Homepage Latest News Archives

Tougher Camera Rules Coming to Public Pools

The increasing use of smart glasses and hidden recording devices have prompted Brisbane City Council to tighten privacy safeguards at public pools in Morningside, Manly, Upper Mount Gravatt, Mount Gravatt East, and Stones Corner, ensuring adults and children aren’t filmed without consent.

Consent rules extend across pool grounds

Brisbane City Council is strengthening conditions of entry at its public pools to prohibit photography, video recording and still-image capture without prior consent.

The rules cover mobile phones, action cameras and wearable devices such as smart glasses, and target covert recording, particularly in changerooms where patrons expect privacy.

New signage will be progressively installed over the coming weeks.

Smart glasses put discreet filming in focus

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said recent concerns about smart glasses being used without people’s knowledge or consent had heightened privacy concerns. He said families should be able to use the facilities without worrying that they or their children were being secretly recorded.

Camera-equipped glasses can resemble conventional eyewear while allowing photographs or video to be captured without the user holding a phone or camera. Council says the updated rules are designed to keep pace with more accessible wearable recording technology.

No particular Brisbane pool has been publicly identified as the site of an incident that prompted the changes. Council has described the initiative as a response to broader concerns about covert recording and the growing availability of discreet technology.

BRISBANE PUBLIC POOLS

Child safety groups support tighter safeguards

Queensland Family and Child Commission principal commissioner Luke Twyford welcomed measures aimed at reducing foreseeable risks to children in public spaces. He said organisations operating services and facilities for children needed to ensure those environments were safe and protected against exploitation.

Digital Rights Watch head of policy Tom Sulston also welcomed the move, citing threats to privacy and dignity posed by smart glasses and similar covert cameras. He called for councils and state and federal governments to consider stronger protections against unwanted recording.

Signs to spell out consent requirement

Proposed signs will advise patrons that recording, photography and still-image capture, including through smart glasses, are not permitted without prior consent. Wearing or carrying smart glasses is not itself prohibited under the announced rules; the restriction applies when the devices are used to capture people without permission.

Separate approval rules already apply to commercial filming and photography using Council-managed assets, including swimming pools.

Schrinner said the changes would give pool staff clearer rules for responding to inappropriate filming and help protect swimmers’ privacy. Council says the rollout will occur progressively over the coming weeks.

Published 26-Aug-2026

Keith Payne Visits Greenslopes Private Hospital Unit Named in His Honour

Veteran Keith Payne, the last living Australian recipient of the original Imperial Victoria Cross, has visited Greenslopes Private Hospital to tour the mental health unit named in his honour.

Read: Greenslopes Strengthens Veteran Care Legacy with Legacy House

The 92-year-old visited the hospital in August, where he was given a tour of the Keith Payne Unit and met patients and members of the hospital team. Among those he met were team members who were there when the unit opened in 1996.

Photo credit: Facebook/Greenslopes Private Hospital

“It was an honour to have veteran Keith Payne, the last living recipient of the original Imperial Victoria Cross and namesake of our Keith Payne Unit,” the hospital said in a post shared on Facebook.

A decorated Vietnam veteran

Studio portrait of Mr Payne, October 1972 (Photo credit: The Australian War Memorial)

Mr Payne was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions in Vietnam on 24 May 1969. At the time, Mr Payne was serving with the Australian Army Training Team Vietnam. He was commanding 212th Company of the 1st Mobile Strike Force Battalion when it came under attack from a North Vietnamese force of superior strength.

The Australian War Memorial records that, despite being wounded, Mr Payne organised a withdrawal and helped bring wounded soldiers to safety. His actions were recognised with the Victoria Cross, as well as several other military decorations. Mr Payne was the last Australian to receive the Victoria Cross under the Imperial Honours system.

Mr Payne receiving the Victoria Cross from the late Queen Elizabeth II, April 1970 (Photo credit: The Australian War Memorial)

In 1970, Queen Elizabeth II presented Mr Payne with the Victoria Cross aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia in Brisbane.

