1946 Brisbane aerial photos online!
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humehwy31
Sep 26, 2011, 5:32:04 AM9/26/11
to Aussie Highways
Well guys ... guess what I found today .... 1946 Brisbane aerial
photos online, covering pretty much the entire Brisbane City Council
local government area!
Now, I've known about these aerial images for three years now. One of
the privileges of being a student in the Faculty of Built Environment
& Engineering at the Queensland University of Technology is that I get
free access to eBIMAP, an interactive Geographic Information System
provided by the Brisbane City Council with a name that makes 18-year-
old first-years snigger, which allows you to do all sorts of cool
things like show water mains, bus routes, cadastral descriptions,
planning zones, heritage properties - you name it, eBIMAP will do it.
Now, of course, to regular people this stuff costs an arm and a leg.
Anyway, one of the layers within eBIMAP is 1946 aerial imagery. But
BCC has given my university a licence which lets four users from QUT
log onto it at the one time. Often it's impossible to get on because
of all the urban planning students need it for their assignments. In
any case, you need a $$$$ licence, or be a student or on the teaching
staff at the Faculty of BEE. And there are strict licencing conditions
that your use of eBIMAP can only be in relation to genuine study work.
However, today ... I found another way to access these images. For
FREE!!! I hope this link works for you guys:
http://olr13.brisbane.qld.gov.au/website/MN_CP/index.htm
If that link doesn't work, another way of getting to the images is
this:
(1) Go to http://pdonline.brisbane.qld.gov.au -- the Council's
planning & development web portal
(2) Click on "Interactive Mapping"
(3) Accept the licence
(4) A web GIS app should load up. When it loads up, expand "Aerial
Imagery" on the left sidebar, then tick "Aerial Photography 1946".
And have lots and lots of fun!
Some intereseting observations so far ...
(1) The north end of the Story Bridge ... the Bradfield Highway just
ENDS at a t-junction with Ann Street. Gipps Street is nothing more
than a back alley (albeit, a back alley with a bridge over the
railway), but it requires a dogleg across a very busy Ann Street to
take that route (Ann Street looks busy, even in the days of petrol
rationing and spare parts shortages and a metropolitan population of
roughly 400,000). Otherwise, to get to the northern suburbs from the
Story Bridge, you have to turn right onto Ann Street and left onto
Brunswick Street through gazillions of trams (Fortitude Valley was the
terminus for two routes from the southside, and of the ones that
didn't terminate, all passed through the Valley), or go left and do a
very sharp right-hand turn at Centenary Square.
(2) Barry Parade ... it is totally obvious that someone (probably the
visionary and not-very-well-remembered first Lord Mayor of the City of
Greater Brisbane, William Jolly) had intended for Barry Parade to be
the new main highway north of the city. Compare its width to
surrounding main streets and the amount of traffic on it - it's busier
than it is today, now that Barry Parade is just a cul-de-sac and even
that dopey "TO BRUCE HWY AND NORTHERN SUBURBS" sign has been moved.
Also, by driving down Barry Parade, you avoid the gazillions of trams
in the Valley and the thousands of housewives doing their shopping at
McWhirter's (if they were Protestant) or T.C. Beirne (if they were
Catholic).
(3) People complain about sprawl and bad town planning now ... check
out some of the outer suburbs of the time, like Banyo or Camp Hill.
Look at all the empty lots and the oversized lots and the dirt roads.
Look at how discontiguous the urban footprint is. Town planning in
Australia has a lot to learn from overseas best practice - but still
we've come a thousand miles since those days!
(4) Saul Street and Skew Street at the northern end of the William
Jolly Bridge are both two-way. There must have been a lot of lovely
accidents where the Bridge, Saul St, Skew St, Coronation Dr offramp
and North Quay all met.
(5) Lang Park doesn't even have a grandstand. I'm guessing Brisbane
Rugby League Grand Finals and Test matches were played at the Gabba or
the RNA.
(6) In Woollongabba ... check out the long-gone railway line which
branched off at Dutton Park, snaked its way northwards through
Woollongabba and then went through a tunnel under Vulture Street. Then
activate the most recent 2009 aerial imagery. The tunnel is now a
cutting for the M3 Pacific Motorway.
(7) Gregory Terrace between College Road and Brunswick Street is the
only divided road I can find. Seems strange, because it's not THAT
busy now - Gregory Tce is quiet enough that it's fairly easy to cross
mid-block without the assistance of zebra stripes or lights. I can't
see why it would have been busy enough to warrant duplication
pre-1946.
