elements

Nestled away in a leafy, cottage-lined street of Spring Hill, sits the oldest surviving swimming bath in the southern hemisphere. Designed by Thomas Kirk and built between 1886 and 1913, the cosy and convivial appeal of the baths is enhanced by the brightly coloured Victorian dressing booths that circle the 23.43 metre pool. Adding to its historical appeal, the heritage listed baths feature stepped wooden bleachers, an upper gallery and a two-storey caretaker’s residence which sits at the eastern end of the building. The open roof is designed so that spectators can keep dry and shaded, but also allows sunlight to spill in, illuminating the swimming pool on sunny days entire project cost £2,526, approximately $330,483.07 in today’s currency. The Spring Hill Municipal baths were commissioned to replace the city’s increasingly polluted floating river baths that lined the Brisbane River from the mid 19th century. With a key focus on sanitation, the new Spring Hill baths were emptied nightly and fresh water was piped in from large holding tanks that sat at the end of the baths. This outdated practice was finally replaced by a modern, and less wasteful filtration system in 1961. Originally only accessible to men, the baths began admitting women 12 months after opening – but with strict swimming times enforced. It was not until 1928 that ‘mixed’ swimming was introduced. Modern day swimmers can still admire the vintage signage dotted around the pool’s edge with amusing directives like “Men must not loiter on this end of the pool”. Source: www.museumofbrisbane.com.au/mob-sunday-stories-spring-hil...

St Andrew's Uniting Church at Bundaberg is a substantial brick church located in the heart of the city, at the corner of Maryborough and Woongarra Streets, opposite Buss Park. Designed in the Gothic style, the body of the church is cruciform in shape and is positioned north-south such that the sanctuary faces north. The building is constructed of variegated and multi-colored bricks, with decorative cement dressings on the external walls. The roof is clad with fibrous-cement tiles. The building is laid on a cement foundation and its maximum overall dimensions are 115 feet by 41 feet. A carillon tower of 'battlement design', attached to the eastern side of the building, dominates the building. The tower measures 71 feet in height and slightly tapers toward the top. Each face of the tower has decorative arched openings and is crowned with the cross of St Andrew on the middle battlement. The tower contains a carillon, or set of bells, one of which bears the emblem of the burning bush and dedication to the memory of members of the Pierson family. A First World War Honour Board is located in the Tower entry and later memorials have been added. At the southern end of the church is the official main entry. Above the entry is a large stained glass window that consists of four large panels crowned by seven crosses; the whole arrangement is set within an arch. There are six stained glass windows along either side of the nave, set between the buttresses. Exposed arched trusses in dark stained pine support the roof structure and dominate the internal ceiling. The eastern and southern boundaries of the property are marked by a low stone fence, with a small roofed gate (reminiscent of a lych gate) at the corner where the two boundaries meet. . The gate is made of the same stone as the fence and has a fibrous-cement tiled roof. Gardens have been established along the sides and southern end of the church. These consist of garden beds along the base of the walls, low set shrubs, and a number of small trees. These help to reinforce links with the neighboring Buss Park. Source: apps.des.qld.gov.au/heritage-register/detail/?id=602489

Sad to think all these guys are dead. I wonder what they achieved in their lives. Lovely historical shot.

Indeed, wonder how many went on to science as a career.

Faces so full of promise.

How strange - notice that all the labelled chemical bottles are empty !! Wonder could this be a promotional photograph of their new chemistry laboratory- probably taken even before the first chemistry practical class? Obviously the lads are posing with no experiment to be performed. Stuart.

You could be right, Stu. Watepark College was only 8 years old when this photo was taken: www.waterparkcollege.com/