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Bowen Hills Man Finds Hope After 33-Year Struggle

After a 33-year struggle, four periods in prison and the loss of his job, long-term relationship and freedom, Bowen Hills man Travis has rebuilt his life with support from Carinity’s prison chaplaincy ministry and his Christian faith.

A Long Struggle

For more than three decades, Travis lived with a gambling compulsion he could not overcome on his own.

The Bowen Hills man had reached a point where he had stopped trying to stop, even as the harmful pattern cost him his long-term girlfriend, his job and his freedom.

Travis has described committing white-collar fraud to fund the behaviour, leading to four periods in prison across 11 years.

Support Behind Prison Walls

During his time in prison, Travis came into contact with volunteer chaplains from Inside Out Prison Chaplaincy, a Carinity ministry supporting people in Queensland correctional centres.

For Travis, their presence became part of his path towards recovery. The chaplains offered a steady, non-judgemental form of support as he dealt with regret, fear, grief and the consequences of his past.

That support helped him begin rebuilding his self-confidence, self-respect and sense of identity beyond the struggle that had shaped much of his life.

Travis gambling recovery — *Caption: Travis enjoying fishing.*
*Photo Credit: Supplied*

A Turning Point Through Faith

At one of his lowest points, Travis turned to God while feeling he could no longer carry the struggle alone.

He came to see trust in God as central to the change he had been seeking for years. While the desire to return to old behaviour did not immediately disappear, that moment became part of the journey that led him towards a different life.

The Final Bet

Travis’s last bet was on 16 November 2023.

The date came one day before his birthday on 17 November 2023. After 33 years of daily urges, he had come to believe he had two choices: stop completely or continue for the rest of his life.

Since 16 November 2023, Travis has said he has not felt the urge or desire to place another bet. He also links 17 November 2023 with becoming born again in his Christian faith.

A Chaplain Who Stayed

One Inside Out Prison Chaplaincy volunteer chaplain became especially important in Travis’s recovery.

The two first met in a correctional centre in 2015. Years after Travis was released, they reconnected, and the chaplain became his mentor, life coach and close friend.

That relationship continued beyond prison, giving Travis ongoing support as he rebuilt his life and future.

Today, Travis is living in Brisbane free from the compulsion that once controlled his life. His story is one of recovery, faith and the lasting support of chaplaincy at a time when he needed it most.

Published 18-June-2026

Cult Valley Noodle Spot Biang Biang Settles into Bigger Digs on Wickham Street

Biang Biang Fresh Noodle, the noodle bar that’s developed a devoted following since first introducing Brisbane diners to hand-pulled Shaanxi-style noodles, has shifted premises again — this time landing at Cathedral Place on Wickham Street, at the southern end of Fortitude Valley.

It’s the third home for owner and head chef Kieran Zou’s noodle shop, and the second time he’s been forced to relocate because of redevelopment. The original site opened in Toowong before a 2022 move to Brunswick Street in the Valley, prompted by a high-rise development earmarked for that site. Now a similar fate has pushed the business further down the hill to its new Wickham Street address.

Zou says the fresh start has brought a noticeable shift in atmosphere. Where the Brunswick Street shop leaned into an exposed, street-food feel, the new fit-out features dark timber furniture and shelving that divides the dining room, giving the space a more conventional restaurant feel — and some welcome shelter from Brisbane’s wind and rain.

Zou is best known to Brisbane diners for his earlier stint as head chef at Kenmore’s Sichuan Bang Bang, where he helped broaden local understanding of Chinese cooking beyond the Cantonese dishes that had long dominated menus around the city. After leaving that role in 2017, he travelled to Shaanxi province in China’s mountainous central north to research the noodle style before opening the first Biang Biang. The name refers to the slapping sound made as the thick, ribbon-like noodles are stretched and shaped by hand on the kitchen bench.

According to Zou, regulars who’d followed the business from its Toowong days were quick to welcome the 2022 move to the Valley, which is when he first registered just how far the noodles’ reputation had spread.

