Spencer Howson - Bmag

ISSUE 237 10 July 2012 

www.bmag.com.au 

MENTAL 

HEALTH 

IN cRISIS 

SpENcER HOwSON 

pROpOSES MARRIAGE 

cHANGES 

BRISBANE 

FESTIVAL pREVIEw 

Bonjour 

BrisBane 

FRENcH FESTIVAL 

cELEBRATES FASHION, FLAVOuRS, cuLTuRE 

DELIVERED TO 420,000+ 

HOMES EVERY FORTNIGHT 

+ FASHION I FOOD I LIVING I ENTERTAINMENT + MORE 

FREE 

HOT 

5cOFFEE 

SpOTS 

wIN 

$9000 

ISLAND 

wILDERNESS 

GETAwAY FOR 6 

MEET cOUNTRY 

MUSIc LEGEND 

kENNY ROGERS

02 bmag.com.au I Read Brisbane’s Best

Read Brisbane’s Best I bmag.com.au 03


Editor 

Heather McWhinnie 

Journalist 

Laura Nolan 

Katrina Scott 

Motoring WritEr 

Chris Nixon 

Contributors 

Steve Haddan 

Kerry Heaney 

Chris Herden 

Spencer Howson 

Emily Jade 

Gary Johnson 

Jody Rigby 

Jeremy Ryland 

Laura Stead 

Rachel Syers 

salEs dirECtor 

Philip Reid – 0418 752 700 

businEss dEvElopMEnt ManagEr 

Chris May – 0401 312 312 

agEnCy aCCount ManagErs 

Matt Robertson – 0414 675 977 

Kellie Green – 0424 000 977 

autoMotivE ManagEr 

Esala Roqica – 0448 648 699 

aCCount ManagErs 

Leanne Tate – 0401 350 915 

Melissa Batchelor – 0418 730 107 

Jennifer Harrison – 0437 558 784 

Shelley Maxwell – 0411 643 147 

Antonia Bewley – 0459 090 459 

Sharon de Pasquale – 0468 635 815 

Kerry-Anne Oliver - 0418 730 120 

adMinistration 

Deborah Ferguson 

Tarah McShea 

dEsign & produCtion 

Rachelle Lockwood 

Kate Guy 

Svetlana Musson 

bulK distribution 

John Willis 

print & dirECt to HoME distribution 

PMP Limited 

publisHErs 

McQueenJones Pty Ltd 

PO Box 600, Albion 4010 

Phone: 07 3868 6222 Email: b@bmag.com.au 

www.bmag.com.au 

CoMpEtition EntriEs 

PO Box 477 Albion QLD 4010 or www.bmag.com.au 

CirCulation 

Delivered direct to over 420,000 homes 

bmag incorporating Best Car Buys 

Also bulk dropped to 1,000 outlets 

© 2012 McQueenJones Pty Ltd. 

Advertising: All advertisements in bmag/Best Car Buys are the 

responsibility of advertisers. Advertising is accepted on the 

understanding that it does not contravene the Trade Practices 

Act. Responsibility is not accepted by bmag/Best Car Buys for 

statements made or the failure of any product or service to give 

satisfaction. The publication of any material or editorial does 

not necessarily constitute an endorsement of views or opinions 

expressed. While every effort is made to avoid errors, some 

information contained in the publication may be superseded. 

IN EVERY ISSUE 

6. Upfront 

bmag turns the spotlight on… 

7. 5 of the best 

Coffee hot spots 

8. Our town 

Where to go, what to do 

and what you need to know… 

47. Best Car Buys 

Nissan’s new Leaf 

FEATURES 

06 

10. Mental health crisis 

Funding cuts put support 

groups in jeopardy 

14. Bonjour Brisbane 

Celebrate French fashion, 

flavours and culture on 

Bastille Day 

17. Festival of fame 

Brisbane Festival has 

spawned international stars 

18. Brisbane Person of the Year 

Candidate on a mission to 

help others 

21. London calling… 

Boxer with a power punch 

23. Airport boom on way 

What not to miss 

COLUMNISTS 

13. Lord Mayor Graham Quirk 

Budget boost for transport 

15. Premier Campbell Newman 

First 100 days results 

16. Spencer Howson 

Does marriage need a 

shake-up? 

20. Steve Haddan 

Program introducing 

toddlers to sport 

24. Emily Jade 

From childbirth to new 

business plan 

07 

FASHION, BEAUTY 

& HEALTH 

25. Virtual shopper 

The boom in online boutiques 

26. Parisian chic 

French labels available 

at bargain prices 

28. Fashion files 

What’s new in fashion 

29. Beauty bar 

How to look gorgeous now 

LIVING 

32. Personal touches 

How to customise a 

chic interior 

34. Jody Rigby 

The impact of art in the garden 

TRAVEL 

ContEnts 

25 

36. Cool island getaway 

Off-peak benefits of Fraser Island 

ENTERTAINMENT 

39. Best in show 

What to see on stage 

40. bseen 

People at events about town 

FOOD 

42. Restaurant review 

French class in Paddington 

43. Kitchen wiz 

Latest gadgets for cooks 

45. Tasty bits 

Foodie news 

36 

46. Recipe 

Wild mushrooms and truffled 

polenta tart 

COVER 

pagE 14 

Bonjour Brisbane 

Photography by 

Gillian Davel-Lafferty, 

GD Photography 


Editor’s INBOX 

risbane could certainly earn a new 

title as the Festival City as there is no Bshortage 

of festive action in the second 

half of the year – and we do know how 

to put on a good festival. the success of 

Paniyiri shows that. over 30 years the Greek 

community has shared all that’s fabulous and 

fun about its culture in one riotous weekend 

in May that attracts 60,000 people. 

Now the French Festival is snapping at its 

heels to attract record numbers of visitors to 

experience the chic fashion, the flavours – 

baguettes by the bucket load and mountains 

of macarons to die for – the music and more. 

Last year 50,000 people turned out in the rain, 

so there are high expectations to increase 

the numbers this weekend when the festival 

coincides with Bastille day. For a preview of 

what’s on see Laura Nolan’s story on page 14. 

one of the key attractions at the Brisbane 

French Festival will be the fashion parades 

showcasing chic Parisian labels available 

on new Australian online discount shopping 

site www.mynetsale.com.au. Labels featured 

on the site are sold at discounts up to 75 per 

cent off – all the time – so it’s a fashionista’s 

dream come true; for a style sample see our 

fashion spread on pages 26 and 27. 

But, of course, Mynetsale is just one of 

many virtual fashion boutiques springing up 

online. And it’s not just the discount prices 

that are attracting hordes of buyers to online 

shopping as one Brisbane-based entrepreneur 

explains. teresa Gomez, a co-director of luxury 

fashion online outlet threadbare, says they 

offer access to labels that traditionally would 

have been out of our reach. so there goes the 

excuse to go to Europe for shopping, girls! 

But travellers to Europe are more likely to see 

Brisbane talent these days as several homegrown 

acts have been winning acclaim in 

theatres on the other side of the world, and we 

have Brisbane Festival to thank for that. Find out 

what big hit performers will be returning this year 

on a wave of success in Chris Herden’s story on 

page 17. once again bmag is proud to be a 

Gold Partner of the Brisbane 

Festival starting on 

8 september. 

06 bmag.com.au i read Brisbane’s Best 

binformed 

UPFRONTCompiled by Laura Nolan 

bmag turns the spotlight on... 

WIN 

Great prizes to win in 

this issue of bmag 

Page 8 

$9000 Natural Wonders 

of Fraser Island getaway 

for party of 6 

Page 16 

Meet Kenny Rogers at 

Gympie Music Muster 

simply enter at www. bmag.com.au 

Look to the future 

About 50 years from now Brisbane may be 

quite different to the one we know and love 

now, but to make sure precious memories are 

preserved Brisbane City Council is putting 

together a time capsule which will be locked 

away in a vault in the newly renovated City 

Hall when it reopens in 2013. Share your 

stories via online postcards which include an 

image and a short story of no more than 300 

words about your life, hobbies, favourite local 

spots or neighbourhoods. The postcards will 

then be compiled into a book for the capsule, 

ready to be reopened in 2059. Applications 

close 31 December 2012; for details see 

www.brisbane.qld.gov.au. 

Stress down 

If there’s one day that you can 

wear pyjamas to work and not be 

frowned upon it’s Friday 27 July, 

officially designated Stress Down Day 

by Lifeline to raise awareness and funds 

for its counselling and support services for 

people buckling under pressure. 

Every day Lifeline receives 1250 calls for 

help, sadly as many as 50 are at high risk of 

suicide. But it’s just the tip of the iceberg. One 

in four Australians experience anxiety, 12 per 

cent experience severe stress and one in three have 

symptoms of depression, according to the Australian 

Psychological Society’s Stress and Wellbeing in 

Australia national survey figures for 2011. Health 

fund Medibank also reports the Australian economy 

is suffering to the tune of almost $15billion a year with 

more than three days per worker lost each year due 

to stress. 

While some stress can be positive in boosting 

energy and alertness, long-term stress that leads to 

fatigue, tension and anxiety is a sign to take action before damage is done. 

So, by wearing pyjamas to work or organising a stress-free morning tea or offering fiveminute 

massages at lunchtime or simply by buying the official Stress Down Day slippers 

you will help Lifeline continue its services to people who need help. Register an event or 

buy slippers ($25) at www.stressdown.org.au. 

Be a friend 

Brisbane-based Group 61 provides volunteer partners to be ‘friends’ with people with mental 

illness, spending a day together once a week to give them someone to talk to, and the group 

urgently needs more volunteers to help continue its work. Anyone over 18 can apply and 

training includes coaching in listening skills and understanding mental health symptoms. To 

volunteer call 3359 4089, or see www.group61.org.

Queensland leads in 

top franchises 

Franchising is big business in Australia, generating more 

than $128billion per year in revenue and employing 660,000 

people around the country. One franchise business leading 

the way is Brisbane-born Jetts Fitness which topped business 

magazine BRW’s annual Fast Franchises List earlier this year 

as the fastest growing franchise in the nation (by revenue 

growth). More than 155 Jetts outlets have opened since 

2007 and in the 2010-11 financial year, its revenue grew 

more than 400 per cent to reach $43million. Another South 

East Queensland company, Smith & Sons Renovations and 

Extensions, is second on the list, reporting more than a 300 

per cent revenue growth. 

While the Franchise Council of Australia’s executive 

director Steve Wright says the rapidly growing sector is an 

attractive option for investors, National Australia Bank’s 

national manager of franchise banking, Darryn McAuliffe, 

says there are pitfalls for prospective franchisees. For 

example, he says unrealistic expectations, overly-idealistic 

projections and an insufficient working capital are triggers for 

failure. “[Prospective franchisees] need to make sure they’re 

aligned with the same vision and values as the franchisor 

and that they’re happy to comply with the existing system 

themselves,” he says. 

McAuliffe recommends people considering buying a 

franchise do their research by talking to industry bodies, 

specialist financiers, franchise protection bodies and other 

successful franchisees. One place to start that research is the 

Brisbane Franchising and Business Opportunities Expo on 21 

and 22 July at the Convention and Exhibition Centre, South 

Brisbane. There will be plenty of insider tips from industry 

experts and a chance for prospective franchisees to compare 

and contrast different services. 

See www.franchisingexpo.com.au for details. 

OF THE 

BEST 

Coffee hot spots 

Kombi coffee � 

Justin Moyle and Ora Brown resurrected 

a beat-up 1967 Volkswagen Kombi van 

to create their hip mobile café Kombi 

Koffein, affectionately called 

2 

Muriel, which you’ll see opposite 

the Jane Street entrance to the 

West End Markets on 

Saturdays from 7am 

to 3pm, and at the 

School of Audio 

Engineering 

from Monday 

to Thursday 

from 6.30am 

to 2.20pm. 

4 

� Bunker down 

It was once a precaution against 

potential attacks during World 

War II but now the old 1940s 

bomb shelter at 21 Railway 

Terrace, Milton, serves 

to caffeinate Brisbane 

urbanites. Bunker is now 

a quirky vine-covered 

coffee spot serving 

local weekday workers. 

Open 6.15am to 3.30pm 

Monday to Friday. 

Compiled by Laura Nolan 

1 

� Like a tie with that? 

Men about town can sip and shop at 

Richards and Richards, the designer men’s 

clothing store where labels including 

Versace, Luigi Borrelli and the signature 

Richards and Richards brand are served 

up alongside premium Lavazza. Café at 

Westfield Chermside, open store hours; café, 

restaurant and bar at 215 Elizabeth Street, 

the city, open from 7am weekdays and from 

9am weekends. 

3 

Latte artist � 

UQ engineering student Scott 

Luengen was recently crowned Pura 

Latte Art champion at the Australian 

Coffee Championships and will 

head to Korea in November for the 

World Latte Art Championships. 

Scott, 20, hones his skills as a barista 

at Cup Specialty Coffee, 85 Russell 

Street, West End. Open 7am to 4pm 

weekdays and 8am to 2pm weekends. 

5 

� Go Organico 

Merlo recently opened its newest 

torrefazione (roasting house) at Coorparoo 

in the new Woolworths Centre on the 

corner of Harries 

Road and Holdsworth Street, where 

romas of custom blends including 

Riviera, Organico and Forza tempt 

coffee lovers. Open 6.30am to 

5.30pm weekdays and 7.30am to 

5pm weekends. 

Read Brisbane’s Best I bmag.com.au 07 

Scott Luengen latte art champion item

orld Heritage-listed Fraser Island 

is the perfect off-peak getaway to Wescape 

the bustle of the mainland 

in the rugged natural beauty of the world’s 

largest sand island. There’s plenty of scope 

for adventure in offshore whale watching 

and 4WD touring from the relaxing base 

of eco-friendly Kingfisher Bay Resort, which 

offers easy access to ancient rainforests, 

extraordinary dune valleys, mirrored lakes 

and the coloured sand cliffs on Seventy-Five 

Mile Beach. Read more about it in Laura 

Stead’s story on page 36. 

Kingfisher Bay Resort and bmag give 

you the chance to bask amid these natural 

wonders with 5 friends with a sensational 

competition to win... 

