Stone & Wood Fortitude Valley to Open in Spring 2019

Finally, Stone & Wood Fortitude Valley — Brisbane’s first  brewery and taphouse will start pouring its finest beers in spring 2019!

“We originally hoped to open the brewery earlier, but due to the nature of working with a heritage-listed structure, the opening date was postponed so the building’s owner could undertake rectification work needed to install a working brewery,” the Stone & Wood announcement said.

The approved proposal to develop a new 90-seat venue, situated within the Trails Ltd Ice & Cold Stores heritage building, will feature a small brewery producing a rotating range of beers of about 600 litres at a time, exclusive for the on-site tasting room consumption.

Stone & Wood Fortitude Valley
Photo Credit: Brisbane City Council / pdonline.brisbane.qld.gov.au

Details of the development include a brewing equipment behind the main bar along the northern wall; beer hall and dining area; a kitchen; a function space; a small retail shop for takeaway beer and merchandise; ancillary office space; and a caretaker’s residence for on-site brewer.

2018 Backyard Invitational | Video Credit: Stone & Wood / Vimeo

“Alongside the recognisably Stone & Wood interior, merchandise outlet and the working brewery, there’ll be space for community events and training workshops for our trade partners – plus a range of our beers on offer.

Stone & Wood noted that whilst the venue will operate until 10pm daily, they will be not serving cocktails or spirits nor will there be TVs, pokies or a TAB.



“Ultimately, the brewery will be about drawing drinkers to the Fortitude Valley with something uniquely Stone & Wood. We imagine it to be a place for casual mid-week work drinks, Friday afternoon knock-offs and weekends out in the Valley. We see it, like our brewery in Byron Bay, as a place to slow down and connect.

“The building really is beautiful – wait til you see it! – and so we’ve prioritised its integrity and heritage elements. Work is currently underway to prepare the building across the coming months.”

Stone & Wood | 99 Bridge Street in Fortitude Valley

Foresters Restaurant and Bar Coming to Fortitude Valley Soon

Fortitude Valley has welcomed a lot of new restaurants and bars in 2019, but it looks like there’s more to come as the suburb welcomes the Foresters Restaurant and Bar on Brunswick Street.

It’s taking over the old Forester’s Hall, which should give you a good idea of the size of the place — it’s over 1,000 square metres and will fit 300 in the bar and restaurant.

With its mid-year opening, the restaurant will feature modern Australian dishes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner with ingredients to be sourced from local farmers and producers.



Spearheading the kitchen is chef Peter Popow, who has more than a decade of experience and worked across Australia and the UK. The executive chef promises to bring in pub staples like pizzas, burgers, and steaks.

The Forester Hall’s iconic facade will remain intact but many internal features will be changed, like the decorative pressed metal ceiling that will be relocated from the former cinema to the ground level. 

Occupying the sixth level will be a swish rooftop bar dubbed Altitude, where locals can head over for an after-work drink whilst enjoying the views of the CBD. The 250-sqm bar will feature a hefty list of beverages, bar snacks, and DJs on the dance floor.

Both the Altitude and the Foresters Restaurant and Bar will be the first occupants of the $600 million FV Precinct. In charge of turning the heritage-listed site into a food and beverage precinct are FV’s developer and Signature Hospitality Group, the people behind The Sporting Globe and TGI Fridays. 



Victoria Park to Close in 2021 for 45-Hectare Public Park Transformation

Victoria Park Golf Complex, located in Herston Road, will undergo a massive transformation in 2021 to become a public park spanning 45 hectares.

Once completed, this site, to be named the Victoria Park Vision, will be the second biggest public park in Brisbane next to the Botanic Gardens in Mt Coot-tha.

Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner announced the Council’s plans for the golf course to the press. Mr Schrinner visualised that the park would be comparable to Central Park in New York City or Hyde Park in London, as a green sanctuary with a number of free attractions and other recreational amenities like pop-up cinemas and markets.



“About 26 hectares of this council land is currently used as a pay and play public golf course, which over recent years has seen a decline in patronage and a reduction in revenue,” Mr Schrinner said on Facebook.

“From 2021, works will start to transform the golf course into public parkland.”

