Brisbane Archives - Sandgate News

Brighton Residents Invited to Meet Police Over Coffee and Help Start Neighbourhood Watch Group

Brighton residents are being invited to sit down with police over coffee and help launch an online Neighbourhood Watch group for their community.

The Coffee With A Cop session runs from 10:30am to 11:30am on Sunday 8 November at Luan Café, inside the shopping centre at 353 Beaconsfield Terrace.

Police will be there to answer questions and hear concerns from locals. Organisers describe Brighton as a relaxed bayside suburb and say they want to keep it that way. Residents can turn up with whatever is on their minds.

Part of the morning will go to a conversation about setting up a new online Neighbourhood Watch group for the suburb. Can’t make it on the day? Organisers say residents can still register interest by emailing brightonneighbourhoodwatch@gmail.com.

Neighbourhood Watch is a community-run program that operates in partnership with the Queensland Police Service. Neighbourhood Watch Queensland has more information for anyone curious about how groups work with police.

Promotional material for the event also leans on the social side. It encourages locals to come along, have a coffee and get to know the people who live nearby.

Published Date 05-November-2026

Sandgate Walking Group Gives Men a Place to Talk, Mate by Mate

A free walk from Sandgate Pool to Shorncliffe Pier is giving Brisbane’s dads, sons, brothers, uncles and granddads a gentle way to catch up with other men.

Kings Walk is the name, and the group’s motto says “kings do not walk alone”. Organisers describe it as support for men’s mental health, connection and brotherhood. It costs nothing, has no formal program and needs no sign-up. It is an informal peer gathering, not a counselling or clinical service.

Walkers meet at 5 a.m. every Saturday at Sandgate Pool, formally the Sandgate Aquatic Centre on Flinders Parade. According to Brisbane City Council, the pool itself does not open to swimmers until 6 a.m. on Saturdays, so this is an early meet-up rather than a swim session. At 5:15 a.m. the group sets off for Shorncliffe Pier and back. Local route guides put the return trip at roughly 5 to 6 kilometres. Organisers say most mornings wrap up by 6:30 a.m., and they aim to have men home by 7 a.m., in time for kids’ sport and other weekend plans.

Some mornings the conversation stays light. Other mornings it carries more weight. Organisers say there is comfort in starting the weekend next to men who share similar pressures and responsibilities. They also say nobody is judged, egos stay at home and no one gets left behind. The group describes the walks as a way to look out for mates through the good days and the hard ones.

One local resident, commenting on the group’s online post, called the idea much needed. The commenter said women in online mothers’ groups often write about how hard it is for their husbands to make new friends. The same comment asked whether the group might hold a later catch-up for men who are not early risers. Two other commenters also responded. One said they would be there at 5 a.m., and the other said they hoped to make it. The post’s author replied to both with encouragement.

So what does it take to join? Very little. Men can turn up at Sandgate Pool on a Saturday, and organisers encourage them to bring a mate who might benefit. Anyone with a question beforehand can email kingswalk100@gmail.com, though the group says that is optional. Organisers describe turning up as the first step, and something a man does for himself.

The walk is not a crisis service. Anyone who is struggling can call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or the Beyond Blue support service on 1300 224 636. In an emergency, call triple zero (000).

Published Date 22-October-2026

Brisbane Dentist Behind Smilo.ai Wins Queensland Pearcey Award

Photo Credit: Dr Padma Gadiyar/LinkedIn

After years of treating dental patients, Dr Padma Gadiyar wanted to find a way to identify oral health problems before they became more difficult to manage. Her response was Smilo.ai in Sandgate, an artificial intelligence platform that has now earned the Brisbane dentist the 2026 Queensland Pearcey ICT Entrepreneur Award.

Founded in 2019, Smilo.ai uses smartphone technology to support dental screening and monitoring outside traditional appointments. Dr Gadiyar received the award on Tuesday, 6 October, at The Beetson Hotel in Petrie Terrace, with Queensland Minister for Customer Service and Open Data and Minister for Small and Family Business Steve Minnikin presenting the honour.

A Dental Check Without The Dentist’s Chair

Smilo.ai began with a problem Dr Gadiyar had encountered in clinical practice: patients struggling with the cost, accessibility and continuity of dental care, sometimes leaving concerns unaddressed until treatment became more complicated. The platform allows users to capture images of their teeth and gums using a smartphone, with artificial intelligence helping screen for potential problems. It also supports ongoing monitoring, allowing changes in oral health to be recorded between dental visits.