• Four nights in Sunset 4 House at 

Kingfisher Bay Resort 

• Return ferry transfers for 6 people 

(passenger walk on) and car parking at 

River Heads 

• Full-day Beauty Spots island tour for 6 

• Half-day Whale Watch tour for 6 

• Landcruiser car hire for two days. Permits 

and petrol at own expense. 

• Daily breakfast 

• Resort activities including walks, talks, 

Bush Tucker Talk and Taste and canoe 

paddle. 

Prize value $9428! 

win 

KingfisHer 

Bay resOrt 

nATurAl wonders 

geTAwAy for 6 

HOw tO enter 

Simply enter online at www.bmag.com.au or send your 

name, address and daytime telephone details on the 

back of an envelope to Kingfisher Bay, bmag, PO Box 

477, Albion, 4010. Entries close 5pm Friday 27 July 2012. 

Subject to availability. Full terms and conditions on the 

website. Entrants agree to receive future promotional 

offers from bmag. 

08 bmag.com.au I Read Brisbane’s Best 

binformed 

Our Town Compiled by Ashleigh wilson 

where to go, what to do and what you need to know… 

Winter’s Day Festival 

On Sunday 22 July A Winter’s Day festival will 

celebrate Victoria Park’s 10th birthday with 

entertainment, kids activities, food stalls and 

more from noon until 6pm, free entry. See 

www.victoriaparkfunctions.com.au. 

Christmas carols in July 

bmag columnist Steve Haddan will compere 

a special performance of Christmas carols 

by soprano Judit V. Molnar, accompanied by 

organist Greg Hartay-Szabo, for the Winter 

City Express Christmas in July concert at 

Albert Street Uniting Church in the city, 

Saturday 14 July, 6.30pm. Tickets $25 available 

at the church. 

Stradbroke sound 

Composer and University of Queensland 

music lecturer Robert Davidson will perform 

his new works with a string quintet in a world 

premiere during the Stradbroke Chamber 

Music Festival from 27 to 29 July. Jazz trio 

Trichotomy will also premiere a new project. 

Tickets from $25 at www.stradmusic.org. 

� Run for it 

Run a 5km, 10km, half or full marathon 

course from the City Botanic Gardens on 

5 August as part of the Brisbane Running 

Festival. Pre-festival expo at Intraining 

Running Centre, 33 Park Road, Milton on 3 

and 4 August. Event entry from $40 (adults), 

register at www.streamlinedevents.com.au. 

More details at www.intrainingevents.com.au. 

Header to Come 

A Night of Glitz and Glamour on 21 July at the 

Mansfield Entertainment Centre will feature 

award winning dancers and raise funds for the 

MS Society of Queensland. Tickets $75 each, 

call Sarina on 0416 056 402 to book. 

Fun of the fair 

The cake stall at the Red Hill Fair brings 

visitors from miles around but it’s not all 

that beckons at the fundraiser for the Red 

Hill Kindergarten. Shop for hand-made 

childrenswear, custom jewellery, unique 

stationery and more while the kids have fun 

on the rides at Woolcock Park, Saturday 28 

July from 10am to 3pm. 

Free dumping 

Redland City Council has abolished domestic 

gate fees at Redland waste transfer stations so 

local residents can now dispose of domestic 

waste free of charge. However, fees for people 

from outside the area and commercial fees 

still apply. See www.redland.qld.gov.au for 

more information. 

Music muscle at Gympie Muster 

The cream of country music will gather for 

the Gympie Music Muster at Amamoor Creek 

State Forest Park from 23 to 26 August – Kenny 

Rogers, Kasey Chambers, Lee Kernaghan, 

John Williamson, The McClymonts, Beccy 

Cole and more. As well there will be line 

dancing, clogging, the Muster Poets, a talent 

search and a music industry forum. One day 

tickets from $150; three-day tickets from 

$287 and four-day tickets from $334 includes 

campsite (BYO tent). For your chance to win 

tickets see competition details page 16 or for 

program details see www.muster.com.au. 

� Lisa in the lake 

On a stage submerged in 3600 litres 

of water, former Expressions Dance 

Company performer and mother-of-two 

Lisa Wilson explores the primal beauty 

and indiscriminate power of water and 

our fears and fascinations with it. From 11 

to 14 July at Judith Wright Centre. Tickets 

$19 to $35. Call 3872 9000 or book online 

www.judithwrightcentre.com.

The creative generation � 

More than 1500 state school students aged 

five to 18 from across Queensland will 

hit the stage as part of the 2012 Creative 

Generation on 20 to 21 July at the Brisbane 

Convention and Exhibition Centre. Young 

singers, dancers and musicians will perform 

alongside leading professional artists and 

highlights include a 650-voice choir and a 

65-piece symphony orchestra. Tickets from 

$14.50 plus fees, see www.ticketek.com.au or 

call 132 849. 

Warm up in the city 

Winter in the city has plenty to offer, from 

mouth-watering gourmet winter foods 

at delectable Brisbane’s Food Bowl in 

the City Botanic Gardens (16 to 29 July) 

and Treasury Casino and Hotel’s Identity 

fashion parade on Friday 13 July, to 

Colombian Independence Day festivities at 

Reddacliff Place on 20 July at 4pm. For more 

information see www.bnecity.com.au. 

Wedding planner 

Brides and grooms-to-be will be able to meet 

wedding suppliers, sample food and drink 

and enjoy fashion parades at a Bridal Expo on 

Sunday 15 July from 10am to 2pm at McLeod 

Country Golf Club at Mt Ommaney. Free entry; 

see www.mcleodgolf.com.au or 3376 3666. 

The heart of fashion 

Up-and-coming Brisbane designer Zara 

McKenna, 20, is holding a fashion show 

to raise funds for the Heart Foundation in 

memory of her father who passed away earlier 

this year. The show will launch the designer’s 

second women’s collection, Pastel Sunset, and 

debut her men’s range. On 19 July at Laruche 

Bar and Supperclub, Fortitude Valley, from 

7pm; tickets $10 at door. For more information 

see www.zaramckenna.com. 

Multicultural celebration 

Experience Bollywood Dance Troupe, Patti 

Lehurr Irish Duo, an Indigenous dance 

and Didgeridoo Duo at the Wesley Mission 

Multicultural Day which will include 

market stalls, food from around the world 

and children’s activities. At the Parkview 

Residential Aged Care Community, Wheller 

Gardens, 930 Gympie Road, Chermside, from 

10am to 2pm on 28 July. 

� Relief for whiplash 

Struggling to find relief from neck pain 

caused by a motor vehicle accident in the 

last six weeks? The University of Queensland 

is offering a free six-week physiotherapy 

treatment program attempting to manage 

the relationship between stress and pain in 

individuals with whiplash. For ages 18 to70 

years, for information call 3365 5383 or email 

a.popple@uq.edu.au. 

Exchange ideas 

Grey Street at South Brisbane is the heart of Queensland’s cultural district and anyone who works, 

lives, studies or plays in the precinct is invited to have a say on the South Bank Corporation’s vision 

for the area, and to contribute their own ideas, at the Grey Street Exchange workshops through July. 

For details see www.visitsouthbank.com.au, or call 3867 2051. 


informed 

Mental health in limbo 

A sick health system means some mental health support 

groups may have to close. Laura Nolan reports 

As the mother of a mentally ill child, 

Mary* has devoted the last 16 years to 

looking after her adult son who was 

diagnosed with schizophrenia. She quit her 

job and relocated so she and her husband 

could take on the role of carers because there 

is nowhere else for him to go. The lack of short 

and long-term facilities, respite services and 

monitored housing means there are limited 

alternatives to home care, and the luxury of a 

simple holiday is all but impossible. 

Mary says new carers often have a difficult 

time accessing the information and support they 

need, and the services that are available are so 

overwhelmed by the number of crisis situations 

that they are struggling to cope. 

There’s no doubt the Queensland health 

system is sick. The announcement in June 

that it will cost $1.2billion and take until 2017 

to fix the payroll debacle has mental health 

organisations worried about their future. Tony 

Martin, executive committee member with 


Queensland Voice for Mental Health, fears that 

mental health will once again become the poor 

cousin as the state government focuses on other 

health issues. “Mental health always seems to 

be treated as non-urgent because they say it’s 

not life threatening. Well, with nearly one-anda-half 

times as many people dying from suicide 

than dying on the roads, I think that’s pretty life 

threatening,” he says. 

Suicide and suicidal behaviour costs the 

Australian economy $17.5billion a year. Nearly 

half of all Australians will experience mental 

illness at some stage of their lives and, according 

to a report released by Ernst & Young last 

month, 75 per cent of all serious mental health 

conditions start before the age of 25. 

About 20 per cent of Queenslanders will have 

some type of mental health disorder this year, 

but only one third of them will seek professional 

help, according to Kristine Sargeant, CEO of 

community support service Open Minds. 

Open Minds has its headquarters in 

Woolloongabba and provides residential and 

in-house support for people with mental 

illness and acquired brain injuries, helping 

them with day-to-day living skills like building 

networks and family relationships and accessing 

employment services. It is community services 

like these, Sargeant says, that need to be 

bolstered and fostered. “If you’re not providing 

this level of support, what you find is people 

relapse, their mental health gets worse again, 

and they end up back in hospital and it becomes 

a revolving door.” 

Previous plans from the Bligh Government 

outlined a new Mental Health Commission to 

oversee the funding and structure of the sector, 

which was to have come into effect from 1 July 

this year. With the change of government the 

plans have stalled leaving the mental health 

sector with no clear direction for the future. And 

with the health budget delayed to September 

some organisations on limited contracts are 

left in limbo. According to Tony Martin, some 

suicide prevention programs and drug and 

alcohol referral services could close. 

Queensland Alliance for Mental Health is 

the peak body for the community mental health 

sector and CEO Richard Nelson would like to 

see a strong Mental Health Commission which 

can inform policy and provide direction and 

guidance around funding and planning. 

He would also like to see the amount of 

funding for the community mental health sector 

increased. “Out of the mental health budget, 

around seven per cent of that is spent on front 

line community services whereas in countries 

like New Zealand they spend closer to 30 per 

cent. That certainly is our aim.” 

Kristine Sargeant says she hopes there 

will be an increased focus on prevention and 

privacy 

intervention alongside the clinical and hospital- for 

based treatments. “I think we need a range of 

strategies, including continued education in 

changed 

schools and workplaces around what mental 

health is. It doesn’t have to be something scary.” *Name



informed 

Budget boost for transport 

Free ferry loop just one of the ways to beat 

congestion, writes Graham Quirk 

Jump aboard the CityHopper 

By the time this edition of bmag hits your 

letterbox Brisbane will have its first free ferry 

loop! Recently I handed down a council budget 

with a large focus on boosting economic 

development and tackling traffic congestion 

and this new ferry service helps do both. 

Known as the CityHopper, the new service 

uses some of our iconic monohull CityFerries 

to run a free half-hourly loop between key 

tourist and economic precincts such as South 

Bank, Kangaroo Point and the CBD. 

Seeing Brisbane by river has always been a 

favourite of visitors and locals alike over years. 

But rather than just seeing the sights, I want 

people to experience them as well. I think our 

local retail, restaurant and tourism operators 

have a great deal to offer and I’m unashamed in 

wanting to boost the amount of tourist dollars 

going through their tills. 

I believe the CityHopper service will help 

achieve that by stopping at the places people 

want to visit and allowing them to explore at 

their own pace. But it’s not just about tourism. 

Traffic congestion also has a big impact on our 

economy as well as our daily lives and the more 

cars we can get off our local streets, particularly 

in the inner-city, the better. 

That’s why I encourage local residents to 

leave the car at home and take advantage of 

this free, reliable service every day of the week 

whether it’s for work or play. The full list of 

stops serviced by the CityHopper are New Farm 

(Sydney Street), South Bank (Terminal 3), North 

Quay, South Brisbane (Maritime Museum), 

Kangaroo Point (Dockside, Holman Street and 

Thornton Street) and the Brisbane CBD. 

Budget highlights 

Speaking of economic development and the 

budget, this year my team will spend a total 

$15.9million on initiatives designed to attract 

investment in Brisbane both at home and 

abroad. This includes $2.6million to promote 

Brisbane as a global resources hub, grow 

expatriate business and boost our standing in 

Asia, a new business hotline to help cut red 

tape and make it easier to deal with council, 

and $729,000 to attract business meetings and 

conventions, particularly while the Sydney 

Convention Centre is closed for reconstruction 

over the next three years. 

My team will also continue to deliver the 

high standard of basic services that Brisbane 

residents have come to expect. This includes 

$1.4billion tackling traffic congestion, with a 

record $108million for road resurfacing and 

$47million to start work overhauling two of 

Brisbane’s worst open-level rail crossings, as 

well as $500million to deliver better public 

transport such as 90 new buses, new CityCat 

ferries and Milton’s first CityCat terminal. 

There is also $465million to start tunnelling 

work on Legacy Way, which will cut the trip 

between Kelvin Grove and Jindalee from 30 

minutes to 10 minutes and allow motorists to 

GRAHAM 

QUIRK 

Lord Mayor 

of Brisbane 

travel between the Ipswich Motorway and the 

Brisbane Airport without one single traffic light. 

We’re also spending $337million to make 

Brisbane cleaner and greener, including 

$210million on cleaning equipment and services 

such as street sweeping, graffiti removal, pothole 

repair and grass cutting and $137million on park 

upgrades and maintenance. 

There also will be $68million to make 

Brisbane safer for pedestrians and cyclists, with 

$27million for new bikeways and $22million for 

footpath and bikeway maintenance. 

Overall, I believe we’ve handed down a 

sensible budget for the times that delivers high 

levels of suburban services and investment 

whilst also being mindful of the impact of the 

cost of living on household budgets. For full 

details see www.brisbane.qld.gov.au. 

Got a problem in your suburb that 

needs fixing? Email me at 

lordmayor@bmag.com.au. 


informed 

Bonjour Brisbane 

Celebrate Bastille Day at a festival of French 

flavours, fashion and culture, writes Laura Nolan 

Ask Sue McGary why she loves France and 

she laughs. “If you’d ever been to France 

you would understand the answer to that 

question,” she says. Owner of online homewares 

business French Affair, McGary eats, sleeps and 

breathes all things French. In 2009, she was struck 

with the idea that there must be others in the 

Brisbane community with as much passion for 

the country as she had and decided she wanted to 

organise an event that celebrated the culture. 

