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Fascinating Finds from 1880s Unearthed at the Cross River Rail Project

Archeologists digging for possible artefacts in Albert Street, the site of the city’s Cross River Rail project, have unearthed some fascinating finds from the 1880s that once belonged to Chinese traders.

In the lower part of the area near the botanical gardens, diggers have discovered key items that supported the existence of The Nine Holes, allegedly Brisbane’s first Chinatown.

Found among the artefacts were ceramics, late 1800s coins, horseshoes, pairs of intact leather boots and cut-offs, bottles and crockery, old books, perfume containers, and beautifully decorated opium pipes.

Also among the discoveries was a part of a cellar with a concrete floor that had a set of puppy or small dog paw print.

In his interview with ABC Radio Brisbane, the heritage consultant for the Cross River Rail project, Dr Kevin Rains of the Niche Environment and Heritage, said that the discovery showed the “very ethnically diverse population” where The Nine Holes stood. There were regular people doing their ordinary, domestic, day-to-day activities in a neighborhood that actually had a bad reputation.

The Nine Holes was a row of eateries, leather goods stores, grocers and hotels in Frog’s Hollow, the district named after the abundance of frogs that lived in the low-lying swampland. Mostly occupied by Chinese immigrants, the building with nine “holes” were actually shops-cum-houses combined for the working class.

Frog’s Hollow was also known for its opium and gambling dens, sly grog shops, and prostitution. It was the red light district at that time and was regarded as the “poorest and dilapidated” neighborhood in Brisbane.

Dr Rains is in the midst of analysing the artefacts and preparing the report for the state government. The discoveries could eventually be housed at the Queensland Museum.

Meanwhile, the Cross River Rail project will see a new rail line below the Brisbane River to ease congestion and improve accessibility. The Albert Street station will be able to service 67,000 passengers every day when the project is completed.

CQUniversity Brisbane Health Clinic Swings Into Action

As the COVID-19 restrictions begin to ease, the CQUniversity Brisbane Health Clinic has swung into action to assist the local sporting community.

A CQUniversity Physiotherapy team, including Clinical Supervisor Nikki Rathbone and fourth-year Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Honours) students Kaysie Florance and Breanna Keleher, attended a golf competition on Saturday, the 6th of June to provide massage to the members of the Gailes Golf Club.

“It was great to be able to get out into the community and provide a service to the public,” said Ms Florance.

Ms Keleher said she was grateful that the clinic was open and she was able to complete her clinical placement.

“It was also a great opportunity to get exposure to a sporting event during this time, as most organised sport has been cancelled due to the restrictions,” Ms Keleher said.

Ms Rathbone believes physiotherapists will be in high demand as restrictions on sport begin to be lifted.

“As we gradually return to our normal activities post COVID-19 restrictions, we expect there to be a spike of people suffering exercise or sporting-related injury concerns.

“Our hope is to build some relationships with the local community, especially sporting clubs,” Ms Rathbone said.

The Physiotherapy service is a new addition to the CQUniversity Brisbane Health Clinic at Indooroopilly.

“It is a very exciting opportunity to be involved in the new CQUniversity Brisbane Physiotherapy clinic, as it will be able to accommodate an extra 20 to 30 placement opportunities for our third and fourth-year physiotherapy students each year,” explained Ms Rathbone.

“The clinic also operates alongside our very successful student-led chiropractic clinic, which is a rare opportunity to have both disciplines working together out of the same location.”

According to the Australian Government Job Outlook, employment prospects for future physiotherapists is bright with a very strong future growth forecasted.

It is anticipated there will be around 13,000 job openings over the next five years.

Both Ms Keleher and Ms Florance chose physiotherapy as a career because of the opportunity to help people.

“I wanted to do something that helps people, and physiotherapy can help people with a hands-on approach. It gives people independence to help themselves, to improve their health and wellbeing long term,” explained Ms Florance.

Ms Keleher said, “I always wanted to work in healthcare, and I admire what physios do, especially with those patients who have longstanding or chronic issues.”

The CQUniversity physiotherapy students are available for appointments Monday to Friday to assist with back and neck pain, sporting injuries, as well as post-operative rehabilitation and exercise programs.

Appointments are just $30 for a thorough physiotherapy assessment and treatment.

To book call the clinic on (07) 3023 1498 or email BrisbaneHealthClinic@cqu.edu.au

Ingenious Plan to Merge Two Buildings Into One in Brisbane CBD Unveiled

Midtown Centre, an ingeniously designed redevelopment in Brisbane’s CBD, is an ecologically sustainable project which will transform and repurpose a presently disused office complex into a contemporary workplace, by merging two buildings into one, in a bid to avoid demolishing them.

