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"...the adoption of this system of street traffic marks a new era in our history... If the tram system in Brisbane accomplishes no other end it will prove that Queensland does not intend to be behind in this very fast age", boasted Brisbane's Telegraph newspaper on the eve of the first tram beginning public operation on August 12, 1885. Horse drawn trams would later be replaced by electric trams in June 1897. This "new era" ended in 1969, as Brisbane scrapped its trams in favour of the more economical motor buses. Many look back on Brisbane's tram era with a great deal of nostalgia. Source: www.slq.qld.gov.au/blog/brisbane-trams-history-pictures

Moving advertisement. Always visible and circulating around the city.

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Both Finney and Isles were active in politics, trading associations, the welfare of their staff, and Finney served on the boards of the Brisbane Fire Brigades and Water Board. Isles joined the Brisbane City Council in 1883 and he died in November 1888. Finney had joined the Toowong Shire Council and in 1896 was elected to the Legislative Assembly for the seat of Toowong which he retained until 1902. Finney died in December 1903. Finney's was restructured in 1905 as Finney, Isles and Co Ltd by the two remaining partners of Finney, Isles, and Co., William John Coakes and Joseph Kilroe, who came to the conclusion that, owing to the death of Thomas Finney, it was desirable that the firm should be converted into a company. By 1905 the company employed over 440 staff with 388 in Brisbane, 40 at Maryborough, 6 at Murwillumbah, and 10 in London. Finney's continued to expand to become the major Department Store in Brisbane. Finney's was taken over by David Jones Limited in 1955. Source; www.perfins.com.au/OZ-Revenue-Perfins/Queensland-Revenue-...

Brisbane in 1888 was only 7 years behind the world’s first commercial public electricity supply system in Godalming in England in 1881. The advent of “cool” electric light to replace the “hot” gas lights was a welcome change for the citizens in a sub-tropical city, and as had been reported previously in the Brisbane Courier on 23 June, "during summer nights, the employees of the Post Office have suffered considerably through the vitiated state of the atmosphere in this room caused by the large consumption of gas and bad ventilation." The Barton & White enterprise started off providing the whole gamut of electrical services, as well as generation and supply wiring, by “manufacturing all fittings for electric light and power, supply brackets for lamps, sockets, cut outs, portable hand lamps, reflectors, arc lamps of 2000 candlepower, electric motors, etc., and undertake electrical work in all parts of the colony”.(S.A.Prentice Edward Barton Pioneer Electrical Engineer, 1988) From this humble beginning, using small carbon filament lamps and steam boilers fuelled by wood (because the cheaper coal was found to be a smoke nuisance), the whole electricity supply industry in Queensland has grown to provide a service right throughout our state, and which is essential to our modern way of life. Brian Becconsall, Engineering Heritage Queensland 10 Aug 2013 Source: www.engineersaustralia.org.au/sites/default/files/resourc...