Ascot has its fair share of Instagram-worthy restaurants and amongst them is One Fifty Ascot, a bar and eatery located in the tightly held dining precinct of Racecourse Road.
One Fifty Ascot breathed new life into the former Baguette location by incorporating timber and glass into the interiors. Black lines dominate the place, but natural light, wooden furniture, and a multitude of hanging plants soften the vibe, creating a relaxed setting for beautifully decorated dishes.
Interiors aside, they currently offer generous servings of flavoursome dishes such as Stradbroke king prawns, truffled spatchcock and Darling Downs Beef mignon. The restaurant embraces a seasonal menu, but they make sure the food is delightfully fresh and simple, regardless of the season. There is also an impressive collection of carefully curated wines or cocktails to wash it all down.
If you have a weakness for sweets, it will be hard to say no to One Fifty Ascot’s delicious array of desserts like the lemon tartlet, chocolate cake with double cream and raspberries, and a selection of ice cream and sorbet. Those who are heading for a meal with their little ones can order from the kids menu, which already includes a meal and a dessert.
When you’re looking for a venue or a private dining room for birthdays, wedding, or even corporate functions, the restaurant also offers a range of function spaces available for your special event, like the courtyard, which has a semi open-air space and a private bar access.
One Fifty Ascot is open Tuesdays to Saturdays, from 11:30 am until late. For more information and to make a booking, visit One Fifty Ascot’s website.
Did you know that watching Christmas movies produce “feel good” hormones that shift your mental state from sad to happy? If you’re fond of viewing classic holiday films you’ve loved as a child over and over, then you’ll likely enjoy it more on a 44-metre-long outdoor screen at the Big Screen on the Green in Ascot.
This Christmas season, Brisbane’s best open-air entertainment site at the Eagle Farm Racecourse is lining up four Christmas movies you can enjoy with your family and friends. Cuddle up on the ground with your kids, relive the nostalgia and relish in the company as you get into Christmas spirit with these films:
WHEN
WHAT
Monday, 16 Dec
Elf Starring Will Ferrell, Zoey Deschanel A human adopted by Santa Claus meets his biological father in New York.
Tuesday, 17 Dec
Polar Express Featuring the voice of Tom Hanks Based on the children’s book by Chris Van Allsburg, the film is about a young boy who discovers a mysterious train heading to the North Pole.
Wednesday, 18 Dec
How the Grinch Stole Christmas Starring Jim Carrey A vengeful green being plots an elaborate plan to destroy Christmas for one whole town.
Thursday, 19 Dec
Home Alone Starring Macaulay Caulkin An 8-year-old boy accidentally left by his family for the holidays must protect his home from intruders.
Movie time promptly starts at 7:00 p.m., but if you get to the venue by 5:30 p.m., you’ll be treated to heaps of fun activities like a Christmas sing-a-long and face painting. Santa Claus is also set to make a special appearance before the movie starts.
Each pre-registered ticket to Big Screen on the Green comes with a FREE Frozen Fanta and Santa’s helpful elves will bring your pre-ordered snacks or dinner.
For an even cosier time watching the movie on the big screen, you may bring your own picnic blankets, cushions or seats to set up your best spot at the lawn. However, you may also rent out these items at the venue on a first-in, first-served basis.
The State Government is now seeking feedback on the private property towing reforms implemented in 2018, following rising complaints from residents in Ascot and several other suburbs about unfair and intimidatory practices of some towing operators.
“Your say on Queensland’s Tow Truck Scheme,” is a two-part discussion paper released recently to seek feedback on the private property towing changes introduced last year, as well as gather suggestions on how the government can improve the tow truck scheme.
The Government introduced tow truck reforms to address community concerns about private property towing including the “intimidatory and threatening behaviour of tow truck operators and excessive fees for towing and storage of vehicles,” and following independent investigation into the towing industry.
Since its 2018 implementation, TMR has received 197 tow truck complaints, including 79 complaints about private property towing. This is a marked improvement from the 515 complaints recorded in the 12 months prior to the reforms, including concerns about driver conduct, authority to tow, and fees charged.