The menu at the new site stays largely the same ten-dish noodle line-up that’s defined Biang Biang since Toowong, though Zou says he keeps making small adjustments based on customer feedback — adding extra cumin to the lamb noodles, for instance, or easing back on the oil and yellow bean paste used in more traditional preparations of the spicy chilli pork noodles in favour of more shallot and garlic, which he’s found suits local palates.

Diners can still order dry Shaanxi-style biang biang noodles with pork mince, potato, egg, tomato, carrot, shallot and salad; dry cumin lamb noodles with capsicum, chilli oil and sesame oil; spicy chilli pork soup noodles; or dry sizzling chilli oil noodles loaded with garlic and shallot. Sides remain unchanged too, with the popular roujiamo — a flaky, bun-style “Chinese burger” filled with meat — alongside spring rolls, pork wontons and house-pickled vegetables. The venue is BYO for wine, alongside soft drinks.

Zou says he’s pleased with how the move has gone, and hasn’t ruled out a future Biang Biang opening in West End or South Bank — though he’d likely keep any new site smaller than the Wickham Street premises.

Biang Biang Fresh Noodle is open daily from 11.30am–2.30pm and 5pm–9pm at 6/115 Wickham Street, Fortitude Valley.

Published 15-June-2016

Oliver Tree Killed in Brazil Helicopter Crash Months Before Kicking Off Aussie Tour at Fortitude Music Hall

Brisbane music fans are reeling after pop star Oliver Tree was killed in a helicopter collision in Brazil on Sunday, 14 June, just months before he was due to take the stage at Fortitude Music Hall this October.

Read: Chet Faker Brings ‘A Love For Strangers’ Tour to Fortitude Music Hall

Tree, 32, was among six people killed when two helicopters collided in the skies above Recreio dos Bandeirantes, a beachside suburb in the western zone of Rio de Janeiro. Fans and fellow artists have been paying tribute on social media since news of the crash broke.

The Brisbane show at Fortitude Music Hall on 2 October was set to kick off the local leg of his tour, followed by dates in Melbourne, Auckland, Sydney, Adelaide, and Perth through October.

Singer Melanie Martinez, who dated Tree in 2020, publicly mourned his loss in a statement, describing herself as “an absolute wreck” over news of the crash and saying she was heartbroken at losing someone she “once shared such a specific and formative time” of her life with.

Ryan Tedder, frontman of OneRepublic, also paid tribute. “RIP brotha love u and ur music u will be missed,” he wrote under Tree’s final Instagram post. Travel vlogger Drew Binsky added: “Rest in heaven my dear friend.” The post, published just one day before the crash, showed Tree sharing highlights from his time in Brazil with his Instagram followers.

Who was Oliver Tree?

Born Oliver Tree Nickell in Santa Cruz, California, Tree built his following on Vine in 2016, crafting an alter ego defined by a bowl cut and oversized clothing. He was known for blending alt-pop, electronic, and punk with an eccentric visual identity. His song “Miss You” became a double platinum hit in Australia, reaching number four on the ARIA charts.

He released four studio albums during his career, the most recent being “Love You Madly, Hate You Badly,” which came out independently in April 2026 after Tree departed Atlantic Records to release it through his own label, Alien Boy Records.

His world tour, spanning more than 70 dates across 30 countries, had kicked off on 30 May in Mexico City. Tree had performed in São Paulo on 6 June and had been posting content from Brazil as recently as the day before the crash, including a video of him playing soccer in a local neighbourhood.

The crash

Rio de Janeiro’s Civil Police identified the victims as Tree, passengers Lucas Brito Chaves and Lucas Vignale, Argentine content creator Gaspar Prim (known online as Gaspi), and the two pilots, Alexandre Souza and Charles Marsillac. Five people were aboard one helicopter, while the second was carrying only its pilot.

One of the helicopters came down in the car park of a dealership rented by Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer BYD, setting fire to around 20 cars parked on the site. The blaze was brought under control within approximately an hour. Brazil’s Air Force said investigators had been deployed to open a formal inquiry into the cause of the collision.

Read: Fortitude Music Hall Welcomes Kate Ceberano’s Australian Made Tour

No official refund information had been announced at the time of publication. Fans are advised to monitor Ticketmaster and Ticketek for updates.