Rather than replacing dentists, the technology is intended to help people recognise concerns earlier and seek appropriate professional advice. Smilo.ai also offers virtual dental consultations in Australia, extending access to dental guidance beyond face-to-face appointments. Dr Gadiyar has since broadened the company’s focus beyond individual patients to aged care, disability support and chronic disease management.

Brisbane dentist Pearcey Award — Photo Credit: Dr Padma Gadiyar/LinkedIn

In aged care settings, the technology is designed to help nurses and carers document changes in residents’ oral health, including concerns involving teeth, gums and dentures. Screening information can then assist with monitoring, care planning and referrals when professional dental attention is needed. The longer-term aim is to make oral health monitoring part of wider healthcare services, rather than treating dental concerns separately from other ongoing health needs.

Smilo.ai — Photo Credit: Dr Padma Gadiyar/LinkedIn

From Treating Patients To Building Technology

The Pearcey Foundation’s judges considered Dr Gadiyar’s transition from clinical dentistry into technology entrepreneurship, alongside Smilo.ai’s clinical validation, regulatory approval, patent protection and commercial progress. Queensland Pearcey Foundation Chair Rebecca McDonald acknowledged the strong field of nominees across different technology sectors. Dr Gadiyar’s clinical background and development of a platform addressing oral healthcare access were among the factors recognised by the panel.

During 2026, Smilo.ai expanded into additional healthcare settings and continued fundraising for further development. Research supporting the company’s work has also received funding through the National Health and Medical Research Council and the Medical Research Future Fund. The Queensland Pearcey ICT Entrepreneur Award recognises mid-career technology entrepreneurs who have taken commercial risks and contributed to the state’s technology sector. Dr Gadiyar will represent Queensland at the Pearcey National Awards in Canberra on 2 December 2026.

Published 7-October-2026

Activate! Sandgate! Campaign Shapes Community Voice Ahead of Suburb Renewal Plans

The Sandgate Bayside Chamber of Commerce has launched a community-driven campaign to shape the future of one of Brisbane’s most historically significant bayside suburbs, with the Activate! Sandgate! campaign positioning the local business community’s vision ahead of an upcoming planning consultation process.

The campaign arrives at a defining moment. Sandgate, which sits about 16 kilometres north of the Brisbane CBD along the Moreton Bay foreshore, has seen its population grow by just 0.4 per cent between the 2016 and 2021 censuses, well below the pace of the broader city.

Against that backdrop, Brisbane’s planning authority has identified Sandgate as one of its next Suburban Renewal Precincts, with early community feedback gathering already underway in 2026 and a draft plan expected for broader public consultation in mid-to-late 2026. The Chamber wants the community’s priorities in the room before those draft plans take shape.

What Activate! Sandgate! Is Asking For

The campaign’s vision, developed in consultation with planning and property experts, centres on a handful of interconnected priorities. At its heart is a significant enhancement of Einbunpin Lagoon and the surrounding parklands, one of the suburb’s most-loved natural assets, alongside a renewed mixed-use precinct that broadens housing choice and creates new employment and short-stay accommodation opportunities. Crucially, the vision also calls for preserving the bayside streets and avenues that define Sandgate’s character: the heritage-listed Queenslanders, the tree canopy, the unhurried scale.

Photo Credit: Sandgate Bayside Chamber of Commerce

Chamber President Bill Gollan describes the campaign as a proactive response rather than a reactive one, designed to ensure the community has a clearly articulated position before consultation begins rather than scrambling to respond to a draft that has already been set.

“Sandgate is one of Brisbane’s most naturally beautiful bayside locations, but without thoughtful future planning, we risk falling behind and losing the unique character that makes Sandgate so special,” Gollan said.

“Activate! Sandgate! is about working with the community to deliver a balanced decision, one that protects our heritage, while creating new opportunities for locals to live, work and invest in the area.”

A Suburb Built on Seaside Identity

Understanding what is at stake requires understanding what Sandgate has always been. The Turrbal people, whose land this coast has been since long before European settlement, called the area Warra, meaning an open sheet of water, a name that speaks to the lagoons, wetlands and foreshore that remain central to the suburb’s identity today.

European settlement in the mid-1800s quickly established Sandgate as Brisbane’s go-to seaside escape, with thousands of visitors travelling from the city by the early 20th century to swim, boat and breathe the bay air. The suburb’s population trebled during the 1880s as its reputation grew.