These complaints have resulted in the issuance of infringement notices, licence holder education, and even the cancellation of some tow truck driver accreditations.
“The legislation regulates private property and crash towing. It ensures all tow truck drivers are accredited, all trucks are licensed, and fees are capped, protecting motorists from unscrupulous tow truck operators,” Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said.
“We committed to reviewing these reforms within two years to ensure they adequately addressed community concerns and improved industry practices.”
Currently, the scheme is implemented in the following regulated areas:
The Shires of – Beaudesert, Boonah, Caboolture, Esk, Gatton, Kilcoy, Laidley, Maroochy, Noosa, Pine Rivers and Redland.
The Cities of – Brisbane, Bundaberg, Cairns, Caloundra, Gold Coast, Hervey Bay, Ipswich, Logan, Mackay, Maryborough, Redcliffe, Rockhampton and Toowoomba.
The areas made up of the parishes of:
Clement and Hinchinbrook in the county of Gray
Beor, Bohle, Coonambelah, Ettrick, Halifax, Hervey, Lansdowne, Magnetic, Margenta, Rokeby, Ross, Stuart and Wyoming in the county of Elphinstone.
Visit www.getinvolved.qld.gov.au to have your say on the future of the tow truck scheme. Deadline is on 24 November 2019.
Dare your friends or family to watch a horror flick on Halloween night at the Big Screen on The Green in Ascot. For a frightful but fun evening, this open-air entertainment site at the Brisbane Racing Club is going to run Stephen King’s “The Shining,” on Thursday, the 31st of Oct 2019 at 7:00 p.m.
If you haven’t seen this film before, then prepare to be scared out of wits. “The Shining” and its star Jack Nicholson, as the villain Jack Torrence, have been recognized by the American Film Institute as one of the top thrilling movies and intimidating villains in 100 years of film history.
If you’ve watched “The Shining” before, relieve the experience as it is featured in one of the largest screens in the southern hemisphere. The movie’s scenes and villain are sure to raise the hair on your back or leave your heart beating fast.
Bring your own blankets or bean bags so you’ll be comfortable while watching the film at Big Screen on the Green. Alternatively, you may also hire picnic blankets, warm blankets or bean bags ranging from $5 to $12.
Food and drinks will be sold at the venue including alcoholic beverages and wine, as you can’t bring or pack your own.
To book your tickets to this Halloween Big Screen on the Green event, visit the official site and select the package most suited for your preference.
An Eagle Farm-based company has been included in the “Best in AU” list of the best software retailers in Brisbane.
To help consumers find the best service providers or retailers, near or in their area, Best in Australia puts out its list of top and leading businesses per category, which gets updated every three to four months.
The lists rank candidates — businesses, people, or places in certain industry and/or geographic area — based on rating checklist. The rating checklist considers the candidate’s business history, services, pictures or media, opening hours, social media, website quality, awards and acknowledgements, and feedback and reviews among other factors.
The top rated Software Retailers in Brisbane according to Best in AU are:
As a Point of Sale company, Idealpos Solutions, currently operates in seven countries with its headquarters situated in Eagle Farm, employing more than 30 employees.
Idealpos has been around for more than 30 years, creating adaptable, easy to use Point of Sale system. Idealpos offers hardware products such as terminals, printers, scales, scanners and more depending on the client requirement.
They also offer cloud services and software products, including a selection of mobile apps and software modules that can complement other Idealpos products.
At a glance, the Chateau Nous in Ascot looks like a typical two-storey masonry house. But this villa has an interesting story to tell, which is why it was included in the Queensland Heritage List in 1992.
Derivative domestic architecture was in full swing in Queensland when this home was built from 1937 until 1940. This classic, which can be seen at 1 Rupert Terrace, is located in a prime position in one of Brisbane’s most sought-after locales.
Chateau Nous, a five-bedroom villa complete with entertaining spaces and a lawn tennis court, is a wonderful blend of Functionalist architecture and Art Deco design. Such influences can still be seen throughout Brisbane, as art deco houses sprang up all across the city during the 1930s.