Mr Payne has continued to advocate for stronger mental health support for veterans. In April 2026, he called for a dedicated, Commonwealth-supported rehabilitation centre for veterans experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder. He told the media that more needed to be done to support veterans dealing with PTSD and the transition to civilian life.

The Keith Payne Unit

The Keith Payne Unit at Greenslopes Private Hospital was opened in 1996, when Ramsay Health Care developed a modern mental health facility at the hospital.

Before then, psychiatric inpatient services at Greenslopes had been housed in one of the old pavilion ward blocks. The new facility offered inpatient and outpatient services, a day hospital and recreational areas.

Today, the Keith Payne Unit provides mental health services specifically for entitled veterans and war widows, specialising in post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health conditions.

Read: Legacy House in Greenslopes Reaches Key Construction Milestone

The unit bears Mr Payne’s name and provides specialised mental health services for veterans and war widows. During his latest visit, Mr Payne toured the unit and met patients and staff. The hospital said the visit was an honour, with Mr Payne meeting patients and members of the team at the unit named after him.

Published 19-August-2026

Greenslopes Bus-to-Train Trip Just a Minute Slower than Driving

Greenslopes’ morning public transport commute comes within one minute of driving, according to new Brisbane-wide analysis comparing door-to-door journeys from more than 200 suburbs.

GoThere Brisbane calculated a 30-minute public transport trip from Greenslopes’ population-weighted centre to Brisbane Central, compared with 29 minutes by car in peak traffic. The fastest journey combines a bus and train, with Greenslopes measured 5.3 kilometres from Central.

Bus-to-train trip keeps the gap narrow

The study breaks Greenslopes’ 30-minute morning commute into four minutes walking, six minutes waiting and 20 minutes riding. The fastest option identified by GoThere involves travelling by bus before transferring to a train.

The evening journey is also measured at 30 minutes, meaning the study records no difference between the morning and evening public transport times. For the morning trip, public transport is only one minute slower than the 29-minute car journey.

GoThere records seven bus routes and 171 peak departures an hour within 800 metres of Greenslopes’ measured population centre. The study’s typical suburb reaches six routes and 58 departures an hour, putting Greenslopes above both figures for the services counted around its measured population centre.

Nearby suburbs show different results

Greenslopes records a quicker public transport commute than several nearby suburbs measured under the same methodology. Coorparoo, 4.9 kilometres from Central, comes in at 35 minutes, while Holland Park, 7.2 kilometres away, records 36 minutes.

However, neighbouring Annerley performs slightly better, with a 28-minute public transport journey from 5.2 kilometres out. Annerley’s fastest measured journey is train-based and comes in two minutes faster than its 30-minute car comparison.

The comparisons reinforce one of GoThere’s broader findings: distance from Brisbane Central does not determine commute time on its own. The study found train-served suburbs generally recorded shorter trips than bus-served suburbs at comparable distances from Brisbane Central.

What the 30-minute result actually measures

The figure should not be read as the average commute for every Greenslopes resident. GoThere measured 205 gazetted suburbs whose population-weighted centres fall within 20 kilometres of Brisbane Central, using one representative point in each suburb rather than individual household addresses.

GoThere’s connectivity measure counts routes and departures within an 800-metre radius of the suburb’s population-weighted centre. The study notes that connectivity is measured using straight-line distance, so rivers, railway lines or other physical barriers can make actual walking distances different from what the catchment suggests.

For the morning test, Google Directions was used to identify the fastest public transport journey arriving at Brisbane Central by 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, 18 August 2026, using the public TransLink timetable. The car comparison used typical peak traffic and added an eight-minute allowance for finding a park and walking to the destination.

Greenslopes sits well below the Brisbane median

Across Brisbane, the median public transport commute was 46 minutes, including about 11 minutes spent walking to and from stops. Public transport came within 10 minutes of driving in 152 of the 199 suburbs with a practical service and beat the car outright in 72.

