Fitzgibbon Community Newsletter

No. 17  (October 2026)

Welcome to our monthly community newsletter! It aims to help foster a sense of belonging and connection by sharing local-interest items and celebrating the people and places that make Fitzgibbon special. Disclaimer: The content does not necessarily reflect the views of the management of Fitzgibbon Community Centre.

This month in your newsletter:

Hall Hero Steve Smith

Anyone strolling past Fitzgibbon Community Centre or attending an event likely takes for granted just how clean, neat and tidy the buildings are inside and out. Yet that doesn’t happen without a lot of effort. This is all thanks to Steve Smith, a dedicated part-time worker who keeps the Community Centre looking spick and span.

For about eight years now, Steve has been part of the Centre, starting as a contractor’s employee and now running his own business, Every Task (0438 075 496). Steve works three mornings a week at the Centre, with Mondays being the busiest after all the weekend activities.

Steve is usually at the Centre by 6 a.m., sometimes even 5.30. And that’s after commuting all the way from near Bribie Island! This means leaving home at around 4.10 a.m. to beat the traffic. Steve has owned a five-acre property up there for three decades, with ample room for his horses and dogs. His house was trucked up from Graceville in two halves and then stumped before he painted it inside and out and built the stairs and decks.

Steve started out with his own car detailing business and three employees in Narangba. When his father fell ill, Steve closed the business to care for him until he passed away. Later, a friend invited Steve to help clean the interior of Brisbane City Council buses for one month—which unexpectedly stretched into seven years.

A typical day for Steve at the Community Centre starts with readying his equipment. Then he goes into the large hall and sweeps the floor, cleans the sink, takes the rubbish out, tops up the hand towels, and mops the floor. Next, he heads over to the second hall. If Steve has time and the floor has dried, he takes the extra step of cleaning the glass doors. Then he moves outside to blow the leaves from the breezeway and pathways.

Steve then thoroughly cleans the kitchen (oven, fridge, sinks, splashback, stainless steel benches). Finally, and perhaps most importantly, he tackles the crucial task of cleaning the toilets. This includes wiping down the basins and mirrors, stocking up the toilet paper and hand towels, and mopping the floors. A lady who walks a guide dog around the Centre recently told Steve that she’s visited many public toilets in this area, but none match the spotless cleanliness of the Community Centre’s facilities.

“I just take pride in making things look clean”, Steve comments. When he first started, cleaning toilets was the last thing he wanted to do, but now he doesn’t mind it.

Although all this work requires constantly bending over, Steve is accustomed to it and no longer suffers from back problems. Occasionally, his work involves climbing a tall ladder to clean the windows at the top of a hall, retrieving balloons that have drifted up to the ceiling after a party, cleaning the sign outside the Centre or trimming the reedy plants lining the pathway. Steve also tackles odd jobs like replacing a broken drainpipe in the kitchen sink.

Steve doesn’t mind working alone. But quite often he does have “company”. The Centre has some resident scrub turkeys, and one day Steve found that one had hopped up into the back of his parked van.

When Steve stepped into the Centre’s cleaning shed recently, a snakeskin dropped down onto him. Sometimes he has to remove snakes that make their way out from the bushland and even into the facility (including last year’s surprise in the air-conditioning unit). Each summer, he spots a snake at the Centre about once a month. Steve recently saw a baby keelback, but most of the time they are carpet snakes. Fortunately, both breeds are non-venomous.

Each morning, an elderly gentleman from Bracken Ridge who strolls through the bushland near the Centre alerts Steve to any snakes he’s spotted. Steve enjoys his encounters with regular walkers near the Centre, such as a lady with a greyhound who never fails to say hello. 

In addition to cleaning the Community Centre, Steve also cleans the real estate office attached to the Centre, Women’s Space in Sandgate and all the common areas in a unit complex in Sandgate. He also handles some mowing jobs in Sandgate and takes on other local tasks. Steve also used to clean the Basketball Centre and Jabiru Community College in Zillmere.

