esplanade

Cool photo, I think I may have just found my new assignment topic.

@ Michael Sutton (was Sutto 007) - How did your assignment go? Anything to share?! The electric tram (1902+), the height of the Norfolk pines, Edwardian dress, the organised bathing, and the jaunty typeface style indicate c.1905.

The bandstand in the middle of the tram loop (seen here right of the pine tree) was evidently erected/completed in ca. 1909... trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/15033090 - SMH, 3rd February, 1909...see notice towards bottom of first column... 'TENDERS are hereby invited up to 4 p.m. on MONDAY the 8th FEBRUARY for the completion of the BAND STAND at Coogee Bay. Plans and Specifications at Town Clerk s office. The lowest or any tender not necessarily accepted. Tenders to be under cover, and endorsed "Tender for Band Stand" E. H STRACHAN Town Clerk Town Hall, Randwick, January 29th, 1909 ' ---------------------------------------------------------- If you zoom in on the original pic at the PHM (click on the PURL) you can see the 'Figure Eight' roller coaster ride to the left of the main Aquarium building...the 'Figure Eight' opened in October 1907...it evidently continued operating until 1912... trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/238264130 - the Daily Telegraph, 14th October, 1907...item on the opening of the 'Figure Eight' the previous Saturday... trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/114808962 - the Evening News, 2nd May, 1912...brief item on the demolition of the 'Figure Eight'...

good!

I've noticed the Brisbane Courier has lots of references to Flinders Parade as "Lower Esplanade" and present-day Eagle Terrace as "Upper Esplanade". There's a few other street names that don't seem to exist - Maxwell Street and Slaughter Street. Also Kate Street is referred to as being by the waterfront, so I assume Pier Avenue/Pier Street was Kate Street before the pier was built.

Escape to the seaside For those Brisbane residents who have experienced the Bruce and M1 highway gridlocks at the start of holidays, the 1931 exodus to the seaside after a difficult year may seem all too familiar. An election and change of government, with Joseph Lyons and his United Australia Party elected, brought about a positive change to the state's mood, the Central Queensland Herald reported.After a "year of such depression as Queensland had not previously known", buoyed by the election result, residents turned out their pockets and went shopping, holidaying and camping. "On Christmas Eve there came a general exodus to the seaside and every resort within reach of the city crowds was thronged," it wrote. "By train and car thousands departed for the South Coast resorts ... the new toll bridge over the Logan Bridge reaped a golden harvest, and two traffic policemen were constantly on duty to supervise the unending rush of cars - and incidentally to guard against possibility of a raid by bandits intent on laying

violent hands on the toll fees, estimated at well over 1000 pounds for the three days," the Herald continued. And, much like this year, many people turned to camping along the beach, with "canvas houses, replete with every comfort, even to electric light, separate sleeping compartments, and spring mattresses".

Resource: www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/how-brisbane...

The photo was published in Brisbane times 2020 by Lucy Stone: " How Brisbane celebrated Christmas through the years"