Greenslopes’ 30-minute result sits 16 minutes below that citywide median and only one minute behind its measured car trip. It also records 171 peak departures an hour, almost three times the study’s median of 58.

For the bus-to-train journey tested by GoThere, public transport comes within one minute of driving, while the study records only bus services within Greenslopes’ 800-metre connectivity catchment.

Published 12-Aug-2026

$23.15m Stones Corner Sale Highlights Rise of Brisbane Builder-Developers

Prominent South East Queensland builder-developer Gardner Vaughan Group has expanded its inner-city footprint with the $23.159 million off-market acquisition of a permit-ready, 3,846-square-metre site at 75–85 Cleveland Street in Stones Corner.

Sold by Kieran Gartshore’s DAKL Group in a deal brokered by RWC Queensland’s Tom Barr, the purchase of the holding—approved for 226 apartments across two 12-storey towers—underscores a broader shift in Brisbane’s high-density market, where integrated developers are aggressively securing shovel-ready land to hedge against widespread construction delivery pressures across the state.

A high-density footprint in a rapidly gentrifying urban hub

The Cleveland Street property carries existing development approval for 226 residential apartments across two 12-storey towers designed by NMDS Architecture. Connected via a skybridge, the proposed design incorporates extensive vertical and horizontal landscaping alongside dual rooftop recreation decks, featuring amenities such as a swimming pool, gymnasium, communal dining areas, and private gardens.

The $23.159 million purchase price reflects a land site rate of $6,022 per square metre and approximately $102,500 per approved dwelling site.

Holding a High Density Residential (HDR1) zoning, the holding spans six combined allotments featuring 90.5 metres of frontage to Cleveland Street. Existing improvements on the land—comprising two detached residential houses and three low-rise unit blocks containing 19 units—will be cleared to pave the way for the two-tower master plan.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by RWC Queensland (@rwcqueensland)

Integrated construction capabilities driving site acquisitions

The rapid execution of the deal reflects intense demand for shovel-ready land among developers capable of managing their own construction, according to RWC Queensland’s Tom Barr.

According to Mr Barr, Gardner Vaughan Group was actively seeking a new site to reinforce both its construction and project pipelines when RWC Queensland presented the opportunity. Upon learning the Cleveland Street holding might become available, the developer acted immediately, securing an off-market deal before the property was publicly listed.

Mr Barr noted that economic pressures and sector-wide delivery bottlenecks have fundamentally reshaped South East Queensland’s competitive landscape. He observed that ongoing construction challenges have positioned integrated builder-developers—those who handle both design and construction in-house—as the most aggressive buyers of Brisbane apartment sites, with this latest transaction serving as a clear indication of that market trend.

Consolidating momentum in a key infrastructure corridor

Led by father-and-son duo Guy and Sam Gardner, the family-owned Gardner Vaughan Group has been steadily deepening its commitment to Stones Corner. The acquisition follows the completion of the group’s 90-apartment Stonebrook project on nearby Flora Street and aligns with its ongoing rollout of the VIVO residential project in the same precinct.

The Cleveland Street holding places the planned complex within one kilometre of the Boggo Road health precinct—which includes the Princess Alexandra Hospital—and 1.25 kilometres from Greenslopes Private Hospital.

The acquisition also arrives on the heels of significant urban planning reform for the area. Brisbane City Council recently formally adopted and gazetted the Stones Corner suburban renewal precinct plan into the City Plan, ushering in higher-density provisions and expanded building height limits aimed at fostering urban renewal, retail activation, and higher-density living along key transit corridors.

Published 7-Aug-2026

Silver For Jarred Bairstow And The Gangurrus At Glasgow 2026

The Australian Gangurrus men’s 3×3 basketball team has claimed a Commonwealth Games silver medal, with Churchie old boy Jarred Bairstow among the four players who helped Australia reach the gold medal match before falling 19-17 to England.

