Fitzgibbon Community Newsletter

No. 15  (August 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:

From Samoa to Our Community: A Passion for Movement

Every Wednesday morning, about fifteen seniors meet up at the Fitzgibbon Community Centre to enjoy a lively functional fitness class with Ama Kainano. This inspiring instructor grew up in Samoa playing competitive sports such as sprinting, footy, netball and volleyball. Later, she taught ballroom dancing, ran her own convenience store, and worked as a youth leader organising activities on behalf of members of parliament.

Ama and her husband moved to Australia twenty years ago to give their kids a better education, as Samoa lags behind in technology. Ama wanted to start a business here so she could look after her children while working, but when she tried to open a café in Labrador, she ended up getting scammed. This made Ama realise she needed to understand Australians better first, as she had never experienced anything like that back home. So when she saw an ad for a job at Maccas, Ama decided to go for it.

Not long after, however, Zumba arrived in Australia, and Ama thought “That’s my thing!” She sent in her qualifications and became a registered instructor. Instead of using Zumba music, she chooses familiar tunes that people can sing and dance to, sparking connections with their memories and emotions. Because Ama is a dancer and performer, she creates her own choreography, tailoring the movements to suit her clients.

Ama’s love of learning led her to earn a Bachelor of Commerce and a diploma in fitness. She started training clients in the space downstairs at her Ferny Hill home and even provided training for the Brisbane City Council.

When Ama spotted a roadside sign for a retirement village in Keperra one day, she decided she wanted to train the older residents. After all, she’d always loved dancing around to make her mum laugh. Seeing the lack of programs for seniors, Ama came up with the idea of dance classes, convinced that “goldies” can still really enjoy themselves. After jumping through quite a few hoops, Ama finally got the chance to offer a trial class at the retirement village. From day one, the difference was clear. Everyone smiled, feeling happy and alive. The residents told the reception staff this was the best thing to ever happen in the village. Ama was asked to teach various fitness and wellness classes, including a pool workout and strength training. Other retirement villages soon asked for similar programs.

Ama opened a two-storey gym in Arana, but she struggled to find trainers who cared about people as much as she does. When COVID-19 hit, Ama downsized to a training studio. She also runs a Saturday boot camp for all ages, teaches classes at various organisations, offers personal training and has worked with school sports programs. Taking a hint from Ama’s name, her business is called Amazing Fitness Professional.

Six years ago, Ama started teaching a seniors’ functional fitness class for Burnie Brae at the Fitzgibbon Community Centre. When Burnie Brae pulled out, Ama was determined to keep the class going, because the seniors’ commitment meant the world to her, and she wasn’t about to let them down

Above all, Ama emphasises the importance of enjoying the movements. She often uses music to stimulate the brain and body cells, making sure everyone has a good time. When people are having fun, they don’t feel tired. Participants in the Fitzgibbon class especially love it when Ama sings along and adds a bit of dance. Afterwards, most of them head over to Beyond the Brew for coffee and a chat.

After each class, Ama reviews everything to ensure attendees get exactly what they want and need. If she notices they’re a bit out of breath, she makes cardio the focus of the next class. Sometimes she switches it up with strength training or posture work, never repeating the same routine.

Ama loves learning about the body, biology, physics and chemistry, so she often reads medical books and books that explain how the body works. If she knows someone has osteoporosis or arthritis, for example, she designs exercises to strengthen the affected areas and help that person stay active. Protecting joints is crucial because they are prone to injury. Ama adjusts the exercises as needed, emphasising correct technique, an appropriate number of reps and suitable weights. For older adults, this might mean reducing the weights but boosting the reps or using resistance bands or bodyweight instead.

Ama’s favourite part about teaching “goldies” is that they really commit. She has a lot of respect for seniors, who make her feel like she’s still around her parents and grandparents, and she genuinely wants them to be happy. Her fitness tip for goldies is to “Just really enjoy, feel young. Just move from side to side—as long as you keep your body moving, no matter what.”

Ama believes it’s important to stay fit herself to embody what she teaches—and so that she can eat whatever she wants! Since the classes aren’t quite challenging enough for her, she follows a rigorous exercise routine of her own.

Some comments from participants in this class:

Robin: Ama’s classes are always different and interesting.

Judi: We have so much fun and feel great after it.

Liz: A great variety of different exercises. Excellent classes, very moving!

Lani: Ama is fantastic. Keeps you going, and it’s always different and always fun.

Denise: Simply the best.

Clyde: It’s a nice class, but it’d be good if more men came.

Judy: Ama is really professional, dedicated and encouraging. Her infectious spirit and dance moves are very motivating.

Ama’s response: “They are amazing champions. Not legends, they are champions!”

Ama also works as a caregiver. Some NDIS plan participants came to Ama’s gym for training, which inspired her to register as an NDIS provider. A few clients simply appreciated chatting with Ama in a relaxed and welcoming setting, so she decided to complete a support worker course. Now she takes them to the beach or mountains, where they occasionally work out together.

