Hendra, a suburb with fewer than 5,000 residents, has recorded one of the highest car theft totals in Queensland, with police data showing 735 vehicles stolen, placing the suburb at the top of a statewide list and raising concerns among residents about vehicle security.
The figure was highlighted in a Queensland Police Service crime data report, which found vehicle thefts across the state had climbed to their highest monthly levels since early 2024.
Police statistics show the offence category — unlawful use of a motor vehicle — had 1,797 victims statewide in November alone, one of the highest monthly totals recorded since crime data began in 2001.
While overall victim numbers for vehicle theft in 2025 were slightly lower than the same period in 2024, police data indicate the trend began rising again from August. Statewide figures show 16,805 victims of unlawful use of a motor vehicle between January and November 2025.
Vehicle theft figures are recorded based on where the offence occurs, meaning suburbs with large numbers of parked vehicles or commercial areas can record higher totals even if many offenders live elsewhere.
In Hendra, the statistics stand out because of the suburb’s size. Census data shows the area has just under 5,000 residents, yet its stolen-vehicle count placed it ahead of much larger suburbs across Queensland.
Motoring group RACQ has previously stated that technology could play a role in reducing thefts, noting some modern vehicles can detect erratic driving and may eventually be able to recognise when they have been stolen and limit how the vehicle can be driven.
Community support groups have also reported an increase in people seeking help after vehicle thefts, particularly in cases where victims reported being threatened during the offence.
Queensland Police say they continue to target vehicle theft through enforcement, prevention and disruption strategies.
Police officers visited streets in Kalinga this week, distributing home security information to residents as part of ongoing crime prevention efforts in the suburb.
Senior Constable Kim Richter confirmed that officers attended the area around Roseleigh Street and Kent Road on Monday 23 February, providing letterbox drops with information on home security measures and crime reporting options.
The Queensland Police Service visit comes as part of broader community policing initiatives aimed at preventing opportunistic offences in Brisbane’s northern suburbs.
“While offenders are responsible for the crimes they commit, we can work together to prevent opportunistic offences,” a QPS statement said.
Residents have been encouraged to review their home security arrangements, with police recommending several practical measures to deter potential intruders.
Key recommendations include installing key-operated locks on doors and windows to make unauthorised entry more difficult, and marking valuable items with identification such as microdot technology or engraving to make stolen property harder to sell.
Police have also suggested making it more challenging for offenders to exit properties with stolen goods, though specific methods were not detailed in the community information.
Kalinga residents seeking additional crime prevention advice can access the Queensland Police Service’s home and multi-residential security resources online at the QPS website.
Authorities have reminded the community that anyone witnessing a crime in progress or facing immediate danger should call Triple Zero (000). For non-urgent matters, residents can contact Policelink on 131 444 or submit information through the online suspicious activity form available 24 hours a day at www.police.qld.gov.au/reporting.
Those wishing to provide information anonymously can contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or visit www.crimestoppersqld.com.au.
The police presence in Kalinga reflects ongoing efforts by Queensland Police to maintain community safety through both enforcement and prevention strategies across Brisbane suburbs.
Assunta Austin, Teacher Librarian at Wooloowin State School since 1999 and a library professional since 1983, has been named a 2025 Queensland Teacher Librarian of the Year by the Queensland School Library Association, an award honouring outstanding professional knowledge, practice and engagement in school librarianship.
Austin, who officially retires this year after more than four decades in the profession, will see her legacy honoured permanently with the Wooloowin State School library renamed “The Austin Library” in recognition of her contribution to the school and its community. She is one of two recipients of the 2025 award, sharing the honour with Lizzy Dixon from Moorooka State School.
The Queensland School Library Association presents the Teacher Librarian of the Year award annually to recognise exceptional dedication to creating dynamic learning spaces, collaborating across school communities and fostering a lifelong love of reading and inquiry. Austin’s career, spanning 42 years since she first became a Teacher Librarian in 1983 and 26 years at Wooloowin State School in the inner north suburb bordered by Kedron, Lutwyche and Clayfield, has been marked by her commitment to creating a vibrant and welcoming library space that extends far beyond the walls of the school.
