Kelly Southee is a local artist who paints portraits of homes, or other buildings for owners or for those who have a special bond with a particular place. Portraits may honour a new owner's proud purchase or pay respect to a cherished residence being sold as a farewell gift for the sellers. 

Kelly specialises in creating tributes to the character and memory of homes, gardens, and buildings with a blend of vibrant colour and elegant line work. Kelly’s artworks are enjoyed by owners in Australia, New Zealand, England, Sweden, Canada and the USA.

Kelly displays some of her paintings in our office at Mark Ward Property. Most of her works of art are for sale if you would like to purchase something from her.

Here is an example of one of the paintings that is currently hanging in our reception area:

​Tarragindi Sunrise: Glenaplin Avenue
         
I love to admire early morning light casting
shadows and illuminating homes and
gardens as our suburbs come to life.
 
Pastel on Archival Sanded Card       $550.00
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Kelly is a Professional Artist and a qualified Interior Designer who understands the importance of interpreting client’s wishes and working to deadlines. Kelly can provide a guide to size options, pricing, size and time frames, in order to produce a Home or Building Portrait that can be proudly and confidently presented to clients.  Call or email for details.

If you would like to get in touch with Kelly you can do so via her website: www.kellysouthee.com.au or give her a call on 0415 655 294.

Have you visited all the places to eat in Tarragindi? I have! Download my free dining guide for the Tarragindi and surrounding areas below. Whether you're looking for a cosy cafe to read a book in, a take away shop to pick up something quick for dinner, or a fancy restaurant with nice meals for a romantic night out, there really is something for everyone.

When it comes to choosing a cafe or restaurant to eat at in Tarragindi, Moorooka, Salisbury or Annerley you are definitely spoilt for choice. There are so many options to choose from including trendy cafes, cosy restaurants, fast food places and loads more.

Download my free dining guide and choose your favourite now!

The Tarragindi Free Library is now open in two locations! Located out the front of the Tarragindi Fitness Gym at 195 Fingal St, and on the back deck of Umu Kitchen on Denham Tce in Tarragindi.

​I wanted to give back to the local community in which I work, so I decided to set up a free library for local residents of Tarragindi and surrounding areas. I wanted to share my love of reading with others and what better way than to share all the books I’ve collected over the years?
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The Tarragindi Free Library is a free service where you can borrow and exchange books with other locals in the area. It’s a place where people can come together, to sit and drink coffee and read a book in the sun. I’m hoping that it will connect people in the community and get people talking about things they have in common. It’s a place to make new friends and enjoy life in the suburbs.

I have written this handy guide on everything that you need to know about the suburb of Tarragindi before moving to the area, including stats and demographics, history, schools, restaurants, cafes, take away food establishments, public transport, and more!

​You can even download a free copy of my Quarterly Property Report for the area below, which has house sale information, coupons for local businesses and much more.
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According to the 2016 census, there are currently 10,779 people living in Tarragindi. The median age of people living in Tarragindi is 36 years old, with an even mix of females (51.1%) and males (48.9%).  ​

The most widely spoken language in Tarragindi is English with 88.1% of people only speaking English at home. The most common ancestries in Tarragindi were English 26.5%, Australian 24.2%, Irish 12.2%, Scottish 8.7% and German 4.1%.

78.4% of people from Tarragindi were born in Australia. 3% were born in England, 2.3% were born in New Zealand and 0.9% were born in India.

57.7% of people living in Tarragindi work full time, with 32% working part time and 10.3% not currently working or unemployed. The most common occupations in Tarragindi include Professionals 37.1%, Managers 14.2%, Clerical and Administrative Workers 13.7%, Technicians and Trades Workers 9.3%, and Community and Personal Service Workers 8.6%.

According to the 2016 census, the median weekly personal income for people aged 15 years and over in Tarragindi was $884 with a family income of $2,528 per week.

The majority of families in Tarragindi include a couple with children (53%). 32% of families are couples without children, and 12.% of families are one parent families, of which 20.6% of single parents were male and 79.4% were female.

Tarragindi has a mixture of old and new homes. There are currently 3,837 houses in Tarragindi and 267 townhouses and units. The majority of homes in Tarragindi occupy 3 bedrooms (45.6%) or 4 or more bedrooms (42.9%). 9.8% of homes in Tarragindi have only 1 or 2 bedrooms.

41.9% of home owners are currently paying off a mortgage, while 35.1% of residents own their home outright. 20.4% of people living in Tarragindi are renting. The median rent price in Tarragindi is currently $420 per week and the median mortgage repayment is $2,170 per month.