“In Brisbane we have the Greek festival and 

the Italian festival and they’re all vibrant festivals 

and, as a lover of everything French, I just 

wondered why we didn’t have a celebration of 

French culture and I waited around for someone 

to do it but no one did,” she says. 

So she set to work on the first French Festival 

held at the Old Museum at Bowen Hills. The 

event featured stands with French products and 

services, entertainment, food, a fresh produce 

market and French conversation groups. 

“Australia has a long love affair with France, 


and when you look at the success of the French 

Film Festival and others, it’s staggering how 

much interest there is in everything from food, 

or wine or fashion,” McGary says. Hundreds of 

people turned out to bask in the flavours and 

luxury of the French culture and the festival 

proved so successful that the following year, the 

Brisbane French community decided to help 

McGary expand. 

This year the third Brisbane French Festival 

will take over the South Bank Cultural Forecourt 

on 14 July, coinciding with the French holiday 

Bastille Day. Visitors can expect roving 

entertainment such as string team Strictly Strings 

and French accordion player George Menegon, 

to main stage performances including cancan 

dancers, Camaron De La Vega Gypsy Trio and 

singer Sylvie Boisel, plus more than 70 exhibitors 

of French food, fashion, home décor, travel 

services and more. 

“You can love or hate France but there’s 

always something that relates to you, whether 

it is fashion, food or people,” says current 

president of the French Festival and French 

expat Betty Moinet. 

One of the festival’s favourite stalls is 

Monsieur Macaron, headed by macaron master 

Thierry Serplet. Serplet and his wife and children 

chose to settle in Brisbane more than five years 

ago looking for a “young” city with all the charm 

but without the size of Paris or Sydney. Owner 

of Twist N’ Roll catering company based in 

Rocklea, Serplet sells his popular macarons 

to local markets and cafés under the brand 

name Monsieur Macaron. While four years ago 

macarons were extremely hard to sell, Serplet 

says the demand for the famous French biscuit 

has exploded since cooking shows such as 

MasterChef featured them. His new creation, 

the macadamia macaron, will be on sale at the 

festival along with other customer favourites 

including coffee, caramel and lavender, even a 

bubble gum-flavoured version. 

The festival also will have plenty of new 

attractions, such as the debut of 

official festival restaurant, catered by 

Auchenflower restaurant Sprout with 

a two-course menu created by owner 

and chef Olivier Boudon. There also will be a 

200-square-metre undercover Art and Artisans 

Pavilion, showcasing local and international 

artists includingAustralian perfumer Nick 

Smart, fashion designer Sonia M, Spanish 

photographer Noelia Ramon and French gilder 

Gerard Maille. 

Brisbane French Festival will be on 14 July from 9am to 

10pm at South Bank Cultural Forecourt. Free entry. For 

details see www.brisbanefrenchfestival.com.au.

100 days score card 

Premier Campbell Newman has been in office more than 

100 days and ticks off his action plan checklist 

During the election campaign the LNP 

set out a clear action plan which 

outlined exactly what we wanted to 

achieve in our first 100 days in office. Last week 

was D-day and I’m proud to let Queenslanders 

know that each and every single item we 

committed to has been ticked off. 

This was an ambitious plan, but we 

promised Queenslanders we would be a 

government that acted on its commitments 

and got things done. This plan was designed 

to make us accountable for our promises and 

Queenslanders have used this as a score card 

to judge our performance in the first 100 days. 

We promised to lower the cost of living 

for all Queenslanders and our Cost of Living 

Bill was one of the first pieces of legislation 

passed through Parliament. We had a number 

of items in the 100 Day Action Plan to help 

lower the cost of living, which we have ticked 

off. They include: 

• Removing Labor’s extra stamp duty slug 

of up to $7000 on the family home; 

• Starting the process of amalgamating 

bulk water entities as part of our fourpoint 

plan to reduce water prices; 

• Reintroducing discounted weekly fares 

for regular commuters on buses, trains 

and ferries; 

• Freezing Tariff 11 electricity prices for 

domestic householders; and 

• Freezing family car registration costs. 

Each and every LNP Member, Assistant 

Minister and Minister has been working 

hard over the last 100 days to start getting 

Queensland back on track after 20 years of 

Labor and we will keep working hard. 

Fifty-eight commitments were outlined in 

the LNP’s Action Plan. Others include: 

• Amending the Animal Care and 

Protection Act to bring Queensland 

into line with other states to protect our 

iconic dugong and turtle populations; 

• Introducing laws for tougher sentencing 

for evading police, repeat child sex 

offenders, murder and serious assaults 

on police officers in Queensland; and 

• Identifying the first 150 classes to get 

more time for prep teacher aides. 

The full list of the LNP 100 Days Action 

Plan can be found online at www.qld.gov.au. 

Time to act on debt 

Last month we received some very bad news 

about Queensland’s finances. We knew the 

government’s books were bad, but nobody 

realised the real extent of the problem. 

After years of waste, inefficiency and poor 

management, Labor left us with nothing 

less than a dire financial mess. In fact, the 

Commission of Audit stated the Queensland 

government’s debt would reach $100billion 

within six years if extreme measures weren’t 

taken to get the state back on track. 

This is why we’ve had to make some very, 

very difficult decisions. I want to protect as 

Campbell 

NeWmaN 

Premier of 

Queensland 

many public sector jobs as I can, but Labor 

employed 20,000 more public servants than 

the people of Queensland can currently 

afford. Labor was paying those 20,000 public 

servants by borrowing money and incurring 

debt. The government will fight as hard as it 

can to save those jobs. 

Under Labor, the only thing growing more 

quickly than employee expenses was state 

debt. We certainly have a tough job in front 

of us to get Queensland’s finances back on 

track – we simply can’t put it in the ‘too hard 

basket’ like Labor did for years on end. We 

are fighting hard for Queensland and it is 

crucial that we make the hard decisions now 

so we can create a brighter future for our 

great state. 

Have you got something to say 

about issues affecting Brisbane? 

Email me at premier@bmag.com.au 


K 

WiN 

GyMPiE MuSiC 

MuStER 

VIP Package 

enny Rogers is one of the world’s 

legendary voices who has won 

hundreds of awards, including three 

Grammys. He has also won hearts and sold 

more than 120 million records worldwide 

and you could win the chance to meet him 

at the Gympie Music Muster. The muster 

will run from Thursday 23 to Sunday 26 

August at Amamoor Creek State Forest Park, 

40 kilometres south-west of Gympie, and 

showcases some of the most renowned 

national and international country singers. 

While still maintaining strong country roots, the 

muster also provides a range entertainment 

in folk, bluegrass and even bush poetry. 

bmag and Hans, a valued sponsor of 

the Gympie Music Muster, have a great 

prize package to give away – first prize is 

two season passes (four days) to the muster 

and a chance for two people to meet Kenny 

Rogers and entry to an exclusive VIP area; 

second prize is two season passes. 

HOW tO ENtER 

Simply enter online at www.bmag.com.au or send your 

name, address and daytime telephone details on the 

back of an envelope to Gympie Muster, bmag, PO Box 

477, Albion, 4010. Entries close 5pm Friday 20 July 2012. 

For more information about the Gympie Music Muster 

see www.muster.com.au. Entrants agree to receive 

future promotional offers from bmag. 


binformed 

Marriage shake-up 

Spencer Howson suggests different marriage 

contracts to include same-sex couples 

What I don’t understand about the 

gay marriage debate is the claim 

the church has on the concept of 

marriage. When Nikki and I were planning 

our 1996 wedding, there appeared to be two 

clear choices – a religion-free declaration of 

love and commitment before a celebrant, or a 

wedding under God in a place of worship. 

We opted for the former and were married 

at Mt Coot-tha Lookout, witnessed by friends 

and family and, to add to the atmosphere and 

our memories, a dozen or so happy-snapping 

tourists! 

I’ve never considered that our marriage has 

anything to do with God. It’s a contract between 

Nikki, me and the Registry of Births, Deaths 

and Marriages. Yet, those in the church who are 

arguing against same-sex marriage insist that 

marriage is and must remain between a man 

and a woman because the Bible says so. 

In other words, whether you choose a 

church wedding or not, you are still agreeing 

to religious terms and conditions. This 

fundamental point has been going round and 

round in my head for months, driving me to 

come up with a new way forward on the issue 

of same-sex marriage. 

My first idea was to get rid of marriage 

completely. We would just have civil 

partnerships or registered relationships, 

whatever you want to call them. No religion, 

no arguments. Man and woman, man and 

man, woman and woman, everyone could 

enter a legal partnership with whomever they 

loved. We would no longer have to agree or 

disagree with the church-argued concept of 

‘the devaluing of marriage’ because there 

would be no more ‘marriage’. 

However, I can see how it wouldn’t exactly 

be a compromise. If the church feels such 

a strong connection to marriage, it’s not 

something that can be just taken away from it. 

So here’s what I’ve come up with. We need two 

different types of marriage, to be known as a 

Church Marriage and a Civil Marriage. 

A Church Marriage would remain between 

a man and a woman – unless religious leaders 

one day decided otherwise. A Civil Marriage 

would include same-sex couples. 

If we’d had the option back in 1996, Nikki 

and I would have chosen a Civil Marriage. 

Simple as that. The wedding would still have 

taken place atop Mt Coot-tha, the tourists 

would still have snapped photographs of 

our happy day, and we would still have been 

happily married for 16 years and counting. 

Admittedly, there is a non-religious option 

available to couples, both gay and straight. 

And I hear that scores of heterosexual couples 

have indeed entered these civil partnerships 

(recently renamed registered relationships) 

since their introduction this year. 

But I think most couples would still rather 

be ‘married’ and I don’t see how the church 

can continue to claim exclusive ownership of 

that seven-letter word. 

Of course, this would still leave out gay 

couples hoping for a church-sanctioned 

marriage. But you have to concede that 

membership of a club – and that’s what church 

SPENCER 

HOWSON 

Breakfast presenter 

612 ABC Brisbane 

is – means adhering to the rules of that club. 

And, for now at least, church leaders seem 

quite happy with the ‘marriage is between a 

man and a woman’ rule. 

What do you think of my idea of having 

Church Marriage and Civil Marriage? What 

other way forward can you see? I’ll include 

some of your suggestions in my next column in 

a fortnight. 

As a nation, we have to find the answer 

because the question isn’t going away. 

The ABC’s Head of Religion and Ethics, Scott 

Stephens, recently told my 612 ABC Brisbane 

Breakfast audience: “Increasingly you’re 

hearing political leaders being addressed quite 

forthrightly with ‘Where do you stand on gay 

marriage?’. For many people this is a political 

and even moral litmus test.” 

Even businesses are being forced to take 

sides, as we saw with the boycott of Gloria 

Jeans over its links to the Hillsong Church and 

the Australian Christian Lobby. Says Scott 

Stephens: “Because of the feverishness of the 

debate, because there’s so much moral and 

political investment in it, it does mean there’s 

going to be collateral damage and anybody 

who’s associated with whichever is regarded as 

being the wrong side of the debate can get so 

easily caught up within it.” 

Email me your comments about the 

marriage debate at the address below. 

Have your say on marriage. 

Email spencer@bmag.com.au

Festival of fame 

Brisbane Festival has been the 

springboard to world fame for local 

talent, writes Chris Herden 

Hip hop sensation and beatbox addict 

Tom Thum is perhaps Australia’s 

most prolific vocal percussionist. He 

is a voicebox virtuoso who, armed with only a 

microphone, knows how to push the limits of 

the human voice to deliver an incredible array of 

crazy sounds, and he’s just one of the local acts 

which has found worldwide acclaim following 

their success at the Brisbane Festival. The world 

premiere of Tom Thum’s solo show will be 

presented at this year’s festival in September by 

Strut & Fret, a production 

house internationally 

renowned for its extreme 

theatre acts and highflying 

circus spectacles. 

“He’s originally from 

the Tom Tom Crew, 

which was created for 

the Woodford Festival 

in 2007 and since then 

has played on Broadway, 

in London, Germany 

and Montreal,” says 

Strut & Fret’s Brisbanebased 

co-director 

and producer Scott 

Maidment. “Tom has 

really developed his solo 

stuff and [become a] 

great international artist. 

He is actually much 

more famous in New 

York and London than in 

his home town of Brisbane,” says Maidment. 

Strut & Fret’s most celebrated success has 

been Cantina, a “dark and dangerous cocktail 

of flaming passion and faded glamour”. 

which the vibrant young company created for 

Brisbane Festival 2010. Cantina is currently 

enjoying a five-month residency at London’s 

South Bank following sell-out seasons in 

Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and 

Columbia. Maidment quotes a British tabloid 

review to best describe the show. 

“An old school carnival with a touch of David 

Lynch about it,” he laughs. “A theatre agent from 

Belgium came to the Speigeltent show in 2010 

and he texted me, before the show was even 

over, and said – ‘hey, we gotta talk’.” 

Maidment has produced many big live 

events for Sydney Festival, Melbourne 

International Comedy Festival, the 2006 

Commonwealth Games and Edinburgh Fringe 

Festival. “The reputation of Brisbane Festival 

has really grown and it has given us artistic 

credibility,” he says. 

Noel Staunton, now in his third year as 

creative director of Brisbane Festival, says 

Beatbox sensation Tom Thum 

Cantina, with its team of acrobats performing 

erotic manoevres while a bizarre soundscape 

is played on old-fashioned musical 

instruments, provided the perfect vaudeville 

charm for the Speigeltent. 

“I can’t wait for someone to tell me that 

they saw this great show in London and 

that we should do it. Then I would tell them 

that we did it two years ago,” he says. “We 

encourage local artists to do stuff for the 

festival and it is great that they are going 

overseas and performing 

to great acclaim. At least 

you can see them in 

Brisbane first. Brisbane 

is the backbone of the 

energy.” 

This year’s festival 

will showcase 13 

Brisbane productions 

with 392 Brisbane 

performers. 

