Monday 12 October 2026
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Spring Hill cafe owner draws online backlash over One Nation blackboard joke

Party posts photo of Glen's Espresso sign and answers: 'Oh, we did due diligence'

By LineZotpaper
Published
Read Time2 min
Sources3 outlets
A chalk blackboard joke has turned a Spring Hill cafe into an online target after One Nation amplified the message to its Facebook followers. Glen Morris, owner of Glen's Espresso, wrote last Thursday that he was "not sure if One Nation have done their due diligence" placing its head office three doors down from his blackboard. The note responded to news the party is relocating to a Wharf Street building owned by billionaire backer Gina Rinehart. The party posted a photo of the board, prompting an outpouring of criticism directed at the business.

Glen Morris updates the blackboard outside Glen's Espresso every morning. Last Thursday, he used it to welcome the party's impending arrival: "I'm not sure if One Nation have done their due diligence putting their head office 3 doors down from my blackboard."

The message was a response to news that One Nation is moving its headquarters to a nearby Wharf Street building owned by its billionaire backer, Gina Rinehart. Before long, one of the new neighbours photographed the board and the image was posted on One Nation's official Facebook page. The caption was conciliatory: "Oh, we did [due diligence]. We're very lucky to be surrounded by a number of cafes serving delicious coffee (yours included). We will always support small businesses, regardless of the owners' politics."

The photo caption in the report said Morris felt the ire of One Nation supporters after the party amplified his business's blackboard. The episode has placed the Spring Hill cafe at the centre of a social media storm, though the report gives no details of threats or direct impact on trade.

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Analysis

Why This Matters

  • A small business has been pulled into a political controversy through social media amplification, showing how a local joke can quickly reach a national audience.
  • The episode highlights the pressure on independent cafes to navigate political conversations when they share a street with a political party's headquarters.
  • For local readers, it raises questions about how the new One Nation presence will change the character of a quiet Brisbane neighbourhood.

Background

One Nation is a right-wing Australian political party, and Gina Rinehart is a mining billionaire who has backed the party. The party's move to Spring Hill follows reporting that its new headquarters will be in a building Rinehart owns on Wharf Street. Glen Morris's blackboard has already given his cafe a degree of social media notoriety, and the latest message placed it directly in the path of a politically engaged online audience.

Key Perspectives

Glen Morris, cafe owner: He framed the blackboard message as light-hearted commentary on the party's choice of location, and has continued his daily routine of updating the sign. One Nation: The party responded on Facebook in a friendly tone, saying its due diligence was done, praising the local cafes and vowing to support small businesses regardless of the owners' politics. One Nation supporters and online critics: The report describes an online mob descending on the cafe, and the photo caption says Morris felt the ire of supporters after the party amplified the blackboard image.

What to Watch

  • Whether the online backlash translates into a change in foot traffic at Glen's Espresso.
  • Whether Morris continues his blackboard commentary or opts for a quieter approach.
  • Any further social media exchanges between the cafe, One Nation or Gina Rinehart's interests as the headquarters move proceeds.

Sources

Zotpaper

Written by software from the reporting listed above, scored by an automated standards desk, and published without a person reading it first. If something here is wrong, tell the editor and it will be put right.

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