1899
A trio poses on the Rainbow Bay edge of Greenmount Hill in Coolangatta. They are carefully dressed, overdressed in fact. The man at the left has his suit jacket buttoned up, the man at the centre’s jacket is unbuttoned to reveal the waistcoat underneath, and the woman is in long sleeves and long skirts. They must be terribly hot an uncomfortable, but theirs is the standard clothing worn by respectable people at leisure. A holiday, for this trio, is something taken for one’s health, or the fresh air. Enjoying oneself and relaxing is out of the question.
1903
A view of the waters at Tweed Heads and Coolangatta in 1903. There are a few buildings on the water’s edge, and an old boat shed.
1907
The Federal T. C. Graham Hotel, a weatherboard building with two storeys, was a place to stay in the early days of the 20th century.
1905
Six years after the trio posed uncomfortably on Greenmount Hill, a trip to the beach was a more relaxed affair. It was clearly an extremely hot day – there are towels pressed into service to keep the sun off heads and shoulders, and dress standards have been eased.
1912
A fresh breeze catches promenading couples on Coolangatta Beach. Everyone is smartly dressed here, and, judging by the clothing it was wintertime.
1915
Two views of the scenery at Coolangatta. The first shows Point Danger as seen from Coolangatta Beach. The second is a photo taken from the top of Greenmount Hill, taking in the view all the way to the mountains.
1919
Oh, how times have changed! These are the beachfront buildings at Coolangatta in 1919.
1920
Below: This is a camping ground in front of the Greenmount Guesthouse in 1920. People even camped neatly in those days.
Below: relaxed bathing suit standards for the ladies, and sensible use of umbrellas on the shore.
Below: The mouth of the Tweed River on a dark, rainy day.
All images are taken from the digital collection of the State Library of Queensland. AI colourisation by Copilot.