Now ... why are there 1946 photos on PDOnline, 1999 photos, and
nothing in between? My theory ... Brisbane City Council has some very
strict rules about demolishing or altering pre-1946 houses (World War
Two being the rough dividing line between the ornate, aesthetically
pleasing architecture of yesteryear, and the drab post-war fibro boxes
which were a product of post-war rationing, a long post-war credit
squeeze, a dominant architectural philosophy of functionalist
minimalism, and building material shortages ... these houses are
generally ugly to most people and therefore, based on superficial
aesthetic criteria, not worthy to be included on heritage lists). So,
these 1946 aerial photos could come in very handy for developers and
even mum-and-dad renovators.
Also, after the war, my hunch would be that there would have been a
metric crapload of photogrammetric equipment lying around in idle
aircraft which the Royal Australian Air Force under the direction of
the Commonwealth Department of Post-War Reconstruction would have made
available to state governments and local authorities across the
country.
I hope you enjoy these 1946 photos as much as I do. =)
Cheers,
Brad.
photos online, covering pretty much the entire Brisbane City Council
local government area!
Now, I've known about these aerial images for three years now. One of
the privileges of being a student in the Faculty of Built Environment
& Engineering at the Queensland University of Technology is that I get
free access to eBIMAP, an interactive Geographic Information System
provided by the Brisbane City Council with a name that makes 18-year-
old first-years snigger, which allows you to do all sorts of cool
things like show water mains, bus routes, cadastral descriptions,
planning zones, heritage properties - you name it, eBIMAP will do it.
Now, of course, to regular people this stuff costs an arm and a leg.
Anyway, one of the layers within eBIMAP is 1946 aerial imagery. But
BCC has given my university a licence which lets four users from QUT
log onto it at the one time. Often it's impossible to get on because
of all the urban planning students need it for their assignments. In
any case, you need a $$$$ licence, or be a student or on the teaching
staff at the Faculty of BEE. And there are strict licencing conditions
that your use of eBIMAP can only be in relation to genuine study work.
However, today ... I found another way to access these images. For
FREE!!! I hope this link works for you guys:
http://olr13.brisbane.qld.gov.au/website/MN_CP/index.htm
If that link doesn't work, another way of getting to the images is
this:
(1) Go to http://pdonline.brisbane.qld.gov.au -- the Council's
planning & development web portal
(2) Click on "Interactive Mapping"
(3) Accept the licence
(4) A web GIS app should load up. When it loads up, expand "Aerial
Imagery" on the left sidebar, then tick "Aerial Photography 1946".
And have lots and lots of fun!
Some intereseting observations so far ...
(1) The north end of the Story Bridge ... the Bradfield Highway just
ENDS at a t-junction with Ann Street. Gipps Street is nothing more
than a back alley (albeit, a back alley with a bridge over the
railway), but it requires a dogleg across a very busy Ann Street to
take that route (Ann Street looks busy, even in the days of petrol
rationing and spare parts shortages and a metropolitan population of
roughly 400,000). Otherwise, to get to the northern suburbs from the
Story Bridge, you have to turn right onto Ann Street and left onto
Brunswick Street through gazillions of trams (Fortitude Valley was the
terminus for two routes from the southside, and of the ones that
didn't terminate, all passed through the Valley), or go left and do a
very sharp right-hand turn at Centenary Square.
(2) Barry Parade ... it is totally obvious that someone (probably the
visionary and not-very-well-remembered first Lord Mayor of the City of
Greater Brisbane, William Jolly) had intended for Barry Parade to be
the new main highway north of the city. Compare its width to
surrounding main streets and the amount of traffic on it - it's busier
than it is today, now that Barry Parade is just a cul-de-sac and even
that dopey "TO BRUCE HWY AND NORTHERN SUBURBS" sign has been moved.
Also, by driving down Barry Parade, you avoid the gazillions of trams
in the Valley and the thousands of housewives doing their shopping at
McWhirter's (if they were Protestant) or T.C. Beirne (if they were
Catholic).
(3) People complain about sprawl and bad town planning now ... check
out some of the outer suburbs of the time, like Banyo or Camp Hill.
Look at all the empty lots and the oversized lots and the dirt roads.
Look at how discontiguous the urban footprint is. Town planning in
Australia has a lot to learn from overseas best practice - but still
we've come a thousand miles since those days!
(4) Saul Street and Skew Street at the northern end of the William
Jolly Bridge are both two-way. There must have been a lot of lovely
accidents where the Bridge, Saul St, Skew St, Coronation Dr offramp
and North Quay all met.
(5) Lang Park doesn't even have a grandstand. I'm guessing Brisbane
Rugby League Grand Finals and Test matches were played at the Gabba or
the RNA.
