TANNERY FOR ALBANY CREEK

This was the deliberately false headline, that in the 70’s got the quiet achievers of the community to “enmasse”, attend the local Progress Association meetings. Such meetings were fiery, productive and some had almost 100% local resident involvement. . After all, who would want to live adjacent to a smelly Tannery and Wool scour?
After the Progress Association won its fight with Pine Shire Council, to tap the Keong Road water main from Strathpine to the Arana Hills estates of George Wilmore; the subdivisional by Lutana Estates of Albany Hills commenced in the very early 70’s. (The English County Street names)
By 1974, the land price had soared to $9,000 and the back of Perrings Dairy around Sandy Creek came up for Council approval. Progress lobbied successfully for an increase in parkland allocation and dedication in new estates for community land for buildings like the girl guides. With 5 percent for parkland plus 3 percent for community facilities.
As, a then member of the Pine Council Planning Committee, I vividly remember Council engineers espousing the virtues of bulldozing flat the creek vegetation, realigning the creek in a straight line from Old Northern Road to Sussex Drive and installing the latest low-flow underground pipe with a top surcharge to control the creek’s water flow.
Thankfully the inspection of this alternative, at Huxtable Park Chermside West (UBD 119 K15) did not impress, the creek remained and the back paddock of Perrings became the tranquil Clem Bleakley Park, with its much-used bikeways and walkways.
Thousands of native trees and grasses have been planted over the past few years.
If Clem Bleakley was around to attend those plantings, he would probably come by horse and sulky and left his Rugby motor vehicle at home for longer trips. He was the headmaster of the mainly one-teacher school from 1910 (when the Campbell family settled) until October 1944. He was a man of medium stature but remembered as big (nicely said).
This park is named after him as our longest serving Albany Creek Principal, one that was “free with the cane”, enjoyed a tipple and masterminded the ever so successful school break-up parties that featured the robust singing of Mrs Krause (Tiverton) – loud, lusty and out of tune.

This park, pedestrian link, is the ‘glue’ that connects the Coles to Woollies, High School to Primary School and the older 70’s developments to the post 90’s developments of Albany Forest.
This important park link reinforces my view that, some times, the best technical advice should take second place to gut feeling and vision.
Take your exercise walk through these shady parks and find out, just how friendly the locals are.

P.S. If you take your dog on lease, allow another 30 minutes of “Chat time”.

Tom Simpson and Clem Bleakley Parks contribute to the solid property value increases in Albany Creek. It’s the community spirit that makes the difference.

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Peter Campbell - 0418 774 663