Published 15-June-2026

Cameras Roll in Fortitude Valley for Brisbane-Set ABC Crime Series

Photo Credit: Unsplash

Cameras are now rolling across Brisbane for Fortitude Valley, a six-part crime thriller commissioned by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), with the suburb lending more than just its name to the production. Filming is taking place throughout the CBD, Fortitude Valley and surrounding inner-city neighbourhoods, placing some of Brisbane’s most recognisable locations at the centre of the story.

The project, first announced by Screen Queensland, is scheduled to air on ABC TV in 2027. Since then, the production has gained additional attention with the arrival of British actor Rupert Everett, whose casting was confirmed by Variety Australia as filming entered full production.

From Brunswick Street to the Small Screen

Fortitude Valley is often associated with live music, restaurants, bars and some of Brisbane’s busiest nightlife strips. The upcoming drama takes a different approach.

Rather than treating the suburb as a simple backdrop, the production is building its story around Brisbane’s inner-city landscape. Streets, laneways and commercial precincts across the Valley are expected to feature throughout the series, giving audiences around the country a look at a part of Brisbane that continues to evolve.

By the time the series reaches television screens in 2027, many residents may find themselves recognising familiar corners of the suburb woven into the storyline.

A Story Set Between Brisbane’s Sunshine and Shadows

The drama follows a crime-focused narrative centred on family secrets, influence, long-held loyalties and hidden truths.

Production material released by ABC and covered by industry publication FilmInk describes the series as exploring the contrast between Brisbane’s bright public image and the challenges that can exist beneath the surface.

While many details remain under wraps, the story unfolds through the lives of characters played by Hunter Page-Lochard and Kat Stewart, weaving family secrets and criminal investigations through Brisbane’s inner-city landscape.

Hunter Page-Lochard and Kat Stewart. *Photo Credit: Screen Queensland*

Rupert Everett Steps Into Brisbane’s Property World

The latest casting announcement has brought an international name into the production.

Rupert Everett, known for films including My Best Friend’s Wedding, has joined the cast as James Demming, a wealthy property developer whose rise began after moving from London to Brisbane in the 1980s.

Demming is described as one of the city’s most influential figures, having built substantial wealth through property development. His success places him under growing scrutiny from a determined police investigator as the story unfolds.

The Hollywood actor’s involvement adds another layer of attention to a production that was already shaping as one of ABC’s major scripted projects for 2027.

UK actor joins upcoming crime drama starring Hunter Page‑Lochard and Kat Stewart, now filming in Brisbane. https://t.co/pEl7breUtM
— TV Tonight Australia (@tvtonightau) June 8, 2026

A Growing Screen Presence for Brisbane

The arrival of Fortitude Valley comes during a period of strong activity for Queensland’s screen sector.

Screen Queensland has reported record levels of screen production across the state in recent years, with Brisbane increasingly attracting television and film projects that once would have been based elsewhere.

For now, the cameras are still rolling. But across Fortitude Valley, pieces of a future television drama are already taking shape among the suburb’s familiar streets.

Fortitude Valley will air on ABC iview and ABC TV in 2027.

Published 10-June-2026

Fortitude Valley Tower Plan Blends Apartments, Rooftop Amenities And Restored Heritage Buildings

A Water Street site in Fortitude Valley could be transformed into a 15-storey mixed-use development combining new apartments, ground-level retail space, rooftop amenities and restored early twentieth-century buildings.

Water Street Site Set for Mixed-use Vision

A 15-storey mixed-use development has been proposed for 290 Water Street in Fortitude Valley, bringing together residential apartments, commercial and retail space, rooftop amenities and heritage retention in one inner-city plan.

The proposal centres on a residential-led tower with 132 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. At ground level, 518sqm of commercial and retail space is planned, with listed uses including shop, office, food and drink outlet, health care service, short-term accommodation and multiple dwelling.

The development application covers building work and a material change of use. It is listed as an in-progress application under A007032914, after being submitted on 27 May 2026 and marked as properly made on 3 June 2026. The project remains at application stage and has not been approved.

Keylin Land Holdings No.18 Pty Ltd is listed as the applicant, with Mewing Planning Consultants Pty Ltd listed as consultant.

