View Full Version : Brisbane history in colour


Aussie Bhoy
February 22nd, 2006, 12:00 PM
Some good colour pics of Brisbane from a variety of sources

http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/1160/brisbanekangarooptbeforethebri.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

1888 in Sydney newspaper
http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/1970/brisbane1888innewspaper7jb.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

1906
http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/3605/brisbane19062to.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

1908 Central Station
http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/5575/brisbane1908central32ob.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

1908 River (looking at Kangaroo Point)
http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/6649/brisbane1908river5vm.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

1908 Wharfs at Southbank, now covered by the Captain Cook Bridge
http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/5108/brisbane1908sthbrisbanewharves.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

WW2 Festival Hall
http://img239.imageshack.us/img239/1338/brisbaneww2festivalhall3er.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

1949 Anzac Square
http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/2241/brisbane1949anzacsquare6kx.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

1950 Customs House
http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/1472/brisbane1950customshouse1lm.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

1950 Queen and Eagle Sts
http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/4156/brisbane1950queenandeagle4qu.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

1957 Queens Park
http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/2122/brisbane1957queenspark6sq.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

1958 Queen St
http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/3174/brisbane1958queenst0yd.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

1960 Gabba Fiveways
http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/6185/brisbane1960gabbafivewayssteam.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/6161/brisbane1960gabbafivewayssteam1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

1963 City
http://img239.imageshack.us/img239/417/brisbane1963city3vp.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

1964 City
http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/4796/brisbane1964citycolour6vt.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

1965 City
http://img239.imageshack.us/img239/3736/brisbane1965cityandstorybridge.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

1965 old Lennons on George St
http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/6687/brisbane1965lennonsold3vy.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

1967 South Brisbane train station
http://img239.imageshack.us/img239/9102/brisbane1967southbrisbanestati.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

1969 Edward St
http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/8577/brisbane1969edwardst8iw.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

1970 Victoria Bridge
http://img54.imageshack.us/img54/3411/brisbane1970victoriabridge3fh.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

1970-ish Aerial
http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/3792/brisbane1972aerial8xx.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

1974 Ann St
http://img239.imageshack.us/img239/3724/brisbane1974annst0sv.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

1979 Gabba
http://img54.imageshack.us/img54/4090/brisbane1979gabba5kr.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

1981 City
http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/9861/brisbane1981city0tk.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

1983 Post Office Square
http://img54.imageshack.us/img54/2369/brisbane1983postofficesquare1b.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

1985 Aerial
http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/4751/brisbane1985cityaerial21uy.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

1985 Stanley St South Bank
http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/9263/brisbane1985stanleystreet8vo.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

1986 Gray St South Bank
http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/763/brisbane1986greystreet5ql.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

1987 Aerial
http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/8350/brisbane1987cityaerial9hs.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

1988 Expo
http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/9747/brisbane1988expo21nf.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

1989 Waterfront uc
http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/7315/brisbane1989waterfrontplaceuc6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

1993 City
http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/7100/brisbane1993cityview5jk.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Grantus
February 22nd, 2006, 12:06 PM
nice time lapsing there :)

In the last 30 years Brisbane as come a long, long way indeed.

uewepuep
February 22nd, 2006, 12:09 PM
Great stuff. Love old photos :)

JayT
February 22nd, 2006, 12:29 PM
I wish I'd gone to Expo:(

Great photos there - very nice "time tour" of Brisbane.

KJBrissy
February 22nd, 2006, 01:21 PM
In the second photo, is that a bridge from Kangaroo Point to New Farm?? If not, what is it?

BTW love the old photo's.

Funny to see the Holden building near Customs House early on, turn into a Phillips building.

SkyBoy
February 22nd, 2006, 02:27 PM
Thanks! Amazing pictures. :)

JayT
February 22nd, 2006, 10:07 PM
In the second photo, is that a bridge from Kangaroo Point to New Farm?? If not, what is it?

Its Smoke. All that area of Kangaroo Point was once industrial.

