👨🍳 Cleveland Courthouse set for revival after $4m sale
Volume 54: Harry Potter at Sirromet starts tomorrow | Meta's insane $100m AI staff sign-on bonus | Lota armed robbery appeal | Capalaba library demolished and more
Welcome back to The Redland City Minute, it’s June 19.
Today’s big and free weekly newsletter is 1,328 words, a 6.5-minute read.
And, bring on Game 3 #Queenslander 💪
In today's email:
One Big Thing: Cleveland Courthouse location set for revival after $4m sale
Klein’s calls fuel: Maroons to Perth victory
Harry Potter comes to the Redlands, Sirromet: Opening from tomorrow
Trending: A dog found on Manning Esplanade, looking for owner
Around the Web (Snippets): Capalaba library demolished, Meta’s insane $100m staff signing bonus, Lota armed robbery appeal, scientists use drones to unleash mosquitoes and more!
Upcoming Events
And, congratulations to the new owners of the Courthouse Restaurant, which just sold this week.
Dropping by a few days ago to get a little Instagram footage, it brought back a bit of nostalgia for one of the Redland City Minute team who had their first ever job there.
It was around age 14 or 15 while still at school, about 2003, or so.
From memory, I was earning about $5.90 an hour as a kitchen hand, starting each shift peeling two or three massive buckets of potatoes.
The venue had this historical feel, especially with the fireplaces going in winter. All the crew were hard working, clean cut and professional, with Mary Gibb at the helm running a tight ship and a team to match the high standards for the hospitality and food that would be served.
After potato prep, it was onto helping helping with the garlic bread and those famous Kilpatrick oysters, before my favourite part where you could get a bit creative: desserts.
Brandy snap baskets and sticky date pudding were always crowd favourites with orders coming through at great speed once the mains were out of the way.
A great first job with great people, and a lasting reminder of the top-shelf hospitality and memories that the venue and its staff have delivered to the Redlands community for decades since.
All the best to the new owners, and we look forward to seeing what you do next.
Redlands Weather Forecast and Tides
Live National Housing Price Index
1. One Big Thing: Cleveland Courthouse set for revival after $4M sale
What’s Happening: The iconic Cleveland Courthouse has sold for millions, with plans to restore it as a restaurant and event venue, breathing new life into a much-loved local landmark.
Why It Matters: Eight bidders vied for the heritage-listed waterfront site last Thursday, with the winning buyer, a Queensland hospitality operator, falling for the venue just one day before auction.
By the Numbers
$4m auction sale
8 registered bidders
50+ enquiries, 12 inspections were organised
Local Impact: The Cleveland Courthouse has for decades been a go-to for celebrations, fine food and bayfront views, and its return as a restaurant and event venue will be great to preserve local jobs, draw visitors and revive a space many in the community hold close.
What to Look for Next: Whether transformed into a destination restaurant, a premium event space, or given an entirely new identity, locals are looking forward to seeing what is next and continuing to enjoy this beloved location.
2. Klein’s calls fuel Maroons to Perth victory
By King Cane Toad
Rugby league referee Ashley Klein should be shortlisted for the King’s Birthday honours list after an incredible stellar performance in the second game of the 2025 State of Origin Series held in Perth.
Klein’s amazing first-half performance, during which he awarded an 8-0 penalty count to the Maroons, allowed Queensland to jump out to a 26-6 lead by halftime.
It also gave the Cameron Munster-led Maroons enough of a gap to have a bit of a nap in the second half and finish the game as 26-24 victors.
Klein’s inspirational performance understandably waned in the second half after becoming exhausted after such a dominant powerhouse first 40 minutes.
This gave the Cockroaches had numerous opportunities to claw back the lead in what would have been the Blues’ greatest comeback ever.
Unfortunately, NSW simply forgot to pack a kicker in the kit bag. Two from five conversions attempts was simply not good enough.
The referee’s first-half performance was good enough to ensure Game 3 in Sydney will be an exciting climax to the series.
The consummate performance also ensured Blues fans were sucking on cans of Perth Very Bitter on Wednesday night and spewing in their Cornflakes the morning after.
