St Paul’s Parish will be moving to Anglicare SQ Chapel at Edwin Marsden Tooth Memorial Home (also known as Lota House) after selling its church premises to the Education Department. The decision was made in consideration of the planned expansion of the Manly State School.
“The Parish of St Paul’s has voluntarily opted to sell the site of our current church to enable the expansion of Manly State School,” St Paul’s Anglican Church March 2022 Notice of Public Meeting said.
The notice furthered that the decision was a proactive response to the church’s “ministry context” and for the benefit of the Manly community. Despite the sale, the parish, however, will continue to service the local community.
“While this is a sensitive subject, everyone from the Bishop to the local MP and many others have expressed how impressed they were with our professional approach, community culture and Christian love,” St Paul’s Parish Priest, Daniel Hobbs wrote in his May 2022 Pastoral Message.
“I was truly gobsmacked by how well the Public Meeting went! With this important piece of work behind us, we move now to two tasks that require input from our whole parish: 1) Lota House Chapel restoration and 2) Our model of ministry for when we get there.”
Manly State School is set for major expansion with a new multi-storey building to enable the school to keep up with its enrolment growth. The $11.6-million learning centre will contain general learning spaces plus a music centre and an outdoor learning space.
Currently, the Manly SS has a maximum capacity of 707 students. Last year, enrolments have risen to 701 from 657 the year before. The expansion project has been welcomed by bayside locals including Councillor Peter Cumming who recognised the need for more learning spaces and play areas at the school.
Manly State School’s neighbouring place of worship, St Paul’s Parish Church on 99 Ernest Street, had its timber hall constructed in 1914 with succeeding developments in 1932 which saw the addition of a sanctuary, an altar and chancel as well as the construction of the vicarage. It was not until 1964 that the church was built on the same site.
Mercury Theatre Wynnum, which has been playing in the bay since the 1940s, is presenting “Steel Magnolias” featuring Toni Griffin, Darsha Hockings, Anwen Jones, Helen Haberland, and Liz Hull at the Manly-Lota RSL.
Beginning Friday, 3 June 2022, until Saturday, 18 June 2022, “Steel Magnolias” will play for six nights between 7:30 to 10:30 p.m.
The show is set in the Chinquapin, a fictional location in Louisiana, and follows Truvy (Griffin), who owns a beauty parlor, and her female friends. The plot centres on the upcoming wedding of Shelby (Jones) who has Type 1 diabetes, and her relationship with her mother, M’Lynn (Hull). The story also revolves around Truvy’s relationships with the men in her life, Annelle’s (Hockings) transformation, and Ousier’s (Haberland) friendship with Claire.
“Steel Magnolias” is directed by Ric Medlin, who has been part of the Mercury Theatre Wynnum since his childhood. He received his Lifetime Membership in 2021.
Mercury Theatre was founded by Win Davson and Arnold Bennett-Edward Knoblock. It is a community-based (amateur) company run by volunteers that produce at least three shows a year.
The theatre also conducts an Improvisation for Acting class with Anne Pensalfini as the instructor.
Learn more about the theatre and its membership here. Follow their Facebook page.
Do you have a penchant for woodworking? Take part in Bayside Woodturners and Woodcrafters Club’s Open Day in Manly this May 2022 and check out the incredible products that will be on display.
If you feel like joining, mark your calendars on Saturday, 7 May 2022 from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. The event will take place at 15 Harman St, Manly, their club house which is located on the opposite side of the rail line and behind Manly State School.
This six-hour annual event will be presented by the Bayside Woodturners and Woodcrafters Club, a club which encourages people to express themselves through the art of woodwork.
Originally founded as a turning group in 1989, the club has grown as a multi-faceted organization. From its humble beginnings, the club now has over 100 members.
The club conducts instruction in Woodturning, Machinery /Box-making, Pyrography, Carving, Scroll saw and Intarsia. Individual members pursue various extensions of Clock-making, Ornamental Turning, Model-making and Weather-wall/clock combinations.
Facilities include a workshop of approximate 100sqm that was built in 2003 to accommodate the Machinery and Woodturning groups. In 2007 an extension was constructed to give storage room and a permanent place for the club trailer.
Club members have attended and demonstrated their talents at many local and charitable events, such as Working With Wood Show, Strawberry Festival, Spring Parade, and Birkdale Scout Fair, Morningside School of Arts Fair, and Jondaryan Woolshed Heritage Festival to name a few.