“Circa is a Brisbane 

company that lives and 

works in Fortitude Valley 

and has a wonderful 

workshop there,” 

Staunton says. “They 

worked with us in 2010 

on Wunderkammer and 

that has been seen all 

over Germany, France 

and England to enormous 

success. If you talk to 

people in London about Circa, they think 

they’re the most phenomonal company ever.” 

This year Circa again lifts the bar for 

contemporary circus with the world premiere 

of S, a seamless blend of extreme acrobatics 

and intimate circus acts all set to a powerful 

soundtrack. “S celebrates the possibilities of 

the human body, the relationship between 

strength and vulnerability,” says Circa artistic 

director Yaron Lifschitz. 

“Brisbane Festival is an environment 

where the city gets to show what it can make 

that is world class. It unleashes a new energy 

and spirit that is fantastic. We couldn’t have 

made Wunderkammer if it wasn’t for Brisbane 

Festival and since then the show has secured 

or perfomed more than 400 engagements 

worldwide.” 

Another Brisbane Festival world premiere 

not to be missed is Dance Energy, the first 

collaboration between three companies, 

Expressions Dance Company, Dancenorth 

and Queensland Ballet. 

The Brisbane Festival is on from 8 to 29 September 2012. 

For information see www.brisbanefestival.com.au. 


BRISBANE PERSON OF 

THE YEAR CANDIDATE Reverend Russell Witham 

Drive to help 

people in need 

A chance meeting began 

a 20-year mission to help the 

needy, writes Rachel Syers 


Russell Witham felt as though he had 

lived his whole life turning his back 

when he came across people in 

hardship and down on their luck. That was 

until 1993, when he had an epiphany during 

a tourist trip to the Roman Baths in Bath, 

England. “There was this woman who was 

stoned off her face and I decided to have a 

talk with her,” he recalls. 

Now an ordained minister with the 

Access Dream Centre churches at Darra and 

Mansfield and CEO of Access Street Vans for 

the needy, 63-year-old Reverend Witham has 

become “one of the most selfless, giving and 

compassionate” men many of his friends and 

colleagues have ever met. 

“I didn’t really understand why I spoke to 

the woman in Bath but I questioned why and 

a strong impression came to me that I did it 

because for 99.9 per cent of my life I’d ignored 

people who were in need – it was on that day 

my life changed. Now I’m the opposite and I 

actually look for people in need.” 

Witham performs so much volunteer 

work in one week around Brisbane that it’s 

difficult to list it all in one story, but it’s the 

stuff of such high praise that he was awarded 

2009 Brisbane Citizen of the Year by then 

Lord Mayor of Brisbane Campbell Newman. 

Former Brisbane Lions coach and AFL legend 

Leigh Matthews also has been a strong 

supporter of multiple fundraising events for 

Witham’s cause. 

Witham spends at least 50 hours each 

and every week volunteering to help the 

homeless, the minority, the old, the young 

and the needy. 

“I try to lead by example,” he says, noting 

some nights he’ll arrive back at his Eight Mile 

Plains home at 10.30pm after training up to 80 

volunteers in people skills and self defence, 

only to begin at 7am next morning to begin 

making 300 sandwiches, collect donations, 

source food for the homeless and figure out 

how to raise the $150,000 annual running 

costs for his organisation. 

Thanks to the devoted support of his wife 

Betty, 62, Witham has been able to continue

his volunteering for almost two decades 

without earning a cent for himself. 

“I work full-time as a school music teacher 

and my wage provides for us so that Russell 

can keep up with his volunteer work – that’s 

why I fell in love with him and I believe in 

what he is doing,” says Betty, also a Reverend 

who volunteers in her spare time. She says 

“lives have been changed” through her 

husband’s incredible love and genuine, 

practical help to so many people in need, 

from buying rice each month for 150 children 

in the mountains of the Philippines, to 

sending out 50 food parcels each Wednesday 

to the local community. 

Betty’s daughter Jo-Anne Johnson, who is 

Reverend Witham’s stepdaughter, says he is an 

inspirational role model for her son William, 

6. “Russell is very selfless and one of those 

people who just gives and gives and never 

expects anything in return,” says Johnson. 

Government administration officer and 

volunteer from Fig Tree Pocket Sophie 

Morton says his support led her to take 

personal stepping stones that she never 

thought she could. 

Wishart area councillor Krista Adams 

is another keen supporter of Witham’s, 

and for the past five years has awarded his 

organisation funding grants through the Lord 

Mayor’s Suburban Initiative Fund for the 

Adopt a Pensioner program, which supplies 

Russell Witham in the Access kitchen 

fresh food to the elderly. 

“His organisation is so amazing – their 

commitment and care to reaching out to the 

more vulnerable people is really astounding 

and inspiring,” says Cr Adams. 

“I did a tour with him in the vans one night 

and the people really light up when they see 

Russell and his van – the community groups 

like his are what really help make a difference.” 

Aboriginal elder Daniel Wagg, a semiretired 

alcohol and drug counsellor, heaps 

praise on Witham too, especially for his care 

and concern for local indigenous children 

– around 30 are picked up by bus to attend 

weekly Sunday school where they’re also 

given a hearty meal and wise advice. 

“He is a very spiritual man and he’d 

bend over backwards for anyone who needs 

help,” says Wagg. “I’m very proud of how he 

supports the children.” 

Witham says he has plenty more ideas on 

how to reach out to the needy of Brisbane 

including establishing a community centre, 

but the main ingredient he really needs is 

donations. 

“One bloke heard what we were doing last 

week and this morning he handed me $1000 

which is really great, but we do need more 

corporate support and it’s a constant struggle 

to achieve that,” he says. “Sometimes I do get 

disheartened but I just want to help people – 

that’s the main thing.” 


informed 

Sport 

New play program for kids 

A new playgroup introduces toddlers under two to the fun 

of football, as Steve Haddan discovers 

I 

discovered something really fantastic the 

other day, something ground-breaking – 

revolutionary even – that will change lives. 

It’s so good that my wife Carla even claimed 

she heard of it first, via the recommendation of 

a Facebook friend, long before I saw a flyer in a 

shop window thank you very much. Whatever 

the case, have you heard about Little Kickers? 

It’s the brainchild of London mother 

Christine Stanchus, whose three-year-old son 

was a soccer nut, desperate to play but unable 

to join the local juniors until he was six. What do 

you do in the meantime? Got the picture? 

It all started in the UK back in 2002 and nine 

years later 75 ‘clubs’ or franchises across the 

UK, Ireland, South Africa, Canada, Cyprus, New 

Zealand and Australia are going a long way to 

addressing a growing need for pre-school sport. 

Karen Tannoch-Bland, a friend of the founder, 

is responsible for bringing Little Kickers to 

Australia, where there are now 28 franchises. 

Here in Brisbane they’ve set up shop in Bulimba, 


Logan, South Brisbane, Redlands, the western 

suburbs and inner north. 

“It’s a soccer-based playgroup for children 

between the ages of 18 months and seven years,” 

says Karen, adding that the age groups are broken 

into four divisions. “It’s about learning sport 

through play. Our philosophy is to get kids active 

so they don’t become couch potatoes. 

“It is not about being David Beckham. It’s 

not competitive. We don’t encourage that 

environment. We connect them with sport.” 

The reality at the Haddan household was 

three-year-old Billy seemed ready for some form 

of organised play that would help him meet 

friends and soak up his boundless energy. 

“Three-year-old boys can be demanding,” says 

his mum. “And at various stages, at child care and 

kindy, they get challenged to sit still and listen, 

and often don’t do it well. 

“At Little Kickers they are encouraged to 

function in a group of boys and girls and just have 

fun. It’s structured with lots of fun games and 

drills. For Billy it’s been wonderful and introduces 

him to all the positives his older brothers and 

sisters got from sport. He loves it.” 

“Soccer may have got the jump here,” admits 

AFL Queensland state development manager Troy 

Clarke, who played 68 games for the Brisbane 

Bears. While the hugely successful Auskick 

program begins the year the child turns five, as 

does access to junior rugby league competition, 

the AFL plans to introduce a Kinder Kick pilot 

program for pre-schoolers on the Gold Coast and 

Brisbane this year. 

“We’re not trying to take over the world, but 

the younger children want to do something,” says 

Clarke. “The big thing, however, is that with the 

young ones the shape and bounce of the AFL ball 

can do their heads in. A soccer ball is easier to 

manage,” he says. 

QRL game development manager Joe 

McDermott concedes a child has to be a little 

more advanced physically to play the modified 

no-contact rules of junior league. 

STEVE 

HADDAN 

Sports writer and 

public speaker 

Karen Tannoch-Bland is quick to point out 

that Little Kickers gets no financial support from 

government or the organising bodies. “It’s a 

playgroup delivered by specialists. We’d rather 

run our own thing and do what we do best.” 

Let’s ask the man himself what he thinks of his 

new Saturday morning adventure. 

“I like sitting on the mats,” says Billy. 

“What else?” I ask. 

“I like kicking the balls.” 

“What else?” 

“I like listening to Jonathan (the coach).” 

“What else?” 

“I like playing with Ryan (a teammate).” 

“Thanks for that Billy.” 

“You’re welcome Daddy. I also like Iron Man 

and the Dark Knight Batman too.” 

For more information see www.littlekickers.com.au 

Got a sports story idea? Email me 

at steveh@bmag.com.au

London calling…Jeff Horn 

Young boxer packs a power punch, 

writes Chris Herden 

Jeff Horn’s phenomenal rise through Australia’s 

boxing ranks proves he can certainly pack 

a punch. He quickly emerged as a force to 

be reckoned with when he won his first light 

welterweight division bout and then promptly 

punched his opponents aside to take out his first 

Queensland title only three fights later. 

In 2009, after having been in the sport for 

only a year, he was crowned national champion 

following a convincing 9-1 drubbing of the 

nation’s defending title holder David Biddle. 

In 2011 Horn picked up the pace even more by 

backing up a second national title win with an 

emphatic 42-5 points victory at the Amateur 

International Boxing Association’s World Boxing 

Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan. Now, at 24, 

he is on his way to the London Olympic Games. 

The softly-spoken Horn, surprisingly humble, 

is still clearly shocked by his own achievements 

in the sport. “I turned to boxing as a way of 

fitness training and then ended up competing. 

My cousin and I used to just muck around in the 

backyard after school, sparring with each other, 

sometimes hand-to-hand fighting with one 

glove each.” 

The Pallara-based Horn was an 18-year-old 

soccer player when he tried boxing as a way 

to bolster his match fitness. After two years of 

weekly sparring sessions at Glenn Rushton’s 

boxing club at Stretton on Brisbane’s southside, 

Horn was taken aside by the experienced 

martial arts and boxing trainer. 

“He didn’t know whether he wanted to get 

serious about boxing or [try] rugby league and I 

said ‘if you’re going to play rugby league, you’ll 

need massive thighs like Alfie Langer’s. You’re 

not very tall and you’ll get injured. You’re a 

talented boxer and you’re moving really well. If 

you want to apply yourself I can take you to the 

Olympics in four years’. Two weeks later he had 

his first fight, which he won,” recalls Rushton. 

This year Horn walloped his way to Olympic 

selection with first placings at both the 

Australian Championships in Tasmania and the 

Oceania Olympic Qualification Tournament 

in Canberra. He stopped five of his seven 

opponents during the Olympic qualifiers and 

booked his plane ticket to London. 

“I say to Jeff that all these guys have got 

nothing you haven’t got and you’re certainly 

capable of bringing home a gold medal,” says 

Rushton. 

Australia’s boxing elite are keeping a close 

eye on the young powerhouse who has so far 

claimed three national championships and 

four state titles. 

“Jeff Horn is the stand-out in the light 

welterweight division and he has rapidly 

improved as a fighter over the past two years,” 

says Fox Sports boxing commentator Andy 

Raymond. “He has a very awkward style and it 

will take the better fighters some time to work 

him out. Hopefully by that stage Jeff will have a 

good lead on the scorecards. 

“For all Australian fighters, winning a medal 

at the Olympics is a huge ask and we’ll need a 

Jeff Horn 

little luck on our side to achieve that.” 

Rushton says the the former MacGregor State 

High School student is one of the most talented 

boxers he has seen in the nearly 40 years he has 

been involved with the sport. 

“I believe he’s the guy who can do it. Pound 

for pound, he is the toughest boy going over 

there. Jeff is strong, hits hard and no one can 

seem to hurt him and he’s very quick on his feet.” 

Horn will also be a member of the first 

Australian squad to qualify in all 10 weight 

divisions contested at an Olympic Games. 

“Another stand-out is Damien Hooper, the most 

successful amateur boxer of recent times, winning 

three gold medals at international tournaments in 

preparation for these Olympic Games and against 

quality opposition. Others that may surprise 

are 69kg hopeful Cameron Hammond and the 

youngest boxer on the team, Jai Opetaia – a baby 

with plenty of bang!” says Andy Raymond. 


Image: Glenn Rushton


informed 

Airport boom on way 

A new master plan prepares for dramatic growth at 

Brisbane’s airport precinct. Leonie Briggs reports 

Queensland’s aviation growth is 

driving $1.6billion of commercial and 

recreational development at Brisbane 

Airport, including hotels and a pitch-and-putt 

golf course. This latest expansion is outlined 

in the Brisbane Airport Corporation’s (BAC) 

recently released property master plan that 

seeks to keep pace with the state’s economic 

growth and increasing passenger numbers 

forecast to more than double to 46 million a 

year over the next two decades. 

The airport’s strategic access to major 

highways, Brisbane’s port and the CBD (only 

an eight-kilometre, 20-minute drive) underpins 

the master plan’s objective to create a mixeduse 

urban precinct around one of Australia’s 

busiest airports. The construction program 

over the next five years alone comprises 25 

buildings, including two hotels, and a range of 

retail, industrial and recreational projects. 

Work also is due to start this month on the 

$1.3billion parallel runway, due for completion 

in 2020 and described by BAC’s chief executive 

officer, Julieanne Alroe, as the biggest aviation 

project in Queensland since the airport 

was built. The airport chief, who took up 

her appointment in 2009, says construction 

activity at Australia’s biggest airport site (2700 

hectares) is set to continue for decades. “In 

South East Queensland the airport is a vital 

connection point to everywhere, regardless 

of whether you are in the resource sector, 

construction industry, tourism or agriculture,” 

Alroe says. 