(6) In Woollongabba ... check out the long-gone railway line which
branched off at Dutton Park, snaked its way northwards through
Woollongabba and then went through a tunnel under Vulture Street. Then
activate the most recent 2009 aerial imagery. The tunnel is now a
cutting for the M3 Pacific Motorway.
(7) Gregory Terrace between College Road and Brunswick Street is the
only divided road I can find. Seems strange, because it's not THAT
busy now - Gregory Tce is quiet enough that it's fairly easy to cross
mid-block without the assistance of zebra stripes or lights. I can't
see why it would have been busy enough to warrant duplication
pre-1946.
Now ... why are there 1946 photos on PDOnline, 1999 photos, and
nothing in between? My theory ... Brisbane City Council has some very
strict rules about demolishing or altering pre-1946 houses (World War
Two being the rough dividing line between the ornate, aesthetically
pleasing architecture of yesteryear, and the drab post-war fibro boxes
which were a product of post-war rationing, a long post-war credit
squeeze, a dominant architectural philosophy of functionalist
minimalism, and building material shortages ... these houses are
generally ugly to most people and therefore, based on superficial
aesthetic criteria, not worthy to be included on heritage lists). So,
these 1946 aerial photos could come in very handy for developers and
even mum-and-dad renovators.
Also, after the war, my hunch would be that there would have been a
metric crapload of photogrammetric equipment lying around in idle
aircraft which the Royal Australian Air Force under the direction of
the Commonwealth Department of Post-War Reconstruction would have made
available to state governments and local authorities across the
country.
I hope you enjoy these 1946 photos as much as I do. =)
Cheers,
Brad.
Lachlan Sims
Sep 26, 2011, 6:23:00 AM9/26/11
to aussie-...@googlegroups.com
That's an awesome resource, Brad (not just the 1946 aerials, but also
all the other stuff - and the fact they've got the resources to make
it public).
all the other stuff - and the fact they've got the resources to make
it public).
I've had a bit of a browse around. One particular feature that stood
out to me was this:
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/G1cH7uyTL4HiYX6irst_UA?feat=directlink
Located near the corner of Kessels Rd & Mains Rd, Macgregor.
Relatively, this place, whatever it is, is huge. The only explanation
I can think of is that it is some sort of storage depot for surplus
military equipment.
Interesting your comments re the town planning of the day. I noticed
how little sprawl there was and that places like Kedron and Mt Gravatt
are outer suburbs at the limits of the tramlines.
There would have been minimal planning restrictions back then, if any,
especially in outer areas and probably very little restriction on land
subdivision. People living in these areas would have been living
cheaply on the margins of the city where they could get by on some
small scale rural subsistence activities combined with whatever
employment they could find in the city. Resources for infrastructure
would have been minimal (at the end of the depression/war era and
before the start of the long boom.
Actually, the standards might have changed a little, but essentially
the poor are still pushed to the margins of cities even today.
Lachlan
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Sam Laybutt
Sep 26, 2011, 6:34:25 AM9/26/11
to aussie highways
Hi Brad
Thanks heaps for sharing this. Will have to spend quite a few hours having a look around!
Thanks heaps for sharing this. Will have to spend quite a few hours having a look around!
> Date: Mon, 26 Sep 2011 02:32:04 -0700
> Subject: [Aussie Highways] 1946 Brisbane aerial photos online!
> From: hume...@yahoo.com
> To: aussie-...@googlegroups.com
> Subject: [Aussie Highways] 1946 Brisbane aerial photos online!
> From: hume...@yahoo.com
> To: aussie-...@googlegroups.com
> (6) In Woollongabba ... check out the long-gone railway line which
> branched off at Dutton Park, snaked its way northwards through
> Woollongabba and then went through a tunnel under Vulture Street. Then
> activate the most recent 2009 aerial imagery. The tunnel is now a
> cutting for the M3 Pacific Motorway.
Just to correct you on this - the tunnel was actually backfilled and sealed and then covered. It sits underneath the green area, immediately west of the cycle path at Vulture Street.
Mark
Sep 27, 2011, 10:38:59 AM9/27/11
to aussie-...@googlegroups.com
Thanks Brad,
that's a great resource and its fast too. Many councils have some online GIS
application nowadays, but some, Gold Coast for example can get really slow
(you pan the map and make a coffee while it re-loads). The 1946 Photography
is pretty special to Brisbane. Headed straight to take a look at the
airport, which was barely there, obviously no Gateway Bridge/Mwy or even
Captain Cook Bridge. No Port of Brisbane, no Houghton Hwy, only the old
Hornibrook Hwy there.