Building Community Through Books
Austin describes championing reading and books not only to students at her school but also to the wider school community as what gives her the most enjoyment in the role. One of her signature initiatives at Wooloowin State School is “One School, One Book, One Community”, a program that has run for the past three years and brings entire families together to read the same book. The program concludes with an evening event led by the school’s Parents and Citizens association, featuring a presentation from the book’s author. This kind of community-focused programming reflects Austin’s belief that literacy is not just a classroom responsibility but a shared endeavour that thrives when families are actively engaged.
Photo Credit: Wooloowin State School/Facebook
For parents wondering how to encourage reading at home, Austin offers practical and accessible advice. She suggests creating a quiet, comfortable and distraction-free reading space, making reading part of the family’s daily routine, and sitting with children to read to them, read with them and be read to by them. She also recommends talking about illustrations and asking questions about characters, settings and story events to promote meaningful discussions. Most importantly, she emphasises being a good reading role model, which helps build a lifelong love of reading and learning.
The Role of the Teacher Librarian in the 21st Century
Austin’s career has spanned an era of profound change in school libraries. Teacher Librarians today, as defined by the Australian School Library Association, hold both recognised teaching qualifications and qualifications in librarianship, bringing combined knowledge of teaching, curriculum, library and information management to Queensland schools. Their role has evolved significantly with the rise of digital information and the need for students to develop critical information literacy skills alongside traditional reading and research capabilities.
Austin has also served as network coordinator for The Grove Network, a professional group for libraries in the Stafford and Geebung district, reflecting her commitment to supporting fellow library professionals and sharing best practice across schools. Her work in this capacity has helped strengthen the broader community of Teacher Librarians in Brisbane’s north, many of whom face ongoing advocacy challenges as the Teacher Librarian role disappears from an increasing number of Queensland schools despite evidence that access to a school library run by qualified staff improves student outcomes.
A Lasting Legacy
Wooloowin State School, which opened in 1914 and currently serves more than 330 students from Prep to Year 6, suffered a devastating fire in 2003 that caused smoke and water damage requiring the destruction and replacement of all library books. The library was completely restocked with generous donations from other schools and rebuilt to a standard that now includes sections for Junior Fiction, Fiction, Non-Fiction and a computer lab. Students from Years 4 to 6 who pass a test to become Library Monitors assist the librarian and assistant librarian during lunch hours, creating a student-led culture of care and responsibility for the library space.
Austin’s retirement this year marks the end of a chapter for Wooloowin State School, but the renaming of the library as “The Austin Library” ensures that her contribution to generations of students, families and staff will be remembered and celebrated for years to come. Queensland School Library Week, which celebrated school libraries and library professionals across the state in 2025, provided a fitting moment to recognise Austin’s extraordinary career and the profound difference she has made to literacy, learning and community connection in Brisbane’s inner north.
Clayfield and Kalinga are among 18 Brisbane suburbs where planning rules may change to allow more housing close to public transport and local shops, with a community consultation period now open until Friday 20 March 2026.
The More Homes, Sooner initiative proposes updates to the low-medium density residential zone, known as the LMR zone, which covers around 14 per cent of Brisbane’s residential land and includes pockets of both suburbs. The changes aim to make it easier and more affordable to build the kinds of homes that key workers, younger buyers, couples and downsizers are actually looking for, in suburbs they already know and love, rather than pushing growth to the city’s fringes.
New dwelling approvals in LMR zones across Brisbane fell from around 1,100 homes per year to just 445 in 2023, as rising construction costs made smaller infill projects increasingly difficult to stack up financially. The proposed changes are designed to reverse that trend.
What Could Change in Clayfield and Kalinga
The LMR zone in Clayfield and Kalinga currently allows for two to three storey buildings on lots of at least 400 square metres, accommodating townhouses, duplexes, row houses and small apartment buildings. Under the More Homes, Sooner proposals, the baseline height allowance across LMR zones would rise to a consistent three storeys. Properties within 400 metres walking distance of a high-frequency public transport stop or a shopping centre, classified as Key Locations, would be eligible for up to four storeys on lots of 800 square metres or more.