In what will be an Australian first, the former government office buildings located at 150 Mary Street and 155 Charlotte Street will be transformed into one tower through what architects call a full building join.

Fender Katsalidis was engaged by AM Brisbane CBD Investments to design the new, 26-storey structure.

“The project proposes the connection of the two separate but conjoined sites, to create an internal, publicly accessible cross-block link between Mary and Charlotte Streets, realising Brisbane City Council’s master plan vision for laneway and linkages of city blocks,” the project description from Fender Katsalidis reads.

The 26-storey Midtown Centre will combine and enlarge the existing Health and Forestry House Building towers on a 3,670-square metre site fronting both Charlotte Street and Mary Street.

Keeping the heart of the building

The new building will have a podium which incorporates and revitalises the facade of the heritage-listed, late 19th -century Walter Reid Building, which was designed by Architect George Cowlishaw.

An outdoor terrace with landscaping will top the podium. On the ground level, there will be a public laneway connecting Charlotte and Mary Streets.

Above the six-storey podium, the existing Health and Forestry House towers will comprise the high-rise section. A “living, breathing, porous infill” will occupy the 20-metre gap between the buildings.

The tower will provide an estimated 1,800 sqm of continuous floor plates from Level 6 up to Level 20. Completing the building will be another six levels of commercial space.

A glazed atrium surrounded by a double-height sky garden marks the transition between the existing structures and the six-storey vertical extension.

The Charlotte Street footpath will be widened, in anticipation of heavier traffic once the building is complete. There will be cafes and retail outlets as part of the commercial mix in the precinct.

Hutchinson Builders is scheduled to complete the building by mid-2021.

Brisbane Digs Deep for Cross River Rail

The first road header has started tunnelling at Roma Street, the site of one of Brisbane’s new train stations heralding the start of Queensland’s largest job-creating infrastructure project, the Cross River Rail.

Roma Street is where a large station cavern is also being excavated as part of Brisbane’s new underground line. It will have a cavern that’s 280 metres long and 27 metres below ground.

Weighing 115 tonnes, the 22-metre long roadheader arrived in Roma St in pieces and were assembled at the bottom of the 18-metre-deep shaft. If all goes to plan, it will excavate approximately 50 tonnes of rock and soil per hour.

A second roadheader will begin work at Roma Street, tentatively before the end of the third quarter.

“Above ground demolition has also been underway for several months at the site of the new station – but today is a huge milestone for this project as we start tunnelling for the first time,” Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said.

“This is just the beginning of the underground works, with 5.9 kilometres of twin tunnels and four underground stations to be excavated in total,” she said.

The Roma street railway station will have two train platforms.

Demolition

The tunnelling site is covered by an enormous “acoustic shed.” The shy will contain dust and construction debris, as well as minimise noise.

Meanwhile, the demolition of the nearby Hotel Jen building will continue to progress at the present pace of one floor per week. Once this is done, the massively unpopular Brisbane Transit Centre will be next up for demolition.

Creating Jobs and Solving Congestion

She went on to explain that boosting employment and busting congestion are the twin focus of the project. The Cross River Rail is expected to create more than 7,000 local jobs, a massive boost to the local economy, particularly in light of the employment challenges experienced by various sectors during the coronavirus months.

“We’re not only building a new train station and digging tunnels. Cross River Rail will also generate billions of dollars of new private sector investment in the city as we redesign the precinct around the new station,” Ms Jones added.

“That means more jobs and more economic stability at a vital time for Queensland,” she said.

Construction, according to Treasurer and Minister for Planning and Infrastructure Cameron Dick, is one of a number of traditional industries that had helped insulate Queensland from the economic fallout brought about by COVID-19.

“So many Queensland families and businesses have been hit hard by something they could not have imagined just a few months ago,” the Treasurer said.

“But some of Queensland’s traditional strengths like mining, agriculture and construction have weathered the storm better than other areas. As our economy reopens, we will be supporting jobs in these sectors, as well as jobs in new and emerging industries,” he added.

State Development Minister Kate Jones agrees. “Coronavirus has had a huge impact on our economy. But we won’t let it derail Queensland’s largest infrastructure project,” she said.

Bus Station Closure

In other news, the Roma Street busway station will be closed for 15 weeks, beginning on the 18th of May.

You may be able to catch your bus at a different stop or station. Use the TransLink journey planner to find your alternatives.

