crowds

The logistics of a Royal Visit are necessarily complicated and a great deal of time was spent on the program, security, and transport arrangements. Everything was planned down to the minute. Traffic arrangements for the 1954 Royal Visit to Queensland were the sole responsibility of and were arranged by, the Commissioner of Police. At 2.30 p.m. the Royal Progress will leave Eagle Farm Airport on a signal from the State Director at 6 m.i.h. for Exhibition Grounds (Route 1, Map 1) via Lamington Avenue, (2.36) Nudgee Road, (2.40) Kingsford Smith Drive, (2.57) Breakfast Creek Road, (3.03) Ann Street, (3.11) Brunswick Street, (3.16) Lower Gregory Terrace where Cars 1 and 2 will accelerate to provide an interval of 75 yards between Car 2 and the Royal Car. A Mounted Escort will take up a position in the lead of and to the rear of the Royal Car. Cars 4 to 15 inclusive will reduce speed to enable the rear of the Mounted Escort to take up a position. The Motor Cycle Escort will detach itself from the Progress and rejoin the Progress at the corner of Roma and Makerston Streets. The Queen and her entourage of 38, landed in Brisbane at 2.15 pm on March 9, 1954. The Royal Progress took the Royal couple from the Airport to the Exhibition Ground; the Shrine of Remembrance and then onto Government House. The Queensland Police Motorcycle units were top and tail of the procession until it reached Lower Gregory Terrace, at which the Police Mounted unit slotted into a lead and followed the royal car through the streets of downtown Brisbane. The Motorcycle Unit picked up the tour at Roma Street and lead it out to Government House. Source: mypolice.qld.gov.au/museum/2021/09/14/from-the-vault-quee...

Highlights of Moments in Queensland Racing History! Mid 1880's Track established "by the creek" - Albion Park - with a sand surface. It was purchased by Melbourne businessman, John Wren in 1910, and unregistered race meetings were conducted. In 1924 the Brisbane Amateur Turf Club was formed and purchased Albion Park from Mr. Wren for 300,000 pounds ($600,000). Source: www.teamthoroughbreds.com.au/articles/highlights-of-momen...

Remembering The Creek, Brisbane’s quirky sand racetrack The Creek, Brisbane’s now-defunct Albion Park racecourse, holds special memories for many horse-racing enthusiasts of a certain age. Known as “The Creek” because it was bounded by Breakfast Creek which runs into the nearby Brisbane River, it was an all-weather sand track that provided an alternative to the more upmarket grass tracks of Eagle Farm and Doomben. In hindsight, it could be argued that it wasn’t a smart decision to locate a racetrack in such a flood-prone position. Many times since the track was established about 1854, officials had to clean up after such an event. In a measure of the benefits of a sand track, racing re-started two weeks after the 1974 flood receded. It took workers several days to remove the silt and debris. Gallopers such as Recovery, St Aubin, Auction, Lucky Ring, and Red Seas mostly won at Albion Park and were referred to as champion “Creekers”. The Creek was never going to survive long-term as horse racing expanded. It was the stuff of another era, filled with characters and situations that will be hard for some to comprehend. As well, harness racing events were included on the program on occasions and those who had standardbred horses back then could not have imagined that one day the location would become a world-class venue for that racing code. The site is now headquarters to both harness racing and greyhounds and is still known as The Creek, but many would know little of the history behind that title. Just a short walk from The Creek is the iconic Breakfast Creek Hotel which has long held a reputation as one of Brisbane’s best steakhouses and gathering places. Source: nunn.com.au/the-creek/

Interesting to see almost all spectators are male, and almost all, except just a few, wearing hats.

'Often one is heard to say, "I own this dog," when it would really be more proper to say, "This dog owns me."'

The Only Love That Money Can Buy (1937, January 21). The Queenslander (Brisbane, Qld. : 1866 - 1939), p. 35. Retrieved June 2, 2024, from nla.gov.au/nla.news-article23585766