Victoria Park Vision will be twice the size of the current golf course and will likely boost community connectivity across Bowen Hills, Herston, Kelvin Grove and the Brisbane showgrounds. Access and parking around this area will also be improved.



Meanwhile, Mr Schinner also said that the Council will work with current tenants that use Victoria Park Golf Complex as a wedding venue, events place, putt-putt course, and driving range. These features will also be incorporated in the planned public park.

Photo Credit: Victoria Park Golf Complex/Facebook
Photo Credit: Victoria Park Golf Complex/Facebook

Council has set aside $1 million for this project and public consultations for inputs into the design will soon be underway until 2020.

Fortitude Valley State Secondary College To Open Doors in 2020

The new inner-north high school that is set to open in 2020 will be known as Fortitude Valley State Secondary College.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, Treasurer and Deputy Premier Jackie Trad, and Member for McConnel Grace Grace formally announced the name of the new school which the Premier described as a “game changer for Brisbane city.”

“The college will be the first high school to be built in Brisbane’s inner city in more than 50 years and I’m excited to be able to join with Grace to give the school an identity as it prepares for it’s opening on day one of the 2020 school year.”

Photo Credit: The State of Queensland (Department of Education) 2019 /
yoursay.buildingfutureschools.advancingeducation.qld.gov.au

Majority of the prospective students and parents who attended the consultation at the Holy Trinity Church Hall in Fortitude Valley, Ms Grace said, agree with the chosen name.  Fortitude Valley State Secondary College will be welcoming its foundation Year 7 students in Term 1, 2020.

“Fortitude Valley is in this wonderful position at the moment where it’s right on the edge of something very exciting,” Foundation Principal Sharon Barker said.

“Acknowledging Fortitude Valley in the name of our school is a testament to both our location and the important role that we’d like our local community to play in developing the culture of our school.

“As a very proud state school principal, I look forward to welcoming students from every background and capability – this will bring great diversity which will be a strength of our new college,” Ms Barker said.

Photo Credit: The State of Queensland (Department of Education) 2019 / yoursay.buildingfutureschools.advancingeducation.qld.gov.au

Fortitude Valley State Secondary College, designed by Cox Architecture, will be located on the site of the former Fortitude Valley State School on the corner of St Paul’s Terrace and Brookes Street and will feature a vertical design.

Hutchinson Builders is the official builder for the Stage 1 of Fortitude Valley State School which includes the performing arts centre, sports centre, and main vertical building. Once complete, the school will accommodate up to 1,500 students and will service students from Fortitude Valley, Newstead, Bowen Hills, and New Farm.



New Inner City North State Secondary College Catchment Confirmed, Set to Relieve Enrolment Pressure on Inner-City Schools

The final catchment area for the new Inner City North State Secondary College (ICNSSC) in Fortitude Valley has been released on 30 April 2019.

“After consulting with the local community late last year, the Department of Education has finalised the catchment for the new state high school, providing much-anticipated certainty for local families,” Ms Grace said.

Since 2011, inner-city children population has increased by about 30 percent, according to the Queensland Government Statistician’s Office (QGSO). This is expected to further increase by 3,000 over the next five years due to migration.

Once construction is completed, the state-of-the-art ICNSSC, located at St Pauls Terrace and Brookes Street in Fortitude Valley, is set to bring relief to the overcrowded inner-city schools.

Meet the Principal – Inner City North State Secondary College
Video Credit: Queensland Department of Education / YouTube

The new catchment for ICNSSC comes with a few changes from the proposed catchment map released in November 2018. The changes resulted in a slight increase to the northeastern boundary and slight reduction to the northwestern, thereby altering eligibility zones for Kelvin Grove State College, Kedron SHS, and Aviation High.

The alterations were necessary modifications in order to avoid splitting the streets between catchments as well as to follow main roads and natural landmarks.

New Catchment Map |  Photo Credit: The State of Queensland (Department of Education) 2019 /  yoursay.buildingfutureschools.advancingeducation.qld.gov.au

The new ICNSSC will open in 2020 to year 7 students, growing each year to 2025 when it is expected to accommodate 1,500 students in Years 7-12.