Minimum lot sizes are also proposed to change, dropping to 120 square metres in some circumstances to enable small freehold houses and terrace-style homes on compact blocks. Low density residential properties within 300 metres walking distance of a shopping centre would also become eligible for subdivision into 300 square metre lots, expanded from the current 200 metre threshold.
Photo Credit: BCC
On-site car parking requirements would be adjusted citywide to reflect declining car ownership and improved access to public transport. A two-bedroom unit currently requires two car spaces; under the proposed changes that would reduce to 1.5 spaces, or 1.2 spaces in Key Locations. The planning document notes that a single car park space can add up to $82,000 to the cost of a unit outside the inner city, and that reducing this requirement directly improves affordability for buyers and renters.
Neighbourhood Character Protected by Design
The changes come with design safeguards built in. Minimum setbacks from existing freestanding houses, maximum building footprints, and requirements for street tree planting are all part of the proposed framework to ensure new development integrates into existing streetscapes rather than overwhelming them.
Planning consultants from Brisbane firm Therefor Group have noted that character-protected areas in suburbs with heritage overlays are unlikely to be affected. In Clayfield and Kalinga, where well-maintained Queenslander homes and post-war cottages define much of the residential streetscape, that distinction matters. The LMR zone typically occupies pockets near transport corridors and centres rather than the broadest residential streets, meaning character areas and designated heritage precincts sit largely outside the scope of the proposed changes.
Photo Credit: BCC
More than half of all Brisbane households are made up of single people or couples without children, yet 71 per cent of the city’s homes have three or more bedrooms. The initiative responds directly to that mismatch, aiming to create housing pathways for people at every stage of life within established, well-serviced suburbs.
How to Have Your Say
Formal community consultation on the More Homes, Sooner draft amendments is open now and closes Friday 20 March 2026. Residents can share their feedback online at brisbane.qld.gov.au by searching “More Homes, Sooner”, by emailing strategicplanninghousing@brisbane.qld.gov.au, or by calling 07 3403 8888. Written submissions can also be posted to Strategic Planning (More Homes Sooner), BCC, GPO Box 1434, Brisbane QLD 4001.
Following the consultation period, feedback will be reviewed and amendments updated before being submitted for state review and formally adopted into Brisbane City Plan 2014. That process is expected to conclude by late 2026.
Families in Clayfield can book a visit to a local early learning centre as Guardian Childcare and Education rolls out its 2026 Tour Month across its network.
The Clayfield centre, located at 791 Sandgate Road, is accepting tour bookings while the national campaign is underway. The site operates Monday to Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and has indicated limited spaces are available.
Tour Month highlights Guardian’s To BE Me learning framework, introduced in 2025. The program is structured around each child’s age, stage and interests, with milestones recorded as part of their early development.
Guardian states that tours also provide families with an overview of centre environments, safety measures and food programs across its network.
Photo Credit: Guardian Childcare & Education
Learning Programs At Clayfield Childcare
At the Clayfield centre, programs are offered from nursery through to a Flying Start to School kindergarten pathway. The centre outlines a daily rhythm that includes indoor and outdoor learning experiences, meal times, rest opportunities and educator handovers at the end of the day.
The outdoor environment includes native gardens, a water pump, a creek bed and natural play structures. Indoor spaces are set up with age-appropriate learning resources designed to support early development.
Photo Credit: Guardian Childcare & Education
Safety And Supervision Measures
Guardian outlines a range of child safety measures across its centres. These include Working With Children Checks for team members, reference checks, annual suitability declarations and mandatory child safety training.
Operational practices include visibility requirements in care areas, supervision policies requiring staff to be within sight or sound of one another, daily risk assessments and restrictions on personal phones or devices in learning spaces. Visitor access controls require sign-in procedures and photo identification before entry.
Daily rates at the Clayfield centre are described as all-inclusive, with no additional charges for incursions, excursions or learning programs. Estimated out-of-pocket costs vary depending on Child Care Subsidy eligibility.
Queensland Government funding is available to support up to 15 hours of free kindergarten per week for eligible children who turn four by 30 June in the year before primary school. Families can seek further details about eligibility and fee reductions when touring the centre.