Apartments And Rooftop Amenities in Fortitude Valley

The proposed Fortitude Valley development is designed around apartment living in an inner-city location near Spring Hill, the Brisbane CBD, Exhibition train station and precincts connected with the 2032 Olympics and Paralympics.

The apartment mix includes one-, two- and three-bedroom layouts, with the lower levels planned for flexible commercial and retail uses. The combination would place housing above street-level activity, while keeping the site residential-led.

Resident-only rooftop amenities are a major feature of the proposal. Planned facilities include a pool, spa, gym, sauna, infrared sauna, yoga area, outdoor barbecue and entertainment space, private dining area and library.

Fortitude Valley Water Street plan — *Photo Credit: Supplied*

Heritage Buildings Retained in Water Street Design

The development has been designed by Jackson Teece, with a contemporary tower positioned behind a landscaped podium.

The proposal includes the retention and restoration of early twentieth-century commercial buildings associated with Henry Roberts and the Brunswick Home Furnishers business. This heritage element gives the Water Street plan a stronger local character than a standard apartment tower.

The design also draws on the site’s history of furniture production. Rattan has been used as a reference for the podium façade, expressed through a perforated metal screen that reflects the texture and openness of woven material.

Landscaping is also built into the podium, with deep planting and integrated greenery included. The design references Brisbane’s native lotus and waterlilies.

Fortitude Valley Water Street development site — *Photo Credit: Supplied*

Proposal Remains Under Assessment

The application covers 290 Water Street and associated Fortitude Valley properties at 137, 139 and 141 Warry Street, as well as U 1 Henry Roberts at 139 Warry Street.

The proposal has been framed around inner-Brisbane housing and accommodation demand, including demand linked to the 2032 Games. Its strongest local feature is the way it combines new apartment supply with commercial space, rooftop facilities and retained heritage buildings on a site near the edge of Spring Hill.

The Water Street development remains under assessment. If progressed, it would add new homes, ground-level commercial and retail space, resident amenities and restored heritage buildings to this part of Fortitude Valley.

Published 9-June-2026

Disney Fans, Get Ready: Australia’s Biggest Disney Pop-Up Is Coming to Brisbane

@disneystoreau/Instagram

An official Disney Store pop-up is opening at Wintergarden on Queen Street Mall, bringing what the brand describes as its biggest pop-up experience in Australia to date.

The store will operate from 4 July to 27 September at Shop QSM 103, 209 Queen Street Mall, stocking collectibles, toys and apparel inspired by a wide range of Disney and Pixar characters. It arrives during Pixar’s 40th anniversary year, with the studio having been founded in 1986, and the range will include dedicated anniversary product lines alongside the broader Disney offering.

The first 50 people through the door when the store opens at 9am on 4 July will receive a free gift.

What’s on the shelves

The range goes well beyond the standard souvenir fare. Brisbane-exclusive collective cards, designed specifically for this city and not available anywhere else, are one of the headline offerings. Disney Store Japan ranges will also be stocked, bringing product lines that rarely surface in Australian retail.

*Photo Credit: @disneystoreau/Instagram*

Christmas in July will be represented through ornaments of beloved characters, and a dedicated pin collector event runs on 8 July, focused on Disney’s beloved animals and featuring exclusive pins available only in London, Dublin and Brisbane. Tickets for the pin event are sold separately.

Stock refreshes weekly throughout the run, which means a visit in July and another in September are likely to turn up very different shelves.

Planning your visit

Those who visited Brisbane’s previous Disney Store pop-up will remember the queues. This one is described as the largest iteration yet, and the Queen Street Mall location gives it one of the highest foot traffic spots in Queensland retail. Weekday visits are the practical choice for anyone who wants to browse without pressure.

Weekend mornings, especially in the school holiday period around early July, are likely to be a different experience entirely.

The store is open Monday to Thursday from 9am to 6pm, Friday from 9am-9pm, Saturday from 9am-6pm, and Sunday from 10am-5pm. The Disney Store pop-up at Wintergarden, Shop QSM 103, 209 Queen Street Mall runs 4 July to 27 September. Further details are available at here.