That history remains etched into the streetscape. Heritage-listed Queenslanders line the avenues, while the 1924 war memorial park on Seymour Street anchors the civic heart, and landmarks like the former post office building at Bowser Parade and the 1887 Baptist church at Flinders Parade have been given new lives rather than demolished.

Sandgate’s village atmosphere owes much to the fact that it was bypassed by development pressure when the Hornibrook Highway opened to Redcliffe in 1935, drawing visitors away and insulating the suburb from the kind of rapid transformation that reshaped many other bayside communities.

The Tension at the Heart of Renewal

The planning process underway is not starting from scratch. The Sandgate District Neighbourhood Plan, which came into effect in March 2023, tightened protections for pre-1947 homes across Sandgate, Deagon, and Shorncliffe. However, while the Chamber’s footprint includes Brighton, that suburb’s low-density zoning remained largely untouched by the 2023 plan—a fact that heightens the importance of the new 2026 precinct boundaries.The Suburban Renewal Precinct now in development focuses more specifically on the centre, covering parts of Brighton Road and Rainbow Street, running along the north side of the rail line and extending to Burnett Place, with Einbunpin Lagoon Park and Sandgate War Memorial Park both sitting within the proposed boundaries.

This renewal project operates under a distinct planning mechanism, separate from the standard neighbourhood planning process. By designating Sandgate as a Suburban Renewal Precinct, the framework fast-tracks the transformation of underutilised commercial land into residential and mixed-use hubs, aiming to deliver more housing close to existing services, transport and the foreshore.

Gollan is direct about the economic stakes, noting that without change, the local economy risks stagnation, while also making clear that the Chamber’s vision is about balance, not wholesale transformation.

“Central to the vision is also restoring Sandgate’s status as Brisbane’s go-to bayside suburb,” he said. “Sandgate originated as a seaside escape and can still live up to that today.”

Getting Involved Before the Agenda Is Set

The Chamber’s immediate goal is building broad community support before formal consultation opens, so that when the planning authority releases its draft plan for Sandgate Centre, the community walks in with a coherent, considered position rather than fragmented individual submissions.

Residents and businesses across Sandgate, Brighton, Shorncliffe, Bracken Ridge, Bald Hills, Boondall, Carseldine, Fitzgibbon and Taigum can follow the campaign and get involved through the Sandgate Bayside Chamber of Commerce. More information is available at sandgatebayside.com.au.

Published 20-April-2026

Featured Image Credit: Sandgate Bayside Chamber of Commerce

Two Sandgate Brothers Who Went to War and Came Home

When Laurient (Laurie) and Felix Kempster sailed out of Sydney on the troopship Medic on 12 December 1916, they left behind their parents, Leonard and Rosina, and seven younger siblings in Sandgate. Both returned. Not every family from this stretch of Moreton Bay shore was so fortunate.

The Kempster brothers were local men in every sense. Laurie, aged 20, had worked as a junior clerk since 1914, while Felix, aged 18, had been on a cattle station near Roma. Both were fine horsemen, and both enlisted in the 11th Light Horse Regiment, a Queensland and South Australian unit that would go on to earn fourteen battle honours across Egypt, the Sinai, Palestine and Jordan.

Their story, preserved partly through letters home and partly through the records of the Sandgate Historical Museum, offers a rare window into the lived experience of two ordinary young men caught up in one of history’s great conflicts.

Getting There Was Its Own Adventure

The voyage to war was not without its lighter moments. In a letter to their mother written in early 1917, Felix described a boxing tournament held aboard the Medic, cheerfully reporting that he had been declared the ship’s lightweight champion. The detail that most mothers would quail at, including a description of “a few hard hits to the head and body,” was relayed with the breezy confidence of an 18-year-old who did not yet know what lay ahead. Laurie, for his part, reported both hands and a leg bandaged from his own bouts.

Their letters from Egypt, where they arrived in February 1917, painted vivid pictures of desert life: sandstorms, a diet of bully beef and biscuits, bitter cold, and the novelty of seeing “quite a lot of aeroplanes.” Felix wrote that they had “pretty good fun one way and another,” though both admitted they were “looking forward to the time when we shall be sent out to the firing line.”

That time came soon enough.

The 11th Light Horse Carried the War from Gallipoli into Palestine

The 11th Light Horse Regiment fought against the Ottoman Empire in Egypt, at Gallipoli, on the Sinai Peninsula, and in Palestine and Jordan. By the time Laurie and Felix joined as reinforcements in early 1917, the regiment had already served at Gallipoli in a dismounted role and had been defending the Suez Canal. In April 1917, following the withdrawal of Ottoman forces, the regiment moved into Palestine.