Two new lifestyle shops, Style + Error and Sandy Lane Hair Studio, join established stores like Apothecary Botanical, Ebb + Flow Boutique, Bella Botiqo, Flowers on Cambridge, and Mad Hatters Bookshop at Manly Harbour Village.
Style + Error is a home decor and furniture store founded Haidee, a breast cancer survivor. Whilst she has been doing the finishing touches to her lifestyle store, Haidee has also pledged her support for 100 Squats a Day for Breast Cancer by Project Pink.
Haidee’s new business has yet to kick off as she and her staff have been waiting for deliveries and doing the inventory of the stocks. Keep tabs of Style + Error’s opening day on their social media.
Sandy Lane Hair Studio had its opening night on 1 April 2022. The salon has a small team of dedicated professionals who are best known for their unique balayage technique. The Manly shop is led by Karlee Kumar, an award-winning stylist with more than a decade of experience under her belt.
In November 2021, Manly Harbour Village changed hands after 35 years. Former president David Farley, who has been credited for transforming this precinct, handed over his role to the new president, Peta Prestidge.
Mr Farley has chosen to retire at 78 years old and has confidence that the new leadership will be able to step up and do more great things for the site as a lifestyle destination. More initiatives and changes will be underway as Manly prepares to become the 2032 Olympic sailing venue.
Heads up, Manly and Manly West! It’s your turn for kerbside collection soon! Did you know that you can repurpose a lot of items to give them a new lease on life? Here are some ideas before you think of chucking them on the kerb.
There’s still plenty of time to sort through your old and items for disposal and re-check if your kerbside collection pile includes unacceptable items that will not be picked up. Some of your items might also be more useful as donations to various charities or the Council’s treasure troves to reduce the landfill wastes.
Better yet, instead of throwing some things away, consider upcycling old furniture and start on a beautification project at home!
For instance, old dressers or even old washing machine drums could become great display cases for plants. You’ll need to spend on some good paint brands and brushes to give these items new life.
Need new light fixtures? No need to head out to the store to buy a brand new piece. Look at your existing stuff and repurpose these into unique lanterns or lampshades. You could also repurpose old light fixtures for other uses — the possibilities are endless when you upcycle!
Got plenty of old pictures to sort through? Framing each of these might cost a lot of money but you could save a lot if you upcycle and use old window frames to display these beautiful images.
You don’t even have to put them on the wall. You can also upcycle old picture frames as tables and fill these with your family’s memories.
If your old luggage has been sitting under dust for the last few years, it could still be of use as shelves on empty walls in your house.
Don’t be afraid to try fun and bold colours since the very idea for upcycling is to never constrain your creativity. If you make mistakes, then it’s all part of the learning process. However, it’s always a good idea to prepare the right tools, plan ahead, and then give the old pieces a good rundown first before you start on the project.
Look at YouTube videos for some ideas and instructions on how to carry out this project and ask family members to help you complete it as this will make for a great bonding activity during the weekends.
Construction works on a four-storey residential development at 191 Stratton Tce, Manly have been paused and the project will likely be delayed until issues are resolved.
The 43-unit residential development, which is a project of DeMartini Fletcher, is due for completion by the end of 2022. However, it may not be open until December 2023 after the pandemic impacted the costing and availability of supplies for construction.
Photo credit: 191 Stratton Manly/Google Maps
DeMartini Fletcher revealed they needed to discontinue the works to regroup and solve the issues following the dramatic increase of prices in building supplies such as steel and aluminum. Prices increased by the second half of 2021 due to the supply chain disruptions brought by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The CBD-based developer admitted that the huge increase in supply costs had a big impact on projects like 191 Stratton, and that it would increase the total project cost by almost 35 percent. The estimated cost of the project is already around $25 million.
Photo credit: 191 Stratton Manly/Google Maps
Once the costing issues are resolved, works at the site will likely resume by the second quarter of 2022 for a 15-month construction process. They have only done some site preparations and no major works have been started so far.
Prior to the issues the developers are currently facing, works have been delayed following issues with some locals, but the developer agreed to tweak certain elements of the designs and lower the number of units and retail space.