And if all that wasn’t impressive enough, Ama is also an actor and model and helps in her family’s band on the Gold Coast. As the daughter of chiefs, in Samoa Ama was expected to perform the welcoming ceremony for honoured guests as Taupou. This role involves preparing and serving the sacred ‘ava (kava) drink from a specially carved bowl. She also acted in Bible skits and performed at government events. All this helped prepare her to act and to work as a fashion model in Australia. Ama loves acting in action movies (you might know her from her role in Mortal Kombat II), and she’s appeared in TV series and commercials. She’s passionate about performing, uplifting and helping people and seeing them happy.

This busy 48-year-young grandmother is a huge Broncos fan. She also organises wellness retreats in Samoa. Judi, who has been attending Ama’s Fitzgibbon class for about six years, took part in one of these ten-day retreats and had a wonderfully relaxing time, touring different islands, going for walks, swimming, dancing and learning about Samoan culture and lifestyle.

Anyone interested in joining Ama’s class can simply turn up at the Community Centre at 9.30 on a Wednesday morning. The fee is $15 (cash).

Brisbane Youth Service Announces First Nations Artist for Reconciliation Action Plan

On Friday, 10 July, Brisbane Youth Service announced that Fitzgibbon resident, First Nations artist, cultural educator and community advocate Lisa Anne Caruana (Gilinggilingba – Flying Fox) had been commissioned to create the artwork for its 2025–2027 Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP).

A proud Larrakia Woman, Lisa’s artwork was selected to help bring Brisbane Youth Service’s commitment to Reconciliation to life through a visual story celebrating culture, connection and belonging.

For more than 25 years, Lisa has lived and worked on Turrbal Country, sharing culture through public art, cultural education, design and community engagement. She has collaborated with schools, community organisations, local government and businesses to create meaningful projects that celebrate identity, strengthen cultural understanding and foster a sense of belonging.

Brisbane Youth Service said:

“Lisa’s artwork helps to bring our dedication to reconciliation to life through the launch of our renewed Reconciliation Action Plan, reflecting our ongoing commitment to young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the communities we walk alongside.”

Lisa continues her work on the Fitzgibbon Bush Trail Interpretive Signage Project in partnership with Councillor Sandy Landers and Brisbane City Council, creating educational public spaces that celebrate local vegetation, history, culture and connection to Country. The trail also provides a place for grounding, reflection and wellbeing.

Lisa is looking forward to the official launch of Brisbane Youth Service’s Reconciliation Action Plan 2025–2027, where the original artwork and the story behind it will be shared.

“It is a privilege to create artworks that tell meaningful stories. I hope this artwork encourages connection, understanding, hope and a sense of belonging.”

— Lisa Anne Caruana (Gilinggilingba)

Chasing Cappy the Unicorn: My First Munzee Adventure

Readers might already know about the Fitzgibbon Trail (if not, check it out at https://www.fitzgibboncommunitycentre.org/ft/). Or perhaps you are addicted to the location-based augmented reality game Pokémon Go.

But even long-time residents might be unaware of a scavenger hunt to help mystical creatures find their way home—passing right through the streets of our suburb. To help Cappy the unicorn explore the world of Munzee and to learn more about this location-based gaming (fitness) app, see https://www.munzee.com/.

The report below is by our intrepid roving reporter Anneke W., aged thirteen.

Today I was playing on a light pole, because I like doing that. I saw a little QR code sticker, and it looked interesting.

I got my phone and scanned it. It said to download the Munzee app, so I did. I opened it, and it said I had captured a Munzee. I went to look online at more Munzees, and there are thousands and thousands in Brisbane. I think this game started in 2011, because that’s when it says the original batch was. And there can be events.

You can see on the app where the Munzees are, and if you click on them, you can see how far away they are. But you still need to look for them. If you walk down a street, you might find several in one street.

There are virtual Munzees and actual QR codes. With virtual Munzees, you just scan them with your phone. There are other ones that are like from the Zodiac event.

You get points for each capture, but I haven’t really looked into it. Walking from near Roghan Road to the skateboard park, I found about fifteen Munzees. You get extra points for capturing more rare Munzees.

It’s very fun. They could be for little kids doing it on their parents’ phone, so maybe kids from about ten years old, because that would be entertaining, to about fifteen. Some adults might be interested if they’re special collectors.

(Disclaimer: The Fizgibbon Community Centre has no affiliation with this app or its developers.)

Beams Road Park (Number 440)

Keith Heinrich

The first cab off the rank in our exploration of Fitzgibbon parks is Beams Road Park (Number 440). While you might be unfamiliar with the name, you will have almost certainly walked or driven past any number of times without realising that (a) it’s a park, and (b) it’s in Fitzgibbon.