“These all rely on being connected to an 

airport to grow and prosper; and if you live in 

our part of the world, aviation is always going 

to be growing and developing,” she adds. 

Alroe says she can’t be more specific about 

the proposed hotels and the pitch-and-putt 

facility because negotiations are continuing 

with interested parties. However, she says a 

number of other developments are underway 

such as the nearly completed, six-storey 

Federal Police building beside the 

international terminal, a state-of-theart 

flight catering facility for Qantas, 

a roadside service centre including 

a variety of food and beverage outlets, and new 

facilities for freight companies AAE and DHL. 

Novotel Brisbane Airport’s general manager, 

Alex Penklis, says occupancy has been a 

challenge since the hotel’s opening in 2009 but 

adds this “is not unusual for a new hotel”. He is 

upbeat about the steadily growing conference 

market and increasing business from “concerts 

and other events” due to the hotel’s convenient 

location to venues such as the Brisbane 

Entertainment Centre at Boondall. 

“We get a significant number of bookings 

from people who drive from the Sunshine 

Coast or Toowoomba to attend these events,” 

Penklis says. Transiting passengers and airline 

staff also contribute to the hotel’s bottom line. 

Penklis says the growing number of cars in the 

Airport Village car park also is a positive sign 

Aerial view of the planned airport precinct development 

of increased patronage from visitors and the 

airport’s 19,000-strong workforce. 

The Lord Mayor of Brisbane, Graham Quirk, 

says the BAC’s master plan reflects council’s 

20-year planning for the city’s economy to 

double to $217billion by 2031. Cr Quirk says 

global property company, Jones Lang LaSalle, 

predicts Brisbane will grow faster than any other 

established world city by 2020, including top 

performers such as Singapore and Hong Kong. 

“There’s no doubt that the challenges ahead 

are extensive but, by working in partnership 

with all levels of government, businesses and 

the education sector, we will be on track to meet 

our goal of achieving 1.5 million jobs by 2031,” 

he says. 

Find out more about the master plan at bneproperty.com.au 


informed 

Family 

Mums in business 

Having a baby provides inspiration for innovative 

new business plans, writes Emily Jade 

They wake before the birds, do school 

drop off, clean the house, cook dinner, 

help with homework and tuck the 

kids in bed at night all the while creating and 

managing small businesses. They are called 

‘mumpreneurs’ and they are no longer a fad, 

they are a force to be reckoned with. If people 

assume your business brain stops ticking 

when you become a mum then they are sadly 

mistaken. We may get a touch of baby brain, 

but that’s only because our minds are now filled 

with feed times and how can I make a buck out 

of this thing that constantly needs feeding. 

Sueanne Brownhill is brand manager 

at QR and was inspired by her children to 

create The bedSOK, an innovative children’s 

bedding range. “We were up and down 

constantly tending on the kids when they 

woke up cold in the middle of the night. We 

really just wanted to reclaim our own sleep 

knowing our kids were safe, warm and snug 

all through the night. There was no existing 


solution we could find on the market so we set 

out on a mission to do it ourselves,” she says. 

Likewise Tracey Lucock, the director 

of children’s distribution group Lifestyle 

Parenting, worked in marketing 

communications for a division of Telstra until 

the birth of her son and the thought of going 

back to a 60 to 80-hour work week was too 

much. Her son was also the inspiration behind 

her new product and business innovation. 

“My son was a voracious breastfeeder 

so every hour I was in demand. Coffee with 

friends or a trip to the shops was a nightmare. 

I felt like my arms, post baby belly and giant 

milk-filled boobs were on display every 

hour. I set out to design clothing that made 

breastfeeding anywhere comfortable and 

discreet. We sold 4000 units in our first year 

and doubled it each year from then on!” 

Lifestyle Parenting now represents 17 

different ranges and sells into almost 600 

stores nationally, but business success isn’t 

the only bonus for Lucock. “I am finally 

achieving (some days anyway) the lifestyle 

balance that I set out to achieve and I always 

get to attend every important event for my 

boys which is the greatest reward.” 

Their story is common. Mum’s are 

branching out and taking up a significant 

portion of the entrepreneurial market. “We 

have so many talented women who have 

invested a huge amount of themselves in their 

career pre-baby. While their baby becomes 

the new adrenaline that their career used 

to deliver, women have the confidence and 

desire to use their experience to maintain 

their sense of self and keep their minds 

engaged while fulfilling their most important 

role...being mum,” Lucock explains. 

And Brownhill believes the very thing that 

keeps us in touch with the world while we are 

at home with the kids is the key to keeping us 

there. “With social media and off-the-shelf 

e-commerce platforms now at our fingertips 

EMILY 

JADE 

New mum and 

media personality 

it’s not hard for mums to make money online 

while working from home. In most cases 

there’s little risk, little upfront capital and 

word-of-mouth is the most powerful of all. 

“I am still amazed at how often people 

refer to The bedSOK on their networks. If you 

have a great product or service, just focus on 

communicating what’s different about it and 

people will talk about it and more importantly 

endorse it – especially other mums!” 

So next time you see a gaggle of mums 

at a park deep in conversation, they may 

not be discussing just how to get pumpkin 

stains out of sleep suits, they just as likely 

might be swapping stories on how they are 

single-handedly paying off the mortgage. 

And, knowing the amazing ability of mums to 

multi-task, they are probably doing both. 

Do you have a parenting question, 

topic or story to share? Email me at 

emilyjade@bmag.com.au

gorgeous 

FASHION + BEAUTY 

Virtual shopper 

Buying fashion online is so much more than just 

shopping, as Laura Nolan discovers 

Online shopping has emerged as a 

powerhouse in the fashion industry. 

From high-end labels to emerging 

labels, designers are flocking to stock their 

wares in digital stores while eager fashionistas 

spend hours trawling through sites to find 

the best bargains. And, unlike their bricks 

and mortar counterparts, online stores are 

booming, with global sites such as Net-a- 

Porter and local ones including The Iconic 

and Asos raking in big business. 

But there is more to online shopping than 

just easy access to the labels, according to 

Teresa Gomez, co-director of Brisbane-based 

luxury fashion online store threadbare. “It’s 

about [giving shoppers] the experience – 

it’s providing great articles, fashion trends, 

celebrity style,” she says. “It’s the little things 

that make a big difference in the online world.” 

Threadbare, launched in August last year, 

has already gathered a loyal following of 

Australian, US and UK shoppers, according 

to Gomez, selling labels such as Ellery, Josh 

Goot, Dion Lee II and Aje. They enhance the 

shopping experience with their threadbare 

blog, exclusive membership services and by 

utilising social media including Facebook, 

Twitter and Instagram where customers can 

interact and discuss new trends and styles. 

Gomez and her co-directors’ vision for 

the site was to make local and international 

luxury labels more accessible to Brisbane 

and Australian consumers, many of whom 

are looking for something different than the 

traditional chain store options. “Our options 

for shopping are just not the same as if you 

live in Europe or if you live in America,” she 

says. “Retailers are just unable to supply 

us with a big variety of things, so I think 

Australian consumers will always have that 

thirst for something different.” 

Frockshop is another Brisbane-based 

online store riding high on the internet 

shopping boom. Opened in 2006, the awardwinning 

site stocks labels such as Camilla and 

Marc, Zimmerman and Magdalena Velevska, 

and even launched its own flagship store 

on James Street, Fortitude Valley, two years 

ago. However, according to Frockshop public 

relations manager Macushla Kilvington, it is 

their online store that entices more customers 

and keeps them coming back. “It’s such a 

great platform to access an unlimited amount 

of people.” 

Bardot Bloom Town 

collection available 

online now at 

www.theiconic.com.au 


gorgeous 

Fashion 


ow would you like to buy some of 

Europe’s best labels at as much Has 

75 per cent off - all year round? 

Oui,oui! Now you can at one of Australia’s 

newest online fashion shopping sites 

at www.mynetsale.com.au. Mynetsale 

specialises in “flash sales” which last 

for a certain time limit or until goods 

are sold, then fresh stock arrives and 

the sale begins again. It’s free to join, 

just sign in, or you can get a jump on 

other fashionistas by becoming a VIP 

member for an annual membership fee 

of $90 and you will get early access to 

sales before everyone else. New sales 

and products are online every day and 

you can see from this preview of sale 

merchandise online this week that the 

looks are hot...and the quality is first rate 

with leather jackets, leggings, hobo bags or 

cashmere sweaters among the styles on offer. 

See Mynetsale labels on parade at the 

Brisbane French Festival on 14 July at South 

Bank. Parades at 9.50am and 11.50am. 

Labels will be on sale at Unique France, 482 

Brunswick Street, Fortitude Valley 20 to 22 July 

following the festival. Mention bmag at the 

sale and receive an additional 20 per cent 

discount. Superbe! 

t Virginie Castaway leather jacket 

RRP$877, Mynetsale price $299. 

Marie Sixtine dress RRP$178, Mynetsale 

price$45. Vintage belt. 

t Virginie Castaway leather jacket 

RRP$877, Mynetsale price $299. 

Grace and Mila top RRP$45, 

Mynetsale price $19. Zadig & 

Voltaire jeans RRP$359, Mynetsale 

price $179.American Retro scarf 

RRP255, Mynetsale price $75.

t Centre: Zadig & Voltaire sweater RRP$625, Mynetsale price $299 and 

jeans RRP$359, Mynetsale price $179. Sinequanone top RRP$119, 

Mynetsale price$39. Vintage belt. Left:Virginie Castaway fur jacket 

RRP$1365, Mynetsale price $599. Grace and Mila top RRP$45, Mynetsale 

price $19. Zadig & Voltaire jeans RRP$359, Mynetsale price $179. 

p American Retro dress RRP$785, 

Mynetsale price $219. 

p Les Ateliers de la Maille cashmere sweater 

RRP$230, Mynetsale price $95. Zadig & Voltaire 

jeans RRP$359, Mynetsale price $179. American 

Retro clutch RRP$255, Mynetsale price$75. 


gorgeous 

Fashion and beauty 

Swap a frock 

Sick of last year’s frocks? Swap them for 

something new at the Alpha Swap & Shop 

to help raise $100,000 for children’s charity 

Variety. Guests are asked to take five pre-loved 

items of clothing or jewellery to swap and can 

enjoy live entertainment and refreshments 

while picking out a whole new wardrobe. At 

the Princess Theatre, Woolloongabba, from 

6pm on 17 July. Tickets $49, book online at 

www.alphacarhire.com.au/swapandshop or 

call 3268 9519. 


FASHION FILES 


City hike � 

It’s urban chic 

with a bit of 

street edge 

– the wedges 

and booties 

from Betts' latest 

collection transform the humble 

hiking boot into a city-smart staple that can be dressed up 

or down. Oaks (RRP$89.99), Hiking (RRP$89.99) and Dee 

(RRP$89.99). See www.betts.com.au for stockists. 

� Love 

jewels 

Deep jewel tones of 

ruby, sapphire and emerald are all part 

of the new Sacred Jewel Collection 

from bohemian label Love from Venus, 

made with semi-precious stones 

such as agates, quartz and freshwater 

pearls. Ruby collection (left), prices 

from $66. See www.lfv.com.au. 

Pattern perfect � 

They’re a throwback to the ’70s, but printed 

pants are back and looking forever young in 

antique pastels, bold florals, ikat and patchwork 

prints like these from Maurie and Eve. 

Belle Tux shirt in lilac RRP$179 and 

Olivia Jean in ikat RRP$169, 

by Maurie and Eve, 

see www.maurieandeve.com 

for stockists. 

� Bag it 

Coach may 

have recently 

opened its first 

Queensland store at the 

shiny new Wintergarden in Queen 

Street Mall, but the brand’s classic signature 

bags have been the choice of the style savvy since 

Coach launched in 1941 (Gwyneth Paltrow is a 

modern-day fan). The look and texture of a worn 

baseball glove inspired the extensive range of 

luxury accessories available today, including the 

Madison Embossed Metallic Python Carryall, 

(above left) RRP$1685. See australia.coach.com.

BEAUTY BAR 

Compiled by Heather McWhinnie 

� Weatherproof skin 

Winter can be drying and 

irritating for skin and Thalgo’s 

Lipid Boosting Collection with 

natural extracts is designed 

to restore hydration, reduce 

inflammation and boost 

suppleness. Choose from 

Delicious or Extreme Comfort 

Cream and try Thalgo’s Melt- 

Away Mask with key ingredients 

Wild Rose Oil and Mango Butter 

for added skin comfort. Products 

from RRP$59; for stockists call 

(02) 9477 6900. 

Quench skin thirst � 

Clarins has found the combination 

of Omega-3 and Katafray Bark 

extract (exclusive to Clarins) 

enhance the skin’s ability to 

retain moisture and they are the 

foundation ingredients of its new 

HydraQuench Intensive Bi-Phase 

Serum. RRP$70; available at 

department stores, selected salons 

and pharmacies and online at 

www.adorebeauty.com.au. 

Scents of rock � 

A change of season calls for a fragrance refresh 

and Paco Rabanne delivers temptation in its Black 

XS L’Excés fragrance duo for men and women. 

From the skull-charmed bottles and colour theme 

it’s easy to see the inspiration is glam rock which 

is reinforced in the sensual oriental fragrances 

spiced with neroli and pepper over rose and 

jasmine for her (RRP$150) and lemon and 

lavender over amber wood and patchouli for him 

(RRP$80). Call (02) 9663 4277 for stockists. 

t Superfruits 

Payot Paris taps into the beneficial effects of super 

fruits on skin in its new range called My Payot, 

which is enriched with açai and goji berries loaded 

with vitamins and trace elements. The range of six 

products is designed for essential day and night care 

to moisturise, stimulate and protect skin. Prices 

from RRP$39. See www.payot.com for stockists. 

Hair and skin smoother 

Globe-trotting hair stylist Alan White has 

contributed to magazines such as French 

and Italian Vogue, W and i-D and worked 

with Kate Moss, Gisele Bundchen and Tom 

Ford, but now back home in Australia he 

aims to share the benefit of his experience 

on a wide scale through Alan White 

Anthology, a collective to provide stateof-the-art 

products, tools and accessories, 

even advice on trends and techniques for 

great hair. For example, Jao Brand Goé Oil 

can be used to tame flyaway strands and 

add lustre, or as a skin smoother. RRP$40, 

see www.alanwhite-anthology.com. 