The company Steve previously worked for was a social enterprise that employed individuals facing barriers to employment, and Steve taught them how to clean buses. With that company now closed, there’s a bit of a void. If Steve’s business keeps growing, he hopes to hire and train some disadvantaged people facing such challenges.

Steve is one of the few paid employees who help keep the Centre running smoothly. And he does a fantastic job. Thanks, Steve!

A handful of volunteers also help out in various capacities, as the Centre doesn’t run itself. If you’re interested in assisting with activities at the Centre or with administration, the website or the newsletter, reach out at at this link.

Hall Happenings

When the Community Centre was built in 2012, it came equipped with the latest building technology. The lighting, security and air conditioning were among the best available at the time. Since then, a lot has changed, and the Community Centre committee has spent some time identifying improvements to replace or update the existing equipment with contemporary solutions to improve amenity, save money or both.

These include adding solar generation and a battery to reduce the building’s energy consumption and operating costs. The security system is being reconfigured. While we have been lucky not to face any significant vandalism or theft, recent incidents have made this update a priority, so that we can share information with police more easily.

Multimedia equipment has been provided for one room, and we are grateful for the donation of a projector screen.

The air conditioning system is coming to the end of its service life and will need to be replaced soon. This will require considerable investment but will greatly improve comfort in the halls in summer. New air conditioning equipment is expected to be more efficient and further reduce energy consumption and operating costs.

The committee is also investigating keyless door entry. Managing keys requires significant effort, and keyless door entry means that hirers will no longer have to collect or drop off keys to access the hall. To do this, the internet connectivity will need to be improved. This also creates an opportunity to offer guest Wi-Fi access.  

Routine servicing is regularly undertaken. Most recently, the doors and locks have been serviced to maintain ease of use. These gather a build-up of wasp nests in summer, which degrades the smooth operation of the doors and in turn leads to damage of the tracks, sliders and locks. While not obvious, this is a considerable operating expense. Likewise, the toilets require servicing to ensure they function properly and that water is not wasted. Our cleaner Steve keeps them in top shape for visitors.

Trainees from SANDBAG Skilling Workers have recently been hard at work maintaining and improving the Centre’s grounds through weeding and mulching. Their first priority is improving the entrance to the Centre from the car park. Then they will move on to the area facing Roghan Road. (A recent cleanup of the cupboards in the halls has also freed up space for other users.)

Each of these things requires investment and is being addressed in order of priority for cost reduction, safety and amenity. Funding for more expensive items typically requires a grant, but the application process is time-consuming, and funding is never guaranteed.

One thing that doesn’t require money is the books that are free to borrow from the bright blue bookcase next to the noticeboard. A big thanks to everyone who has donated books. There’s a great assortment, so come along and browse to find your next good read.

The committee will continue to make improvements as funds become available.

Cape Arid Park: Unloved and Hiding a Secret

Keith Heinrich

Cape Arid Park comprises a water catchment device and a storm drain, some scrub which conceals two electric barbecues, and a lot of orange poles. One of these barbecues looks like it hasn’t been used in a long time and desperately needs some attention from Council. The park sits beside Norris Road, so the scrub protects the adjacent houses from road noise. Along with the orange poles, the park also has a cluster of orange circles, the branding for the Fitzgibbon Chase development. A gravel path winds through the trees.

This park does not give the impression of a place well frequented like some of the other Fitzgibbon parks. Rather, it feels like a quiet forgotten corner beside a busy road. Nevertheless, like many of Fitzgibbon’s open spaces, a secret hides in plain sight.

This park contains the original alignment of Norris Road, which in the past continued across the railway line and onto Dorville Road. At the top of the hill where the Community Garden now stands, Norris and Roghan Roads once intersected.

Today, of course, Norris and Roghan Roads connect at the roundabout near the Community Centre, their original paths having been modified during the Fitzgibbon Chase construction.

If you are in the vicinity, do take the time to head down and take a look. Once you see the old Norris Road, you can’t unsee it.

Jabiru Park Play

Overcast skies and a rain shower did little to dampen the fun at Hidden World on 23 September, when kids and caregivers turned out to enjoy a host of fun activities during the school holidays, courtesy of Jabiru and many other local organisations.

