Category: Queensland State Archives’ Photostream About Fortitude Valley

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The 1950s heralded a boom period for the City of Bundaberg, with the population growing by one third from 15,926 in 1947 to 21, 235 in 1957. In 1958 a new larger modern Court House was constructed in Quay Street, adjacent to the 1900 Police Station building and facing Anzac park situated on the banks of the Burnett River. At this time the original court house was remodelled to accommodate the Police Service.

Description source:
Wikipedia

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Digital Image ID 15592

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University Procession

Among the topical floats in the University students’ procession tomorrow morning will be one on the egg board and the rotation of hatches, which is being prepared by some medical students.

Dental students will be responsible for a float depicting a flying dentist on a flying saucer, while engineering students have concentrated on the hydrogen bomb. An amusing float will be one showing a surf life saving club with swimmers wearing neck-to-knee costumes.

The procession will move from the George Street section University at 10 a.m. and will travel along Alice Street to Edward, Mary, Eagle and Creek Streets and up Elizebeth Street, returning to the University by way of George Street.

Description source:
Brisbane Telegraph, 4 May 1950

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Digital Image ID 16644

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The Roma Court House is a rendered masonry building located on a triangular block facing McDowell Street. It was constructed between 1900 and 1901 and was designed by John Smith Murdoch, the Second Assistant Architect of the Queensland Works Department.

The Roma Court House is of aesthetic significance due to its landmark qualities and its high degree of design and workmanship. The large masonry form of the Court House is indicative of the relevant importance of Roma in relation to other towns in western Queensland.

The site of the Roma Court House is significant for a long association with law and order and the dispensing of justice in Roma since 1866. It is a good example of Queensland Public Works court house buildings design in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It is also significant for its association with architect John Smith Murdoch, as an example

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Queensland State Archives posted a photo:

The Roma Court-House

The Government Architect (Mr. A. B. Brady) has returned from a visit to Roma, where he inspected the new court-house now under construction there by Mr. James Renwick, at a cost of £6015. The building is of brick, plastered externally and internally.

The external plastering is almost completed, and that internally is under way. The fencing is being erected, and the stables and other buildings are under way. The main building is completely roofed in, and, generally speaking, good progress has been made, while the work is of a very satisfactory character.

The building will be completed in about two months. Altogether it will be a superior kind of structure. The court-house is alluded to by the Attorney-General as one of the best in the State, and the accommodation for the Judge, jury, magistrates, clerk of petty sessions, and the barristers is excellent.

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William Landsborough and Nat Buchanan were the first Europeans to explore the Longreach district. Their 1861 expedition resulted in the arrival of pastoralists in the area, with the first cattle transported to the district in 1862.

Longreach, named for a long reach of the Thomson River, grew up as a teamsters’ camp on the Mount Cornish outstation. The town was officially gazetted in 1887.

Historic buildings still standing in Longreach today include the courthouse and Uniting Church (both 1892), the 1902 post office and the railway station (1916).

The wool boom of the 1920s assisted Longreach’s growth but the town is better known in that decade for its association with the Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Service (QANTAS).

Though founded in Winton in 1920, the airline moved its base to Longreach in 1921, where its main booking office remained until 1930. An original iron hanger (1923) where some

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The Mackay Court House is a two storey Georgian Revival building constructed of face brick with rendered detail. It was constructed in 1938 to replace the 19th-century court house which had long been inadequate.

At the time Andrew Leven was Government Architect. His office was responsible for the design of a number of public buildings in the Georgian Revival style. The Mackay Court House is amongst the grandest of these buildings with handsome internal detailing including panelled offices.

The foundation stone was laid on 31 March 1938 by Premier Forgan Smith. The new court house addressed Victoria Street where the first police lockup had been and thus provided the main street with an imposing public building.

Description source:
Queensland Heritage Register

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Digital Image ID 16245

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For the 10th Anniversary in 1973 the toll was still in force, but by the 20th Anniversary in 1983 the toll had been lifted and a major celebration was held in conjunction with the “Bribie Island Festival” organised by the Lions Club, who sold “Passports” to the Island as a fundraiser.

In 1988 a “Silver Jubilee Carnival” was held for 25 years, together with a special edition of the local newspaper, and a souvenir T-shirt was produced. The 30-year anniversary in 1993 was held in conjunction with a “Bribie Aquatic Festival”.

Description source:
Bribie Island History

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Digital Image ID 16960

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There had been an expectation that Bribie residents would not have to pay the toll, and eventually they did get a small concession. Books of tickets for multiple crossings could be purchased at a small discount and there was an exemption for Ambulance, Fire Brigade, Royal mail and Government vehicles.

14,000 cars crossed the bridge in the first week it was open, paying 7000 pounds to the two toll collectors, who were each on an annual salary of 5000 pounds. Many of the new visitors were very disappointed with inadequate parking facilities and amenities on the island, and may never have returned.

In the first two years of the new bridge over 300,000 cars crossed over, but population growth was much lower than anticipated reaching just 2000 by 1975 when the toll was lifted.

Description source:
Bribie Island History

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Digital Image ID 16959

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Bribie residents were outraged at the expensive toll and threatened to boycott or disrupt the opening ceremony. The opening day was however a big success, with large crowds and processions of floats, horse drawn carts, vintage cars, marching bands and hundreds of vehicles driving to the island for the first time. It was so busy that the bridge was declared “One-Way” on to Bribie in the morning, and then “One-Way” off in the afternoon.

The “Bribie Star” local newspaper of the day produced a special complimentary souvenir edition documenting some fascinating history of the island by many of the pioneer residents.

Description source:
Bribie Island History

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Digital Image ID 16958

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The Bridge was opened by Premier Frank Nicklin on 19th October 1963 and was the longest precast pre-stressed concrete bridge in Australia. The complex construction had involved driving 206 piles, weighing 12 ton each, laying 38 spans of concrete beams to span the 832-metre length.

Just weeks before the opening an expensive Toll was announced, to be paid by all vehicles coming to the island. The 10-shilling Toll was a significant cost and came as a complete surprise, people were very disappointed, and it impacted growth and development for some time. Better roads and increased car ownership had led to a population growth on both the Gold and Sunshine Coasts, but this did not immediately eventuate on Bribie Island.

In 1963 the 10 Shilling Bridge Toll would have paid the cost of petrol to drive a car from Brisbane to the Gold Coast and back, and you

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