Artificial Intelligence Hub to be Built in Fortitude Valley

A $5.5-million+ Artificial Intelligence Hub will soon be built in Fortitude Valley, part of a training hub called The Precinct meant to support businesses, startups, and the innovation sector by providing skills training programs and jobs to people in Queensland.

The state government will provide seed funding for the hub out of its landmark $755-million Advance Queensland initiative, along with some investment from the private sector. The state will also be bringing in international experts in AI and innovation technology as experts-in-residence.

Key Initiatives

To be managed by AI Consortium, the AI Hub will have four key initiatives which are meant to provide jobs to talented AI professionals in the state for a more diversified QLD economy.

grow awareness and connect Queensland businesses, industry, government organisations and universities to local AI talent and technologies;
showcase local AI talent and businesses;
deliver programs to develop AI talent (tertiary students, researchers and emerging AI businesses);
connect Queensland’s AI talent and solutions to other global centres.

(List of key initiatives from: AI Hub | Advance Queensland Initiative)

Annastacia Palaszczuk has been quite vocal about the shortage of talent in the AI industry in Queensland and the need to provide skills training to fill the skills gap.

“Currently we have up to eight times more AI jobs on offer in the state than people with the right skills available to fill them,” she has pointed out in a recent statement about the initiative.

What to Expect

Specialised training and education will be available at the AI Hub for the state’s public sector and industry. Several Australian universities, along with local and international companies, have already expressed interest in participating in or initiating programs at the hub.

Kate Jones, Innovation Minister, explained that the seed funding from the government will act as a catalyst for private sector investment.

Envisioned as a co-working place for startups involved in machine learning, advanced robotics, and speech recognition technology, the hub will also be a place for networking and mentoring as industry experts and talents from the technology sector gather together to teach and learn.

“It will also help to attract investment into Queensland startups and innovative local companies with AI-based solutions for global markets,” Ms Jones said.

Coming Soon

In a statement about the hub on its website, AI Consortium describes itself as “a group of technology-focused businesses…” which “…have been successfully operating, innovating and engaging in the development of artificial intelligence for many years.”

“Right now, due to the unprecedented global crisis we all face, Queensland AI Hub is embracing the virtual world of connection – as we should, given our interests. But, stay tuned, because later this year we will evolve from a just a digital platform to a physical hub where we can’t wait to collaborate face-to-face and build upon the strength of Queensland’s AI community.”

Six Ways to Commemorate Anzac Day From Your Home

Photo Credit: RSL South Eastern District Ltd

Earlier this month, the Anzac Day Parade Brisbane Committee announced that the annual Anzac Day Parade in Brisbane has been cancelled, in support of the efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

To help keep the spirit of Anzac Day alive, here are the many different ways you can celebrate and remember our fallen heroes on Anzac Day from the privacy of your home.

1. Watch the Anzac Day service on TV.

Watch the live broadcast of the Anzac Day Commemorative Service, to be held at 5:30 a.m. on Anzac Day. See here for details.

2. Digitised Content, Podcasts, and More

Digitised content and augmented virtual reality are now making it possible to experience war history. Explore Anzac Square Memorial Galleries even if the shrine is temporarily closed to the public. Underneath Anzac Square’s Shrine of Remembrance and Eternal Flame, the Anzac Square Memorial Galleries contains various collections on war history curated by the State Library of Queensland.

Photo Credit : https://www.anzacsquare.qld.gov.au/

An “armchair glimpse” of the Memorial Galleries are now possible, by exploring the Anzac Square Memorial Galleries digitised content through the State Library’s One Search.

The Australian War Memorial wevsite also has a Museums at Home resource with videos, podcasts, NS other interactive technology See here for details.

3. Take virtual tours.

Take a virtual trip inside the rarest tank in the world. Named “Mephisto” by its crew, the A7V Sturmpanzerwagen was one of 20 deployed by the German Army in combat in late 2017. The 30-tonne behemoth was sent to Australia as a war trophy, after the 26th Battalion AIF, composed mainly of Queenslanders, retrieved it from the battle field, dragging the tank under cover of darkness until it was safely behind Australian lines.

Explore its combat history, check out the bullet damage, inscriptions and other hidden details through interactive displays in the Queensland Museum and this video preview.

4. Download the Anzac Correspondent Phone or Tablet App.

With the use of augmented reality and using a smartphone or tablet, the Anzac Correspondent app takes the user on a journey through events and places of interest in World War I, via the lens of a vintage 1918 camera.

If you want to try Anzac Correspondent for yourself, you can download it on the App Store or Google Play.

5. Apply for a Grave Memorial.

Few people know that before the Australian War Graves Commission was established, the ANZAC Day Commemoration Committee of Queensland allocated funds for our fallen heroes’ in foreign lands. Today, the Commission takes care of this and those of others who have subsequently died from illness or disease as a result of the war.