What's the point of the 'Stables' layer? Only Hendra appears, or is that
there to highlight places to avoid if there's a virus?
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/G1cH7uyTL4HiYX6irst_UA?feat=directlink
Lachlan
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humehwy31
Sep 27, 2011, 10:50:40 AM9/27/11
to Aussie Highways
Hi Lachlan,
Yes, those military depots are EVERYWHERE. Check out Yeronga Park,
Gregory Terrace, Geebung just west of Sandgate Road, Nudgee Road in
Hendra, Fifth Avenue in Balmoral, Sexton Road in Tarragindi.
BTW .. useless trivia .. the Stones Corner council library is housed
in a demountable building which was once part of the US Army complex
in the Victoria Park on Gregory Terrace.
As for the urban sprawl thing ... I probably should have made it
clearer what I meant exactly. If you look at a typical outer suburb of
the time and zoom in, you'll see how many empty lots there are
scattered among the houses. Whereas modern development since about
1970 was much more compact from the outset in places like Springfield
and North Lakes and even in 1970s areas like Browns Plains and Albany
Creek.
Also you'll find that you have some outer suburbs in 1946 cut off from
the urban footprint consisting of scattered houses on large lots with
lots of empty space within - places like Everton Park, Geebung,
Sunnybank. Nowadays, unless it's an area zoned as Rural Living, that
kind of haphazard development is much less common.
Anyway, other yummy stuff I've found:
(1) The only duplication I've found other than Gregory Terrace ... a
short stretch of the Ipswich Road, between Beaudesert Road and Chaucer
Street in Moorooka. Go a little bit south, and check out where the
Ipswich Road crosses the South Coast Railway - quite an inconveinent
dogleg ... but the original alignment is still preserved in the
current ramp arrangements.
(2) Check out the intersection of Ipswich Road and Granard Road (which
are now the M7 and Metroad 2) in Rocklea. That would have had to be
the most advanced traffic engineering in Queensland at the time. A
massive Y-shaped triangular junction with gentle curves connecting all
three directions. I've seen railway triangles with much tighter
curves. There's another identical intersection (though smaller) east
of it too at Beaudesert Road, but Granard Road doesn't continue east
at all. At the time, it would have just been nothing more than a short-
cut for traffic from Ipswich wanting to head south to Beaudesert and
Sydney (and vice versa). This is intriguing ... could it be that
Granard Road was the first stage of a planned southern bypass of
Brisbane?
(3) There's a large bay that I never knew existed - on the north bank
of the Brisbane River just west of the Royal Queensland Golf Club in
Eagle Farm. The bay's large enough and deep enough to have barges
moored in it.
--Brad
On Sep 26, 8:23 pm, Lachlan Sims <lachlans...@gmail.com> wrote:
> That's an awesome resource, Brad (not just the 1946 aerials, but also
> all the other stuff - and the fact they've got the resources to make
> it public).
>
> I've had a bit of a browse around. One particular feature that stood
> out to me was this:
>
> https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/G1cH7uyTL4HiYX6irst_UA?feat=dir...
> > (1) Go tohttp://pdonline.brisbane.qld.gov.au-- the Council's
Yes, those military depots are EVERYWHERE. Check out Yeronga Park,
Gregory Terrace, Geebung just west of Sandgate Road, Nudgee Road in
Hendra, Fifth Avenue in Balmoral, Sexton Road in Tarragindi.
BTW .. useless trivia .. the Stones Corner council library is housed
in a demountable building which was once part of the US Army complex
in the Victoria Park on Gregory Terrace.
As for the urban sprawl thing ... I probably should have made it
clearer what I meant exactly. If you look at a typical outer suburb of
the time and zoom in, you'll see how many empty lots there are
scattered among the houses. Whereas modern development since about
1970 was much more compact from the outset in places like Springfield
and North Lakes and even in 1970s areas like Browns Plains and Albany
Creek.
Also you'll find that you have some outer suburbs in 1946 cut off from
the urban footprint consisting of scattered houses on large lots with
lots of empty space within - places like Everton Park, Geebung,
Sunnybank. Nowadays, unless it's an area zoned as Rural Living, that
kind of haphazard development is much less common.
Anyway, other yummy stuff I've found:
(1) The only duplication I've found other than Gregory Terrace ... a
short stretch of the Ipswich Road, between Beaudesert Road and Chaucer
Street in Moorooka. Go a little bit south, and check out where the
Ipswich Road crosses the South Coast Railway - quite an inconveinent
dogleg ... but the original alignment is still preserved in the
current ramp arrangements.