It was designed by architect Douglas F.W. Roberts, who is also behind the Ayr Court House, a heritage-listed courthouse at 163 Queen Street in Burdekin. His design was touted as ultra modern at the time and the house even won the House of the Year award in 1939.
Art Deco elements are carried through interior design including its nautical design outlined in brass strips in the main bathroom’s aggregate floor and is depicted on the chrome hood of the fireplace. The facade is decorated with brick banding, curved corner walls and windows, glass bricks and contrasting vertical and horizontal elements.
This striking residence served as home to Brisbane dentist George Stewart and his wife Eileen for almost three decades. Come World War II, the Stewarts decided to build a reinforced concrete air raid shelter which they shared with their neighbours. The air raid shelter leads to a secret tunnel that runs underneath the house.
The building was rented following Dr Stewart’s demise in 1962 and was sold to an architect named Noel Robinson in 1979. An adjoining block of land was later sold and more features, including a family room, terrace, garage, and an ensuite were added by the new owners come 1986.
The original interior included a servant’s quarter used for sewing and storage and an electric dumb waiter used for delivering food to an upstairs breakfast room. In 2017, the property was sold at $4.2 million, almost twice its price when it hit the market in 2003.
Springtime and brunches go well together and it’s even more delightful if you could enjoy this with a glass of espresso martini. If you’re in Ascot, look no further because you can welcome a lovely spring with a mid-morning meal and a caffeine-filled drink at the Brewtiful Espresso Martini Brunch this Saturday, the 28th of Sept 2019.
Ketel One will be serving up freshly-brewed concoctions and food at the club’s Espresso Yourself! Bar. So, go ahead and indulge with a serving of cinnamon & coffee waffles or coffee-smoked brisket burger whilst you sip your drink of choice.
Photo Credit: Ketel One/Facebook
Running from 10:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Brewtiful Espresso Martini Brunch will also feature creative activities like ceramic painting, flower-crown making and “Design Your Own” ice block. Guests may also shop at the Billy J Boutique Pop-Up, as well as browse the heaps of market stalls that will be set up during the event.
Live entertainment will be provided by a jazz band and a DJ whilst drag queens Vollie La Vont & Chocolate Boxx will keep the party vibe high as the hosts the event. Aside from socialising, brunching and taking photos, you may also win exciting giveaways and prizes during the program.
The Preliminary Results of NAPLAN 2019 has been released and St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School came out as the top Primary School in Queensland.
As in the past, St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School performed very well in the 2019 NAPLAN testing. The Ascot-based day and boarding school for girls topped the best performing Qld primary schools list, followed by Rainworth State School in Bardon and Ashgrove State School in Ashgrove.
All students in Australian schools who are in Years 3, 5, 7, and 9 participate in the NAPLAN testing in May of each year. The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) assesses the students’ skills in reading, writing, spelling, grammar and punctuation, and numeracy.
Naplan is an important tool for the schools the parents to assess the child’s progress and identify opportunities for improvement in areas of literacy and numeracy.
Source: NAPLAN 2019 data from Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority
Underscoring the 2019 Preliminary NAPLAN Writing Results
ACARA noted that NAPLAN results in writing for 2019 have revealed a “pleasing improvement” from last year, especially that there was a noticeable decline in recent years across all year levels.
“Schools have been making focused efforts for some time to address concerns about their students’ writing. Students are to be congratulated for this year’s improvement, especially Year 3 students, where the results are particularly encouraging,” ACARA CEO David de Carvalho said.
Photo credit: State of Queensland (Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority) / qcaa.qld.edu.au
Despite the improvement in writing results, comparison of performance in writing by state and territory reveals that Queensland Year 9 students are the second least performing, just a step above the Northern Territory students, with only 77.6 percent of the cohorts meeting or above the national minimum standard. The Qld average is 5.3 percentage points lower than the national average of 82.9 percent.
Moreover, the percentage of Qld students at or above the NMS in Years 3, 5, and 7 also fell below the national average, with the gap increasing with each year.