HealtH, Beauty & FItNeSS 


SpecIalISe IN coSmetIc treatmeNt 

Ashbury Clinic aims to provide the best possible 

cosmetic outcome to all its clients. We recognise 

every client is an individual and the friendly cosmetic 

doctors and staff at Ashbury Clinic will taylor a 

treatment plan to suit the individual needs of each 

client. That is why the Ashbury Clinic has successfully 

provided over 50,000 cosmetic treatments in both 

non-invasive as well as full cosmetic surgery over the 

last 15 years. 

www.aSHBurycoSmetIc.com.au 

pHoNe (07) 3857 6188 

Do you waNt tHe perFect SmIle? 

At Braces n Faces we pride ourselves on patient 

satisfaction and are committed to achieving 

orthodontic results which are both stunning and stable 

enough to last a lifetime. Creating a beautiful smile 

involves more than just straightening teeth, it requires 

consideration of your individual facial structure and 

desires. From braces, to tooth whitening, to sleep 

apnoea, we use all the latest technologies and can 

answer all your questions. 

www.BrISBaNeBraceS.com.au 

pHoNe (07) 3376 2651



Locks and keys say 

something about 

the home’s owners 

bliving 

Interiors 

Personal touches 

Newlyweds combine personal memorabilia 

with new finds to create a home full of 

bright ideas, as Laura Stead discovers 

As any first homeowner can attest, there’s 

nothing like getting your hands on a paint brush 

and adding those first licks of individuality to 

your new abode. For Pru Reed, entering into property 

ownership with new husband Nick last August has been 

an outlet for a burgeoning passion for interior design. 

“When I was little I always said to mum and dad 

I wanted to be an interior designer,” says Pru, whose 

role as marketing manager at Brisbane Racing Club 

is reflected in vintage racing memorabilia which 

adorns the walls. Nick’s profession as a locksmith (and 

part-owner of the family business H.A. Reed) is also 

reflected throughout the home. “I’d found lots of old 

iron keys so we introduced that as a bit of a feature 

throughout – with actual keys on the wall, as a motif on 

a cushion or in a picture,” says Pru. 

Such personal details add an extra dimension to 

what is already an aesthetically beautiful home. “There 

were no major renovations required (when we bought 

the house) so it was just about adding our own personal 

touches,” says Pru. 

“I’m always on the hunt for little treasures that will 

work in our home. I always collect interesting pieces on 

my travels and I like to incorporate them into my home 

as they provide great memories of places I’ve visited 

and it adds to my eclectic style. It’s the little things I 

enjoy and that give the place meaning.” 

Alongside photos of the couple’s March 2011 

wedding are treasures brought back from overseas 

holidays together, including Hawaii where the couple 

honeymooned. Personal momentos create a warm 

atmosphere in the couple’s bedroom, which combines 

heavier masculine furniture pieces with the softness of 

white accent items. 

The second bedroom, which will one day serve as 

a nursery, has begun to take shape with a single sofa 

chair and vintage alphabet print, and a frame cluster 

of personal memorabilia and artwork – which Pru 

admits was more haphazard than planned – hangs in 

the hallway as a main decorator feature. “I don’t mark 

things out before I hang them, I just start hanging, but 

you can use removable hooks so you can move things

around if you don’t like it.” 

Throughout the living areas, a mix of new 

pieces (a favourite zebra print chair among 

them) sit alongside vintage treasures which 

have been sourced from a favourite haunt, the 

Woolloongabba Antique Centre. 

Pru includes Freedom, Far Pavilions and Vast 

Interiors among her regular stops but says that 

rather than setting out with a solid plan of what 

will work in a space, she prefers to take a treasure 

hunting approach to homewares shopping. 

“I start on a room and sometimes my 

search for a certain piece can take a long time. 

When I’m looking for a piece I get something 

in my head and I have to keep searching and 

searching until I find it. I like the mix of eclectic, 

old character pieces with modern pieces. Each 

room has really taken on a different style and 

personality.” 

Other haunts of Pru’s include Noosa Eclectic 

Style for furniture pieces and unique items 

Rooms are an eclectic mix 

of vintage treasures and 

modern pieces which add 

personality to every corner 

like wooden Indian doors or recycled timber 

tables, Perfect Living at Bulimba for gorgeous 

homewares and online site Etsy. 

Aside from the decorator items, the 

foundation of the look of the home was created 

through an extended process of paint colour 

selection. “Coming from renting places where 

you can barely hang a picture on the wall to 

having the freedom to do whatever you want 

– it’s fun to add personality with paint and 

colour,” says Pru. 

“I really had in my head the grey colour I 

wanted for our bedroom but it’s really hard 

standing in a paint store to know what that is, so 

we stuck up a whole lot of paint swatches until 

we eliminated the options down to the right 

one. Also throughout the day the light changes 

so it’s good to leave them up there for a while. 

“Our next step will be to continue our style 

to the outdoors, especially the deck. We really 

want to create a haven in the backyard.” 


Monte Lupo garden lanterns 

from Robyn Bauer Studio Gallery 


bliving 

Outdoors 

Art in the garden 

Add sculpture to the garden for creative impact, 

writes Jody Rigby 

When thinking of garden sculptures, 

you might have visions of the 

classical weathered nubile beauty, 

limbs missing or perhaps headless, as was 

the style of decor in many Roman courtyards 

and gardens, or your vision might be more of 

cluttered collections of knick knacks like castiron 

Australiana pieces gathered from years of 

fossicking. 

Whatever your taste in sculpture, there’s no 

doubt that a fabulous piece in the right place 

can have an amazing impact on the look of 

a garden. Sculpture adds colour, drama and 

creativity to a space all year round, so it adds 

interest even in the less colourful seasons. 

Everything in its right place 

Garden art should be an extension of the 

design of the garden, after all it’s a bold artistic 

expression so it should not contradict the 

theme or style of the garden itself or plantings. 

Proportion should also be considered when 

selecting a piece to sit comfortably within the 

space. Traditionally, in the more formal or 

romantic gardens, sculptures like grand urns 

or figures on plinths were used along an axis 

or at the end of vistas to create viewpoints, but 

softer gardens, or those devised into rooms, 

have a less structured approach and create little 

surprises such as a lovers’ nook or a feature 

lawn displaying a more modern and nonfigurative 

piece of sculpture. 

Placement can be inconspicuous, for 

example, hidden amongst the foliage in a garden 

bed. This is where you can exercise your creative 

side and decide where a sculpture will have the 

most impact or complement the plantings. And 

while art experts often say a piece selects you, 

rather than the other way around, showcasing it 

in the right position is important. 

Materials 

Stone weathers beautifully over time, especially 

the more porous types such as sandstone. 

Natural elements generally work well with 

natural looking or native gardens. But stone 

sculptures can be heavy and may be hard to 

manoeuvre so pick a spot you’re happy with. 

Nothing glistens in the light quite as well 

as metal objects. They also reflect and distort 

colours of the garden for artistic effect. Metal 

can be formed into sleek refined objects, large 

bronze figures or even left to rust and age 

naturally over time to form a nice patina. 

Wood also naturally evolves from the 

effects of the elements: fading, warping and 

smoothed over time to look sympathetic 

within its environment. 

Many urns or more modern sculptures 

are cast from fibreglass or moulded plastics 

that are UV protected and come in a range of 

bright colours well suited to arty or modern 

gardens. 

Slumped glass is popular in the creation 

of water bowls or fountains as it goes hand 

in hand with the use of water. It also makes

Weathered urns create a focal point in traditional and romantic gardens 

Cheap ideas to Create 

your own garden art 

• Grab a block of hebel and a rasp file to file away 

the soft aerated concrete into an amoebic form 

and seal, then mount onto a brick plinth 

• Place some recycled hardwood sleepers 

upright in a grove (rusty bolts poking out are 

encouraged for effect!) 

• Look for a simple terracotta shape or feature pot 

and try your hand at creating a colourful mosaic 

design over the top 

• Carefully use rusted barbed wire to form balls 

as a lawn feature by furling wire around itself 

(not a job for the faint-hearted) 

• Paint an old chair a bright colour like canary 

yellow and sit it somewhere on its own 

• Spray paint a dead branch with a lick of red 

or make a grove of ghostly white branches 

emerging from a dingy, colourless part of 

the garden 

Monte Lupo mosaic sculpture (left) and Tsubo’s sea urchin form (above) 

a stately feature in the garden but should be 

kept in a spot more protected from potential 

damage than most other materials. 

Terracotta has a more traditional look and 

is often used in Italianate objects of fancy, and 

it can be a budget-friendly option, particularly 

in smaller objects, some already given a ‘preaged’ 

finish with washes or stains. 

Inspiration 

To get some ideas take a close look at sculpture 

in public outdoor spaces and in galleries. The 

jody 

rigby 

Author and 

horticulturist 

Robyn Bauer Studio Gallery at 54 Latrobe 

Terrace, Paddington, presents original 

contemporary artworks by Queensland artists, 

and its Sculpture Garden outside shows 

pieces in a garden setting specifically suitable 

for outdoors, including whimsical mosaic 

encrusted pieces by Monte Lupo. 

The Cotton Tree Markets at Maroochydore 

and beachfront markets at Broadbeach and 

Coolangatta regularly feature hebel, metal 

and glass sculptures by Sunshine Coast-based 

company The Sculpture Garden. 

Sculptor Peter Kozina turns old machinery 

parts into quirky works of art available online 

at www.recycledtreasures.net.au. Or, for 

beautiful organic shapes and bold coloured 

forms, I love the works by design house Tsubo, 

from red ribbon spheres of flatbar metal to 

bright oversized yellow sea urchin shapes, see 

www.tsubogardens.com.au. 

Jody Rigby is director of Jody Rigby Horticultural Services. 



btravel 

Cool island getaway 

Laura Stead discovers the benefits of an 

off-peak island getaway 

The onset of winter seems the 

perfect time to head north to 

catch a bit of warmer weather but 

what do you do if the cold snap grips the 

northern coastal resorts as well? The good 

news is even a cool breeze or a drizzling 

day is not enough to dampen the holiday 

mood at Kingfisher Bay on Fraser Island. 

First stop is the Kingfisher Bay 

Resort’s onsite spa for a massage, 

fragrant with the relaxing and 

recuperative scents of rose geranium 

and lavender. The Kingfisher Natural 

Therapy spa uses the environmentallysensitive 

range of Waterlilly products in 

keeping with the island’s eco-friendly 

philosophy. But tempting as it is to 

linger longer, we didn’t really come 

here to stay indoors. It is Fraser Island 

after all – adventure playground and 

land of mystery. So what if there’s still 

some rain about, rain be damned, 

there’s four-wheel-driving to do. 

For a small island only 123km in length, 

Fraser is crisscrossed with a surprising 

150km of tracks – the popular way to see 

the best attractions the island has to offer. 

As it turned out, cool weather is perfect 

for taking a drive on the island. No heat 

radiating off the sand, no hot car to get 

back into after walking on scorching 

beach, and the damp tracks are a lot easier 

to drive on than dry sand. Half an hour out 

from Kingfisher Bay Resort and we reach 

Lake McKenzie, the incredibly crystalclear 

fresh water haven fed solely by rain 

water. There are 100 more lakes like it on 

the island, but this one is the star. 

A self-drive adventure allows the 

freedom of touring on a whim, the only 

restrictions are time and tides – we don’t 

want to get caught on the beach at high tide. 

Every so often the landscape changes, 

from dry and sandy close to the beach 

to rainforest so lush very little light gets 

through. A picnic lunch packed by the 

resort’s Maheno Restaurant is perfect to 

enjoy at a quiet spot near Central Station, 

a rainforest haven along the way. 

Another perk of the off-season is rarely 

seeing another vehicle on the narrow 

sandy tracks. Back out on the beach, lazy 

dingoes and a few isolated fishermen are 

the only others we see before the Maheno 

shipwreck comes into view. The Maheno 

is one of an astounding 23 shipwrecks 

that met their fate on Fraser Island from 

1850 to 1935, and the mighty 5323-tonne 

vessel had been through several 

transformations – as a luxury passenger 

ship, a hospital ship in WW1 then a 

freighter – before it landed at Fraser, 

where it lies as a rusted shell in the sand. 

Fishing is popular around the wreck 

and on a joy flight over the beach we 

see why. The joy flights are run by the

Kingfisher Bay Resort 

same family since 1974 and for a blissful 

15 minutes we soar like a bird over the 

island in the GA8 Airvan, getting a better 

appreciation for just how dense and 

expansive the rainforest is, just how huge 

the sandblows can be and how many 

incredible lakes we would otherwise 

never have had time to see in one short 

visit. The aptly named Butterfly Lake 

is a little way inland and adds to the 

impressive list of natural wonders, while 

back towards the beach we see huge 

sharks lunching on fish schooling around 

the wreck. 

By dusk we’ve worked up an appetite 

of our own just in time for Kingfisher 

Bay’s Bush Tucker Talk and Taste. A 

resident bushranger and 

Seabelle Restaurant’s chef had 

our small group enthralled 

with their knowledge of the 

range of Australian native 

produce which we all got 

to taste as we heard how it 

is incorporated into a five-star menu. 

Desert peach, finger limes and lemon 

myrtle, pan fried prawns with bush 

tomato chutney and other treats were 

just tempters for what’s on Seabelle’s 

menu, from champagne spiked with 

rosella fruit, bunya nut and macadamia 

pesto and paperbark-wrapped 

Barramundi to aniseed myrtle ice cream. 

For our own dinner we couldn’t resist 

Take a joy flight for a bird’s 

eye view of the island 

the calamari and crocodile entrée, fresh 

Hervey Bay scallops and hand-made 

gnocchi with roasted pumpkin, pine nuts, 

feta and sage. Accompanied by a glass 

of wine, this winter getaway is a taste of 

perfection. 