Photo credit: 191 Stratton Manly/Google Maps
The developer has already held the sold-turning ceremony for the residential project in November 2021 in partnership with Rork Projects. The proceedings were hosted by Demartini Fletchers Development Manager, Tony Dwyer with the official sod turning being undertaken by the Managing directors of both companies, John DeMartini Senior and Brian O’Rourke.
191 Stratton’s amenities include a resort-style pool, BBQ area and wellness gym. A rooftop recreation deck boasting stunning bay views is also available for all residents.
DeMartini Fletcher is behind some of well-known residential projects in Brisbane, including Enclave Wynnum and V Clayfield.
Long day care is a centre-based form of childcare service that typically provides all day care for children of working families. Long day care centres may be run by private operators, not-for-profit organisations, employers and community groups.
The 108-place childcare centre will cater to children ages 0-5 years old. It will feature two storeys with outdoor play and sleeping areas.
Located at 18-22 Ernest St, Manly, the project is estimated to cost around $10 million and is one of four new childcare projects on the bayside.
Artist’s impression of new childcare centre in Manly (Photo credit: Brisbane City Council PD Online)
It’s located close to the upcoming 86-place Treehouse Early Learning Manly at 70 – 74 Ernest St and close to local services such as Manly Harbour Village and Wynnum Health Service in Manly West. It’s also within walking distance of Manly State School and Manly Train Station.
Echelon Property Group, who’s also behind the childcare centre along Stradbroke Avenue Wynnum, believe that despite the new childcare venues popping up around the bayside, there’s definitely no oversupply of centres in the area.
Site plans (Photo credit: Brisbane City Council PD Online)
As of October 2020, which was the time the applicant made an assessment report for the development application, it was mentioned that there were five long day care centres in the major catchment supplying a total of 340 places to an estimated resident market of 1,375 children under 5.
“There is only one centre in Manly, however, it should be noted that this centre (Treehouse Manly) is an upcoming centre that is still awaiting service approval and is accepting enrolments to a waiting list,” the need analysis says.
The applicant said they also addressed some of the concerns that residents cited, including the potential traffic problems it might bring to an already busy part of Manly.
“With locally generated demand exceeding supply and additional demand from non-resident workers, it’s estimated that Manly has a supply restriction and would benefit from the development of a childcare centre at the subject site,” the planning document reads.
Depending on weather and construction conditions, the childcare centre will start operating by early 2023. It’s expected to bring in up to 30 jobs throughout the construction process.
The management is also planning to hire around 30 staff once the venue opens. Once open, it will operate from 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m., Monday – Friday.
For more information about the approved childcare centre, see A005594986.
Manly maintains its double-digit growth rate as the median house price hits the seven digits for the 12-month period ending September 2021. The bayside suburb cracked the million-dollar mark amidst a strong investment climate and a continuing shift in lifestyle preferences to favour a sea-change or tree-change.
The median house price in Manly grew by 11.92 per cent, now at $1,080,000 for the period October 2020 to September 2021.
Manly’s unit market stayed relatively flat, with a 3.77 per cent growth for the same period, putting the median at $550,000.
Unit supply remains low versus demand, but a number of developments in the next five years are expected to change the picture.
Manly House Price Growth
Manly’s housing market has seen an exponential rise in recent years. From October 2020 to September 2021, the median house price increased by 11.92 per cent, according to Property Market Updates. For this period, the median house price increased to $1,080,000 from $965,000 in the previous year.
There were 105 properties sold for this period at an average of 60 days on market. Resort-style four-bedroom homes sold the most at 59 properties, but it’s the two-bedroom houses that moved briskly, at 26 days on the market.
Manly continues to attract buyers and investors looking for a village-style community where locals enjoy a chill and relaxed bayside lifestyle. A place known for its boats, it’s common to find families enjoying the waterfront, either for a walk or play or for sailing, given that it has one of the biggest marinas in this part of the world.
Manly Unit Price Growth
On the other hand, unit properties in Manly remained relatively flat, showing just 3.77 per cent growth from October 2020 to September 2021, pushing the median unit price at $550,000. As with the previous quarter, demand for Manly units outstripped supply with only 27 properties sold within an average of 64 days.
Industry insiders are confident that upcoming residential and commercial building developments, including the redevelopment of the more than 50-year-old community hive, the Moreton Bay Trailer Boat Club, will improve unit values in a few years.
About Manly
Manly has maintained its quintessential small-town appeal with the absence of major shopping centres, chain stores, and fast-food franchise outlets. That’s why it appeals to young families, retirees, and downsizers.