NAPLAN 2019 achievement of Qld and Australia Year 3,5, and 7 students in writing:
Qld Year 3 – 96.3%, Aust – 96.9% – difference 0.6
Qld Year 5 – 91.2%, Aust – 93.1% – difference 1.9
Qld Year 7 – 86.8%, Aust – 89.8% – difference 3.0
Qld Year 9 – 77.6%, Aust – 82.9% – difference 5.3
Still, Education Minister Grace Grace lauded the preliminary results, stating that Queensland students continue to perform well in many key areas.
“This year’s results continue to confirm Queensland as one of the most improved states since testing began in 2008,” Ms Grace said.
“It is great to see our students improving in 17 of 20 NAPLAN test areas against National Minimum Standard, Mean Scale Score and Upper two Bands.”
“After more than 10 years, it’s time for a comprehensive national review of NAPLAN to ensure it remains current and responsive to changes in education,” she said.
“Queensland is still proud to be the star performer when it comes to NAPLAN.”
Once Brisbane airport’s new runway is operational in 2020, some residents may be wondering what effect, if any, this would have on property prices in Ascot, currently the fourth most expensive suburb in Brisbane and one of the suburbs in some of the flight paths.
Based on Brisbane’s new runway flight path tool, Ascot does not directly fall under a flight path. However, it should be noted that since flight paths do not precisely follow a single line and can be more accurately called flight path ‘swathes,’ the flight path can vary up to several kilometres. So it is highly possible that aircraft will fly over the suburb.
Flight paths when the new runway starts operating. Photo credit: flightpathtool.bne.com.au
Through the flight path tool, users can also get an overview of the noise level that the suburb will experience. The following is a comparison of the noise level with the existing runway versus noise level when the new runway is in use, with the green pin placed on Ascot.
Existing Runway Noise
Noise level with the existing runway (Credit: flightpathtool.bne.com.au)
New Runway Noise
Noise level with new runway (Credit: flightpathtool.bne.com.au)
The flight path tool indicates that aircraft flying near Ascot are likely to be at an altitude where the aircraft noise level will be less than 70 decibels. According to Australian standards, a noise level of 70 decibels is likely to interfere with people speaking indoors (with the windows open).
Since Ascot is only a few kilometres from an arrival flight path, it will experience noise from 36 average flights and a maximum of 74 flights.
Average and maximum flights near Ascot (Credit: flightpathtool.bne.com.au)
Will it affect real estate prices?
As Ascot has been a relatively quiet suburb, it is logical to wonder if the added noise from aircraft would negatively affect real estate in the area.
Analysing 25 years of data, the QUT research highlighted that: “housing and units in Brisbane located under designated flight paths have their value and price determined by a range of factors and these factors are not detrimentally impacted by aircraft noise.”
“The location of a property under a flight path will have minimal if any impact on the price, saleability, investment performance and capital growth of that property,” the study concluded.
Will residents be disadvantaged?
The impending noise associated with the new runway does not sit well with many concerned residents.
Steve Woolcock, ex RAAF and Retired Captain of domestic and overseas airlines, believes that Brisbane residents have been given a bad deal in the way that this runway is placed.
“I have been an airline pilot here in Australia and overseas for most of my life and I understand the effects of aircraft noise and the arbitrary decisions made by airport authorities that affect both passengers and residents,” Mr Woolcock said.
“Rest assured, these decisions are made almost solely in the airport’s interests – moving passengers in and out of the airport,” he said.
Mr Woolcock noted that the new runway is displaced quite a distance north compared to the present runway.
However, Mr Woolcock said that “regardless of the displacement northwards, any aircraft taking off will reach residential areas sooner than on the old runway – 5.5 km compared to 7 km, therefore more noise for any given aircraft.”
In examining the QUT research, Mr Woolcock stressed that the case of Brisbane Airport’s new runway is nothing like that of other major airports in Australia where the airports were built first before residents moved nearby.
“This extension has been built with full knowledge that the established residents will be disadvantaged,” he said.
With the added noise overhead, Mr Woolcock refutes the statement that there will be no impact on property prices or saleability.
