Top girls’ school plans sports facility for landmark Toowong chip factory site

It churned out some of Brisbane’s best-loved potato chips for four decades. But now, an elite Catholic girls’ school plans to turn this landmark factory site into sports fields. SEE THE PLANS

The latest attempt to transform the disused Red Seal potato chip factory site in Brisbane’s inner-west has been unveiled by a top Catholic girls’ school.

Stuartholme School, which owns the old Freers Farm in Toowong, has applied to the State Government to build tennis and netball courts, and hockey and touch football fields, at the picturesque Sir Samuel Griffith Drive property.

Previous development proposals for the site were knocked back after opposition from residents, some of whom have rehabilitated surrounding land under the Bushcare program.

The site, originally a dairy farm taken up by John Muirhead in 1887 and the source of Toowong’s milk for many years, is at the foot of Mt Coot-tha next to ecologically sensitive Ithaca Creek.

Artist's impression of the sports facility planned for the old Freers Farm dairy, later a Red Seal potato chip factory.

Stuartholme bought the property in 2005 from Gerard and Maureen Freer, who closed their Red Seal chip factory in 2001 after four decades in business.

The Freers also ran a Charolais cattle stud there.

A Stuartholme spokeswoman said it would refurbish the landmark, brick chip factory building and convert the paddocks into indoor and outdoor sports facilities for the school’s 680 students.

“These improvements will help cater for the above-average uptake in sports at the school and continue to support the benefits to be had by students participating in sports from a young age,’’ she said.

“The school is aiming for the Freers Site sports training fields and courts to be operational in 2023.

“Around 680 students currently attend the school, which is expected to grow modestly over the next 10 years to 800 students.

“The new facilities will be used primarily by students during the weekdays for training and physical education lessons.

Stuartholme School plans to turn adjacent Freers Farm into sports fields.

“Scope has also been provided within the application to provide restricted use of the facilities by local community and sporting groups during weekday afternoons, acknowledging the shortage of sports training facilities within the local area.’’

Stuartholme has applied via the highly controversial Ministerial Infrastructure Designation (MID) process, which bypasses Council planning laws and greatly limits opportunities for the public to appeal.

There have been a dozen MID applications by elite Brisbane private schools and private hospitals in the past year alone.

“The school has met with Brisbane City Council and undertook initial community engagement in July, 2021.

“The school welcomes further feedback as part of additional consultation that is planned to occur.’’

Freers Red Seal chips originally came in cardboard boxes.

Gerard Freer grew up in poverty following the Great Depression, but studied at night to become a food chemist at Queensland Country Traders on Coronation Drive in Milton.

By 1950 he had risen to production manager at chip maker Mynor before selling his only asset, an Austen A40 car, and buying the Sir Samuel Griffith site.

His Superfoods company produced 84 snack lines, the most popular of which was Red Seal potato chips.

They originally were sold in cardboard boxes and came in plain and BBQ flavours, but were best known for their tomato flavour.

They won a taste testing competition run by the old Queensland Chamber of Manufacturers.

Mr Freer had to sell to Arnott’s after the 1987 stock market crash.

But he was so angry after Arnott’s stopped production he refurbished the factory, re-employed his former staff and went back into production, until poor health forced him to close.

His chips became so beloved they even had their own Facebook page set up by fans, Freer’s Red Seal Chips.