45% of people own 2 vehicles per household, while 31% of people only have 1 car per household. 18.1% of people own 3 or more cars per household.
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The average home price in Tarragindi is $787,500 with a 2 bedroom house averaging $710,000, a 3 bedroom house averaging $745,000 and a 4 bedroom house averaging $880,000.

The average unit in Tarragindi will set you back $475,000.

House prices have risen by almost $100,000 in the past 2 years.
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Tarragindi was named after a native man named Tarra Gindi Tasserone, who was transported to Queensland from the Loyalty Islands for cheap labour in the sugar cane industry. He then escaped and went to work for a man named Alfred Foote in Ipswich. Tarra then cleared land, on a hill near Sandy Creek, which was owned by a relation of Alfred's (William Grimes) and the property was then named after him. He died in the late nineteenth century and his grave is located in the Ipswich General Cemetery.

Ekibin (in the North of Tarragindi) was named from the aboriginal word "Yekkabin" which referred to aquatic plants with edible roots which grew in the creek there. 

Tarragindi used to be the site of a field hospital during World War 2. After the war, the Housing Commission used the area to accommodate displaced persons. The Ekibin Memorial Park on Cracknell Road commemorates the establishment of the hospital.
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Tarragindi hosts two highly regarded primary schools - Wellers Hill State School and St. Elizabeth's Catholic Primary School. The closest high schools are in Holland Park or Yeronga.

Wellers Hill State School is the only Japanese primary bilingual school in Queensland. It has an outstanding visual arts program, instrumental music program and sporting program. The school first opened in 1926.

St. Elizabeth's Catholic Primary School is a parish based Catholic primary school which was founded in 1958 and caters for boys and girls from prep to year 6. St Elizabeth’s provides educational opportunities in the Arts, Music & Sports.
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Tarragindi has multiple bus stops around the suburb which will get you into the city in approx 35 mins. In peak hour traffic, driving can take approx 35 minutes to get into the city, however on a normal day it will only take you 15 mins to reach the city centre by car. An Uber would cost around $15-20, also depending on the time of day.
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The Salisbury and Moorooka stations are the closest train stations to Tarragindi and are only a 6-8 minute drive way.

There are numerous trendy cafes in Tarragindi including Brunos, Umu Kitchen, Esher St, Black Lab Cafe and One Drop Espresso. Find out more about the cafes in Tarragindi in this Tarragindi cafe blog post.
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There are some fantastic restaurants and take away food establishments in Tarragindi including Tarragindi Thai located at 1/6 Gapap St, which makes the best pad thai and laksa in the area!

If you're a seafood lover head down to 13 Kuring Gai Ave to Fitzy's Fresh Seafood to pick up some fresh prawns, fish, oysters, and loads more! Tarragindi Seafood and Curries at Gapap St also has fish & chips, burgers and authentic Indian curries!

CGB Seafoods is located at 96 Windmill Rd and offers great seafood and fish and chips. Tarragindi Seafood is located at 6 Gapap St and available on Menulog for fast delivery. Nick's Takeaway is located at 13 Kuring Gai Ave and supplies good burgers and fish and chips. Asian Food Paradise is next door at 11 Kuring Gai Ave and offers Malaysian and Chinese food.

If you're looking for something a bit spicier, Turbans and Cowboys are located at 15 Denham Tce and offers Indian and Mexican food which you will also find on Menulog.
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Tarragindi has quite a few little shopping villages dotted around the area. There's a 7 day convencience store named The Friendly Grocer which is located at 102 Windmill St. In this centre there is also a hairdreser, a bakery, and a post office.

The Tarragindi Fruit Barn is located at 304 Toohey Rd which sells cheap fruit and veges. Across the intersection is the Tarragindi Villiage where you will find a Nightowl, another bakery, a BWS, another hairdresser, a gourmet deli, and some restaurants.

Wellers Hill Hardware and Landscape Supplies is the place to go to for all your gardening needs and is located on Denham Tce, in the same street as SPAR, Weller's Hill Physiotherapy, Weller's Hill Medical Centre, a Pharmacy, a Chiropractor, an Acupuncturist, another hairdresser and a cafe and resturant.

There is another small shopping strip on Cracknell Rd which has - you guessed it - another hairdresser, a florist and Skin Spirit Day Spa where you can treat yourself to a facial, manicure or pedicure, spray tan, waxing, or a blissful massage to take all your cares away and de-stress.

(There is also another hairdresser located on Esher St next to the Esher St Cafe, and yet another one on Monash Road next to the beauty salon!)

The Rocklea Markets are only a 10 minute drive away and Westfield Garden City Shopping Centre is also only 12 minutes away, as are the Asian Restaurants in Sunnybank.

