
The median unit price increased by 6.59 per cent to $550,000 for the same period.
House Price Growth
Whilst house values in other markets only showed modest increases or remained flat for the period covering October 2020 to September 2021, Ascot’s prestige market flexed its property acquisition muscles to drive the median house price up by 27.4 per cent, according to Property Market Updates.
During this period, the median house price was $1,911,000 — up from $1,500,000 for the same period in 2020. Around 135 houses were snapped up, spending an average of 71 days on market. Four-bedroom houses attracted more buyers, although two-bedroom houses were quick to go off the market as well.
A tightly-held market like Ascot is hard to get into given that residents hold on to their homes for at least 10 years. Thus, demand for beautiful Ascot homes has always outstripped supply, which has continued to drive prices up.
Unit Price Growth
Though most unit markets have underperformed during the pandemic, Ascot hit some growth in this sector by 6.59 per cent for October 2020 to September 2021 as well Investors who see such a strong price increase for detached houses, constraining affordability, also tend to look towards the unit market for options to take a piece of the booming Ascot property market.
Inventory turnover for unit listings was faster than house listings at an average of 55 days’ time on the market. Ascot’s unit price for the same period was at $550,000 with 184 properties sold. Two-bedroom apartments were most attractive to buyers but there were two quick sales of single-bedroom units which closed rapidly, spending just 10 days on the market.
Demand in medium-density sectors in blue-chip suburbs like Ascot has been slowly flowing back whilst developers race to complete constructions to append the supply.
About Ascot
Prestigious for its old but grand Queenslander homes in large blocks of land and excellent location, Ascot is a well-established Brisbane locale with picturesque surroundings. Several of the streets in this suburb are lined with beautiful poinciana trees, adding to the lifestyle overtone and character of the neighbourhood.
Ascot is also known for its good schools like St Margaret’s and the Ascot State School. There are also a number of highly-regarded private and public schools within the neighbouring suburbs, attracting families to move into this suburb. Despite its prestige, the community vibe is friendly and helpful.
Photo Credit: Google Maps
The suburb is also filled with quality cafes, restaurants and retail stores that make shopping and dining much more pleasurable. Children have plenty of green spaces and parks to play and hold sports competitions. It’s also very accessible to the airport, the CBD, and travel all the way to the Sunshine Coast.
“It is an expensive place but this is a place for the Rich. I bought it just before COVID19 and got it for a bargain that’s because it needs renovation. Ascot State Primary School one of the best in Brisbane. About 10 mins to the city couple dog park. If you can’t afford the area then Albion is the next best for living and investment.”
Kennedy
“Safe, clean and best schools. Great coffee shops (Vanilla Pod), best architecture (beautiful old homes) and fantastic people. Beautiful gardens (people really take pride). Better value than Bulimba Hawthorne, Bardon, Highgate Hill and Chelmer which are all in the same price bracket except Ascot has large blocks of land. Close to the airport and Sunshine Coast just up the freeway love it, love it. Best playgrounds for the kids.”
Fantastic
“Good suburb overall. It has many different parts including hilly areas with lovely views and flat leafy areas. Nice neighbourhood but people like high fences. Nice schools. The traffic can be an issue with Sandgate Rd and Kingsford Smith Drive very busy in the mornings. It is expensive compared with other suburbs that offer similar lifestyles in innercity North, West and South.”
Did you know that the Brisbane Racing Club is hosting two FREE Christmas events for the entire family to enjoy at the Eagle Farm Racecourse?
On 18 December 2021, Birralee Choir, Excelsior band, Opera Queensland, and St Rita’s College will fill the air with the magical sound of Christmas carols at St Leger Lawn at the Eagle Farm Racecourse.
Families will also have the opportunity to browse through artisan stalls at the creative market for some last-minute Christmas gift shopping. A curated selection of food stalls will also be on hand to give market-goers and spectators that much-needed calorie boost.
Photo credit: 2020 – 2025 Brisbane Racing Club / brc.com.au
On 22 December 2021, be sure to bring the entire family to the Public Lawn at the Eagle Farm Racecourse for a night of Christmas laughter and cheer as the Brisbane Racing Club presents the Christmas Movie on the Big Screen featuring ELF. The film follows the adventures of Buddy (Will Ferrer), who was raised by Santa’s elves, as he travels to New York in search of his biological father whilst donning his elf outfit.