Published 4-June-2026

Brisbane Gets a Blooming Good Surprise as CJ Hendry’s Flower Shop Arrives

@cj_hendry/Instagram

CJ Hendry’s Flower Shop, the travelling pop-up that drew hour-long queues at Sydney’s Royal Botanic Garden last month, is heading to Fortitude Valley as the only other Australian stop on its 2026 tour.

The pop-up will run at 1 Arthur Street from 25 June to 12 July. Every fabric flower costs $5, and every visitor receives one free on entry. There is no limit on how many you can buy. If Sydney’s response is any guide, Fortitude Valley could be in for some serious foot traffic.

Hendry quietly announced the Brisbane dates through her online calendar, and locals were quick to take notice.

From Brisbane to Brooklyn

Hendry was born in South Africa and raised in Brisbane, studying architecture at QUT and also finance, before walking away from both to pursue art full-time in 2013.

She sold her designer wardrobe on eBay to fund the transition, drew from early morning until late at night seven days a week, and built a following entirely through Instagram before galleries or representation entered the picture.

View this post on Instagram

By 2015 she had relocated to New York, where she is now based in Brooklyn. Her hyperrealistic large-scale drawings of luxury objects, rendered in her signature layered scribbling technique, command five to six-figure prices from collectors internationally. Her right hand is insured for $10 million.

She has described Brisbane as the place where she can simply switch off. “Brisbane is very calming for me,” she has said. The Flower Shop returning here is not an accident.

Inside the Flower Shop

The Flower Shop is an in-person-only travelling market built entirely around Hendry’s fabric flowers, each one handcrafted from felt and fabric in different shapes, sizes, colours and textures.

Buckets overflow with blooms of every variety imaginable: classic roses and tulips alongside more surrealist forms, and Australian-exclusive designs including native florals such as wattle and gum nuts, which sold out in Sydney.

The concept draws on the same sense of play that runs through all of Hendry’s work: ordinary objects transformed into something slightly unreal, where the pleasure is in noticing the craftsmanship up close. At $5 a stem with a free flower on entry, it is also one of the more accessible encounters with a genuinely world-famous artist’s practice.

The Flower Shop has visited Singapore, Melbourne, Hong Kong and New York, where a permanent retail store now operates. Sydney and Hong Kong permanent stores are to follow. The Brisbane pop-up is a two-and-a-half week window only.

Getting there and what to bring

1 Arthur Street sits in Fortitude Valley, close to Brunswick Street and accessible from the Valley train station. Street parking is limited on weekday evenings and weekends, so public transport or rideshare is the practical choice.

Tips from the Sydney crowd: arrive early, check the Flower Shop’s Instagram before you go to shortlist your favourites, and bring something to carry your stems home in.

The CJ Hendry Flower Shop runs 25 June to 12 July at 1 Arthur Street, Fortitude Valley. Entry is free. Follow @cj_hendry for updates as opening day approaches.

Published 4-June-2026

Brisbane’s Night at The Parkland Returns Bigger Than Ever for 2026

Tourism & Events Queensland

Night at The Parkland returns to Roma Street Parkland for its second season in September, bringing nine open-air concerts across three weekends as part of Brisbane Festival’s 2026 program.

The concert series, presented by Toyota in association with Brisbane Festival, runs from 4 to 20 September 2026. Organisers expanded the program following strong attendance during last year’s debut season. General public tickets go on sale from 9am on 2 June.

Promoters Second Sunday have built the 2026 lineup around a mix of Australian ARIA winners and one international headliner: Grammy-nominated American singer-songwriter Aloe Blacc, making his first Australian live appearance in seven years.

The full September schedule

The series opens on Friday 4 September with The Cruel Sea, joined by special guests Magic Dirt, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the double-platinum, number-one album Three Legged Dog. Katie Noonan brings her critically acclaimed Jeff Buckley’s Grace show to the parkland the following evening, fresh from a national tour of more than 25 sold-out performances.

Sunday 6 September features Yesterday’s Gone: The Fleetwood Mac Legacy, with Fanny Lumsden, Charlie Collins and Karen-Lee Andrews sharing the stage for the tribute show.