“It’s fantastic to achieve this milestone, which will allow us to open enrolments for the first cohort of Year 7 students, so they are ready to start school in Term 1, 2020.

“The feedback from the local community highlighted that the local inner northern Brisbane communities are very excited to be a part of this future-focused secondary college.”

Inner City North State Secondary College concept design | Photo Credit: The State of Queensland
(Department of Education) 2019 /  yoursay.buildingfutureschools.advancingeducation.qld.gov.au

During the consultation period, the Department of Education received more than 250 preliminary expressions of interest for enrolments, according to ICNSSC Principal Sharon Barker.

“Now that the catchment has been finalised, all eligible families, including those that submitted a preliminary expression of interest, are now encouraged to apply to enrol at our school,” Ms Barker said.

The new ICNSSC, the first in Brisbane in more than 50 years and the first vertical high school in Qld, is part of the government’s $808 million Building Future Schools Fund and will be delivered in conjunction with the Queensland University of Technology.

The construction of the new school is well underway, Minister Grace said, particularly the Brookes Street precinct and junior learning building which will open for Year 7 in Term 1 of 2020.



Fortitude Valley to Hold the First MOULD Cheese Festival in Brisbane

It’s finally Brisbane’s turn to hold one of Australia’s popular festivals and for the first time ever, MOULD Cheese Festival will be coming to Fortitude Valley!

Set for Sunday, the 19th of May 2019, this cheese food fest will run for two sessions 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Lightspace on Scanlan Street. The best fromagers from Australia will be there to offer their finest products.



There will be over 50 kinds of cheeses to try at the MOULD Cheese Festival so expect this event to be a gastronomic delight for cheese lovers. The full cheese list is posted and updated on its official website.

Cheeses taste even better with wine so there will also be quite a selection of alcoholic beverage vendors at this event.

Photo Credit: Mould: A Cheese Festival/Facebook
Photo Credit: Mould: A Cheese Festival/Facebook

Cheesemongers will also showcase the art of cheesemaking, which should be quite the learning experience. By the end of the night, you’ll likely have a new appreciation for the process of making this sinfully tasty food!



Tickets to the MOULD Cheese Festival are at $43 to $49. Seats are limited so be sure to book earlier or sign-up to be waitlisted.

Brisbane’s First Silent Disco Yoga Turns Up in North Quay

Experience the latest trend in fitness as W Brisbane, the boutique hotel located at 81 North Quay, brings the very first silent disco yoga to this city.

On Wednesday, the 15th of May 2019, the hotel will hold an intensive 90-minute silent disco yoga class beginning at 6:00 p.m. at the Great Room.

Photo Credit:  W Brisbane/Facebook

Australian fitness expert, Kate Kendall, the founder of Flow Athletic, will lead the session, while Sydney DJ James Mack will provide the beats before, during and after the class.



A silent disco yoga class is just like any vinyasa flow session, where students set their spaces on the floor while an instructor leads in front. However, everyone will be wearing a wireless headset the whole time to clearly hear the instructor and the background music, as well as block off the sound from the outside.

Photo Credit: Flow Athletic/Facebook

With the instructor’s voice and music more amplified, participants will feel more connected and energised to do the movements correctly without being distracted by other factors. They may also adjust the volume of the sounds coming from the headset to their preference.



Yogis attending the first silent disco yoga in Brisbane will get a swag bag filled with healthy treats. However, the first 40 people to book a slot will also receive an exclusive invitation to join a workshop for Disco Yoga oil blending. Sodashi founder Megan Larsen will conduct this class.

Slots to the silent disco yoga cost $59.11 inclusive of the booking fee. Participants need only bring their yoga mat, water bottle and towel. Drinks and snacks will be served for guests.

Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane’s New ‘Festival Hall’ to Open in July 2019

Fortitude Valley, once the centre of alternative music in Brisbane, will become livelier with the soon-to-open Fortitude Music Hall.

The brand new music venue, located at 312 Brunswick Street right in the middle of the Brunswick Mall is slated to open this July.

It will be a 3,300-capacity venue with a mix of retail stores, an events space and a smaller, intimate “bar-style” venue for approximately 300 guests upstairs.