Both brothers served across Egypt and Palestine, both received field promotions, and both were awarded medals for bravery. Laurie received the Meritorious Service Medal for conspicuous and valuable service during the Syrian campaign. Felix received the Military Medal. Their citations place them squarely among the men of the 11th Light Horse Regiment during some of the campaign’s most decisive actions.

The Regiment Charged at Semakh and Pushed Through to Damascus

The regiment’s most famous moment came at Semakh, on the southern shore of the Sea of Galilee. On 25 September 1918, the 11th Light Horse displayed its versatility at Semakh by first charging the Turkish defences around the town on horseback, with swords drawn, and then clearing the actual town on foot, with rifle and bayonet. It was one of the last cavalry charges of the modern era, conducted in the dark across two miles of open, unrecognised ground. Once it was over at 5:30 am, German specialists and machine-gunners accounted for a significant portion of the casualties and prisoners. The Australians suffered 78 casualties, including fourteen killed, and had nearly half their horses hit.

Photo Credit: The Australian Light Horse Association

From Semakh, the regiment pressed on toward Damascus, which fell on 1 October 1918. The Armistice of Mudros ended the war in the Middle East on 30 October.

The Gun That Came Home to Sandgate

One of the weapons captured at Semakh, a 75mm German field gun, later made its way to Sandgate itself. The war trophy stood for more than thirty years overlooking Sandgate Pier and Bramble Bay, a 75mm German “Whiz Bang” field gun captured from a combined German and Turkish force during the last Light Horse charge by the Australian Forces during the 1914 to 1918 war.

Laurie Kempster attended the unveiling of the gun at Shorncliffe on 4 August 1923, where then Queensland Governor Sir Matthew Nathan revealed it. He was surprised to learn it was the same gun the regiment had captured in Syria. By that time, he had taken on a senior administrative role in Sandgate, a position he would hold until local government restructuring absorbed the municipality into a larger authority.

Coming Home to Sandgate

Both brothers returned safely in 1919, a fact their family knew was not universal. Laurie resumed his career in local administration and secured a senior clerical position in 1924. In 1921, he married Sandgate woman Evelyn Driver, and they had a son in 1923. He remained an active member of the 11th Light Horse Association for the rest of his life.

Felix, after a period of leave in England, travelled to California as part of an AIF detachment sent to study agriculture under a government scheme for returned soldiers. He returned to Queensland in 1920 and went into farming.

Their story is held at the Sandgate Historical Museum on Lagoon Street, open Sundays and Wednesdays from 9 am to 1:30 pm. Adults $5, children $3, membership from $20.

Published 10-April-2026

Featured Image Credit: Lives of the First World War & Virtual War Memorial Australia

Sandgate Foreshores Park Among Brisbane’s Busiest Food Truck Destinations

Sandgate Foreshores Park has emerged as one of Brisbane’s most popular food truck destinations, recording 142 bookings since the city’s revamped Food Trucks and Coffee Carts in Parks program launched in July 2025, bringing a steady stream of vendors and fresh dining options to the foreshore.

The program has expanded the number of approved trading sites across Brisbane from 13 to 98 in just eight months, with nearly 2,900 vendor bookings and more than 17,000 hours of trade logged city-wide. Sandgate Foreshores Park ranks among the top five most-booked locations in the entire city, sitting alongside Wynnum Wading Pool, Elanora Park in Wynnum, Les Atkinson Park in Sunnybank and Kangaroo Point Cliffs Park as the program’s busiest sites.

Sixty-four vendors have signed up to the program since its July launch, operating across parks and drive-up sites on roads managed by the city authority. The Brisbane Food Trucks website, which includes an interactive map and food-type search function, allows residents to see which trucks are trading on any given day.

How the Program Works

The program operates on a three-tier fee structure. Vendors pay an annual licence fee of $450, $1,650 or $2,200 depending on the tier they choose, with higher tiers unlocking access to better-positioned and more in-demand trading sites. All vendors also pay a $160 annual application fee. A new online portal allows traders to book sites up to six weeks in advance, and multiple vendors can trade at the same high-demand location on the same day.

Food trucks — Photo Credit: Toasty Grinds/Facebook

The system replaced an earlier Parks Activation program that operated with far fewer approved sites. Under the previous arrangement, vendors could secure longer-term permits at fixed locations, giving regular customers a consistent and predictable place to find their favourite truck. The new model prioritises flexibility and broader access across the city but has drawn mixed responses from the vendor community.