(2) Check out the intersection of Ipswich Road and Granard Road (which
are now the M7 and Metroad 2) in Rocklea. That would have had to be
the most advanced traffic engineering in Queensland at the time. A
massive Y-shaped triangular junction with gentle curves connecting all
three directions. I've seen railway triangles with much tighter
curves. There's another identical intersection (though smaller) east
of it too at Beaudesert Road, but Granard Road doesn't continue east
at all. At the time, it would have just been nothing more than a short-
cut for traffic from Ipswich wanting to head south to Beaudesert and
Sydney (and vice versa). This is intriguing ... could it be that
Granard Road was the first stage of a planned southern bypass of
Brisbane?
(3) There's a large bay that I never knew existed - on the north bank
of the Brisbane River just west of the Royal Queensland Golf Club in
Eagle Farm. The bay's large enough and deep enough to have barges
moored in it.
--Brad
On Sep 26, 8:23 pm, Lachlan Sims <lachlans...@gmail.com> wrote:
> That's an awesome resource, Brad (not just the 1946 aerials, but also
> all the other stuff - and the fact they've got the resources to make
> it public).
>
> I've had a bit of a browse around. One particular feature that stood
> out to me was this:
>
>
> Located near the corner of Kessels Rd & Mains Rd, Macgregor.
> Relatively, this place, whatever it is, is huge. The only explanation
> I can think of is that it is some sort of storage depot for surplus
> military equipment.
>
> Interesting your comments re the town planning of the day. I noticed
> how little sprawl there was and that places like Kedron and Mt Gravatt
> are outer suburbs at the limits of the tramlines.
>
> There would have been minimal planning restrictions back then, if any,
> especially in outer areas and probably very little restriction on land
> subdivision. People living in these areas would have been living
> cheaply on the margins of the city where they could get by on some
> small scale rural subsistence activities combined with whatever
> employment they could find in the city. Resources for infrastructure
> would have been minimal (at the end of the depression/war era and
> before the start of the long boom.
>
> Actually, the standards might have changed a little, but essentially
> the poor are still pushed to the margins of cities even today.
>
> Lachlan
>
> Located near the corner of Kessels Rd & Mains Rd, Macgregor.
> Relatively, this place, whatever it is, is huge. The only explanation
> I can think of is that it is some sort of storage depot for surplus
> military equipment.
>
> Interesting your comments re the town planning of the day. I noticed
> how little sprawl there was and that places like Kedron and Mt Gravatt
> are outer suburbs at the limits of the tramlines.
>
> There would have been minimal planning restrictions back then, if any,
> especially in outer areas and probably very little restriction on land
> subdivision. People living in these areas would have been living
> cheaply on the margins of the city where they could get by on some
> small scale rural subsistence activities combined with whatever
> employment they could find in the city. Resources for infrastructure
> would have been minimal (at the end of the depression/war era and
> before the start of the long boom.
>
> Actually, the standards might have changed a little, but essentially
> the poor are still pushed to the margins of cities even today.
>
> Lachlan
>
humehwy31
Sep 27, 2011, 11:21:05 AM9/27/11
to Aussie Highways
Hi Mark,
Stables appear under the "City Plan" group of layers because Stables
have their own zone within the city planning scheme.
There are two Stables areas - Hendra and Deagon. Stables have their
own section within the City Plan 2000:
http://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/bccwr/lib181/chapter5_stable_code.pdf
Also, the City Plan specifically excludes "stables" from its defintion
of "farm".
My guess is because stables are noisy (neeeeeeeeigh!!!!) and smelly
areas, the town planners at Brisbane City Council believed that they
needed their own specific controls.
--Brad
On Sep 28, 12:38 am, "Mark" <lante...@bigpond.net.au> wrote:
> Thanks Brad,
>
> that's a great resource and its fast too. Many councils have some online GIS
> application nowadays, but some, Gold Coast for example can get really slow
> (you pan the map and make a coffee while it re-loads). The 1946 Photography
> is pretty special to Brisbane. Headed straight to take a look at the
> airport, which was barely there, obviously no Gateway Bridge/Mwy or even
> Captain Cook Bridge. No Port of Brisbane, no Houghton Hwy, only the old
> Hornibrook Hwy there.
>
> What's the point of the 'Stables' layer? Only Hendra appears, or is that
> there to highlight places to avoid if there's a virus?
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Lachlan Sims
> Sent: Monday, September 26, 2011 8:23 PM
> To: aussie-...@googlegroups.com
> Subject: Re: [Aussie Highways] 1946 Brisbane aerial photos online!
>
> That's an awesome resource, Brad (not just the 1946 aerials, but also
> all the other stuff - and the fact they've got the resources to make
> it public).