Klein is already being compared to the late Queensland great Barry Gommersall, who refereed nine State of Origin games in the 1980s. When Gommersall, known as The Grasshopper, was asked how Queensland won seven of the nine Origin games he officiated, he reportedly replied, "Well, surely anyone's entitled to two bad games".
The outstanding performance also raises questions as to other ways Australia and the World could take advantage of Klein’s prodigious talents.
Forget the United Nations and the unbelievable red-headed comb-overed blowhard in Washington, we should send Klein off to solve the Middle East’s problems before he jaunts off to have a quiet chat to Vladamir Putin to encourage him to leave the weapons on the sidelines.
Judging from his Game 2 performance (we won’t mention Game 1), we have absolute faith the Mid East and Ukraine crises would be well over before Wednesday, July 9.
Bring on Origin 3.
3. Harry Potter comes to the Redlands, Sirromet
What’s Happening: Tomorrow, 20 June 2025, Harry Potter™: A Forbidden Forest Experience will officially open its gates at Sirromet Winery in Mount Cotton, marking its first-ever Queensland appearance.
Why It Matters: Inspired by the iconic Forbidden Forest from the Harry Potter™ and Fantastic Beasts™ films, this illuminated outdoor trail invites guests to explore a dark woodland brought to life with magical creatures, enchanting lights, and spell-casting moments.
This experience offers more than nostalgia, it brings cinematic storytelling and fantasy to life through technology, design, and interactive elements.
It’s also a chance for people of the Redlands to enjoy a world-class event without leaving the City, with Brisbane hosting Australia’s most feature-rich edition yet.
By The Numbers:
Over 2 million visitors have experienced the trail worldwide
9 cities globally have hosted the experience, including 160,000 attendees in Melbourne
The trail walk take 45–75 minutes, with the full experience running approximately 60–90 minutes
What To Look For Next:
📅 Opens: Friday, 20 June 2025
📍 Location: Sirromet Winery, 850 Mount Cotton Road, Mount Cotton, Queensland
🎟️ Tickets: Visit the official website
4. Trending
5. Around The Web (Snippets)
GreazeFest celebrates 25 years of: Kustom Kulture with the upcoming Redlands Showgrounds event
An industrial property in: Stapylton sold for $49,000,000.00
Meta is offering insane bonuses of: $100,000,000.00 to OpenAI employees in an unsuccessful bid to poach the ChatGPT maker's talent
Dreamworld mega expansion now in: The State’s hands
Midjourney one of the most popular AI image generation startups, announced on Wednesday the launch of its: Much-anticipated AI video generation model, V1.
Images have been released of a suspect in a: Lota armed robbery appeal
In classic French striking style, the: Louvre museum shut down this week due to staff strike action protesting mass tourism
Recent updates from the: Redlands Integrated Early Years Place
In another Terminator movie-type AI event, OpenAI was just awarded: $200,000,000USD ($308,600,000.00 AUD) to develop prototype frontier AI capabilities to address critical national security challenges in warfighting
Scientists are using drones to unleash thousands of: Mosquitoes in Hawaii in a bid to save native birds.
The old Redland City Council Capalaba Library building has: Now been demolished👇
In case you missed it, last week’s newsletter👇
6. Upcoming Events
🎹 Redland Sinfonia Piano Showcase: June 21 from 2 pm onwards; featuring four incredibly talented young pianists making their orchestral debut at the RPAC Concert Hall
🍭 Winter Market: June 21 from 8:30 am to 1:30 pm; a great morning out with art stalls, entertainment, demonstrations and more at Old Schoolhouse Gallery
🤣 Melbourne International Comedy Festival Roadshow: June 21 from 8 pm onwards; the brightest stars from the 2025 Melbourne International Comedy Festival at the RPAC Concert Hall
✍️ Grant Writing Online Workshop for Indigenous Entrepreneurs: June 24 from 9:30 am to 11:30 am; designed for Indigenous entrepreneurs to develop the skills to write strong, effective grant applications (link provided upon registration)