Photo credit: 2020 – 2025 Brisbane Racing Club / brc.com.au
Completing this family movie event is Brisbane Racing Club’s line-up of free family-friendly activities to delight especially the kids including face painting plus a special appearance from Santa Claus before the movie starts.
Please note that starting Friday 17 December 2021, BRC will be implementing the State Government vaccination mandate that allows only double-vaccinated patrons entry to hospitality venues, including Brisbane Racing Club. So, be sure to bring along your Government-issued COVID-19 vaccination certificate to the event.
What: Ascot Green Christmas Carols and Markets – to register, click here
When: Saturday 18 December 2021, 5pm – 8pm
Where: St Leger Lawn, Eagle Farm Racecourse
What: Christmas Movie on the Big Screen – ELF – to register, click here
Two new vegan restaurants are about to breathe new life into the Racecourse Rd Precinct, with their healthy menu offerings and cosy spaces that will make you want to eat your veggies and come back for more.
Pancha, a vegan cafe from the same folks who brought Little Digs to Fortitude Valley, just opened its doors at Racecourse Rd on 8 December 2021.
The new eatery offers delicious and organic coffee from Sacred Grounds, a perfect match to their healthy and sumptuous all-day brekkie, salad bowls, sandwiches, and smaller bites like fries and arancini.
Photo credit: Pancha Cafe/Facebook
What’s special about Pancha is that they grow their own vegetables at their farm located in the Southern Downs. They try to make all the dishes in-house and strive to have flavours that even non-vegans can enjoy.
Some of the food on offer include croffle, a mishmash of croissant and waffle; burger with falafel patty; Massaman curry; pancakes with grilled bananas, maple syrup, and whipped vegan butter; and raw green caesar salad.
Pancha is open for all-day breakfast and lunch from 6:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Mondays through Sundays.
Dicki’s
Photo credit: Dicki’s – Vegan Dining/Facebook
Meanwhile, Justine Khoury, owner of Dicki’s at New Farm, is preparing to open a second location on the former venue of Meltz Pizza, on the corner of Racecourse and Lancaster Rd.
The entire space will be given a revamp with the addition of banquettes, hanging and potted greenery, and brass details. Dicki’s interiors will have an industrial feel to it, with the heightened ceilings and concrete floors, with guests being able to enjoy the view of Eagle Farm Racecourse whilst dining.
The Ascot kitchen will be bigger than the one in New Farm, with the owner even planning to make their cakes and sweet treats from the new location and supply the other venue. The menu, however, will feature the same favourites. Customers can expect all their vegan favourites on offer, from the famous breakfast burrito to their ‘beef’ burger and ‘chicken’ tacos.
Dicki’s in New Farm (Photo credit: Dicki’s – Vegan Dining/Facebook)
Dicki’s Ascot, which is slated for a late 2021 opening, will have a liquor licence and will introduce local and international beers, cocktails, and sustainable wines. For non-drinkers, the vegan cafe will be offering healthier versions of their beloved smoothies. To stay updated about their opening, follow Dicki’s Ascot on Facebook.
The Paradizo Latin Dance Studio is back in business and has re-opened classes two weeks after its unexpected move from Gore Street in Albion to Fortitude Valley.
In early November, the Albion studio, Paradizo’s home since 2018, was destroyed by a fire that started in an old Queenslander house next door. Reports cited that the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) deemed the incident as “suspicious” and has been conducting investigations into the “crime scene.”
The QFES also said that the Queenslander home emitted large amounts of toxic smoke because of the paint.
Paradizo Latin Dance Studio was having a Halloween party when the fire broke out but everyone got out of the building safely. Witnesses said that they heard two loud bangs before they saw what looked like a massive bonfire that also burned down another house.
Photo credit: Paradizo School of Latin Dance/Facebook
Meanwhile, the dance studio owners Carlos and Chloe can’t begin rebuilding but they have received immense support from the community with over $62,000 raised on GoFundMe. Carlos and Chloe temporarily hold classes and events at The Zoo in Fortitude Valley but the pair is still planning to have a place they can call their own.
“Not many available studio spaces to run classes or rehearse, nowhere to do privates, no costumes to do gigs, no commercial spaces affordable to start over,” Chloe said. “Thank goodness for THE ZOO, for letting us be active and stay in touch with our Paradizo Family! Yes, it’s amazing, but it’s not ours.”