>
> I've had a bit of a browse around. One particular feature that stood
> out to me was this:
>
> https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/G1cH7uyTL4HiYX6irst_UA?feat=dir...
> > (1) Go tohttp://pdonline.brisbane.qld.gov.au-- the Council's
> For more options, visit this group athttp://groups.google.com/group/aussie-highways?hl=en.
Stables appear under the "City Plan" group of layers because Stables
have their own zone within the city planning scheme.
There are two Stables areas - Hendra and Deagon. Stables have their
own section within the City Plan 2000:
http://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/bccwr/lib181/chapter5_stable_code.pdf
Also, the City Plan specifically excludes "stables" from its defintion
of "farm".
My guess is because stables are noisy (neeeeeeeeigh!!!!) and smelly
areas, the town planners at Brisbane City Council believed that they
needed their own specific controls.
--Brad
On Sep 28, 12:38 am, "Mark" <lante...@bigpond.net.au> wrote:
> Thanks Brad,
>
> that's a great resource and its fast too. Many councils have some online GIS
> application nowadays, but some, Gold Coast for example can get really slow
> (you pan the map and make a coffee while it re-loads). The 1946 Photography
> is pretty special to Brisbane. Headed straight to take a look at the
> airport, which was barely there, obviously no Gateway Bridge/Mwy or even
> Captain Cook Bridge. No Port of Brisbane, no Houghton Hwy, only the old
> Hornibrook Hwy there.
>
> What's the point of the 'Stables' layer? Only Hendra appears, or is that
> there to highlight places to avoid if there's a virus?
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Lachlan Sims
> Sent: Monday, September 26, 2011 8:23 PM
> To: aussie-...@googlegroups.com
> Subject: Re: [Aussie Highways] 1946 Brisbane aerial photos online!
>
> That's an awesome resource, Brad (not just the 1946 aerials, but also
> all the other stuff - and the fact they've got the resources to make
> it public).
>
> I've had a bit of a browse around. One particular feature that stood
> out to me was this:
>
>
> Located near the corner of Kessels Rd & Mains Rd, Macgregor.
> Relatively, this place, whatever it is, is huge. The only explanation
> I can think of is that it is some sort of storage depot for surplus
> military equipment.
>
> Interesting your comments re the town planning of the day. I noticed
> how little sprawl there was and that places like Kedron and Mt Gravatt
> are outer suburbs at the limits of the tramlines.
>
> There would have been minimal planning restrictions back then, if any,
> especially in outer areas and probably very little restriction on land
> subdivision. People living in these areas would have been living
> cheaply on the margins of the city where they could get by on some
> small scale rural subsistence activities combined with whatever
> employment they could find in the city. Resources for infrastructure
> would have been minimal (at the end of the depression/war era and
> before the start of the long boom.
>
> Actually, the standards might have changed a little, but essentially
> the poor are still pushed to the margins of cities even today.
>
> Lachlan
>
> Located near the corner of Kessels Rd & Mains Rd, Macgregor.
> Relatively, this place, whatever it is, is huge. The only explanation
> I can think of is that it is some sort of storage depot for surplus
> military equipment.
>
> Interesting your comments re the town planning of the day. I noticed
> how little sprawl there was and that places like Kedron and Mt Gravatt
> are outer suburbs at the limits of the tramlines.
>
> There would have been minimal planning restrictions back then, if any,
> especially in outer areas and probably very little restriction on land
> subdivision. People living in these areas would have been living
> cheaply on the margins of the city where they could get by on some
> small scale rural subsistence activities combined with whatever
> employment they could find in the city. Resources for infrastructure
> would have been minimal (at the end of the depression/war era and
> before the start of the long boom.
>
> Actually, the standards might have changed a little, but essentially
> the poor are still pushed to the margins of cities even today.
>
> Lachlan
>
>
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Sam Laybutt
Sep 27, 2011, 8:26:05 PM9/27/11
to aussie highways
> Date: Tue, 27 Sep 2011 07:50:40 -0700
> Subject: [Aussie Highways] Re: 1946 Brisbane aerial photos online!
> Subject: [Aussie Highways] Re: 1946 Brisbane aerial photos online!
> (2) Check out the intersection of Ipswich Road and Granard Road (which
> are now the M7 and Metroad 2) in Rocklea. That would have had to be
> the most advanced traffic engineering in Queensland at the time. A
> massive Y-shaped triangular junction with gentle curves connecting all
> three directions. I've seen railway triangles with much tighter
> curves. There's another identical intersection (though smaller) east
> of it too at Beaudesert Road, but Granard Road doesn't continue east
> at all. At the time, it would have just been nothing more than a short-
> cut for traffic from Ipswich wanting to head south to Beaudesert and
> Sydney (and vice versa). This is intriguing ... could it be that
> Granard Road was the first stage of a planned southern bypass of
> Brisbane?