Read: Churchie Old Boy Jarred Bairstow Named in 3×3 Basketball Squad for 2026 Glasgow

Bairstow, who educated at Anglican Church Grammar School in East Brisbane, was selected alongside Jonah Antonio, Sam McDaniel, and Jesse Wagstaff in the Australian men’s squad. The quartet remained unbeaten throughout the tournament before the championship decider, combining the scoring, physicality and composure highlighted by Commonwealth Games Australia.

Unbeaten Run To The Final

Photo credit: Facebook/Australian Gangurrus

Australia entered the final after winning every game on the way to the title match. The Gangurrus booked their place in the decider with a 21-14 victory over host nation Scotland in the semi-finals, setting up a clash with England for Commonwealth Games gold.

The final was a tightly contested affair. England edged Australia in a match that remained in the balance until the closing stages. Jonah Antonio scored 12 points for the Gangurrus, but England held on to secure the title.

Although Australia fell short in the final, the silver medal capped an unbeaten run to the championship match. Bairstow and his teammates remained undefeated until the final, where England handed Australia its only loss of the tournament.

Australia Celebrates Four Medals

The Gangurrus men’s silver also formed part of a successful campaign for Australia’s 3×3 basketball program. Every Australian team competing in Glasgow returned home with a medal.

The women’s Gangurrus won gold, while Australia’s men’s wheelchair team also secured gold. The women’s wheelchair side added a bronze medal, giving Australia medals across all four 3×3 competitions.

Commonwealth Games Australia described the men’s campaign as one built on composure under pressure. The organisation noted England was the only team Australia could not overcome during the tournament.

Bairstow Adds Another Career Milestone

For Bairstow, the silver medal adds another milestone to a career that has included extensive experience in the National Basketball League. His selection placed him in a squad that reached the gold medal match without losing a game.

Following the tournament, the Australian Gangurrus congratulated the men’s team on an “incredible, hard-fought campaign,” recognising the group’s efforts throughout the competition.

Read: Maroons Couldn’t Break The Blues’ Grip As Cleary Guides NSW To Origin Shield

While the Gangurrus narrowly missed out on the Commonwealth Games title, they finished the tournament with a silver medal. An unbeaten run to the final and a silver medal finish capped Australia’s men’s campaign at Glasgow 2026.

Published 3-August-2026

Greenslopes and Buranda Schools Earn Strong Behaviour Survey Results

Two schools in Brisabane’s south east have recorded strong results for behaviour management, with each showing a different approach to student wellbeing and responsibility.

At Greenslopes State School, parents, staff and students gave matched responses in the Queensland Department of Education’s 2025 School Opinion Survey. Among Greenslopes students who responded, 86.4 per cent agreed that behaviour was managed well.

At nearby Buranda State School, 93.8 per cent of responding students agreed. It was the highest reported student result across Brisbane.

The survey measures confidence in how behaviour is managed. It does not count classroom disruptions, playground incidents or suspensions.

Greenslopes takes wellbeing school-wide

Greenslopes teaches social and emotional skills from Prep to Year 6 through the Second Step program. Students learn about empathy, emotion management, problem-solving and skills for learning. The school’s wellbeing framework also links these lessons to its Big Six values: resilience, respect, integrity, opportunity, community and embracing diversity.

The programs give students regular ways to discuss emotions, relationships and responsible decisions. They form part of a wider support system used across year levels.

Greenslopes’ Student Learning and Wellbeing Framework sets out different levels of help. Some measures apply to every student, while others support children who need extra assistance.

The framework includes positive recognition, Zones of Regulation, guidance services, individual plans and referrals to outside providers. Its tiered structure aims to offer early intervention before concerns become more serious.

The school’s 2025 Annual Improvement Plan also identifies productive partnerships and stronger student-staff relationships as important areas of work.

Families stay involved at Greenslopes

The Greenslopes State School P&C supports camps, excursions, school experiences and resources for students who face extra challenges. Its strategic plan aims to build an inclusive community where parents, staff and students feel welcome and valued. The group also encourages volunteering, fundraising and wider family involvement.

Second Step also includes activities that families can use at home. This helps reinforce the school’s social and emotional learning messages beyond the classroom.