After booking a Clayfield childcare tour, families receive confirmation by email and SMS, followed by reminder messages including directions to the centre. Changes to bookings can be made by contacting 13 82 30.
Guardian operates around 180 centres nationally, including in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Canberra, with tours currently open across participating locations.
Clayfield sits at the centre of a safety concern that riders say stretches across Brisbane’s northside, after a key link in the North Brisbane Bikeway ends near Eagle Junction and pushes people on bikes into traffic and parked cars.
An online petition calling for safer cycling on Dickson Street drew 636 signatures before it closed on 26 March 2025. The petition lists its principal petitioner as a Wooloowin resident and focuses on the Clayfield–Eagle Junction area, where the protected bikeway is set to stop at Price Street.
It argues that many riders will still use Dickson Street to reach Eagle Junction station and other connections, but will be forced to ride between parked cars and faster-moving traffic. The petition asked Council to lower the speed limit from 60 km/h to 40 km/h and remove on-street parking along about 500 metres of Dickson Street.
They said the change would reduce the risk of collisions and improve safety for people traveling to Eagle Junction and nearby workplaces, including jobs linked to Brisbane Airport.
Why the Issue Reaches Beyond Clayfield
Although the petition focuses on a short section of road, the route it discusses forms part of a wider network used by riders travelling between suburbs. The petition describes how the North Brisbane Bikeway would be routed away from Dickson Street via Price Street, Kent Road and Brooks Street before rejoining the Kedron Brook corridor.
For people travelling through the area rather than living in Clayfield, the concern is that the most direct path to Eagle Junction can still run along Dickson Street, where riders say conditions feel less protected once the separated bikeway ends.
What the Working Group Supported
In a Facebook post dated 8 February 2026, the cycling advocacy group Space4cyclingbne said it had seen a 2024 Community Working Group report reviewing the alignment and design of what was intended to be Stage 5 of the North Brisbane Bikeway. The group stated that the working group supported building the missing connection by continuing north along Dickson Street after Price Street, through Eagle Junction, and then connecting to the Kedron Brook Bikeway via Jackson Street, with minor design changes suggested.
Photo Credit: Space4cyclingbne/Facebook
Brisbane City Council’s North Brisbane Bikeway Stage 5 project page confirms a Community Working Group met in early 2024 and later notes that broader community concerns were raised about the Price Street to Kedron Brook alignment after the working group ended. Council states it has discontinued work on that alignment and will return to a previous Kent Road-based concept that uses surrounding streets to connect to the Kedron Brook Bikeway.
What Residents Say They’re Still Waiting For
Space4cyclingbne said campaigners were disappointed construction did not proceed in 2025 and claimed some petition signatories had not seen a clear update nearly a year later. Council’s project page states responses to two petitions were endorsed by Council committees on 20 January 2025, while the petition page itself does not display a detailed public reply.
For locals and riders passing through the area, the practical issue remains the same: the protected bikeway currently stops at Price Street, and the route toward Eagle Junction is left to on-road conditions.
Photo Credit: Space4cyclingbne/Facebook
Community Interest Hasn’t Faded
The Brisbane North Bicycle User Group highlighted the petition campaign in a 2025 post, encouraging residents to support calls for safer conditions in the Dickson Street corridor, which it framed as a current local concern for riders. The group’s update is available at Brisbane North BUG.
With Council’s attention now on a different alignment, advocates have indicated a Kent Road connection could still add value, but they continue to argue that safety on Dickson Street matters for people trying to reach Eagle Junction and connect into the wider network.
Reports of shark sightings along Kedron Brook near Kalinga Park have prompted a community advisory shared online, cautioning people and pets to stay out of the water as a precaution.
Multiple community reports over recent days have described sharks being seen at different points along Kedron Brook, with the most recent sightings noted near Kalinga Park. The sightings were described as occurring in shallow sections of the waterway that are regularly accessed by walkers and dog owners.
Early warnings focused on dogs entering the creek, reflecting concerns about pets swimming in the water. The advisory was later broadened to include people, following reports that some individuals were also entering the creek.