Mr Woolcock added: “How will people like eating in a restaurant or restaurant courtyard, with 70-decibel noise overflying them? How long will “good schools” remain good schools with that noise overhead?”
“Ascot has no better transport than other suburbs around Brisbane and worse than some. The “assurances” are nothing but words.”
“If I use Murarrie as an example… the aircraft fly over there at low levels and are noisy – very noisy. Murarrie has developed from a leather tanning area to a residential area with nice houses. The house prices are held lower there than otherwise would be the case if aircraft did not fly overhead. Those big, nice houses would sell for much more if not in line with the present runway.”
He also noted that while 70-decibel noise level is being used as reading used to represent the impact of aircraft noise, a drone planned for deliveries has failed in its noise test in Canberra ACT.
“The drone’s noise level was recorded at 69 decibels and the noise limits enforced over Canberra’s residential areas are a low 45 decibels,” he said.
Mr Woolcock also said that every aspect of the airport expansion should have already been considered as this is being foisted upon existing residents. He reiterated that extended flight paths are of little concern to residents and that their concern is how aircraft noise will affect them regardless of flight paths.
The retired caption said that if the airport authorities were offering correct information and were transparent they would:
State that the South Western sector would only be used for departures and arrivals in unusual circumstances
The south western sector would have “noise abatement procedures” implemented (which means a rapid climb for aircraft taking off so that they would be higher sooner over residential areas)
Only smaller, turbo prop aircraft will depart from RW 19R unless unusual circumstances exist.
All landing should be limited to smaller turbo prop aircraft on 01L, and,
MOST IMPORTANTLY all takeoffs on RW 19R will start from the beginning of the runway, ie, no intersection departures as intersection departures will bring aircraft closer and lower over residential areas.
“It is too late for major changes but at the very least the airport authorities ought to minimise the adverse effects to residents otherwise they might find residents pushing for a curfew as are placed on other airports,” Mr Woolcock said.
Reporting Noise Issues
Meanwhile, the Australian aviation industry assured they will help identify issues of concern and possible opportunities for improvements through Noise Complaints and Information Service (NCIS).
The service will be managed by Airservices Australia, who will be responsible for Australia’s airspace management, flight paths, providing noise information and managing complaints.
For any questions or concerns about current aircraft activity, lodge a complaint or make an enquiry:
Premier rugby union, Brothers Rugby Club, is celebrating a milestone this year as it commemorates its move to Crosby Park in Albion 70 years ago.
In 1949, the Brothers Rugby Club entered into an agreement with the Queensland Rugby Union (QRU), then the leaseholder, to become the first club in Brisbane with its own grounds. Prior to this arrangement, the club was training at the public premises of New Farm Park. Two years into the agreement with QRU, the Brothers took over the lease.
Tom McCormack pledged a grant to begin the construction of the “Green Shed” which served as a dressing room for the players. This site also had a bar that club members would enjoy for many years.
The reclaimed Crosby Park site in 1949. Photo Credit: Brisbane City Council Library Services
The Brothers Rugby Club’s homebase holds a heap of memories for thousands of its members. Apart from the number of premierships won, the playing field has also become a community hub.
“The facilities are in use almost 24 hours a day, people come down here and bring their kids or dogs. It’s a community centre, which is just predominantly used for rugby,” current club president David Hine said.
“Recent developments in the area over the past 10 years have made our facilities and green space extremely important for the community. I’m proud that we’ve been able to provide this type of service to the community.”
For the last five years, Brothers Rugby Club has come up with a plan upgrade the Crosby Park facilities to sustain future activities and growth. There is a masterplan in place and once lodged and approved with the Council, the redevelopment is projected to take 24 months.
Photo Credit: Brothers Rugby ClubPhoto Credit: Brothers Rugby Club
“Brothers’ fields and facilities are long overdue for an upgrade. With more and more people using Crosby Park for sport and community activities each year, it is important the fields and facilities meet the current and future demand,” the club stated in its masterplan.
“The upgrade is still in the planning phase. We are in the process of developing documentation to submit to Brisbane City Council for approval.”