Buranda students practise reasoning and discussion

Buranda State School has taught philosophy to all students since 1997. Each week, children take part in an hour of philosophy activities led by trained classroom teachers. They listen to different views, explain their reasoning and build on the ideas of others. Students also explore questions about fairness, knowledge, judgement and decision-making.

Buranda’s philosophy program encourages care, respect and reasoned problem-solving. It gives children regular practice in dealing with disagreement and justifying their views.

Buranda’s P&C takes learning beyond the classroom

Buranda’s P&C supports environmental education, sport, instrumental music and community events. These include Winter Solstice, Buranda Fest and a school movie night. The group also gives parents a place to raise concerns and contribute to school decisions. Its work goes beyond fundraising by helping families stay connected to school programs and priorities.

Buranda’s environmental education program adds a practical element to school life. Students learn about sustainability, care for chickens and grow vegetables in the school garden. The program gives children another way to contribute to their school community.

Two schools, different approaches

Greenslopes combines shared values, school-wide wellbeing lessons and tiered support systems. The finding sits alongside a school-wide approach to social and emotional learning.

Buranda places strong emphasis on reasoning, discussion and justified decision-making. Their system provides a useful backdrop to a long-running philosophy program built around inquiry and reasoned judgement.

Neither result means the schools have perfect behaviour or fewer challenges than every other school. What the results show is confidence among the people who responded.

Published 29-July-2026

Brisbane Blend From Coffee Mentality Crowned Australia’s Champion Coffee In Tasmanian Awards

Coffee Mentality, which operates cafes across Brisbane including a popular outlet in Stones Corner, has earned national recognition after its Olfactory filter specialty blend was crowned Champion Coffee at the 2026 Royal Tasmanian Fine Food Awards. The Brisbane roaster topped a field of 133 entries from across Australia to take home the competition’s highest coffee honour.

Read: Shop, Savour, Win: Why More Brisbane Locals Are Rediscovering Stones Corner

The winning blend, Olfactory, was judged the best coffee among 133 entries submitted by roasters from around the country. Melbourne’s Griffiths Bros Coffee Roasters received the Reserve Champion title for its Wellspring Organic espresso blend, while Tasmanian producers also made a strong showing, contributing around 20 per cent of all entries.

Coffee Mentality celebrated the result on social media, saying the award came as a welcome surprise after entering the competition for the first time. The Brisbane business said receiving the Champion Coffee title was especially meaningful and thanked the Royal Tasmanian Fine Food Awards for the recognition, adding that it was grateful to be part of the awards program’s 31-year tradition of celebrating Australia’s food and beverage producers.

Photo credit: Google Maps/Coffee Mentality – Stones Corner

Founded in 2015, Coffee Mentality has grown from a mobile cafe into a Brisbane-based specialty coffee roaster headquartered in nearby Woolloongabba. Today, it operates a network of cafes across the city, including Stones Corner, while also supplying wholesale customers through its social franchise model. The business says it aims to use coffee as a way to build community and create positive social impact both locally and internationally.

Its award-winning Olfactory is a specialty filter coffee blend developed by Coffee Mentality, known for its cherry, berry and jammy sweetness. The company describes it as an aromatic coffee with vibrant fruit-forward flavours and aromas.

High Standards Across Australia

The Champion Coffee award was decided during judging at Lottie Lane Coffee Roasters in Moonah, Tasmania, as part of the Royal Tasmanian Fine Food Awards.

Food and Wine Events Manager Carolyn Petkovich said this year’s coffee competition attracted an exceptionally high standard of entries from across Australia. She said it was encouraging to see Tasmanian roasters competing alongside many of the country’s leading coffee producers, with more medal awards presented than in previous years because of the overall quality of the field.

The Royal Tasmanian Fine Food Awards recognise excellence across a wide range of Australian food and beverage categories. Running from April to September each year, the program includes judging for baked goods, preserves, chocolate and confectionery, honey, tea and tisanes, cheese and dairy products, seafood, pantry items and coffee.