For your chance to win a sensational 

WIN getaway for a party of 6 to 

Kingfisher Bay Resort see page 8. 


advertising feature 

Albion Mill Masterplan unveiled 

The essence of village living is set to be stepped up with the 

unveiling of the $330 million Albion Mill Masterplan. 

a 

design to carefully restore one of 

Brisbane’s most iconic heritage 

landmarks, and create a vibrant 

inner city village, the stunning plan signals 

a return to the ‘village’ conscience that 

founded cities in the first place. 

important in the overall design is the 

historic flour mill as the centrepiece 

around which life will revolve, according to 

fKP’s gary Kordic. 

“the albion Mill Masterplan is the vision 

for a dynamic, bustling inner city village; 

a beacon of modern living, modern 

transport and modern connectivity, one 

which completes Brisbane’s village jigsaw,” 

he said. 

“London and Paris are cities made up 

of a rich tapestry of villages; and of course 

new York City is a patchwork of villages. 

Brisbane too, is a jigsaw city of villages, 

and we are committed to ensuring the 

albion Mill completes the jigsaw, bringing 

a development with a sense of heart to the 

inner north. it will be a place people want 

38 bmag.com.au i read Brisbane’s Best 

to visit, a place where people want to live. 

the Masterplan will be developed over 

three stages, delivering a community 

of residential, commercial and retail 

opportunities bonded together by a 

network of public spaces including streets, 

plazas and public transport. 

More than 2,000sqm of new open 

public space will be created, to be known 

as La strada, with the axis carefully 

aligned to pay homage to the existing 

historic flour Mill building. a vibrant mix 

of retail offers will line La strada, featuring 

a fresh produce market and wine 

emporium, restaurants, concept bakery 

and café, boutique stores across fashion, 

homewares and specialty services. 

La strada will be a shared zone for 

pedestrians and vehicles. the street 

narrows as it moves towards the plaza 

and the flour Mill building to create a 

focal point and sense of drama. as the 

signature building the historic flour Mill 

building will become home to retail and 

commercial space, and 

at the northern most end, 

a smaller two story iconicstyle 

building will mark 

the boundary – home to a 

flagship restaurant. 

the Hudson at albion Mill 

has been launched as stage 

1 – a stunningly designed 

$87million building featuring 

134 spacious one, two and 

three bedroom apartments. 

With apartments priced from 

$390,000 including car park, 

the Hudson at albion Mill offers 

a tremendous opportunity 

to capitalise on this future 

potential of albion. 

The Hudson Display Centre is 

now open from 10am-4pm daily, 

featuring extraordinary design 

and a full kitchen and ensuite. 

For more info call 1800 258 777 

or visit www.albionmill.com.au.

entertained 

BoyS on rIgHt traCk 

They were four blue collar boys from 

the wrong side of the tracks who 

went on to become one of the biggest 

American pop sensations of all time, selling 

175 million records while still in their 20s. 

The distinct sound of Frankie Valli & The 

Four Seasons hit the emotional nerve of 

their generation. Original Four Seasons 

member Bab Gaudio says the group were at 

one with their fans. “Our people were the 

factory workers, truck drivers and the pretty 

girls with circles under their eyes behind the 

counter at the diner.” 

This multiple Tony Award-winning 

musical is packed with 20 Frankie Valli & The 

Four Seasons songs including all their big hits, 

Big Girls Don’t Cry, Sherry, Rag Doll, Oh What 

a Night and Can’t Take My Eyes Off You. The 

group was forged from a simple handshake 

agreement back in the 1960s and Jersey Boys 

pays tribute to the power of loyalty between 

friends. It has already mesmerised more than 

14 million fans worldwide and an extra 30,000 

tickets have been added to the Brisbane 

season even before the show has opened. 

From 13 July at Lyric Theatre QPAC. Tickets 

$60 to $195 plus booking fee. Call 136 246 or 

book online www.qpac.com.au. 

BEST IN SHOW 

Because You’re Beautiful 

Toni Childs has been nominated for two Grammys and opened 

for Bob Dylan but her music has often charted better in Australia 

than in the US. Now she’s practically a local, living in Myocum in 

northern NSW. Childs will preview her next album Citizens of the 

Planet on her national tour, stopping at the Concert Hall, QPAC, 

Saturday 21 July. Tickets $89 plus booking fee. Call 136 246 or book 

online www.qpac.com.au. 

Thrashing Without Looking 

An experimental interactive performance where the audience can 

watch, create, perform and control. With a storyline looking at how 

technology shapes human relationships, 12 audience participants 

use live-action video goggles to stay in touch with their immediate 

surroundings. From 26 to 28 July at Brisbane Powerhouse. Tickets 

$20. Call 3358 8600 or book online www.brisbanepowerhouse.org. 

Beauty Is Difficult 

Five of the great heroines of Tolstoy, Ibsen, Racine, Flaubert and du 

Maurier meet at a mysterious masquerade ball and trade barbs and 

memories. Madame Bovary meets Anna Karenina. Until 28 July at 

Trinity Hall, Fortitude Valley. Tickets $22 to $33 plus fee. Call 136 

246 or book online www.qtix.com.au. 

He’s Seeing Other People 

Written by Brisbane playwright and Underbelly – Razor star Anna 

McGahan. Two people attempt to form a connection in a world that 

is quickly falling apart around them. Until 21 July at Metro Arts, 

Sue Benner Theatre. Tickets $12 to $20 plus fee. Call 3002 7100 or 

book online www.metroarts.com.au. 

Compiled by Chris Herden 



bseen 

Ben and Tarryn Brown 

Tara Dennis and Sam Hatcher 

Brent and Tanya Hundloe 

Luke and Tania Stringer 

Great 

Chefs 

gala 

Eight great chefs created 

the dinner for the Variety 

of Chef’s Ball at the 

Hilton Hotel, raising 

funds for charity 

Sam Adams and Catherine Chapman 

CeOs 

Sleep Out 

Business leaders pulled up 

a swag in South Bank to 

raise funds for the homeless 

Graham Quirk and Paul Pisasale 

Nick Herron and Chris Tyquin Dean Merlo, Christina Lando and Ross Jones 

Lorie Jardine and Mary-Lou Kelly 

Gabrielle Scott and 

Selena Burnett

Lisa Moricz and Garry Willis 

Tegan and Michael Swyny 

First 

Ladies 

Lunch 

Brothers Junior Rugby Club 

mums sipped champers 

and watched a Samantha 

Ogilvie trends fashion 

show at Fratelli, Albion 

Vanessa Harte and Tanya Mulcahy 

Winning 

night 

Winning Appliances hosted 

a Casino Royale night at its 

showroom in Fortitude Valley 

Brendan and Simone Clark 

Juanita King and Claire Stenning 

Annie Green and Genevieve Smith 

Photography by Marc Grimwade 

Christina Quintas and Brad Sebastiao 

Tonja Ferguson and 

Olivia Botha 


delicious 

Restaurant review 

Montrachet, 

Paddington 

Jeremy Ryland celebrates the birth 

of the restaurant with French class 

The restaurant as we know it, as a place 

where the focus is on the provision of 

meals, is a relatively recent development 

and was born in France in the late 18th century. 

Helped along by the French Revolution in 1789, 

when many chefs lost their jobs working for 

the aristocracy and opened their own places, 

the restaurant became a fashionable place to 

be seen and eat out. And the word “restaurant” 

translates as a place to restore, rest and 

recuperate. 

Montrachet, in the inner city suburb of 

Paddington, is a traditional French restaurant, 

owned and run by Thierry Galichet. Thierry is the 

classic French restaurateur – warm, gregarious 

and passionate. Born in Lyon, he migrated in 

1970 and has been running restaurants for 40 

years. He opened Montrachet, named after his 


favourite wine, in 2004. 

This quaint Parisian style 

brasserie complete with a marbletopped 

comptoir (counter bar), 

tables covered in classic white 

cloths, red leather chairs, mirrors 

and memorabilia has a warm 

ambience. With typical selfassured 

French arrogance, Thierry 

does not open on weekends and 

weekday bookings must be made 

in advance if you want to get in. 

Entrées include Coquille St 

Jacques (scallops) served with a 

light pea mash and beurre blanc; 

a delicate Carpaccio de Beouf, 

with wafer-thin beef in olive oil 

and lemon juice; snails with garlic 

NEED 

To 

KNoW 

CHEF: 

Thierry Galichet 

ADDRESS: 

224 Given Terrace, 

Paddington with street 

parking only 

TELEPHoNE: 

3367 0030 

oNLINE: 

www.montrachet.com.au 

LICENSED/byo: 

Fully licensed 

PRICES: 

Entrées $12 to $32, mains 

$42, desserts $9.90 

oPEN TIMES: 

Lunch Monday to Friday 

12-3pm; dinner Monday 

to Thursday from 6pm 

SCoRE: 

1 7 /20 

butter and a sensational ox tail ravioli 

with foie gras. 

On the main course menu, the 

Bouillabaisse made with reef fish, 

scallops and fresh green prawns in a 

beautiful rich seafood broth is warm 

and comforting. The casserole of rabbit 

with white wine and mushrooms 

invokes images of the French 

countryside, while a classic eye fillet 

served with hand-made French fries 

and freshly made béarnaise sauce is a 

Parisian favourite. 

Finish with some classic desserts 

such as a silky dark chocolate ganache 

tart made with cognac, a crisp smoky 

crème brulée or rich salted caramel 

custard filled profiteroles – or a superb 

range of French cheeses with a port 

or muscat. The extensive wine list 

includes wines selected by Thierry 

from around France as well as some 

good local varieties, with some by 

the glass. 

The service is impeccable; some of 

the staff have been with Thierry since 

he opened and are warm, friendly 

and knowledgeable. Montrachet is 

an elegant piece of France, serving 

authentic, wholesome well-crafted 

French food. Unfortunately you won’t 

be able to get in this Bastille Day (14 

July), but it’s the place go to celebrate 

the birth of the restaurant. 

Professor Jeremy Ryland is a Master of 

Gastronomy and food scientist 

Photography by Marc Grimwade 

All visits are undisclosed and all meals are paid for in full

Hot heat protection 

Protect hands and benchtops with 

Zeal’s silicone hot mats and pan 

handles, which are able to withstand 

heat up to 300ºC, they won’t stain, 

fade or absorb odours and are nonslip, 

and pan handles fit any pan. 

Available in pop colours such as aqua, 

hot pink, lime and violet. RRP$12.95; 

call 1800 650 601 for stockists. 

KITCHEN WIZ 


Pizza for all occasions � 

From the early days of helping his 

mother make pizzas at home to studying 

under a traditional Italian pizzaiolo and 

running his own pizza restaurant, chef 

Pete Evans has had a life-long love 

affair with the tasty dish, which he 

shares in his new cookbook, Pizza. It 

includes more than 90 recipes from 

breakfast pizzas to dessert pizzas 

(yes, there’s even a Rocky Road 

with Turkish Delight version). 

RRP$39.99, Murdoch Books. 

� Snip it 

Fresh herbs can add flavour 

to even the most simple 

dish and you can snip 

them like an expert with 

the help of Herb Shears 

by Kilo. Five sets of 

stainless steel blades chop 

herbs in a flash and shears 

are designed for both left and 

right handers. RRP$12.95; call 

1800 650 601 for details. 

� High rise coffee 

Coffee pods are a quick, easy 

and clean way to make fresh 

coffee every day at home or 

the office and the City Coffee 

Pod Holder is a chic way 

to store up to 20 pods with 

its cool city skyline design. 

RRP$39.95 at General Trader 

stores at DFO Brisbane 

Airport and Jindalee. 

� No dreary dish rags 

Illustrator and designer Heather 

Moore’s screen-printed cotton tea 

towels have a Scandinavian look 

about them but they are designed and 

made in South Africa. Moore’s designs 

include aprons, cushion covers, bags, 

napkins and table runners in a range of 

prints. Tea towels from RRP$17.86 each 

online at www.skinnylaminx.com. 

Send kitchen gadget news to 

kitchenwiz@bmag.com.au. 


Zone-free cooking 

Just when you thought appliances couldn’t be any more 

sleek, German brand Gaggenau has produced a cooktop 

with an entire surface as one induction zone. Just place 

any size induction pot or pan on any part of the cooktop 

at the same time and the cookware is automatically 

recognised by its shape, size and position, and the heat is 

directed only to where the cookware is placed. 

A booster function increases the heat of a 

cooking area by 50 per cent for very quick 

boiling. Gaggenau CX480 100 RRP $11,999. 

Light flow u 

Bright colours are in fashion – even in 

tap water and Gessi Just is a pull-out 

sink mixer that uses a clean-energy 

turbine to power an LED connected 

to a temperature sensor, illuminating 

the water with colours ranging between 

blue, violet and red according to the water 

temperature. RRP$2413.10. 


bdelicious 

KITCHEN WIZ 

t Supreme brew 

A cup of instant coffee just doesn’t cut it, even 

at home, anymore. With true Swiss precision 

the VZUG Supremo SL Coffee Machine 

allows you to choose coffee strength, brewing 

temperature, grinding quantity, even water 

hardness, at the touch of a button, then makes 

one to two cups of coffee as ordered. It also 

has built-in rinsing, cleaning and de-scaling 

functions. RRP$3590. 

On a roll u 

The Franke Rollamat 

can be used as 

a drainer, sink 

protector, hot pan 

rest, for defrosting 

food, or simply as a 

non-slip mat on sinks or benchtops, and it just rolls up 

after use for a clean kitchen workspace. In stainless steel 

with rubber ends and dishwasher safe. RRP$146. 

Cool flexibility p 

Electrolux E:Line refrigerators offer 

best-in-class energy efficiency, reducing 

gas emissions with an environmentallyfriendly 

refrigerant. They also offer 

flexibility and can be paired like the two 

pictured above in mark-resistant stainless 

steel: the 520L Modular Top Mount 

Refrigerator (left) with hidden hinges, 

adjustable shelves, wine caddy and 

humidity controlled crisper RRP$2799 

and the 510L Modular Bottom Mount 

Refrigerator (right) RRP$2849. 

Send kitchen gadget news to 

kitchenwiz@bmag.com.au.

Delectable produce 

Brisbane will be simply delectable from 16 

to 29 July when Queensland’s produce will 

hit the spotlight in a new food festival aptly 

named delectable Brisbane. The 14-day 

program will feature some of the state’s and 

the nation’s best known food and gardening 

personalities as they show visitors how to 

grow and cook premium produce. Look 

for special events, indoor and outdoor 

installations, expert talks and presentations 

across the CBD and South Bank. The Night 

Garden 3D projections on The Wheel of 

Brisbane and QPAC Towers, South Bank, 

will light up Brisbane like you’ve never seen 

it before. See www.delectableqld.com.au. 