Jabiru hosts this fun day on the first Wednesday of each school holidays (except for the Christmas holidays, when it is too hot). So if you missed the September one, come along next March.

Freestyle Scooter Clinic

Young riders can build skills and confidence at a freestyle scooter clinic at Bill Brown Sports Reserve skate park (391 Telegraph Road) on Friday 2 October from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Suitable for kids aged four to seventeen, this free session will help participants learn new scooter skills and safe skate park techniques. Bring a two-wheeled freestyle scooter and a helmet. Knee and elbow pads are also recommended. Bookings are not required. For more information, phone Rampfest on 0421 701 448.

October Market (Correction)

The next market at the Community Centre will be held on the morning of Saturday 10 October. This time there’ll be a BBQ and food stall, along with lots of craft stalls and other fun stalls.

Blast from the Past

In 1985, the Sandgate Hack and Pony Club received permission to use Council-owned land beside the animal pound (what is now part of the Bill Brown Reserve). Around that time, the Club renamed itself Bramble Bay Pony Club, and it built a range of facilities to support its members and the training and gymkhanas held there.

By 2004 the Club counted over a hundred members.

Not long after, however, several vicious attacks on the horses occurred, as well as an outbreak of horse flu in 2007. These events were heartbreaking for the Club members.

Despite all the efforts to upgrade the Club facilities, in 2019 the Council informed the Club that it would have to relocate to make way for netball courts. Attempts to find an alternative site were unsuccessful, so the Club was forced to close after decades of providing training and pleasure to horse enthusiasts in the region.

Source: Butterflies and Bandicoots: On Becoming Fitzgibbon (2025: 189–92).

Message from Sandy Landers, Bracken Ridge Ward Councillor

Mark your calendars for our Outdoor Movie Night on Friday 23 October at Bill Brown Sports Reserve, Telegraph Road, next to the netball courts. We are screening The Magic Faraway Tree, kicking off at 6.30 pm. Bring a blanket, pull up a spot on the grass and grab a bite from the food trucks on site. A perfect family night out! In the event of wet weather, please check my Facebook page for updates at Facebook.com/Cr.Sandy.Landers.

Our new Move Well Brisbane program builds on everything residents loved about Active and Healthy and takes it even further, with more ways to get active, feel good and connect with your neighbours. From strength training and dance classes to yoga, aqua activities and nutrition workshops, there is something for everyone of all ages and interests to enjoy. Head to brisbane.qld.gov.au and search Move Well Brisbane to find a session near you.

Kerbside Collection is coming up soon across the community. Please hold off putting anything out until the weekend before your scheduled date. This year’s dates are:

• Bald Hills and Bracken Ridge: 6 October
• Fitzgibbon: 12 October
• Zillmere: 19 October
• Carseldine: 23 November
• Aspley: 30 November

To check what can and cannot be collected, head to brisbane.qld.gov.au and search Kerbside Collection.

Stay connected via Facebook.com/Cr.Sandy.Landers or Instagram@crsandylanders.

Message from Bisma Asif, MP for Sandgate

A last-minute reminder about our Hidden World Community Day on Saturday 26 September at Hidden World!

Don’t worry if you miss out – I’m hosting a Halloween event on Friday, 30th October! Join me at Brighton Roosters Junior Rugby League, Stanley Terrace, Brighton from 4pm-7pm for an evening of spooky fun.

On a serious note, so many of you continue to raise with me your challenges in accessing reliable public transport. I’ve recently started a petition, together with Councillor Jared Cassidy, calling on the Brisbane City Council and the State Government to prioritise investment in Northside bus services. Scan the QR code and sign my petition for more frequent and better-connected bus services for our community.

If you have an experience you would like to share, please contact my office so I can keep raising your concerns in Parliament.

If there is anything I can assist you with, please reach out to my office at sandgate@parliament.qld.gov.au or call 07 3639 9100.

We Want to Hear from You!

If you wish to contribute information, an article or pictures to the newsletters or have ideas for an article, drop us a line through the Community Centre’s Facebook page or website.

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