The $43 million venue is backed by construction giant Hutchinson Builders, former Powderfinger bass player John Collins and and the band’s former manager Paul Piticco, in partnership with his Secret Sounds Group co-founder Jess Ducrou.

Fortitude Music Hall’s launch will be a celebration of Brisbane music, according to Collins who announced there will be performances from Queensland’s artists.

As early as now, the venue already has bookings for the second half of 2019. Aussie surf rock and garage trio Skegss will perform in the venue this July whilst British rock band Architects will hold a concert in the music hall in August.

The Beatles’ Abbey Road Live, a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the iconic album, will also take place in the Fortitude Music Hall in August 2019.



Collins has high hopes for the new music venue, anticipating it to become a popular destination not just Friday and Saturday night but throughout the week.

The new music hall is set to replace the Brisbane Festival Hall, an iconic indoor arena sold and demolished in August 2003.

It hosted performances for virtually every major tour by visiting overseas artists, with the likes of The Beatles, The Bee Gees,  Red Hot Chili Peppers, Radiohead, U2, and Ozzy Osbourne.

Scott Hutchinson, CEO of Hutchinson Builders, believes that the venue will fill a huge gap in the market, since the demolition of the original Festival Hall.

To stay in the loop about the upcoming gigs in the new venue, check out their website or follow them on Facebook.



Coming Soon in Fortitude Valley: Betty’s Burgers at Howard Smith Wharves

Love Betty’s Burgers’ mouthwatering beef, chicken, and crispy pork belly pork burgers? If you can’t help but drool over their custom blend patties, you will be glad to know that your favourite burger joint is opening a location at the Howard Smith Wharves in Fortitude Valley.

Expected to open in late May 2019, the new Betty’s Burgers will offer a nice view of the city and the riverside as the Howard Smith Wharves is located just underneath the Story Bridge.

The soon-to-open Betty’s Burgers is the restaurant’s 11th location in Queensland but will be the first-ever venue in the Brisbane CBD.

Betty’s Burgers famous concretes (Photo credit: Betty’s Burgers & Concrete Co./Facebook)

Along with their classic juicy burgers, the latest venue will likely offer their house-made frozen custards or “concretes,” salads, thick shakes, and sides. Like the rest of their other venues, the new location in Howard Smith Wharves is expected to have a 50’s retro shack fit out.

The burger chain will join a handful of restaurants and bars in the riverfront precinct, like the brewery Felons Brewing Co, Mr Percival’s overwater bar, Greek restaurant and bar GRECA, and the newly opened ARC Dining and Wine Bar.

For updates on Betty’s Burgers at the Howard Smith Wharves and other locations coming soon, check out their website or follow them on Facebook.



Experience the Richness of Thai Culture at the Songkran 2019 in Fortitude Valley

Fortitude Valley hosts many music and cultural events throughout the year and among them is the Songkran or the Thai New Year by the Brisbane City Council.

Everyone is free to join the event on 13 April 2019 from 4:00 pm – 9:00 pm at the Chinatown Mall in Duncan Street, where there will be a range of activities that will showcase the cultures of Thailand and South East Asia.

Before the event officially starts at 4:20 pm, market stalls will already be open for visitors. There will be henna tattoo workshops and Thai head and shoulder massage to keep everyone entertained before the shows start.

Songkran will begin with a klong-yao performance or a long drum dance from Central Thailand. Thais perform this unique dance on all festive occasions such as weddings and monk ordination ceremonies.



Like how Songkran is celebrated in Thailand, the opening ceremony will be followed by a traditional water blessing ceremony which signifies the ‘washing away of bad thoughts and actions.’

You can discover more of Thailand’s rich culture with performances like the Junior Thai traditional dance, Songkran music, the King Ka-La dance, a dance drama called the Khon show, Wai Kru Muay Thai traditional dance, and a demonstration of authentic Muay Thai or Muay Boran.

Apart from traditional dances and art from Thailand, you will also get to see performances from its neigbouring Asian countries, including the Laos New Year dance, Assamese folk dance, Sinhalese dance, and Sri Lankan traditional Wes dance.

The festival will end will a performance from the Full Moon Band, who will sing Thai pop music.