Photo Credit : Anzac Day Commemoration Committee

For those who aren’t covered by the above categories, the Commemoration Committee awards small, bronze memorial badges to be placed on graves and crematorium niches to properly recognize and honour a veteran’s service. Grave Memorial Grants are also available through an application process for headstones, lawn cemetery and crematorium plaques.

6. Look at the Places of Pride near you or submit an entry.

Places of Pride is the National Register of War Memorials. It is an online initiative which records the location and photos of every war memorial across the country.

Through the website, you can enter your location or suburb, find and learn more about a war memorial in your area, submit a memorial location, add photos, and share stories.

About Anzac Day

“ANZAC” refers to a combined force of the First Australian Imperial Force and New Zealand Army troops who landed on the bloody battlefield of Turkey’s Gallipoli Peninsula in the dawn of the 25th day of April, 1915, just nine months after World War I began.

Every year, over the past 104 years since then, Australia and New Zealand have honoured and observed ANZAC Day. The annual parade features former and current veterans, their families, and other groups involved in the Day of Remembrance.

RNA Showgrounds Prepares to Become Field Hospital for Pandemic Victims

Photo Credit: brisbaneshowgrounds.com.au

The Royal National Agricultural and Industrial Association of Queensland (RNA) has announced that Brisbane’s iconic showgrounds could reprise a century-old role as a field hospital, housing intensive care facilities, if coronavirus victims threaten to overwhelm the state’s permanent hospitals.

Public gatherings worldwide have already been cancelled or postponed, as the coronavirus scare continues. Ekka, Queensland’s largest annual event, originally scheduled for August, seems less and less likely to push through as planned, or if it does, may not progress in its normal format. Instead, the RNA Showgrounds may play an equally visible role in the present public health emergency.

“The RNA is working very closely with the Government to ensure the Showgrounds can be utilised as effectively and as quickly as possible to provide temporary hospital accommodation and other health needs as required,” the association wrote in their website.

RNA added: “Our Royal International Convention Centre can be transformed into a functioning hospital, and the RNA will provide every assistance we can to the Government to ensure this occurs.”

RNA Showgrounds, now Brisbane Showgrounds during the Spanish influenza outbreak (Photo credit: Annastacia Palaszczuk / Twitter)

If Queensland needs the extra bed space, sites like the EKKA, vacant hotels, convention centres and possibly mining camps would contain and treat people who don’t require intensive care. #coronavirus #spanishflu pic.twitter.com/hqT7JLW7QF— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) March 28, 2020

Brisbane Showgrounds, the birthplace of Ekka, offers the largest and most versatile range of indoor and outdoor venues in Queensland. During the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic, the RNA showgrounds was used as a treatment centre for patients. At the time, Australian losses reached as high as 15,000 deaths.

“I hope it doesn’t come to this – I really do – but the Coronavirus pandemic is upon us now and our hospitals and medical staff over the coming months could be under enormous strain,” Ms Palaszczuk said in a media statement.

Ms Palaszczuk said preparations to set-up extra facilities and off-site hospitals are simply a necessity. These facilities would contain and treat people who have contracted the Covid-19 virus and who may have minor difficulties but don’t require intensive care.

The Palaszczuk Government has opened 888 additional hospital beds across the State over the four years to June this year and over the next four years, will deliver a further 756 additional beds.

But If high volumes of cases requiring hospitalisation present, the Premier said Queensland may have to open temporary hospital accommodation and options being investigated include vacant hotels, convention centres and mining camps.

As of 31 March 2020, Queensland has 55 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, raising the state total to 743. The death toll is two: a 68-year-old male from Toowoomba, a 75-year-old woman who was a passenger on the Ruby Princess.

Elsewhere in the world, similar plans to use showgrounds and exhibition centres are in place. In London, the government announced it would turn the ExCeL Centre in London’s Docklands area into a temporary hospital to cope with patients affected by Covid-19.

Meanwhile, a decision on staging the 2020 Ekka will be made within the coming weeks. For updates and important announcements regarding this year’s event, visit ekka.com.au or follow them on Facebook.

Why Eagle Street Pier Has Big Bright Bunnies

Some big bright bunnies will be hopping into the Eagle Street Pier this March. If you frequent the precinct, don’t be startled by their giant presence. The installation will be around the area from the 13th to the 29th of March 2020.

