Family Doubles Down on Historic Brisbane Blocks

For years, drivers have sat at the corner of a busy intersection in northern Brisbane and stared at an outhouse, wondering what was next for the near hectare-sized block.

And while Melbourne has its Skipping Girl vinegar sign, near that outhouse was the slightly less iconic squash girl sign. 

Although the cheeky cutout figure has been removed, it had made its way into the memory of Brisbanites travelling on the arterial road.

Now, these neighbouring sites about 15km from the CBD, have development applications under way after the properties changed hands.

The Karagianis family added both to its substantial holdings across Brisbane, filing development applications for the combined 19,352sq m sites at 1537-1545 Gympie Road, Carseldine.

The properties back on to the Cabbage Tree Creek and Aspley Homemaker City.

▲ Out of time: The well-known house and its outhouse will make way for the clubhouse on the Carseldine site. Aerial image: Nearmap

Vector Security, led by the Karagianis family, plans to remove the house and outbuildings at 1537 Gympie Road and replace them with a club house.

Under plans by Peninsula Architects, the project comprises a 2000sq m club facility, a 149-space carpark and substantial vegetation buffers along the creek. 

In July, plans for the site’s 1970s squash courts were approved by Brisbane City Council after a court hearing with the neighbouring residential property.

Under these plans the courts will be retained, a gym and function centre added to the front of the block and an indoor sports centre added at the rear.

Both properties are in flood overlay areas and within an Emerging Community Zone.

▲ The 1970s-era squash court will be retained. The landmark squash girl sign however was removed sometime ago.