The first set of colourised slides of Brisbane in the State Library collection depict the flood of 1893. Adding some (slight) colour to them brings out some detail that would be lost in black and white, particularly the height of the water compared to the banks and houses.
Damage to the old Victoria Bridge.
Brisbane landmarks and buildings in colour.
In the first decade of the 20th century, a series of colourised lantern slides were taken of Brisbane. Colourised hardly begins to describe the lurid aqua of the skies and waters, but the buildings and people have been tinted with a degree of accuracy, or at least restraint, that brings the old town to life in a way that black and white or sepia could not. (Note the birds added to just about every skyscape. Presumably, no sky could fail to be bright blue, nor could it fail to contain a sprinkling of bird life.)
Parliament House, George Street.
Statue of Queen Victoria in the Executive Gardens, now Queen’s Park. More than 125 years later, Her Majesty still gazes over us, presumably not amused by the modern world around her.
Old Government House, now part of Queensland University of Technology’s Gardens Point campus. With added birds.Whatever was going on at Old Government House, it was festive and well-attended by a sun-safe crowd. The birds must have fled due to the commotion.Ah, that’s where the birds went – Central Station. Central is still visible today, although thoroughly overshadowed by office buildings.Those birds that weren’t hovering over public buildings chose to perform aerial surveillance of the Queensland Club. They probably have a better idea of whatever it is that goes on in there than any woman has in the past 141 years.The (Old) Queensland Museum building, under a particularly blue sky. Presumably the birds were too absorbed by the goings-on in the Queensland Club gardens to spare any time hovering here.Fernberg had become the new Government House, and remains so today. As at the time of writing, no-one has thought to surround it with a University.The Windmill, Wickham Terrace. Obligatory gent leaning against a fence.Produce market in Turbot Street. Hard to imagine today.
The river and surrounds in colour.
The Victoria Bridge from William Street. Under heavy bird attack, which is probably one of the reasons it failed to last into the 21st century. (Hang on, if the birds were that size in relation to the bridge and buildings, the aerial bombardment must have been terrifying.)Certainly a more pleasing-looking piece of infrastructure than its successor.Traffic on the Victoria Bridge, oblivious to the threat from above.The Brisbane Lord Mayor, Graham Quirk, has hinted that he has a cunning plan to turn the Brisbane River blue again (if it ever really was blue, it was never this blue).The days when steamers patrolled the river.A seniors’ outing. Mind that rickety-looking ramp!
Moreton Bay and More 