Vendors Divided on the New System

While some operators have welcomed the expanded network, others have raised concerns about the practical impact of the changes on their businesses. A coffee cart operator who trades at Minnippi Parklands in Carina found the new system incompatible with a repeat-customer model, noting that the booking structure limited him to trading once a week for three hours at a time, down from six days a week under the previous arrangement. After raising the issue directly, he was permitted to continue under the earlier programme.

Another vendor who joined on the entry-level $450 tier found that the sites available at that price point were too quiet to generate viable trade, reporting just one sale during an entire three-hour session at one location. He later received a pro-rata refund on his licence. A recurring concern among vendors has been the lack of booking security at popular spots. Because any eligible vendor can book an available site, regulars who build a customer base at a particular location have no guarantee they can return to it.

Vendors have also flagged a gap in the website’s functionality. The current platform shows only which trucks are trading on a given day rather than a full directory of all participating vendors, as the previous system did. The city authority has indicated it is working to add a complete vendor listing to the site.

What This Means for Sandgate Residents

For Sandgate residents, the food truck boom at Foreshores Park represents an increase in dining options to everyday life by the water. The foreshore has long been a gathering place for families, dog walkers, morning joggers and weekend picnickers, and the regular presence of food trucks adds a layer of spontaneous hospitality that the suburb has not always had on its doorstep. Rather than packing a picnic or driving to a cafe, residents can now find freshly made food and coffee waiting for them at the park on a regular basis.

The volume of bookings, 142 since July, also signals that vendors see Sandgate as commercially worthwhile, which bodes well for the consistency and variety of what turns up at the foreshore over time. As the program matures and the city authority works through the teething issues raised by vendors, Sandgate stands to benefit further, particularly if the booking security concerns are addressed and more operators feel confident committing to the location regularly.

Residents can check which food trucks are currently trading at Sandgate Foreshores Park and other locations across Brisbane at bnefoodtrucks.com.au or by searching “Brisbane Food Trucks and Coffee Carts” at brisbane.qld.gov.au.

Published 15-March-2026.

Featured Image Credit: Google Maps

WNBA Superstar Angel Reese Invests as Brisbane Bullets Seek WNBL Licence, Boondall Arena on the Card

The Brisbane Bullets have secured WNBA superstar Angel Reese as an investor in their bid to bring a women’s WNBL franchise to Brisbane, with the announcement landing on the same day the club confirmed former Sydney Kings head coach Will Weaver as president of basketball operations and head coach.

Reese, 23, joins Bullets owners Jason Levien and Ben Haan in the ownership group pursuing the WNBL’s 10th franchise licence. If the bid succeeds, the Brisbane Entertainment Centre in Boondall — the Bullets’ alternate home venue — would host selected WNBL fixtures, with Nissan Arena in Nathan serving as the primary venue.

The announcement caps a significant week for the club, which named Weaver head coach on the same day. Weaver led the Sydney Kings to the 2019–20 regular season minor premiership before the NBL suspended finals amid COVID-19 concerns. He subsequently worked as an assistant with the Houston Rockets, served as head coach of Paris Basketball and held further NBA roles before the Bullets secured his signature.

Who Is Angel Reese and Why Does It Matter for Brisbane

Reese averaged 14.7 points, a league-leading 12.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game for the Chicago Sky in 2025, earning her second WNBA All-Star selection.Her profile extends well beyond the court.

In 2024, Reese joined the ownership group of United Soccer League club DC Power FC and later joined the ownership group behind women’s sports brand TOGETHXR. In 2023, she founded the Angel C. Reese Foundation, dedicated to empowering girls and women through sport, education and financial literacy.

*Photo Credit: Angel C. Reese Foundation*

Her connection to Australia deepened during a recent visit with Reebok to launch new colourways of her signature Angel Reese 1 basketball shoe. Reebok also confirmed its role as the official footwear partner of the WNBL for the WNBL27 season beginning in late 2026.

What the Brisbane Bullets Are Bidding For

The WNBL plans to expand from eight to ten teams, with Tasmania already confirmed as the league’s ninth club ahead of WNBL27. The Bullets are seeking the tenth licence.

The Brisbane Bullets are one of the NBL’s foundation clubs, having competed since 1979 and won three national championships in 1985, 1987 and 2007. The club returned to the NBL in 2016 after financial difficulties forced it to relinquish its licence in 2008. Despite the club’s storied history, the Bullets have struggled since their return, finishing last in the most recent season with a 6–27 record after a series of injuries to key players.