CULWULLA
February 22nd, 2006, 10:47 PM
love looking at old photos
this pic shows Brisbanes first "modern" skyscraper (blue bldg)
11storey Travel House from 1955!
i think it still stands?
http://img239.imageshack.us/img239/417/brisbane1963city3vp.jpg

zach24
February 23rd, 2006, 12:46 AM
i think it does stand its called 1?? Edward or somethign like that
maybe im wrong though

CULWULLA
February 23rd, 2006, 01:00 AM
yeah its on cnr Edward and Adelaide sts.It was also known as MLC.

http://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/uhtbin/hyperion-image/BCC-B54-37364

Aussie Bhoy
February 23rd, 2006, 01:20 AM
^^ Notice that in Cull's picture it has the MLC weather lights (they are still there today, but don't light up anymore).

Whenever I have visitors I always point out the weather lights on Hitachi/MLC, and they love them, every time we go near the city they are checking them out, and if it starts to rain they are desperate to check if the bottom has gone red. Probably they don't believe me, and want to see proof. Very rarely do I see the top lights do their thing, they are almost always all white, but on a couple of occasions I have seen them flash downwards to show a rapid fall in atmospheric pressure, usually just before a big storm.

I think Sydney used to have similiar weather lights on one city scraper, but not anymore.

nerazzurri
February 23rd, 2006, 04:57 AM
1958 Queen St picture looks so cool, I thought it was Vegas or something. And not refering to "Bris-Vegas" pfft. :P

The Collector
February 23rd, 2006, 05:55 AM
Nice tour! :okay:

Wezza
February 23rd, 2006, 09:06 AM
Wow!! Great tour!! :D The skyline has certainly come along way even since 1993.

drifter269
February 23rd, 2006, 12:51 PM
Was great seeing the construction of the river side expressway in the 1970 Victoria Bridge photo - always just "assumed" it was there! Dont know how they lived without it. I agree that the skyline has certainly come a long way since 1993. Brisbane was really stagnant for a long time ... the old photos especially the 1960's photos almosts gives the town a "Dublin" feel to the place

Brizbane2
February 23rd, 2006, 02:01 PM
Great pics. Always the history buff Aussie Bhoy!!

Some comments:

Look how wide Grey street was in 1983. If only it was that wide and grand now, instead of the bastardized narrow laneway we have now. Beattie could have had his 'world standard street' if it was layed out upon a road that wide. And look there is even a bus lane in 1983!

The 1969 view looking down Edward street hasnt really changed that much. Although its interesting that you can see the Kangaroo cliffs down at the other end. The trees in the botanic gardens must have been a lot less developed.

Anzac square in 1949 seems massive, due to the small scale of the buldings around. Its sort of strange to see it have such a big presence considering that now it is so underscaled compared to the number of people there and the size of the buildings that tower over it. And so dry and heartless, like some sort of 'no-man's land' without trees or statues.

I had always assumed that the current Queen's park design was in the format originally designed. But no it has another layout in 1957 - ripped up for the Treasury Hotel carpark (which you see being built in the 1993 pic).

cmoonflyer
February 24th, 2006, 12:26 AM
A well-developed city !

nikko
February 24th, 2006, 08:09 AM
I can't get over how sparse Stanley. St was pre-expo!

Grollo
February 24th, 2006, 12:03 PM
^^ Notice that in Cull's picture it has the MLC weather lights (they are still there today, but don't light up anymore).

Whenever I have visitors I always point out the weather lights on Hitachi/MLC, and they love them, every time we go near the city they are checking them out, and if it starts to rain they are desperate to check if the bottom has gone red. Probably they don't believe me, and want to see proof. Very rarely do I see the top lights do their thing, they are almost always all white, but on a couple of occasions I have seen them flash downwards to show a rapid fall in atmospheric pressure, usually just before a big storm.

I think Sydney used to have similiar weather lights on one city scraper, but not anymore.


Sydney has just got a new one on top of Westpac Place. Melbourne has one as well on top of the ex-MLC building at 303 Collins Street but it hasn't been turned on for many years.

Nick
February 25th, 2006, 05:14 AM
Great pictures.All in colour too.I love to see old pics of Aussie cities