My gut feeling is that it was built during WW2 to aid movement between Pacific, Mount Lindesay and Cunningham Highways. Archerfield Airport might have severed Boundary Road at this time? I'd have to see the town plans of the time to be sure whether it was part of anything grander, although they probably had it in mind.
One thing I noticed is how segmented the radial corridors on the south side are - very few east-west connections and none of a high standard.
-----
Some other goodies I noticed:
Bald Hills - Bruce Highway bridge over South Pine Road looks like it was recently replaced (now the westbound bridge on Strathpine Road) and you can see where the approaches have been realigned. The level crossing on the original road alignment at Bald Hills station is still open to traffic, although the deviation (via present day Gympie Road) looks to have been in use for a long time.
Toombul - Sandgate Road appears to have been deviated onto the current alignment fairly recently - you can see an obvious old alignment via Wellington Street, Downfall Road then back through the golf course near Pritchard Street. Also Sandgate Road is on the old alignment at Zillman Waterholes, which was retained as the southbound carriageway until fairly recently.
Carindale - Old Cleveland Road looks to have been fairly recently deviated as you descend to Creek Road - looks like it was a dog-leg via Narracott Street previously. This section was deviated again when Old Cleveland Road was duplicated. Looking at the current aerial photos, there's still some remains of this deviation to be photographed if anyone is keen.
Salisbury - Mt Lindesay Road shown via the level crossing (still in existence) - no overbridge yet
Acacia Ridge - Mt Lindesay Road is shown via its original alignment along McCotter Street and Learoyd Road.
and probably my favourite - Gailes - Ipswich Road is shown on its original alignment, crossing the rail line and heading along Brisbane Terrace. The Wilruna Street overbridge which was constructed as part of the recent Ipswich Motorway upgrades actually reinstates this connection which was lost for many years.
I'm sure there's more to be seen but that's just what I've noticed thus far :)
humehwy31
Sep 28, 2011, 4:08:39 AM9/28/11
to Aussie Highways
Hi Sam,
There was once a tramway (actually, a branch railway, but because it
was owned by Belmont Shire Council and not the state government, it
was legally designated a tramway) known as the Belmont Tramway which
branched off the Cleveland Line at Norman Park and terminated at
Belmont Station at the corner of Old Cleveland Road and Scrub Road in
what is now Carindale. It opened in about 1912 and closed in 1926, and
not a single trace of it remains today, but it's still very visible on
the 1946 photos. It follows Oateson Skyline Drive, then heads south,
and then goes east following Old Cleveland Road - you can also see the
remains of a turning triangle just west of what was Belmont Station.
Anyway, you can see the route it took as it crossed the ridge just
west of Creek Road. Seems like a very interesting location in Brisbane
in terms of transport history ... I never knew about the Old Cleveland
Road deviation either.
Also ... another goodie I found: Taringa. The two directions of
Moggill Road split apart through the suburb's centre even back in
1946, but not for the full length which it does today - only that
eastern section with Walker Street is split. Of course, the Rokeby
Terrace overpass isn't there yet.
And another duplication - Gympie Road between Lutwyche Cemetery and
Hamilton Road (which was probably duplicated in preparation for the
extension of the Lutwyche Cemetery tram line to Chermside which opened
in 1947 IIRC).
And there's a toll booth at the southern end of the Story Bridge. :)
According to Wikipedia, tolls were removed in 1947.
--Brad
There was once a tramway (actually, a branch railway, but because it
was owned by Belmont Shire Council and not the state government, it
was legally designated a tramway) known as the Belmont Tramway which
branched off the Cleveland Line at Norman Park and terminated at
Belmont Station at the corner of Old Cleveland Road and Scrub Road in
what is now Carindale. It opened in about 1912 and closed in 1926, and
not a single trace of it remains today, but it's still very visible on
the 1946 photos. It follows Oateson Skyline Drive, then heads south,
and then goes east following Old Cleveland Road - you can also see the
remains of a turning triangle just west of what was Belmont Station.
Anyway, you can see the route it took as it crossed the ridge just
west of Creek Road. Seems like a very interesting location in Brisbane
in terms of transport history ... I never knew about the Old Cleveland
Road deviation either.
Also ... another goodie I found: Taringa. The two directions of
Moggill Road split apart through the suburb's centre even back in
1946, but not for the full length which it does today - only that
eastern section with Walker Street is split. Of course, the Rokeby
Terrace overpass isn't there yet.