A successful WNBL bid adds a women’s team to the Bullets’ programme and brings a top flight women’s basketball club back to South East Queensland for the first time since the Logan Thunder.

Why This Matters for Sandgate, Boondall and Brisbane’s Northside

Brisbane Entertainment Centre in Boondall sits at the centre of Brisbane’s northern bayside community and draws audiences from Sandgate, Deagon, Brighton, Bracken Ridge and across the Moreton Bay corridor. When the Bullets bring their alternate fixtures to Boondall, northside residents already make the trip. A WNBL franchise with games at the same venue would extend that calendar and bring professional women’s basketball to the community’s doorstep.

Bullets CEO Malcolm Watts described Reese’s involvement as a major asset for the bid. Watts said Reese had proven there was no ceiling for female athletes and that basketball was Queensland’s fastest-growing sport. The club sees her international profile as a direct tool for growing participation among young Queenslanders, particularly girls picking up a basketball for the first time.

For Sandgate and Boondall residents, a women’s team at Brisbane Entertainment Centre means professional basketball in their own backyard — not a drive to Nathan or the CBD.

More information on the Brisbane Bullets is available at brisbanebullets.com.au.

Published 12-March-2026.

Featured Image Credit: Angel Reese/Instagram

Fuel Surge Triggers Rush at South East Queensland Petrol Stations

Cheap petrol stations across South East Queensland recorded a sharp surge in customer numbers on Monday as escalating conflict in the Middle East raised fears of a sustained rise in global oil prices, with Pearl Energy Deagon among the hardest hit sites after a queue of traffic formed outside the station where unleaded petrol was selling for $1.63 per litre.

Pearl Energy Deagon manager Manthan Patel confirmed the station served approximately 980 customers on Monday morning alone, compared to its usual daily average of 600 to 700. Sunday night brought 390 customers through the bowsers, nearly triple the normal evening count of around 130. Patel said customers were filling up as much as they could and were talking openly about the conflict in the Middle East as the reason for their urgency.

The spike at Deagon formed part of a broader pattern across Brisbane, Logan and Ipswich, where fuel stations reported significantly elevated customer volumes across the same period.

What Is Driving the Global Price Pressure

Escalating conflict in the Middle East has disrupted oil and gas production and shipping across the region in ways that directly affect global fuel supply. Strikes and retaliatory attacks have prompted precautionary shutdowns at several major energy facilities.

Qatar has halted production at a liquefied natural gas plant following drone attacks, removing approximately 20 per cent of global LNG supply from the market. Saudi Arabia shut down its largest domestic oil refinery at Ras Tanura, with a capacity of 550,000 barrels per day, after intercepting drones targeting the facility. Iraqi Kurdistan, which exported 200,000 barrels per day via pipeline to Turkey’s Ceyhan port in February, has seen multiple energy companies halt output as a precaution.

Most significantly, shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has ground to a near halt. The strait carries approximately one fifth of global oil supply each day, around 20 million barrels. Insurance companies have cancelled war risk coverage for vessels in the Gulf, at least four tankers have been damaged, two seafarers have been killed and 150 ships are stranded in the region. Oil prices surged as much as 13 per cent in a single trading session to above US$82 a barrel, the highest since January 2025. Benchmark European wholesale gas prices have soared by almost 50 per cent.

How South East Queensland Stations Have Been Affected

Beyond Pearl Energy Deagon, multiple South East Queensland fuel stations reported a significant surge in demand on Monday. At Liberty Oil Grange on Brisbane’s northside, where unleaded petrol was priced at $1.87 per litre, senior customer representative Thabitha Ayyala said the station processed 360 customers in just five hours, a count that normally takes seven hours to reach, and had served 900 customers the previous Sunday. Lines of traffic also formed at Costco North Lakes and Liberty Oil at Lawnton on Brisbane’s northside.

At OOM Energy Kingston in Logan, where unleaded petrol was $1.69 per litre, manager Tev Ve said around 500 to 600 customers had come through. At Metco Silkstone in Ipswich, where unleaded petrol sat at $1.67 per litre, employee Syed Zahid reported more than 800 customers through the station with 260 arriving in the final hour alone.

