The A-Z of Old Brisbane in colour: from Taringa to Toowong.

All of the suburbs here began as farming land, gradually evolving into suburbs in the early 20th century, as road and rail lines made them accessible to the city. This is a scenic tour of parts of Brisbane before they were urbanised.

Taringa

1901: An afternoon walk along Swann Road, Taringa.
1911: A group of women and girls by the river at Taringa.
In 1920, a woman and her little dog pose outside Glasspool’s Confectionery Shop in Taringa.


Teneriffe

A view over Teneriffe in 1893, showing the flooding. (The original photo notation said “gasworks” not “carworks,” but I’ll forgive AI because it got rid of so much damage on the upper part of the picture.)
Two riders cantering along a street in Teneriffe, ca 1918.


Tennyson

Golfers at the Brisbane Golf Club, Tennyson in 1906. Once chaps started getting around in their shirtsleeves, the whole world was in danger of collapse.


The Gap

Enoggera Reservoir at The Gap in 1888.
A creek on the road to the Waterworks in 1890.
Walton Bridge at The Gap, before it was destroyed by the- you guessed it – 1893 flood.


Tingalpa

In 1876, a horse-drawn vehicle stops at the Royal Mail Hotel in Tingalpa.
The Tingalpa Bridge in 1908.


Toombul

In 1888, Charles Higgins, of Higgins’ Tiger Menagerie, poses with one of his tigers and two understandably apprehensive young ladies at Toombul.
A staged photo of James Trackson “shooting tigers” at Higgins’ Menagerie. (Note that the tigers are chained up, and besides, Mr Higgins wouldn’t want to have part of his livelihood taken away by suburban thrill-seekers.)
The tree-lined Kedron Brook at Toombul in 1910.


Toowong

A fine day for a horse and buggy ride in Emma Street, Toowong, 1899.
Ten years later, the trams were a regular fixture in Toowong. (Although the chap at the back would rather like to get to town soon, please.)
Sometimes, only real horsepower will do. Here’s a horse team pulling a log jinker in High Street, Toowong in 1920.
And here’s Mr Skelton in his grocery van outside his shop in 1920.
And, lastly, there’s always time for a good cup of afternoon tea (in Toowong in 1900).

All images are taken from the State Library of Queensland’s digital collection. AI colourisation by CoPilot.

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