beach

Barney Point (1428) is the only swimming beach in the township of Gladstone and is located 1 km east of the city centre, on Barney Point. It is a 300 m long, east facing beach that usually only receives low wind waves generated inside the harbour. It is composed of coarse sand and pebbles and consequently has a relatively steep beach face, fronted by 200 m wide tidal flats. It is backed by a reserve that commemorates the founding of Gladstone, together with a picnic, playground and barbecue area. While the access, facilities and easterly views are all attractive, the adjoining northern half of the point is occupied by a large coal storage facility, with the jetty and wharf running off the northern tip of the point, all within 1 km of the beach. A seawall for the facility forms the northern boundary of the beach, with rock flats and a 20 m high grassy bluff to the south. Source: beachsafe.org.au/beach/qld/gladstone/barney-point/barney-...

Barney Point Beach is the city's birthplace - Gladstone's first settlers landed here in 1847. It's also the location of the city's earliest grave, with historical plaques marking points of interest. A floating tidal enclosure makes for safe summer swimming. Source: www.queensland.com/au/en/plan-your-holiday/journeys/p-56b...

That condensed script again ...

I thought “those rails look a long way apart” and then realised that 5 foot 3 is the standard track gauge in Ireland.

There is a longer shot Stereo Pair - catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000565278 - where the creeper on the temple is a few feet lower. A few years between the photos? Didn't O Mac say recently that the line was duplicated in 1882 ?

Yes pre 1882 - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killiney_railway_station ... The original station was located on nearby Strathmore Road. The current station opened on 6 May 1882 under the name Killiney & Ballybrack, replacing both Killiney and Ballybrack stations, the Ballybrack suffix was dropped in 1921. The original Killiney station had itself replaced the earlier Obelisk Hill, Killiney station on 1 January 1858. ...

A couple of later photos showing double tracks and this station abandoned, the platform falling apart, and the temple almost covered by trees - catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000336702 catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000323128

The Strand has been a part of Townsville's history since the city was founded in the mid-19th century. A public outdoor swimming baths were first constructed between 1886 and 1889. In 1891, military fortifications were established at Kissing Point, a rocky headland at the north-west end of the Strand. By 1929, a branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association built the Pioneer Women's Memorial Building with five seaside huts on Mitchell Street, Kissing Point. A number of persons were killed by sharks over the years on The Strand. The current foreshore was opened in 1999 after the old foreshore was severely damaged and eroded after heavy rainfall and wind from Tropical Cyclone Sid in January 1998 and other monsoonal storms between 1997 and 1998. It was moderately damaged by Cyclone Tessi in April 2000.[citation needed. The Strand was the 'cauldron stop' for Townsville, during the Australian leg of the 2000 Sydney Olympics Torch Relay. The Strand was named Australia's cleanest Beach in 2008. This was the second time the award was given to the beach in five years. Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Strand,_Townsville

The thoroughfare now known as Townsville's Strand developed from as early as the mid 1860s. From this time, Townsville's more wealthy residents, taking advantage of the cooling sea breezes, were building residences along the beachfront. By the early 1870s, reflecting this development and growth, at least three hotels had been built in the vicinity. At this early stage of development The Strand remained unformed and unsealed and there had been no formal planting of shade trees. In 1881, the Townsville Council planted a series of cedar trees, following up with cocoa and betel nut trees, as a way of beautifying the beachfront area and to provide shade for those using the area for recreation. In 1883, the Council developed a roadway along the beachfront leading to Kissing Point. There are a range of impressive and important sites and buildings along The Strand that remind us of the area's history and development. Source: www.slq.qld.gov.au/blog/queensland-place-histories-strand...