All of those six illuminated giant bunnies are the work of Australian artist Amanda Parer. Brisbane is lucky to have the artwork for the very first time after Ms Parer and her hoppy creations have been bouncing off cities like London, Paris, Boston, Los Angeles, Seoul and Perth for years.

This is Ms Parer’s Intrude art display. The artist created those big and shiny bunnies to provoke “a thoughtful and playful atmosphere.”

Ms Parer picked bunnies as the subject of her art display of its intriguing contradictions. These animals are fixtures of fairytale stories, displaying furry innocence and a cute image loved by children.

However, rabbits were also regarded as out of control pests in Australia when these animals were introduced by the settlers in the late 1700s. From the 19th to the 20th century, various methods were deployed to control the rabbit population in the country as the animals were causing heaps of environmental problems, including soil erosion and an imbalance to Australia’s unique flora and fauna.

“I expect people will be drawn to the rabbits’ playful appearance, and I hope they will also take the time to understand the deeper meaning in the work and discuss how our actions impact the natural world in which we all live,” Ms Parer said.

The illuminating giant bunnies will be on display for free daily at the Eagle Street Pier from 12:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.

Intrude Classic from parerstudio on Vimeo.

Dexus To Proceed With DA For Waterfront Brisbane

Photo Credit: dsdmip.qld.gov.auspan>

Following a facilitation agreement with the state government, real estate investment trust company Dexus can now proceed with the development application and detailed design stage for Waterfront Brisbane.

Waterfront Brisbane is a key project in Dexus’s $8.7-billion development pipeline. It is aimed at transforming Brisbane’s Eagle Street Pier into a premium business and leisure destination.

The proposal for the $2.1-billion development includes:

Two premium office and mixed-use towers on the Eagle Street Pier site
A variety of riverfront restaurants, casual eateries and shops
New and revitalised public realm, featuring around 7900 square metres of open space (including approximately 3900 square metres in the Eagle Street Pier area), incorporating a market square and steps, urban verandah terraces, an extension of the City Reach Riverwalk and a new ‘green’ corridor connecting Eagle Street to the Riverwalk
Enhanced City Reach Riverwalk supporting cyclists and pedestrians
Upgraded wharf facilities supporting commercial and river tourism operations with provisions to support the delivery of a new City Reach ferry terminal
Upgrade to the Creek Street and Charlotte Street intersection to improve pedestrian connectivity

In addition to boosting tourism in Queensland, the project would also create jobs in the state. Over the next decade, it’s expected to create 1120 annual construction jobs on average, with an additional 916 operational jobs supported once construction has completed.

“This is a landmark project that’s estimated to provide a $5.7 billion boost to Queensland’s Gross State Product (GSP) over the next 40 years, including $230 million in value add to our state’s construction and professional services sectors,” Minister for State Development Cameron Dick said in a media statement.

Dexus, who owns Australia’s largest office towers, anticipates the required code-compliant applications will be submitted to Brisbane City Council by mid-2020.

The company’s Chief Investment Officer Ross Du Vernet said, “This is a significant milestone that unlocks the considerable potential in this Brisbane CBD gateway site which has sat under-developed for almost 30 years.”

Delivery of the project will be staged and subject to the leading property group securing the relevant approval. Eagle Street Pier site’s construction is expected to commence in 2022 and the first tower to be delivered in 2026.

Why Popular Chinese Eatery in Fortitude Valley Is Closing Until May

King of Kings, the over 30-year-old Chinese restaurant in Fortitude Valley, has been closed to diners since February. Loyal patrons, however, have no reason to worry amid concerns over coronavirus.

The owners of the Chinese-Australian family eatery has set the record straight in a social media post. They announced that shutdown is due to the restaurant’s major renovations and not the speculated COVID-19 disease.

King of Kings will reopen sometime in May. The owners also placed a sign on its entrance to let their customers know that it will be business as usual once the renovations are done.

Photo Credit: King of Kings Seafood Restaurant/Facebook

Major news outlets reported that the closure was due to the coronavirus crisis after Kings of Kings’ phone lines and email access were disconnected in mid-February.

It comes as many of Brisbane’s Chinese restaurants are reportedly experiencing a significant drop in business. The Chinese restaurant communities across Australia have also been reeling from the health scare.

Australia China Business Council head Helen Sawczak appealed to the public amidst the backlash affecting Chinese businesses, especially those in operation in Australia for many decades. She told media outlets that there are millions of Australian citizens with Chinese heritage who have no contact with the virus and those of Chinese ethnicity should not be the target.

Ms Sawczak also said that coronavirus is not a Chinese virus but a global humanitarian crisis. She encouraged the public to still enjoy their Chinese food and “not add to the hysteria.”