What RACQ Says About Prices at the Bowser

RACQ principal economy and affordability specialist Dr Ian Jeffreys said the global oil price movement had already begun pushing prices higher but that Queensland motorists should not expect a sudden jump at the bowser in the immediate term. Due to the structure of South East Queensland’s fuel price cycle, any impact from current global movements is likely to be hidden until the next low point in the cycle, at which point changes will become clearer. Jeffreys said there was no need to panic buy and that RACQ was monitoring local fuel prices closely to ensure retailers did not take advantage of the situation through unjustified price increases.

Australia currently holds approximately 36 days of petrol reserves, 34 days of diesel and 32 days of jet fuel, including fuel held domestically and on ships within Australia’s exclusive economic zone.

Motorists wanting to find the lowest local fuel prices can use the RACQ Fuel and Deals app or Petrol Spy to monitor and compare prices across stations in real time.

Why This Matters for Sandgate and Deagon Residents

Pearl Energy Deagon is one of the most affordable petrol stations on Brisbane’s northside and serves a broad catchment of residents from Sandgate, Deagon, Brighton, Bracken Ridge and surrounding suburbs. The station’s $1.63 per litre unleaded price on Monday represented a significant discount compared to stations further south, explaining both the volume of local customers and the draw from neighbouring suburbs.

For households in Sandgate and Deagon, where many residents commute by car to employment centres across Brisbane’s north, sustained increases in fuel prices represent a direct cost of living pressure. The advice from RACQ to use price monitoring apps rather than panic buy is particularly relevant for northside residents, who have access to several competitively priced stations and are well positioned to time their fuel purchases at the low point of the local pricing cycle.

Published 3-March-2026.

This Week in Brisbane: Horror Icons and Arthouse Classics from 26 February to 4 March 2026

Cinemas across Brisbane light up this week with the terrifying return of a horror icon and a brand-new drama. Whether you’re ready to face Ghostface once again or looking to dive into international cinematic masterpieces at GOMA, there’s something fresh to enjoy on the silver screen.

Opening This Week

Scream 7

In cinemas from 26 February

Do you like scary movies? Ghostface is back to terrorize a new set of victims in the highly anticipated seventh installment of the iconic slasher franchise. Catch it at Event Cinemas (City, Carindale, Chermside, Indooroopilly, Mt Gravatt), Palace, Dendy, Five Star Cinemas, Cinebar, Angelika, Reading, Cineplex, and HOYTS.

Solo Mio

In cinemas from 26 February

A fresh new drama hits the screens this week. Catch it at Event Cinemas (City, Carindale, Chermside, Indooroopilly, Mt Gravatt), Angelika, Cinebar, Cineplex (Balmoral, Victoria Point, Redbank), Reading, HOYTS, and United Eldorado.

GOMA: Cinema Masterpieces

Special screenings at the Gallery of Modern Art

Days of Heaven (1978) – 27 Feb
Querelle (1982) – 27 Feb
Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors (1965) – 28 Feb
The Colour of Pomegranates (1969) – 28 Feb
The Lighthouse (2019) – 4 Mar

Still Showing

EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert

The King’s immersive concert experience continues to rock major cinemas across Brisbane.

Fackham Hall

The hilarious British period drama spoof is still delivering laughs at Event, Palace, Dendy, and Five Star Cinemas.

Crime 101

Chris Hemsworth’s gritty heist thriller continues its run at Event, Palace, Dendy, and HOYTS.

Wuthering Heights

Margot Robbie’s modern take on the gothic romance is still showing across the city.

From edge-of-your-seat slashers to visually stunning art-house classics, Brisbane’s cinemas are packed with incredible stories this week. Grab some popcorn and enjoy a screening near you.

Weekend Arts Edit: Nell Gwynn Premiere and Candlelight Concerts on 27 February to 1 March 2026

This is a massive weekend for the arts in Brisbane. The blockbuster Art of Banksy exhibition enters its final days in the CBD, while QPAC is buzzing with everything from the lush cinematic sounds of The Music of John Williams to the lavish stage production of The Great Gatsby. For art lovers, Saturday offers a rare chance to hear directly from contemporary painters like Carlos Barrios and Helle Cook at their respective gallery talks.

The Art of Banksy “Without Limits” Chapter Two

20 February – 1 March 2026 | Uptown, Brisbane City
Get Tickets

Do not miss your last chance to experience the underground energy of the world’s most elusive street artist. This unprecedented new chapter features over 300 artworks—including more than 100 original pieces—alongside cutting-edge holograms, sculptures, and immersive installations.

