brisbanetrams

1945 VP Day Celebrations: The War is Over On 15 August 1945 Australian Prime Minister Ben Chifley announced on the radio that Japan had unconditionally surrendered to allied forces. After three years of brutal fighting, the War in the Pacific was finally over. This day, which has become known as VP Day, was marked with jubilant celebrations across the nation as citizens looked toward a future free of conflict and fear of invasion. To manage celebrations authorities closed pubs, as they had on VE Day. However, this did not dissuade individuals from partying, with crowds gathering in the streets and strangers dancing together, including in front of the Criterion Hotel in Brisbane and Anzac Square. Celebrations took place throughout Queensland, including a Victory Fair held in Bundaberg and a peace procession in Chinchilla. Feelings of joy and relief were particularly apparent in Brisbane where many of the Pacific Campaign operations had been based. Flags and streamers were used to decorate Heindorff House on Queen Street, where the Allied Intelligence Bureau was based. The following day 60,000 civilians packed the streets of Brisbane’s CBD to watch 9,000 service personnel take part in the “Victory March”. A special civic thanksgiving service was also held in King George Square that evening with thousands in attendance, entertained by fireworks and music from the Salvation Army’s Brisbane City Temple Band. Source: www.anzacsquare.qld.gov.au/commemorate/victory-pacific-ri...

The Brisbane tramway network served the city of Brisbane, Australia, between 1885 and 1969. It ran on a standard gauge track. The electric system was originally energised to 500 volts and subsequently increased to 600 volts. All tramcars built in Brisbane up to 1938 had an open design. This proved so popular, especially on hot summer nights, that the trams were used as fundraisers and often chartered right up until the last service by social groups.[1] Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trams_in_Brisbane

City life was busy, on the run and between trams.