Herston - Exhibition Grounds

The site of the Brisbane Exhibition Grounds was originally used by the Queensland Acclimitisation Society and the present day Bowen Park is a remnant of those gardens.

Part of the Acclimatisation Society's land was later used by the Agricultural and Industrial Association of Queensland, from 1875, with the first show being held a year later, as the Queensland Intercolonial Exhibition. The admission prices to this first show were, judging day, five shillings; opening ceremony, two shillings and sixpence; general admission, one shilling.

Sample bags, now known as show bags, were originally true "sample" bags given away free, and containing such samples as :

miniature cans of fruit
lollies, mints, biscuits
cake mixes, puddings
sugar, flour, preserved fruit,

but at the first show, there was only a single sample bag available, this containing examples of coal.

Brisbane Exhibition, 1908

The first Exhibition Building, built of wood, was destroyed by fire in 1887. The replacement Exhibition Building was built in 1891, in only twenty-three weeks. It contains some 1,300,000 bricks and employed around three hundred men during its construction.

First Exhibition Building, ca 1877

Present Exhibition Building, 1895

The Exhibition Building remains one of the architectural icons of Brisbane as well as being an imposing landmark in the Herston landscape.

Kedron - Kedron Park Hotel

With the on-set of development, we so often see our older buildings lost to us, or changed beyond recognition. This similarly goes for our older or familiar landscapes and streetscapes, with development often resulting in the past being lost to us.

The various infrastructure works associated with the new northern busway and the Airport Link, could, in this way, be expected to completely overwhelm what few historical structures and landmarks that still survive in the Kedron area.

But, in the case of the historic Kedron Park Hotel, this doesn't appear to have happened.

View of Gympie Road, Kedron, ca. 1908, with the Kedron Park Hotel in the distance

Kedron Park Hotel, 1960

Although the roadworks are still underway, with the streetscape changing significantly, the Kedron Park Hotel, as an historic landmark, has become more dominant on the intersecting than it was previously. The reason for this is that the roadworks have opened up the area around the old hotel, making it easier to view this old Brisbane pub.

The Kedron Park Hotel was opened by Frederick Morris in 1881 and soon after, perhaps as a way of attracting more customers, he set up picnic type races on the land opposite the hotel. Although there was some early criticism of the way in which the race meetings were conducted, they were held here for many years.

Kedron Park Racecourse, 1922

It is also recorded that the hotel had a small zoo and that one of the hotel's more colourful publicans had a swearing parrot.

Herston - Royal Brisbane Hospital

The history of Brisbane's main hospital dates back to the earliest times of European settlement in Queensland.

The first hospital was established as part of the Moreton Bay Penal Colony, originally located at Redcliffe, in 1824. When the penal colony was moved to the present site of Brisbane's central business district, in 1825, the hospital was sited near the present corner of George and Ann Streets, with the site extending through to present day North Quay.

Hospital, Moreton Bay Penal Colony, ca.1835

Surgeon's Cottage, George Street, Brisbane, ca.1862

Here it stayed until 1867, when it was moved to what was considered to be a more suitable location at Herston, which was then known as the "Quarries".

Site of the Brisbane Hospital, Herston, ca. 1869


In the period since its establishment at Herston, it has steadily expanded and developed, quickly becoming Queensland's major hospital. Few buildings survive from the hospital's early period of development, and with the pressure of expansion as the hospital continues to expand, those that do are probably at risk of redevelopemnt or demolition. This will mean that, over time, there will be fewer and fewer physical links with the hospital's early history.

Once dominating the Herston streetscape, the imposing busway infrastructure is now very much part of the hospital site.

Herston

This inner Brisbane suburb is named in honour of two of our early residents, these being Robert Herbert and John Bramston, who jointly owned a residence which was situated around the site of the present University of Queensland Medical School building.

Herston, the residence of Robert Herbert and John Bramston

Both men were prominent citizens of early Brisbane, Robert Herbert, Queensland's first Premier and John Bramston, a lawyer, who later became Attorney-General. The residence and farm they established was given the name "Herston" being a combination of the first and last parts of their surnames, and which became the name for the wider area.

Robert Herbert

John Bramston


One of Herbert's surviving letters, written to his sister in the 1860s, describes them "catching quantities of magnificent prawns in the creek which surrounds Herston", which is most like to to have been Breakfast Creek, and continues to describe the method employed to catch them, thus, "we have boxes covered with canvas, with a funnel shaped entrance, into which they walk, splendid large fellows, four or five inches long and most delicate in flavour".

I wonder if there are still prawns in that area of Breakfast Creek, and what the eating quality would be?

The two most prominent landmarks in the area are probably the Royal Brisbane Hospital and the Exhibition Grounds, although the large infrastructure of the new busway is now also a major landmark.

