Lord Mayor Graham Quirk Archives

Karalis pull off coup for Mt Gravatt.

For exactly eight years to the day, Graham Quirk was the figurehead and face of the Brisbane City Council. His presentation skills on TV were always smooth and unflustered, finding words in challenging situations and delivering clear communication.

Now at the age of 62, having stepped down as mayor, Quirk is forging a new career path using his communication skills and his new career launches at Mt Gravatt this Saturday.

***Photo credit: Brisbane City Council – Flickr: Lord Mayor Graham Quirk APCS 2011, CC BY 2.0***

Whilst Brisbane doesn’t have the Property Auction culture that Melbourne has, there are still thousands of homes sold under the hammer each year. The changed selling conditions often suit vendors as well as buyers, and auctions are growing around the city. Mt Gravatt, however, doesn’t have a huge history of property auctions.

This Saturday, August 31, Quirk will begin his auctioneering career at 6 Archiva Street, Mount Gravatt East, a 4-bedroom, 3-bathroom home on 618sqm. The auction will take place on site at 12.30 p.m.

6 Archiva Street, Mount Gravatt East auction

Michael Sunderland of Karalis Real Estate is handling the sale of the property.

“When we were asked to handle the sale of 6 Archiva St, having been in Mount Gravatt real estate since 1994 and dealt with many politicians, I thought that becoming Graham Quirk’s first auction would be very beneficial for both the property and the Mount Gravatt area as we expect TV camera crews from the major broadcasters as well as a big crowd to witness real estate history on Saturday,” says Sunderland.

Karalis opened their doors just over a year ago on the Logan Road and are establishing a name for themselves.

“He’ll be a brilliant auctioneer,” says town planner Ken Ryan.

“He’s done many charity auctions over the years, all over the city, his presentation skills were what set him apart in his years as Mayor, he’s a very down to earth communicator,” Ryan added.

6 Archiva Street, Mount Gravatt East, changed hands for $93,000 in 1987, $169,000 in 1997, $207,000 in 1999 and $380,000 in 2003. Saturday’s auction to be in the $800,000’s plus range though agents are not allowed to estimate an auction’s likely outcome.

12.30 on Saturday, real estate history in Mount Gravatt.

The fight to save 68 Carrara Street and 8 Nurran Street in Mt Gravatt East has had another boost.

It was after the Brisbane City Council finalised the purchase of three of the four properties earmarked for development, through the Council’s Bushland Acquisition Program.

This means the lots will continue to provide safe passage for local koalas, green tree frogs, and other wildlife. Lord Mayor Graham Quirk stated that all of the land chosen for purchase contributes to the rich tapestry of Brisbane’s ecology, with acquired sites including koala movement corridors, locations with rare and endangered plants and animals or freshwater and wetland habitats.

“This 4,320 square-metre parcel of land sits right in the middle of a koala corridor that runs between Toohey Forest, Whites Hill Reserve and the Mt Gravatt Lookout and will prove invaluable to the local koala population that is known to move through this area,” Cr Quirk said.

There has been a huge campaign, led by the Mount Gravatt East Townhouse Development Action Group, to protect Carrara and Nurran Street from developments which would threaten the green spaces in the community.

Apart from its impact on wildlife, locals are worried the development will overcrowd the neighborhood. This means more cars and more congestion in case the proposed development was approved.

Above all, locals cited that the development is not consistent with the low-density living that they all expected when they bought a property in Mount Gravatt East.

Mt Gravatt East Development

Photo credit: pdonline.brisbane.qld.gov.au

The development application which campaigners feared threatened its future was for a 29-unit multiple dwelling. As part of the plan, the developers proposed wider access driveway and realigning the boundary between 6 and 8 Nurran Street.

In preparation for the development, the developer had already cleared the site. This earned the ire of residents, stating that 1ha of land was bulldozed without notice to local residents.

Photo credit: Mount Gravatt East Townhouse Development Action Group/Facebook

Upon acquisition of the land, the Council will revegetate the parcels of land with a range of plants, including fast-growing Eucalypt.

Stay up to date with proposed developments in the suburb by following the Mount Gravatt East Townhouse Development Action Group on Facebook.

Tag: Lord Mayor Graham Quirk

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