Photo Credit: Google Maps
The local restaurants, cafes and pubs are operated by family businesses or residents in the area. There are a number of heritage-listed sites around the village, preserving the locale’s historical and cultural significance.
Located more than 20 kilometres from the city, Manly is bordered by bayside suburbs like Wynnum, Lota, and Manly West. Walkability in this village is absolutely critical as residents can go from block to block to have what they need.
The village is close to the esplanade, the marina, the dining precincts and shops, as well as the schools. Manly is also a 20-minute walk to Wynnum where there’s a Woolworths and more eclectic shops.
“The beauty of the bay, great cafes and food, plenty of bike and jogging paths, quiet during the week and full of life on the weekend. And unlike Bulimba, you will find born and bred Brisbane locals here (yes, it took me a few months mum, but I finally found some after moving to Manly – and no I don’t believe they are actually an endangered species anymore).”
ToastyInQLD
“Manly wow what can I say, after living there for a couple of years I think the best word I could use to describe this fantastic area would be “Trendy”. Great restaurants, and a beautiful esplanade.”
Harry J
“Manly is an uncut diamond. Highly valuable but lacking in the killer punch that is presented. Manly needs development in the village are similar to what has been achieved in Bulimba. More entertainment options will bring more visitors, more visitors means the desirability of the area is enhanced. Increased desirability increases revenue for local businesses and property values. Development in Manly will make the diamond of the bay shine.”
Did you know that harvesting some shellfish species from Moreton Bay is prohibited? The regulations are in place to help the shellfish population recover.
This comes after fisheries officers informed the State Government that they have been receiving an increasing number of reports about fishers breaking the rules.
Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol has conducted a vehicle search where they uncovered 645 mud whelks and the offenders were issued with Fisheries Infringement Notice fines of $2,204 in total.
According to Member of Redlands Kim Richards, Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol officers recently responded to a call to the Fishwatch hotline and found four offenders at Thorneside in possession of hundreds of gastropods.
In 2019, the Queensland Government introduced new management arrangements to protect gastropod and bivalve molluscs from excessive harvesting.
Member for Pumicestone Ali King said the species are highly susceptible to depletion because they are sedentary and can be easily harvested in fishing grounds close to urban centres.
“These restrictions were necessary so we can build a legacy of a sustainable fishery for our children and grandchildren,” Ms King said.
“Gastropod and bivalve molluscs including mud arks, mud whelks and cockles, cannot be taken from closed waters in Moreton Bay,” she said.
Meanwhile, Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries and Minister for Rural Communities Mark Furner said Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol officers will be conducting their regular compliance checks around Moreton Bay closed waters and urged fishers to always fish by the rules.
“Our state’s fisheries resources belong to all Queenslanders and it’s everyone’s responsibility to protect fish stocks for the future,” Mr Furner said.
People who suspect illegal fishing activity should report it to the 24 hour toll-free Fishwatch hotline on 1800 017 116.
An ongoing development site on Stratton Terrace, located a few metres away from Manly Harbour Village, could make way for an exciting lineup of dining establishments or other lifestyle amenities to the bayside suburb.
The $40-million development of 191 Stratton Terrace comes as Manly experiences a renaissance in its dining and retail scene with the revamp of Manly Boathouse, the changes at The Manly Hotel, the facelifts at the Moreton Bay Trailer Boat Club, and the addition of new restaurants with interesting concepts, such as The Arsonist.
The building has been designed to be low and set back from the street. Its facade will be featured with weatherboard and metal screen elements to blend with the appearances of the other buildings in the precinct.
DeMartini Fletcher, the developer behind 191 Stratton Terrace, has listed the ground floor spaces on the market to find the right food establishments that could deliver a fresh dining experience for locals and their guests.
Photo Credit: DeMartiniFletcherProperty
Up for grabs are a 187-sqm strata-titled premises, a 112-square metre indoor/air-conditioned restaurant, and a 75-square metre alfresco dining space with a 20-metre frontage. Whilst the sites are ideal for food or retail, the spaces may also be viable for use as a medical or consulting office or a facility with similar services.
Designed by Ellivo, the building has a neutral colour palette that reflects the beach houses around Manly. The structure has distinct soft curves that weave around the facade to deliver a continuity of texture that imitates the ripples of the baywater.