Aloe Blacc headlines Friday 11 September as part of his Wake Me Up tour. The Temper Trap follow on Saturday 12, and Human Nature bring their All The Hits Live show to the parkland on Sunday 13 September.

The final weekend opens with Icehouse on Friday 18 September, returning after a sold-out appearance in the 2025 season. PNAU take Saturday 19, performing an unseated, dancing-encouraged set of hits alongside tracks from their forthcoming album AHHCade, due in late July. Missy Higgins closes the series on Sunday 20 September.

Support acts across the series include Vandalism Angel, Jo Davie, Georgia Fields, Birren, Wilsn, Clea, Lastlings, Jaymon Bob, Ally Row, Kyla Belle, Alice Ivy, Hazel Mei, Jem Cassar-Daley and more.

An outdoor setting that suits the music

Roma Street Parkland sits at the northern edge of Brisbane’s CBD and is described as the world’s largest subtropical garden in an urban centre. The setting — tiered gardens, mature trees, open lawns — makes it a genuinely distinctive alternative to the arena circuit, and the 2025 season proved there is an appetite in Brisbane for exactly this kind of outdoor live music experience.

*Photo Credit: Tourism & Events Queensland*

Second Sunday co-founder Cameron Coghlan said the expanded program reflects the response to last year’s debut. “We’re incredibly proud to see Night at The Parkland return for its second year, building on a strong debut and creating even more opportunities for audiences to enjoy great live music in a unique outdoor setting,” he said.

Brisbane Festival Artistic Director Ebony Bott added that the series had quickly established itself as a standout live music event for the city. “We’re excited to welcome Night at The Parkland back to Brisbane Festival in 2026, bigger, bolder and expanded across three incredible weekends,” she said.

Tickets and information

General public tickets go on sale today, Tuesday 2 June, at 9am AEST. Full lineup details, individual show information and tickets are available at here. Getting to Roma Street Parkland is straightforward, with trains running directly to Roma Street Station and buses servicing the underground busway or street-level stops right outside.

Published 2-June-2026

Howard Smith Wharves Secures Approval for Precinct Expansion Ahead of 2032 Games

Howard Smith Wharves has received development approval for a significant expansion of its Brisbane riverfront precinct, with works scheduled for completion ahead of the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Read: Howard Smith Wharves Expansion Approved With Brisbane’s First Over-River Pool

The Artemus Group, which operates the precinct, announced the approval on Thursday 28 May. The approved plans include a 106-room boutique hotel with views of the Story Bridge, Brisbane’s first over-river pool, two new cliffside lifts, cascading riverfront stairs, and enhancements to the existing Felons Barrel Hall to attract more music and entertainment offerings.

The development will also deliver a 30 per cent increase in outdoor public space, adding 8,500 square metres of open areas to the precinct. A redesigned pontoon, backed by Queensland, will provide new river access, private boat mooring, and serve as a tourism gateway to the Brisbane River and Moreton Bay. The pontoon infrastructure is designed to withstand flood conditions.

HSW founder Adam Flaskas said the approval coincided with Brisbane’s preparations to host the Games. “With Brisbane set to host the world for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, HSW 2.0 positions Howard Smith Wharves, and the Brisbane River, as a centrepiece of the city’s global moment,” he said.

CEO Luke Fraser said design decisions had been guided by long-term considerations. “Every decision we’ve made in designing HSW has been guided by asking: how do we create something that Brisbane will be proud to show the world in 2032 and for decades beyond,” he said.

Cr Adrian Schrinner referenced the precinct’s origins as a derelict wharf site and cited jobs and additional hotel rooms among the outcomes of the next stage. “This next stage takes Howard Smith Wharves to another level, with more jobs, more to see and do, more hotel rooms and more of what makes Brisbane Australia’s lifestyle capital,” Cr Schrinner said.

Read: Michelin-Recommended Taqueria From Mexico to Take Over Howard Smith Wharves

Howard Smith Wharves is located beneath the Story Bridge, adjacent to Fortitude Valley and New Farm. The Artemus Group describes it as Brisbane’s most-visited riverfront precinct.