A notice shared online accompanying the reports advised avoiding swimming in Kedron Brook until further notice. The warning was framed as a safety measure rather than an emergency response, encouraging caution while sightings continue to be reported.
No timeframe has been given for when the advisory may be lifted. The guidance remains in place for both humans and animals, particularly in areas where the creek is commonly used for recreation.
The exact species involved has not been confirmed. Earlier descriptions suggested the shark may resemble a blacktip reef shark, while others believed it could be a juvenile bull shark. These assessments were based on visual observations only. No expert identification has been published. Bull sharks are known to move between ocean and river systems and can tolerate fresh water.
Reports have acknowledged the uncertainty and stressed that the presence of any shark in a shallow, urban waterway warrants caution regardless of species.
Local Use Of The Creek
Kedron Brook flows through several northern Brisbane suburbs and is widely used as a shared recreational corridor, including off-leash dog walking areas near Wooloowin and Wavell Heights. Dogs are commonly allowed to enter the water, particularly during warmer weather.
Public information about nearby dog-walking areas already includes general cautions about water quality during stagnant conditions due to potential health risks for pets. The recent shark sightings have added an additional safety consideration for creek users.
While sightings continue to be reported, there has been no confirmation of how many sharks may be present or how long they may remain in the area. Until further updates are available, the advice remains to avoid swimming and keep pets out of the water along affected sections of Kedron Brook.
Clayfield renters are paying close to $920 a week for the typical house, a level that is reshaping what many locals can afford and how quickly they need to act when a listing appears.
After the December 2025 quarter, the latest Domain Rent Report showed Brisbane’s median house rent rose again to $670 a week and unit rents to $650, with the city recording the strongest quarterly rise in house rents of any capital. The same report and related coverage point to extremely tight rental conditions, with vacancy rates below 1% across Brisbane contributing to ongoing pressure.
What the Data Shows in Clayfield
The suburb-level snapshot for Clayfield indicates median asking rents for houses are about $920 a week, with unit rents also higher over the past year. That puts Clayfield well above the Brisbane median and reflects how inner-north suburbs can sit at the sharp end of a citywide shortage.
For broader context, Domain’s Rent Report outlines the overall lift in Brisbane rents and explains that limited supply remains the central driver of price rises, even as growth is expected to slow when renters hit affordability limits.
Why the Inner North Is Under Pressure
Analysts tracking Brisbane’s rental market have linked the latest rise to a shortage of available homes and continued demand, rather than a single local factor. The REIQ’s market reporting has also highlighted how low vacancy rates intensify competition, leaving renters with fewer choices and less bargaining power.
In established suburbs like Clayfield, where new rental supply can be limited, that pressure can show up quickly in higher weekly rents and faster decision-making by applicants.
What It Means for the Clayfield Community
For residents, the shift is most visible in the shrinking pool of homes within lower weekly budgets. Industry commentary reported alongside the latest Domain findings suggests cheaper rentals attract heavier enquiry across Brisbane, and that pattern can be felt in inner-north suburbs where demand is steady.
The same research also suggests rent rises may continue, but with a slower pace if households reach their financial limit, which could place more focus on value, condition and liveability when renters choose where to apply.
Where This Could Head Next
Economists expect rents to keep rising in the near term, but they also point to an affordability ceiling that can slow growth as renters push back. Even with that slowing effect, the key issue remains supply.
With vacancy rates still very low, Clayfield renters are likely to face strong competition through 2026, especially for well-located, well-presented homes.
The incident occurred at Prestige Coins and Collectables on Sandgate Road, Clayfield, when two men wearing motorcycle helmets approached the front entrance while the owner was inside the store with his dogs.
Believing the pair were delivery drivers, the owner opened the door and was immediately struck on the head with a weapon. A physical struggle followed at the entrance as the owner attempted to prevent the men from entering the premises.
CCTV footage captured the confrontation, showing the owner managing to shut the door on the intruders. After being forced outside, the men used hammers to repeatedly strike the door and glass in an effort to gain access to the store.