Over the next couple of days, I'll put up posts looking briefly at the history of both the hospital and the Exhibition Grounds.

Another significant site in Herston is Bowen Park, which is a remnant of the probably little remembered Acclimitisation Gardens which once extended well beyond the present Bounds of this park.

I'll also cover the history of this early gardens in a future post.

Sandgate

Here's a building that's taken on a new life!  Formerly the Sandgate post office, this impressive colonial building is now home to the recently opened 4017 Bar and Grill.

In its former life as the Sandgate Post and Telegraph Office, it would have been a hub of activity, particularly in view of its prominent location, dominating the Sandgate streetscape.  The building was built in 1886/7 to the design of the then Queensland Government Architect, J.J. Clark, at a cost of some two thousand pounds.  At the time of its construction, it was one of the few masonry post office buildings outside Brisbane or the larger provincial centres.  The building was built during a period of optimism and reflects the importance of Sandgate as a seaside resort and a growing residential area, from the 1880s.  The grand nature of the building also reflects the importance of the post and telegraph service within the Queensland colonial economy.

Now, as 4017 Bar and Grill, it is again a hub.  It also retains a link with its former use a a post and telegraph office, through the use of the Sandgate postcode in its name.

It's great to see one one of our beautiful older buildings, potentially at risk of being let run down, or worse, lost, take on a new persona, ensuring we can continue to use and admire it!

Sandgate

Here is an interesting remnant from Sandgate's past.

At each end of a large retaining wall along the southern side of Alexandra Street, Sandgate, at the intersection with Southerden Street, stands a low stone post.  The stone post at the higher, western end of the retaining wall, although matching the post at the lower, Southerden Street end in size and design, is un-adorned.  The post at the Southerden Street end, as pictured, is adorned with a lion's head, which gazes out, across Southerden Street, at the wide expanse of Dowse Lagoon.

This seems to be a rather grand touch to an otherwise plain and unassuming, though large, retaining wall.

Is anyone aware of its story or how long it's been here and are there any others, similar to this, around the area or throughout Brisbane at large?

Introduction

Hi, I’m Brian Randall and I’m interested in Queensland history in all its forms.  I work in the State Library of Queensland’s John Oxley Library, which holds the library’s Queensland history collections, so I’m fortunate that my work coincides with my strong interest in Queensland history.  In recent years, I’ve also developed a particular interested in the history and development of Brisbane’s suburbs and localities, as a topic in itself.  This interest has developed out of a series of ABC Radio segments, on the history of various Brisbane suburbs, I did with Madonna King.  Also, I now present periodic segments on aspects of Brisbane’s history, as well as other south east Queensland locations, for Channel Seven’s The Great South-East.  So, I’m keen to extend this by learning as much as I can about our city’s suburbs as well as sharing any new or interesting aspects I turn up along the way.

I’m writing this blog as a way of exploring Brisbane’s suburbs and localities as an historical and cultural topic and learning more as a result, as well as sharing and discussing new or different perspectives on Brisbane’s suburban history.

The history of our suburbs is all around us but it changes and evolves all the time, reflecting our past as well as being with us in the present.  For this reason, it can sometimes be difficult to capture and describe well.  I’m aware of this, as well as my own limitations as an historian, but I’d like to generate or encourage discussion about Brisbane’s suburban stories.

Some possible topics might be the naming, settling and development of our suburbs, how our older buildings being used or re-used or how are other suburban landmarks changing?  As well, what are the interesting landmarks, given that these may change or evolve over time?

How is our history being reflected or used in the suburbs and localities of Brisbane, say in the branding or promotion of businesses?  In what ways are old buildings or other physical landmarks being brought to life in the suburbs, for instance, by becoming the home of a new restaurant?  Over and above all of this, I’d like to identify any less well known remnants from earlier times, things that we might see every day but not notice put in the context of the area’s history.

Also, how do names connect us with the past, whether it be the name of a street, park, suburb, locality or whatever?  And what about the physical layout of streets, parks, gardens?  How do these provide us with a reminder of a reflection of the past?

What places, suburbs or localities have been lost to us as the city grows and evolves?  For example, places such as Cribb Island were once home to vibrant communities, but were lost as the needs of the city engulfed them.

Of course, there are many other sources of information about Brisbane’s history, and no doubt, others more skilled at recording the city’s history and development and I do not see myself or this blog as duplicating or competing with these.  Rather, my aim for this blog is that it can be a forum to discuss some of the less well known aspects of Brisbane’s suburban history and readers are particularly encouraged to have their say about any aspect of the blog.  I’d love to see information added, mistakes corrected and above all stories told and insight shared, thereby filling in gaps with colour and depth.