Read: Stones Corner Through the Years: Exploring Brisbane’s Living Heritage Trail

The Champion Coffee title marks another achievement for Coffee Mentality, which operates a network of cafes across Brisbane while remaining connected to the local communities it serves. Customers visiting the Stones Corner cafe can try the same Olfactory blend that impressed judges and claimed the competition’s highest coffee honour.

Published 28-July-2026

East Brisbane Area Sports Results 24-26 July 2026

AFL

Toyota AFL Premiership

Sun, July 26, 2026 (Gabba, Brisbane • Yuggera – Turrbal) – Toyota AFL Premiership – Men – Round 20

• Brisbane Lions 126 | Port Adelaide 675

QAFL

QAFL – TPIL Lawyers

Sat, July 25, 2026 (Jack Esplen Oval / Jack Esplen Oval 1) – TPIL Lawyers QAFL – Men – Round 16

• Morningside QAFL Seniors 155 | Labrador QAFL Seniors 88

Sat, July 25, 2026 (Giffin Park / Giffin Park 1) – TPIL Lawyers QAFL – Men – Round 16

• Coorparoo QAFL Seniors 109 | Mt Gravatt QAFL Seniors 55

QAFLW

QAFLW – Bond University

Sat, July 25, 2026 (Giffin Park / Giffin Park 1) – Bond University QAFLW – Women – Round 14

• Coorparoo QAFLW Seniors 15 | Bond University QAFLW Seniors 12

Sat, July 25, 2026 (Jack Esplen Oval / Jack Esplen Oval 1) – Bond University QAFLW – Women – Round 14

• Morningside QAFLW Seniors 38 | Wilston Grange QAFLW Seniors 10

NPL

NPL Women

Fri, July 24, 2026 (Luxury Paints Stadium (Lions FC)-Field 1) – NPL – Women – Round 24

• Lions FC 3 | Capalaba FC 1

Sat, July 25, 2026 (Heath Park (Eastern Suburbs FC)-Field 1) – NPL – Women – Round 24

• Eastern Suburbs 3 | FQ Academy QAS 0

NBL

NBL1 North

Fri, July 24, 2026 (Carmichael Ford Stadium) – NBL1 North – Women – Grand Finals

• Townsville Flames 85 | Southern Districts Spartans 83

QRL

Sat, July 25, 2026 (Hinricks Oval, Blackwater) – QRL – Hostplus Cup – Men – Round 19

• Central Queensland Capras 24 | Brisbane Tigers 20

Sun, July 26, 2026 (Father Ranger Oval, Warwick) – QRL – Hostplus Cup – Men – Round 19

• Tweed Heads Seagulls 8 | WM Seagulls 58

Year-Long Search Ends at Unusually Large Stones Corner Apartment

Photo Credit: Position Property

A buyer’s year-long search for a new home has ended with the $1.14 million purchase of an unusually large top-floor apartment in Stones Corner.

The two-bedroom property at 804/9 Zillah Street sold in a post-auction deal on 16 July after attracting four registered bidders, two of whom competed on the day of the auction. The owner-occupier eventually secured the home after negotiations continued following the auction.

The apartment has a reported area of 169 square metres and includes two bathrooms, two car spaces, a wraparound terrace and a Vergola roof. Its size, outdoor space and position on the eighth floor became the main points of difference during the sales campaign.

A Two-Bedroom Layout With More Room Than Most

Completed in 2017, the apartment had remained with the same owner since the building was finished.

Published reports described the layout as unusual because so much top-floor space had been given to a two-bedroom home. The selling agent said a developer would be less likely to create the same type of apartment in a new project today.

Even so, the combination of a large floor area, wraparound terrace and two parking spaces made the property stand out from more compact apartment layouts. Its top-floor position also means there is no apartment directly above it, adding to the sense of space and separation.

A Rare Home Finds the Right Buyer

Sitting beside Greenslopes in Brisbane’s inner south, Stones Corner offers buyers an established local centre with nearby shops, dining and transport links.