Our compact suburb extends along Cabbage Tree Creek to where it intersects with the rail line, and this forms the southern corner of Fitzgibbon. This 2.3-hectare park sits in the space between the creek and Golden Downs and features a lot of gravel, some vents for the sewer main pipeline that runs below the park and not much more. The rail bridge offers a space for local “artists” to express themselves, and there is easy access to the creek there. Beyond that, there are no picnic shelters, barbecues, water, exercise equipment, paths, lights, sporting facilities, dog off-leash area or any other amenities that you might find at some of Fitzgibbon’s other parks.

So there it is, Beams Road Park (Number 440)—rather uninspiringly named after the street name and street number, something you probably didn’t know before and I imagine something that had never crossed your mind either.

Jabiru’s Park Play Returns to Hidden World

Park Play returned to Hidden World Playground on the morning of 1 July. The ever-popular sausage sizzle and a coffee van were complemented by a host of free family-friendly activities for bored kids during the school holidays. Lots of kids and adults were there to enjoy the event on this beautiful winter morning.

The photos below show just a few of the many activities on hand.

Community Centre’s New Little Library

As a follow-up to last month’s focus on books, the Community Centre is happy to announce that we now have our own street library. Located in the breezeway between the halls, the brightly coloured library already has some books—with more to come.

If you see a book you’d like to read, feel free to take it with you. Return it here or to any street library, or pass it on to a friend, neighbour or relative. And if you have books lying around at home that you no longer need, leave them here to share with other readers.

Happy reading, Fitzgibbon!

Community Centre Market

The Market was back in full swing on the morning of 11 July, with some new vendors joining returning vendors. Check out the photo gallery from this colourful event at https://www.fitzgibboncommunitycentre.org/market-july-2026/.

The next market is scheduled for 19 October. If you’re interested in holding a stall, contact events@fitzgibboncommunitycentre.org.

Blast from the Past

Keith Heinrich

One of my enduring memories of the early days of the Community Centre was the backlit sign. Here you can see when the Centre stood apart from its environment and the sign glowed orange in the evening. In addition, the facade lighting illuminated the steel elements along the front of the building, and it was quite spectacular at night.

The facade uplighting has since been destroyed by the weather and is unlikely to be replaced, so that’s a thing of the past. And at some point, the sign backlighting has been removed and replaced with overhead floodlighting, a terrible shame.

I doubt the uplighting can ever be restored, but it would be awesome to see the orange glow again at some point. It was a landmark. Oh yes, the gardens … hmm. And that bollard, I wonder if it still exists.

In one of the images, you can also see a gigantic sign that was disposed of during a recent cleanup. This sign referenced the Fitzgibbon Chase development which was active at the time. The poles for the sign are still there. Long term residents might recall the sales centre and car park opposite the community centre where houses now stand.

Police Increase Vehicle Stops on Roghan Road

Have you noticed more police on Roghan Road lately? They have been active there (and elsewhere?) in the past few weeks, stopping drivers for breathalyser checks or traffic violations. Stay alert and drive safely!

Message from Sandy Landers, Bracken Ridge Ward Councillor

Earlier this year I sent out 17,000 ward surveys, and the response was incredible. Hearing what matters most to you, from safer roads to better parks and I’m pleased our 2026-27 budget delivers on so many of those priorities for our community.

A new signalised pedestrian crossing on Gympie Road, Bald Hills, outside Guide Dogs Queensland will make a genuine difference. It will give vision impaired people, staff and volunteers safe, independent access to public transport, provide a safer journey for students and residents, and put an end to dangerous driver behaviour like illegal U-turns.

The Beams Road Corridor Upgrade Stage 1B is more than 50% complete and on track for completion later this year, busting congestion for the 20,000 plus vehicles using this road daily and delivering a pedestrian underpass for active travellers.

We have also secured funding for the Aspley Shared Pathway, a 400 metre link between Zillmere Road and Beams Road providing a safe, connected route to Aspley State High School and completing the link between bikeways on both sides of Cabbage Tree Creek.

The Schrinner Council’s investment in these projects, along with continued park upgrades across the ward, is about making Brisbane’s lifestyle even better.

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

Message from Bisma Asif, MP for Sandgate

Thank you to those who attended our Cost-of-Living Help Hub on July 29th. I know there are many pressures facing local families. If you weren’t able to attend the event or require support in connecting with available services, please reach out to my office.

I’m pleased to announce that our Hidden World Community Day in Fitzgibbon is back for 2026. Save the date for Saturday 26 September at Hidden World Playground. Can’t wait to see you there!

I know reliable public transport is a top concern for our community. My office has been receiving a high number of complaints, specifically around the routes and frequency of buses servicing our area. If you’ve experienced difficulties with local bus routes or frequency, I want to hear from you. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with my office at Sandgate@parliament.qld.gov.au or (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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