The closest supermarkets to Tarragindi would be the Moorooka Woolworths (where you will find an ATM) and the Annerley Woolworths. There is also an Aldi in Salisbury.
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The Greenslopes Private Hospital is the closest hospital to Tarragindi and is just 4.5kms away (only a 9 minute drive away). The QE2 Hospital is the next closest hospital to Tarragindi and is just over 5kms away (only 8 mins by car). 

There are a couple of Medical Centres in Tarragindi, including The Tarragindi Medical Centre which is located at 34 Monash Road and The Weller's Hill Medical Centre at 16 Denham Tce. 
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Tarragindi is a quiet suburb and doesn't have a very active night life. You can find The Weller's Hill Bowls Club on Sexton St though, which offers a bar, food, a great dance floor and night time barefoot bowls. They have a function room available for hire as well. They regularly put on a Friday night BBQ and have free parking on site.

If you are up for a big night out, you can head into Brisbane City which is only a short Uber or bus ride away. (West End also has some great bars and restaurants and is also very close by).
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The Toohey Forest is located in part of Tarragindi and covers an area of approx. 260 hectares. Toohey Mountain contains stunning rock formations that are made of tough quartzite formed 380 million years ago. There are multiple walking tracks through the forest which you can find out more about in the Exploring Toohey Forest blog post.

There are multiple parks dotted around the Tarragindi area but the best one is the Shaftesbury Street Park (with large dog park included) located on Laura St (behind Brunos Cafe). The Sandy Creek Park on Fernvale Road has kids play equipment, as does the Ekibin Memorial Park on the corner of Cracknell Rd and Fingal St.

Below is a list of parks in the Tarragindi area as per the Brisbane City Council website:

Tarragindi has a few free street libraries in the area. The Tarragindi Free Library is located in the seating area of the One Drop Espresso Cafe at 195 Fingal St. There is a second library out on the back deck of Umu Kitchen in Denham Terrace. The Tarragindi Free Library is a free service where you can borrow and exchange books with other locals in the area. There is even a Facebook page where you can keep up to date with what books are in the library in real time. You can even make requests for books or authors that you like via the Facebook page.
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Tarragindi also has it's own paddleboarding/kayaking group named the Southside Paddle Group. You can join the group by heading to the Facebook page and request to join. We head out once a month on our SUP boards and kayaks around Brisbane and the Gold Coast. It's a great way to meet new people who live in the area.

​I hope this ultimate guide to Tarragindi has helped you to become more familiar to the Tarragindi area. The information contained herein is subject to change over time. If you have any questions relating to Tarragindi or need some help finding a house in the area, please contact Kelly Pack on 0414 520 853. Please feel free to leave a comment below.​
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Bruno's is situated on Cracknell Rd, next to the Shaftesbury Park in Tarragindi, and is very convenient to drop into on your early morning walk around the park. The menu here is excellent and I have eaten here many times. The best place to sit is at the back of the cafe, which overlooks the parklands and is perfect for your morning breakfast or lunch.

They have an awesome menu with items rotating regularly. They also have all the usual coffees, teas, hot chocolates and juices available as well. They do lunch specials on weekends and Brunos also has a liquor licence enabling them to serve beer and wine with your lunch.

Once you've finished your meal, you can head next door to the playground to play in the park with the kids, take your dog to the dog park up the road, pop in for a massage at Skin Spirit Day Spa, a haircut at the hairdresser or browse in the other shops in the area as well.

Bruno's is open 7 days a week from 6am-2pm Monday to Friday and 7am-2.30pm on weekends.
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Umu Kitchen is located on the corner of Denham Terrace and Toohey Road in Tarragindi. The food here is fresh and tasty and the staff are all very friendly and professional. Umu serves high quality coffee with gourmet foods and mouthwatering desserts, including vegan and gluten free options.

Umu has a trendy decor featuring objects from nature, large hanging light bulbs and an awesome feature wall with leaf decal. They also have a small community notice board as you walk into the cafe. You can choose to sit inside the cafe, or out in the open-air out the front. You will also find a second Tarragindi Free Library located out on their back deck.

Umu Kitchen is open 7 days a week. Monday to Friday from 6am-4pm and weekends from 6am-3pm.
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Also not technically in Tarragindi, Todd & Pup deserves a mention as well, as they have the best muffins in the area! Take a look at their Facebook page for their muffin of the day specials. Their coffees and chai lattes are also lovely too.

Todd & Pupp are located at 398 Tarragindi Rd, Moorooka and are open 7 days a week - Monday to Friday from 6am-2pm and weekends from 7am-2pm.
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I hope this list of the best cafes in Tarragindi has helped you to decide where to go for your next lunch or coffee meeting. Who knows - I may even see you there! Please feel free to leave a comment if you also enjoy frequenting any of the cafes that I'm mentioned.