The property did not sell under the hammer, but negotiations continued afterwards and resulted in a $1.14 million sale. The successful buyer had reportedly spent about a year looking for a home before securing the Stones Corner apartment.

The campaign attracted both upsizers and downsizers. Its size may have appealed to buyers who wanted the convenience of apartment living without giving up as much room as they might in a smaller unit.

Published 21-July-2026

50 Years of the Riverside Expressway: How It Changed the Greenslopes Commute

For thousands of drivers in Greenslopes, the morning commute to the Brisbane CBD is pure muscle memory. You hop onto the M3, cruise past Woolloongabba, cross the Captain Cook Bridge, and merge onto the Riverside Expressway. It is a daily ritual for the inner south. It’s a seamless, almost mindless transition from suburban streets to the heart of the city.

This month marks exactly 50 years since the Riverside Expressway officially opened on 22 July 1976. While the towering concrete lanes wrap strictly around the edge of the CBD, they are the vital final link in a corridor that changed life for suburbs like Greenslopes. It locks the Captain Cook Bridge and the South East Freeway, giving the inner south a straight shot into town, bypassing choked suburban bottlenecks and permanently reshaping how Brisbane moves.

A Radical Blueprint for a Choked City

Go back to the mid-1960s, and Brisbane was suffocating under its own traffic. The city’s narrow, colonial-era streets simply couldn’t handle the post-war motoring boom.

Desperate for a solution, transport planners looked across the Pacific. In 1965, American consultants Wilbur Smith and Associates delivered a groundbreaking transport study with a bold proposition: build a massive, elevated highway right along the edge of the Brisbane River to siphon traffic away from the city center.

Construction crews fired up their engines in 1968. Over the next eight years, they completely transformed the riverfront, spending a whopping $37 million to finish the 2.7-kilometer stretch from Coronation Drive to Kangaroo Point. The archival photos at the State Library of Queensland show the staggering scale of the work. It was a forest of concrete pillars slowly rising out of the mud to rewrite Brisbane’s skyline.

The Lifeline to the Inner South

Though the expressway itself doesn’t touch Greenslopes soil, the suburb’s fortunes have always been tied to it.

Before the expressway and the connected South East Freeway, getting from the inner south to the city meant battling local surface roads and navigating a maze of intersections. The new corridor acted like a funnel, vacuuming up traffic from Greenslopes and delivering drivers directly to the city’s doorstep.

Because of this tight connection, Greenslopes and the Riverside Expressway effectively share the same nervous system. When something goes wrong on the riverfront, the effects bounce down the highway almost instantly.

The Day the City Stood Still

People usually take the expressway for granted—until it closes.

The ultimate proof of how much Brisbane relies on this stretch of concrete came in October 2006, when an emergency closure shut down the expressway. The Department of Transport and Main Roads later studied the fallout, and the results were chaotic.

The city didn’t just slow down; it seized up. With the central artery blocked, traffic backed up for miles, spilling over onto every alternative river crossing and local road. Commuters abandoned their cars, delayed their trips, or simply gave up and stayed home. For drivers down the M3 corridor in Woolloongabba and Greenslopes, the gridlock hit hard, proving that a hiccup in the CBD could paralyze the suburbs miles away.

Protests, Progress, and the Daily Grind

The Riverside Expressway has always been more than just an engineering feat. It is a living piece of Brisbane’s social history.

It wasn’t universally liked from the start. On opening day in 1976, while politicians and invited guests celebrated the ribbon-cutting, a dedicated group of conservationists gathered on the riverbank below, waving protest signs at the concrete monolith. The archives capture a city caught in a tug-of-war between preservation and rapid progress.

Half a century later, the protests have faded into history, and the expressway has simply become part of the background noise of Brisbane life. It still does exactly what it was designed to do 50 years ago.

For a Greenslopes commuter heading home after a long day, this grey ribbon of concrete above the river is just the familiar road that takes them home.

Published 14-July-2026