The development is expected to be completed before the 2032 Games, when the precinct is intended to serve athletes, officials, media and international visitors.

Published 1-June-2026

Howard Smith Wharves Expansion Approved With Brisbane’s First Over-River Pool

DA A006618899

Artemus Group has received approval for a $500 million expansion of Howard Smith Wharves, bringing Brisbane’s first over-river swimming pool, a 106-room boutique hotel and 8,500 square metres of new public space to the heritage-listed precinct beneath the Story Bridge.

The development approval, granted this week, fires the starting gun on a transformation the Fortitude Valley precinct’s developers have been planning since lodging the application in September 2024.

Dubbed HSW 2.0, the expansion represents the most ambitious change to the site since the original $110 million redevelopment opened in November 2018, and it lands with a clear deadline in sight: the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Brisbane’s first over-river pool

The standout element of the approved design is the over-river pool, the first of its kind in Brisbane. Positioned to extend out over the Brisbane River, the pool forms part of a broader bar and dining precinct that will replace the existing Rivershed venue.

Renderings show an open-air structure that puts swimmers directly above the river, with the Story Bridge and cliffs of Kangaroo Point as the backdrop.

No Brisbane venue has built a pool over the river before. The concept draws on precedents in cities like Paris, where floating pools on the Seine have long been part of how the city uses its waterway, and it fits the broader pattern of cities reclaiming their rivers as recreational infrastructure rather than industrial remnants or backdrop scenery.

Artemus Group founder Adam Flaskas framed the approval as a defining moment for both the precinct and Brisbane’s relationship with its river.

“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for Brisbane,” Flaskas said. “Howard Smith Wharves has always been about connecting people with this magnificent river, and with this announcement we take that vision to an entirely new level.”

A precinct built on Depression-era foundations

Howard Smith Wharves carries genuine historical weight. The wharves were built between 1939 and 1942 as part of a relief employment programme during the Great Depression, constructed in conjunction with the Story Bridge directly above them.

The site served the Howard Smith Co Ltd coastal shipping company until the 1960s, hosted World War II air-raid shelters, and then sat largely abandoned for decades before being listed on the Queensland Heritage Register in 1997.

Artemus Group secured the site in 2015 and spent three years transforming it into the vibrant precinct locals know today. The riverside hub features 13 restaurants, cafes, and bars, including Felons Brewing Co, Yoko, Greca, Stanley, and Ciao Papi, alongside Crystalbrook Vincent hotel and Howards Hall.

It became the first site in Brisbane to achieve Heritage Hero Status from the National Trust, recognised for its management of built, environmental and cultural heritage across the one development.

The 2018 version of Howard Smith Wharves gave the precinct its identity. HSW 2.0 is designed to deepen it.

Everything else the expansion includes

Beyond the over-river pool, the approved plans include a nine-storey, 106-room boutique hotel to be built atop a substantially upgraded Felons Barrel Hall. The revamped hall will be designed to attract larger music and entertainment events, addressing one of the current site’s capacity limitations.

Two new cliffside lifts will improve access to the precinct from Bowen Terrace above, addressing a long-standing friction point for visitors who find the staircase descent from the valley’s upper streets steep or difficult. Cascading riverfront stairs will create a more gradual connection between the precinct and the water’s edge.

The pontoon infrastructure, which will provide private boat mooring and improved river access for tourism operators, is designed to be flood-resilient, a significant engineering consideration for any structure built over the Brisbane River. The new public realm totals 8,500 square metres, a 30 per cent increase on the current site’s outdoor space.

Howard Smith Wharves chief executive Luke Fraser said every design decision had been guided by a single question.

“How do we create something that Brisbane will be proud to show the world in 2032 and for decades beyond?” he said.

What comes next

The full build is targeted for completion ahead of the 2032 Games. Construction timelines have not yet been confirmed publicly, though the development approval means the project can now move into detailed design and tender phases. The Bougainvillea House event venue will also be redeveloped from its current single storey into a two-storey building as part of the broader works.

Howard Smith Wharves is at 5 Boundary Street, Fortitude Valley. For updates on the HSW 2.0 development and precinct bookings, click here.

Published 28-May-2026