TASTY BITS 

Chocolate masterclass � 

Join Steve Sheldon (left) of Monty’s 

Chocolates and Hugo Pralus (right), 

son of world famous French chocolate 

maker Francois Pralus, for a bean 

to bar chocolate adventure with 

six courses of chocolate on 24 July, 

6.45pm at Vanilla Pod, Lancaster Road, 

Ascot. See www.vanillapod.com.au. 

� Cheers to beers 

The first Queensland Beer Week from 16 

to 22 July will see as many as 50 special 

events across the state showcase 

Australia’s best brews. For example, 

join Dr Chuck Hahn for dinner at The 

Fox Hotel, South Brisbane, where 

dishes will be matched with beers from 

the James Squire range, or be brave 

and rock up for the launch of Brewtal 

Brewers big bad beers at the Scratch Bar at 

8/1 Park Road Milton from 16 July. For details 

see www.queenslandbeerweek.com.au. 

KERRY 

HEANEY 

Foodie blogger 

Global touring 

Food tours are the new way to travel and three of the most tasty 

this year are the Taste Trekkers trip to Spain for the first 10 days in 

September which takes in the Catalunya region from Barcelona 

to the Proirat. Cook a traditional Catalan feast, stomp the grapes 

at the annual wine harvest festival in El Priorat and tour wineries. 

See www.tastetrekkers.com.au for details. 

In October, Master of Wine Peter Scudamore-Smith will take 

a small group to Sicily visiting ancient wine cellars and Michelin 

star dining rooms. See www.uncorkedandcultivated.com.au. 

In December cookbook author Robert Carmack hosts a tour 

to Burma to explore the delicious junction of Thai, Indian and 

Chinese flavours. www.globetrottinggourmet.com. 

� Great catch 

Head chef Sunil Savur continues to come 

up with delicious ways to enjoy seasonal 

seafood catches, including carpaccio 

of herb-crusted Yellow Fin tuna with 

eggplant baba ghannouj, shaved Grana 

Padano and wild rocket (pictured left) 

which is on the new winter menu at 

Gambaro’s. For bookings call 3369 9500. 

Send your hot tips or foodie news 

to kerryh@bmag.com.au. 


IngredIents 

serves 4 

bdelicious 

gArY 

Johnson 

Mushrooms on 

bmag’s new guest chef 

truffled polenta tart 

Mushrooms are high in protein and fibre but low in 

kilojoules in this recipe by Gary Johnson 

4 x 10cm savoury tart shells 

200g truffled polenta 

1 punnet baby micro herbs, clean 

and stand in water until needed 

4 tbspn truffle dressing 

truffled polenta 

200ml milk 

Pinch sea salt 

50g instant polenta 

20ml cream 

20ml truffle oil 

20g grated parmesan 

20g unsalted butter 

Fresh truffle, optional 

Mushroom and leek mix 

1 tblspn olive oil 

20g butter 

4 cleaned and cut baby leeks 

1 sprig thyme 

200g mixed mushrooms (porcini, 

shiitake, swiss brown, field, etc) 

Salt and pepper 

truffled verjuice dressing 

(makes 250ml) 

20g mustard 

1 tspn balsamic vinegar 

100ml olive oil 

50ml truffle oil 

100ml verjuice 

Salt and pepper 


Method 

To make the polenta: in a saucepan 

combine a pinch of sea salt and milk 

and bring to the boil. Pour in polenta mix 

in a gradual steady stream, stirring constantly 

and cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Stir in 

the cream, then crumble in the cheese, butter 

and stir until melted through. Drizzle with the 

oil and set aside. Add some fresh shaved west 

Australian truffle from Black Pearl if you have it. 

To make the mushroom and leek mix: 

put olive oil and butter in hot saucepan and 

add leeks. Sauté with good colour and add the 

thyme and the mushrooms. Sauté until cooked 

and add the seasoning. 

To make the dressing: in a bowl, add 

mustard, balsamic vinegar and whisk 

together then slowly add oil. Then slowly add the 

verjuice and the truffle oil and season to taste 

To serve: warm the tart shells in the oven. 

Place a dob of the truffled polenta on a plate 

and a tart shell on top. Divide the remaining 

cooked polenta between the four tarts (soften 

if too firm with some cream). Top with the 

mushroom and leek mix. Top with the micro 

herbs, drizzle with the verjuice dressing. Add a 

grind of fresh pepper and serve. 

WIne 

Three South 

Australian wines 

that are great 

value online now 

01 02 03 

01 starvedog Lane Adelaide hills 

Cabernet Merlot 2007 Cleanskin 

This wine beats other Aussies up to three times 

its price! Wine expert and leading critic James 

Halliday describes it as “a potent wine, with 

the full suite of black and red berry aromas and 

flavours thrusting through to the long, gently 

savoury finish,” giving it a rating of 93. 

The palate is sweet and textural; Merlot 

provides plumpness of fruit and Cabernet, 

structure and elegance resulting in the finest of 

tannins. RRP$25.50; online $9.99. 

02 trevor Jones “Jonesy” nV Barossa 

Fortified (Port) 

The Wine Advocate’s Robert Parker says, “what a 

sensational value! Its light to medium ruby hue 

is accompanied by an extraordinary bouquet of 

sweet candied fruit intermixed with notions of 

maple syrup, earth and hazelnuts. This gorgeous 

tawny delivers plenty of pleasure,” giving it a 

rating of 93. 

Dark cherry and lifted spice dominate the 

palate along with Christmas cake flavours. This 

wine has been cellared in the barrel so you don’t 

have to – ready to drink now! Alternatively cellar 

for 10+ years. RRP$15.99; online $7.99. 

03 normans “special edition” hart 

series Barossa Valley shiraz 2010 

Masterfully created Normans wines matched 

with superb David Hart artwork that fully over 

deliver for this price. Ripe raspberries and plums 

with a hint of anise and white pepper, and some 

hints of sweet vanillin oak, with a soft finish and 

touches of acidity. RRP$19.99; online $9.99. 

Wines available at www.getwinesdirect.com.

Leaf out of new book 

Nissan’s new green car a quiet achiever 

There have been other electric cars, 

including the Mitsubishi i-MiEV already 

sold here in tiny numbers, but Nissan 

claims the $51,500 Leaf available now is the 

world’s first mass-produced, all-electric car. 

It says the five-door family-size Leaf brings 

Electric Vehicle (EV) technology into the 

mainstream with its styling, technology, 

driveability and performance. 

The Leaf does not use petrol or diesel fuel 

and therefore has no exhaust pipe emissions. 

Li-ion batteries arranged in thin cells low on 

the car floor provide a range of up to 170km on 

a single charge and strong urban performance. 

The Leaf has been widely acclaimed, 

winning the 2011 World Car of the Year, 2011 

European Car of the Year, 2011-12 Japan Car of 

the Year, as well as being recognised in nonmotoring 

awards such as Time Magazine’s Top 

50 Inventions of 2009. 

The compact battery packaging 

has allowed Nissan to design a fairly 

conventional hatchback, although there 

are many interesting EV-only features. 

The navigation system helps deal with 

so-called range anxiety. If a destination is 

programmed into the system, the computer 

will continuously calculate the vehicle’s 

ability to reach the destination on the 

available battery power. If the battery is 

running down, the computer will provide 

the driver with the location of the nearest 

charging station and put the car into ‘limphome’ 

mode if necessary. 

One other interesting feature on the 

otherwise silent Leaf EV is its ‘Approaching 

Vehicle Sound for Pedestrians’, which 

simulates a vehicle sound at speeds up to 

40km/h. 

Metro Nissan 

at Windsor is 

proud to be 

one of only two 

dealerships in 

Brisbane to make it through the application 

process from Nissan to become a specialist 

Leaf dealer. Visitors to the dealership can 

test drive the new electric car, view a battery 

charging demonstration and ask resident 

expert Gordon McPherson any questions. 

McPherson completed an extensive training 

course with Nissan head office in Melbourne 

to be able to educate people about the new 

technology used in the car. 

The dealership also houses a fully 

serviced battery charging station in the 

service department along with other state- 

Nissan Leaf has 

received high praise 

of-the-art servicing equipment. It has been 

another major investment in the customer 

service department of Metro Nissan and 

demonstrating its dedication to customer 

satisfaction. 

Metro Nissan is Queensland’s largest 

volume dealership in new and used vehicle 

sales, customer service and spare parts and 

has a long history with Nissan in Australia. 

Nathan Seery, the dealer principal at Metro 

Nissan believes that by keeping up with the 

trends in automotive technology they can 

ensure a long future in the industry. 


Prices quoted do not include statutory and dealer on-road charges unless otherwise stated







incorporating

informed 

Mental health in limbo 

A sick health system means some mental health support 

groups may have to close. Laura Nolan reports 

As the mother of a mentally ill child, 

Mary* has devoted the last 16 years to 

looking after her adult son who was 

diagnosed with schizophrenia. She quit her 

job and relocated so she and her husband 

could take on the role of carers because there 

is nowhere else for him to go. The lack of short 

and long-term facilities, respite services and 

monitored housing means there are limited 

alternatives to home care, and the luxury of a 

simple holiday is all but impossible. 

Mary says new carers often have a difficult 

time accessing the information and support they 

need, and the services that are available are so 

overwhelmed by the number of crisis situations 

that they are struggling to cope. 

There’s no doubt the Queensland health 

system is sick. The announcement in June 

that it will cost $1.2billion and take until 2017 

to fix the payroll debacle has mental health 

organisations worried about their future. Tony 

Martin, executive committee member with 


Queensland Voice for Mental Health, fears that 

mental health will once again become the poor 

cousin as the state government focuses on other 

health issues. “Mental health always seems to 

be treated as non-urgent because they say it’s 

not life threatening. Well, with nearly one-anda-half 

times as many people dying from suicide 

than dying on the roads, I think that’s pretty life 

threatening,” he says. 

Suicide and suicidal behaviour costs the 

Australian economy $17.5billion a year. Nearly 

half of all Australians will experience mental 

illness at some stage of their lives and, according 

to a report released by Ernst & Young last 

month, 75 per cent of all serious mental health 

conditions start before the age of 25. 

About 20 per cent of Queenslanders will have 

some type of mental health disorder this year, 

but only one third of them will seek professional 

help, according to Kristine Sargeant, CEO of 

community support service Open Minds. 

Open Minds has its headquarters in 

Woolloongabba and provides residential and 

in-house support for people with mental 

illness and acquired brain injuries, helping 

them with day-to-day living skills like building 

networks and family relationships and accessing 

employment services. It is community services 

like these, Sargeant says, that need to be 

bolstered and fostered. “If you’re not providing 

this level of support, what you find is people 

relapse, their mental health gets worse again, 

and they end up back in hospital and it becomes 

a revolving door.” 

Previous plans from the Bligh Government 

outlined a new Mental Health Commission to 

oversee the funding and structure of the sector, 

which was to have come into effect from 1 July 

this year. With the change of government the 

plans have stalled leaving the mental health 

sector with no clear direction for the future. And 

with the health budget delayed to September 

some organisations on limited contracts are 

left in limbo. According to Tony Martin, some 

suicide prevention programs and drug and 

alcohol referral services could close. 

Queensland Alliance for Mental Health is 

the peak body for the community mental health 

sector and CEO Richard Nelson would like to 

see a strong Mental Health Commission which 

can inform policy and provide direction and 

guidance around funding and planning. 

He would also like to see the amount of 

funding for the community mental health sector 

increased. “Out of the mental health budget, 

around seven per cent of that is spent on front 

line community services whereas in countries 

like New Zealand they spend closer to 30 per 

cent. That certainly is our aim.” 

Kristine Sargeant says she hopes there 

will be an increased focus on prevention and 

privacy 

intervention alongside the clinical and hospital- for 

based treatments. “I think we need a range of 

strategies, including continued education in 

changed 

schools and workplaces around what mental 

health is. It doesn’t have to be something scary.” *Name



Locks and keys say 

something about 

the home’s owners 

bliving 

Interiors 

Personal touches 

Newlyweds combine personal memorabilia 

with new finds to create a home full of 

bright ideas, as Laura Stead discovers 

As any first homeowner can attest, there’s 

nothing like getting your hands on a paint brush 

and adding those first licks of individuality to 

your new abode. For Pru Reed, entering into property 

ownership with new husband Nick last August has been 

an outlet for a burgeoning passion for interior design. 

“When I was little I always said to mum and dad 

I wanted to be an interior designer,” says Pru, whose 

role as marketing manager at Brisbane Racing Club 

is reflected in vintage racing memorabilia which 

adorns the walls. Nick’s profession as a locksmith (and 

part-owner of the family business H.A. Reed) is also 

reflected throughout the home. “I’d found lots of old 

iron keys so we introduced that as a bit of a feature 

throughout – with actual keys on the wall, as a motif on 

a cushion or in a picture,” says Pru. 

Such personal details add an extra dimension to 

what is already an aesthetically beautiful home. “There 

were no major renovations required (when we bought 

the house) so it was just about adding our own personal 

touches,” says Pru. 

“I’m always on the hunt for little treasures that will 

work in our home. I always collect interesting pieces on 

my travels and I like to incorporate them into my home 

as they provide great memories of places I’ve visited 

and it adds to my eclectic style. It’s the little things I 

enjoy and that give the place meaning.” 

Alongside photos of the couple’s March 2011 

wedding are treasures brought back from overseas 

holidays together, including Hawaii where the couple 

honeymooned. Personal momentos create a warm 

atmosphere in the couple’s bedroom, which combines 

heavier masculine furniture pieces with the softness of 

white accent items. 

The second bedroom, which will one day serve as 

a nursery, has begun to take shape with a single sofa 

chair and vintage alphabet print, and a frame cluster 

of personal memorabilia and artwork – which Pru 

admits was more haphazard than planned – hangs in 

the hallway as a main decorator feature. “I don’t mark 

things out before I hang them, I just start hanging, but 

you can use removable hooks so you can move things

Spencer Howson - Bmag

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?