As the damage continued, the owner moved to the rear of the shop. During this time, two small dogs inside the premises were seen retreating away from the front entrance.
Machete Used To Drive Off Intruders
The owner returned to the front of the store carrying a large machete kept on site. He used it to deter the intruders as they continued attempting to break through the damaged doorway.
Drops of blood were later visible near the entrance, suggesting the offenders may have been injured before fleeing the scene. The two men left without entering the store.
The 68-year-old owner, who is a recent cancer survivor, sustained a minor head injury during the incident. One report indicated he was taken to hospital, while another stated he received treatment at the shop.
Queensland Police Service have appealed for anyone who witnessed the incident or has CCTV or dashcam footage from the area to come forward. No arrests or charges have been announced.
Public Attention Following Online Footage
Footage of the attempted armed robbery in Clayfield was later shared online, drawing widespread public attention. Responses focused on concern for the owner’s wellbeing and the safety of his dogs.
Investigations into the attempted armed robbery in Clayfield remain ongoing, with police continuing to gather information to identify those responsible.
On London Road, two Clayfield homes quietly share a pedigree that places them among Brisbane’s most important domestic buildings. Lyndhurst and Turrawan were both designed by Robin Dods, the architect whose work reshaped how Queensland houses looked, felt and functioned at the turn of the 20th century.
Born in 1868, Dods trained in Britain before returning to Brisbane in the 1890s. Through his partnership Hall & Dods, he introduced Arts and Crafts principles to local architecture, then adapted them for subtropical living. His houses favoured generous verandahs, careful planning, strong roof forms and an emphasis on craftsmanship — ideas that influenced Queensland residential design for decades.
Clayfield is one of the suburbs where that legacy can still be read clearly, particularly in these two neighbouring heritage-listed houses.
Completed in 1896, Lyndhurst is recognised as one of the earliest substantial houses designed by the Hall & Dods partnership. It was commissioned by businessman John Reid soon after the practice was formed, making it a key early work in Dods’ Queensland career.
Architecturally, Lyndhurst reflects Dods’ move away from purely decorative Victorian styles toward a more disciplined and modern domestic design. The house features a steeply pitched roof clad in terracotta Marseilles tiles — an early use of this material in Queensland — along with deep verandahs and a carefully proportioned form that responds to climate as much as aesthetics.
Unusually for Brisbane at the time, Dods also designed the original garden layout, setting the house well back from the road and creating a formal approach that reinforced its presence. This integration of house and setting was part of Dods’ broader philosophy: a home was not just a building, but an environment shaped for daily life.
Heritage assessments identify Lyndhurst as important not only for its architectural qualities, but because it demonstrates Dods’ early experimentation with blending British design thinking and traditional Queensland building forms — a synthesis that would become highly influential.
Turrawan: A Home Designed for Medicine and Family Life
A decade later, Dods returned to London Road to design Turrawan, completed in 1906 for Dr Arthur Charles Frederick Halford. Unlike Lyndhurst, Turrawan was purpose-designed as both a family residence and a doctor’s surgery, offering a rare insight into how professional and domestic life intersected in early 20th-century Brisbane.
The house was carefully planned with separate entrances and spaces for patients and private family use, reflecting contemporary medical practice, where doctors commonly worked from home. This dual-purpose design is now considered uncommon, and is a key reason for Turrawan’s heritage significance.
Originally oriented differently on its site, the house was later repositioned to face London Road. Over time, it also served as a private hospital, including maternity use, highlighting the role such houses played in community healthcare before the rise of large institutional hospitals.
Architecturally, Turrawan displays many of Dods’ hallmarks: strong roof forms, Arts and Crafts influence, and a solid yet restrained expression that balances dignity with comfort. Heritage listings also note its importance as one of the few surviving large domestic works by Dods that clearly demonstrate his approach to residential planning.
Together, Lyndhurst and Turrawan tell a broader Clayfield story. They reflect a period when the suburb was emerging as a desirable residential area and when Brisbane architecture was shifting toward something more confident, modern and locally grounded. More than a century on, these houses remain tangible reminders of how one architect’s ideas helped shape not just buildings, but everyday life in Clayfield.