The Music of John Williams

27 – 28 February 2026 | Concert Hall, QPAC, South Brisbane
Get Tickets

Experience the cinematic magic of the world’s greatest film composer. The Queensland Symphony Orchestra brings the iconic, sweeping scores of Star Wars, Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones, and Harry Potter to life in a spine-tingling live performance.

The Great Gatsby

12 February – 8 March 2026 | Playhouse, QPAC, South Brisbane
Get Tickets

Step into the roaring twenties. Queensland Theatre’s lavish production of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s masterpiece continues its dazzling run. Expect glitz, glamour, and tragedy as Jay Gatsby tries to win back his lost love in a world of excess.

Blanc de Blanc Encore

19 February – 19 April 2026 | The West End Electric, West End
Get Tickets

The champagne-soaked party is back in West End! Blanc de Blanc Encore serves up a hedonistic blend of vintage French cabaret, jaw-dropping circus acts, and cheeky comedy. It’s a high-energy, adults-only night out.

Nell Gwynn

28 February – 7 March 2026 | New Benner Theatre, Metro Arts, West End
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Travel back to 17th-century London in this vibrant, award-winning comedy. Nell Gwynn tells the story of an unlikely heroine who goes from selling oranges in the West End to becoming Britain’s most celebrated actress (and the King’s mistress).

Institute of Modern Art (IMA) Events

28 February 2026 | IMA, Fortitude Valley Immerse yourself in contemporary discussions and live art this Saturday at the IMA:

Platform 2026 Performances: Experience bold new performance art from emerging creatives pushing boundaries. More Info
Are the Arts for Everyone?: A thought-provoking panel discussion tackling accessibility, inclusion, and the role of art in modern society. More Info

The Other Side of Me

27 – 28 February 2026 | Cremorne Theatre, QPAC, South Brisbane
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Catch this compelling theatrical exploration of identity, culture, and connection. It is a deeply personal and physically dynamic performance playing for two nights only in the intimate Cremorne Theatre.

Live Jazz at the Brisbane Jazz Club

27 February – 1 March 2026 | Kangaroo Point

Emma Pask Quartet (Fri 27 & Sat 28): One of Australia’s favourite jazz vocalists brings her effortless charm and swing to the riverside. Tickets
Andy Cowan Band (Sun 1 Mar): Wind down your weekend with some premier blues and roots piano. Tickets

Candlelight Concerts

27 – 28 February 2026 | Grand on Ann, Brisbane City

Experience the magic of live music illuminated by thousands of candles in a stunning heritage venue:

Tribute to Taylor Swift: Classical renditions of the pop icon’s biggest eras. Tickets
Tribute to Queen & The Beatles: A string quartet takes on the greatest hits of British rock royalty. Tickets

Gallery Exhibitions & Artist Talks

Various Locations

Carlos Barrios | ‘Heart Songs’ (Artist Talk: Sat 28 Feb, 2pm): Mitchell Fine Art, Fortitude Valley. Hear Barrios discuss his life-affirming, expressive paintings informed by his upbringing in El Salvador. More Info
Helle Cook | Nature of Light (Artist Talk: Sat 28 Feb): Jan Manton Gallery, Teneriffe. Engage with the artist on her luminous, atmospheric works before the exhibition closes this weekend. More Info
Fiona Omeenyo | Night & Day: FireWorks Gallery, Bowen Hills. Explore striking contemporary Indigenous works from the celebrated Lockhart River artist. More Info

Hush

1 March 2026 | Concert Hall, QPAC, South Brisbane
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The Southern Cross Soloists present Hush, a sublime Sunday afternoon concert featuring exquisite chamber music designed to soothe the soul and showcase breathtaking virtuosity.

British Film Festival Premiere: Midwinter Break

1 March 2026 | Palace Barracks & Palace James St Cinema
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Get a sneak peek at the Russell Hobbs British Film Festival with this special preview screening of Midwinter Break, a touching and beautifully acted drama about a couple reflecting on their long marriage during a trip to Amsterdam.

This weekend is a pivotal one for Brisbane’s arts scene. With the blockbuster Art of Banksy exhibition finally closing its doors, this is your absolute last opportunity to experience its immersive installations. Meanwhile, theatregoers are spoiled for choice with the opening of the lively comedy Nell Gwynn in West End and the ongoing spectacle of The Great Gatsby at QPAC. Whether you are losing yourself in the sweeping cinematic scores of John Williams or exploring contemporary conversations at the IMA, there is a profound depth of culture to experience before autumn officially arrives.