And another duplication - Gympie Road between Lutwyche Cemetery and
Hamilton Road (which was probably duplicated in preparation for the
extension of the Lutwyche Cemetery tram line to Chermside which opened
in 1947 IIRC).
And there's a toll booth at the southern end of the Story Bridge. :)
According to Wikipedia, tolls were removed in 1947.
--Brad
Sam Laybutt
Sep 28, 2011, 4:36:26 AM9/28/11
to aussie highways
Have a look at Sandgate Road between Nundah and Toombul - not sure if that is a duplicated road or service roads.
Tracing the tramway was rather interesting - I had always wondered why Oateson Skyline Drive existed as a random section of dual carriageway. It's a shame that in the 1946 photos a lot of the formation is gone east of Carina due to the widening/straightening of Old Cleveland Road. You can still make out the route down the hill to Creek Road though.
> Date: Wed, 28 Sep 2011 01:08:39 -0700
> Subject: [Aussie Highways] Re: 1946 Brisbane aerial photos online!
humehwy31
Sep 28, 2011, 5:02:36 AM9/28/11
to Aussie Highways
Sandgate Road between Toombul and Nundah isn't duplicated. You can see
cars on what looks like the median strip. Though, funnily enough,
Sandgate Road is duplicated for a short stretch north of Nundah
between Virginia railway station and Flower Street, and there are
service roads between Flower Street and Rode Road.
BTW check out the Sandgate Bridge over the North Coast Railway at
Toombul station. It's a bridge with a hole in the middle. Almost a bit
like a roundabout ... that particular exposure is very blurry, but
still you can see it's an interesting arrangement.
On Sep 28, 6:36 pm, Sam Laybutt <crazyknights...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Have a look at Sandgate Road between Nundah and Toombul - not sure if that is a duplicated road or service roads.
> Tracing the tramway was rather interesting - I had always wondered why Oateson Skyline Drive existed as a random section of dual carriageway. It's a shame that in the 1946 photos a lot of the formation is gone east of Carina due to the widening/straightening of Old Cleveland Road. You can still make out the route down the hill to Creek Road though.
>
> > Date: Wed, 28 Sep 2011 01:08:39 -0700
> > Subject: [Aussie Highways] Re: 1946 Brisbane aerial photos online!
> > From: humehw...@yahoo.com
cars on what looks like the median strip. Though, funnily enough,
Sandgate Road is duplicated for a short stretch north of Nundah
between Virginia railway station and Flower Street, and there are
service roads between Flower Street and Rode Road.
BTW check out the Sandgate Bridge over the North Coast Railway at
Toombul station. It's a bridge with a hole in the middle. Almost a bit
like a roundabout ... that particular exposure is very blurry, but
still you can see it's an interesting arrangement.
On Sep 28, 6:36 pm, Sam Laybutt <crazyknights...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Have a look at Sandgate Road between Nundah and Toombul - not sure if that is a duplicated road or service roads.
> Tracing the tramway was rather interesting - I had always wondered why Oateson Skyline Drive existed as a random section of dual carriageway. It's a shame that in the 1946 photos a lot of the formation is gone east of Carina due to the widening/straightening of Old Cleveland Road. You can still make out the route down the hill to Creek Road though.
>
> > Date: Wed, 28 Sep 2011 01:08:39 -0700
> > Subject: [Aussie Highways] Re: 1946 Brisbane aerial photos online!
Sam Laybutt
Sep 28, 2011, 6:23:31 AM9/28/11
to aussie highways
Ah yep, that's the section I meant - got Toombul and Virginia confused in my head :)
> Date: Wed, 28 Sep 2011 02:02:36 -0700
> Subject: [Aussie Highways] Re: 1946 Brisbane aerial photos online!
Tyler Bullock
Sep 28, 2011, 6:33:32 AM9/28/11
to aussie-...@googlegroups.com
Whoops I only just got around to checking my emails LOL
And wow how different the road system was back then! Nice find Brad....or Lachlan....or whoever uploaded the link I can't remember!
TB
From: crazykn...@hotmail.com
To: aussie-...@googlegroups.com
Subject: RE: [Aussie Highways] Re: 1946 Brisbane aerial photos online!
Date: Wed, 28 Sep 2011 20:23:31 +1000
From: crazykn...@hotmail.com
To: aussie-...@googlegroups.com
Subject: RE: [Aussie Highways] Re: 1946 Brisbane aerial photos online!
Date: Wed, 28 Sep 2011 20:23:31 +1000
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