Heritage lost - gone but not forgotten
Most of the heritage places we have inherited and would hope to pass on to future generations are ultimately vulnerable to the vagaries of storms, fires and other natural processes.
Special places can be deliberately destroyed if society does not adequately value and protect them. Vandals have poisoned heritage listed trees and short-sighted decisions have led to the destruction of several exceptional heritage places.
In a healthy society the debate will continue about the best use for any given space or place and the resources required to manage for the chosen outcomes. There is no single right answer but once lost it is impossible to recreate the grandeur and history of a Bellevue or Cloudland.
Gone but not forgotten
Not quite gone yet
Cloudland
Cloudland Ballroom 1940.
© Brisbane City Council (BCC-B120-31064)
Cloudland in Bowen Hills with its signature parabolic entrance arch and spectacular ballroom was a famous Brisbane landmark and entertainment venue.
Entrance to the
Cloudland Ballroom,
Bowen Hills,
Brisbane, 1946
Constructed in 1939-40 and opened in 1940, over the next several decades it hosted thousands of concerts and dances and served a range of other uses including as a military base during the war and as a regular venue for university and high school exams.
In spite of strong public support for its preservation it was demolished in the middle of the night of 7th November 1982 to make way for an apartment complex.
See also:
- Camp Luna Park, (Cloudland Ballroom) during WWII history and photographs
- Cloudland the Wikipedia entry
- A Little Piece of Cloudland a creative writer's perspective
- Memories of Cloudland another writer's perspective
- Head back in the clouds review of the ballet production 'Cloudland'
Bellevue Hotel
View of the Bellevue Hotel,
Brisbane, ca.1900
Built in 1885-86 the Bellevue Hotel was part of an elegant precinct on the corner of George and Alice Streets in Brisbane. The other corners of the intersection still retain old Parliament House, the city Botanic Gardens and the Queensland Club while adjacent on the same block is The Mansions.
Bellevue Hotel in Brisbane,
ca. 1903
For nearly a century the Bellevue served as a premier hotel and prominent Brisbane landmark. In 1967 the State government purchased the Bellevue to make way for new government buildings. Intense local pressure to save the Bellevue gave the building a reprieve. In 1974 in an attempt to make the structure less appealing for preservationists the government of the day had the verandahs and distinctive filigree cast iron features removed. In spite of this, public support for the Bellevue continued until after 12 years in government hands it was demolished in the middle of the night of 20th April 1979.
The destruction of the Bellevue was a catalyst in changing the way Queenslanders saw and valued their heritage that ultimately led to the introduction of legislation to protect heritage buildings.
See also:
- Bellevue Hotel transcript of ABC TV show
- Picture Queensland search the State Library of Qld for other Bellevue photos
Shingle Inn
Shingle Inn
The Shingle Inn was housed on the ground floor of what was known as the City Building in Edward Street between Adelaide and Queen Streets. Over 100 cafes were operating in Brisbane City by 1937, and the Shingle Inn was the only one of these that survived unchanged in any significant manner until recent times.
The booths in the cafe comprised a timber table with black enamelled surface which was cantilevered from the adjacent wall or central partition and then supported at the other end by one turned timber leg with brass foot. The settle seating had high timber backs with a moulded timber section attached to the outside face, projecting upward to form a hat peg. Midway along the central row of booths was a stepped section on which a carousel cake display sat.
Shingle Inn
Notable fittings of the Shingle Inn included the wall mounted light fittings, resembling small gas lamps with metallic frame and inverted conical top from which hung a glazed fitting. On the left hand side of the rear wall was a working clock, formed by metal numbers and clock hands attached to the stuccoed render.
The cafe had significant aesthetic value; with each and every part of the interior and shop front contributing to an homogenous and well detailed example of the inter-war revival of early English architecture.
The Shingle Inn closed in August 2002 and along with the adjoining structures was demolished later in the year to make way for a major new shopping complex. Prior to demolition of the building the interior was carefully recorded, photographed and dismantled and placed in storage in the expectation that the 'original' Shingle Inn could be re-established. Unfortunately this hasn't occurred.
Toowong Swimming Pool
Toowong swimming pool.
© Brisbane City Council (BCC-B54-13780).
The Toowong Pool was located on the western side of Coronation Drive in Toowong. The pool was sited on the southern side of Booth Street and comprised an open air pool, dressing sheds, a filter shed and a two storeyed cylindrical kiosk and caretaker’s flatette.
The Toowong Bath was established in 1909 by the Toowong Swimming Baths Company Ltd. In 1920 the Toowong Baths were acquired by the Council of the Town of Toowong and remained in public ownership from that time. The one major phase of redevelopment experienced by the baths occurred in the late 1950s when the existing buildings were removed from the site and new brick buildings designed by James Birrell constructed. The 25m open air pool dating from 1909 survived. The complex was sited adjacent to the Toowong Municipal Library and together the sites formed a civic precinct and provided evidence of the City Council’s expansion of public facilities in the post war period.
Toowong Pool was important in demonstrating the provision and upgrading of public facilities by the Brisbane City Council in the post war years. The pool was a rare surviving and substantially intact example of the architecture and planning of James Birrell. The buildings demonstrated Birrell’s preoccupation with structural integrity and his use of innovative building materials and techniques which reflected the culture of the time.
The pool was controversially sold by the city council to finance redevelopment of the Toowong library. The Toowong Swimming Pool was demolished 21 March 2001 to make way for a new office block.
Lakeside International Raceway
Lakeside International Raceway
Control tower.
The Lakeside International Raceway is 30 km north of Brisbane and lies adjacent to Lake Kurwongbah.
The Lakeside International Raceway operated between 1961 and 2001 as a major motor racing circuit and during that time was the venue for a wide range of racing championships including the Australian Grand Prix on two occasions.
By the 1970s Lakeside was considered one of the world’s top 100 fast racing tracks. The natural setting and the way in which the circuit had been laid out to give the public a good view of the track for most of the distance also helped the emergence of Lakeside as an important motor racing venue.
Over the years, Lakeside attracted such famous drivers as Bruce McLaren, Jack Brabham, Jackie Stewart and Graham Hill. Dick Johnson won his first national touring car championship at Lakeside in 1981 following a famous duel with Peter Brock. Motorcycle racing stars such as Michael Doohan also raced at Lakeside.
Lakeside was the first purpose-designed motor racing circuit in Queensland and is important for its role in the development of motor sport in Australia. Other early motor sport venues in Queensland including Leyburn, Strathpine, Lowood and Surfers Paradise have all been lost.
Lakeside remained in use as a motor racing circuit until mid 2001. The owners went into receivership in late 2001 at which time the track came under the control of the Pine Rivers Shire Council who purchased the remainder of the land in December 2001.
See also:
Other useful links
Brisbane's lost heritage The State Library of Queensland exhibition kit containing 40 prints of buildings that were once within the Central Business District of Brisbane and which have since been demolished.
Last updated: 01 May 2007
