Newstead House - Newstead

Brisbane’s oldest surviving residence dates from 1846 when it was constructed for Patrick Leslie who had first settled on the Darling Downs in 1840.  Over the years, Newstead has evolved from a simple Colonial Georgian cottage into a sprawling homestead with intricate balustrade, spacious verandahs and a vista that incorporates the Brisbane River, undulating parkland, elements of the Breakfast Creek Heritage Precinct and the changing suburbs of Hamilton, Bowen Hills, Bulimba and Newstead.

Entrance View

Newstead House has a large garden extending along the Brisbane River. The building was occupied by American troops during World War II. There is an Australian-American War Memorial in the grounds in memory of this. To find out more about Newstead House - CLICK HERE

Garden View

To see more of the beautiful Newstead Garden, visit Diane's blog - HERE 

Walter Taylor Bridge- Indooroopilly

Yesterday I posted the cable anchor for the Walter Taylor Bridge at Indooroopilly, lots of people guessed right of what it was and one blogger even mentioned the name of the bridge. The bridge was operated as a toll bridge until the 1969s. The bridge is unique in that the two towers of the bridge houses residential accommodation which are still occupied.

What is it?

Here is a question for you all - Can you guess what that is? Please let me know in the Comments.

Another Blogger hard at work

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Chooks lay their eggs

On a recent visit to the city, Diane noticed the sign in this pizza shop.

I suppose they keep them at the back

of the shop.

Jetty cleaning

In the Hamilton area of the Brisbane River, I observed a Brisbane City Council sub-contractor pressure-cleaning a government jetty.

100 George Street

100 George Street is the seat of the state government, housing the premier's department. The larger building next to it with the tower is an environmentally friendly commercial building with state of the art climate and security controls which can be accessed and adjusted by remote control.

Another Then and Now Brisbane post

Following yesterday'a Adelaide Street Then and Now pictures, here is another one, This and Then Kingsford-Smith Drive at Hamilton.

Public Transport is now by bus or City-Cats on the river.

Now Kingsford-Smith Drive

Then (1969)

Now and Then - Adelaide Street Brisbane

I came across the bottom picture the other day taken in 1968 in Adelaide Street and in comparison, the top picture is Adelaide Street now.

Adelaide Street now

Adelaide Street Then (1968)

Chung Tian Buddhist Temple Underwood Brisbane

A couple of weeks ago when we had friends staying with us from the Hunter Valley, we showed them around our local area. One place Diane had been meaning to visit was the local Buddhist Temple in our next suburb Underwood. The people there were very friendly and explained what everything is and even gave us booklets on Buddhism.

Chung Tian (Central Heaven) Buddhist Temple Underwood

Mary Valley Rattler - for Scenic Sunday

Some time ago we we went up to the Sunshine Coast on a Sunday to take a trip on this marvelous tourist steam train that leaves at 10.00 AM from Gympie for a two hour ride inland to Imbil, stopping at all the stations. 

The engine arrives to pull the train

Ian, a friend from England on holidays was staying with Carol's in-laws. Ian, used to be a steam engine driver in England in his younger days and naturally was thrilled to come along. Once the engineer found out about him, Ian was invited to ride on the engine.

Ian is tending to the boiler

It was a glorious sunny Sunday, perfect to travel through the Australian bush and for taking pictures.

The Rattler travels along through the pastures

Arriving at Imbil at lunch time, everyone looks for a place to eat, while the engineers maneuver the engine to the other end of the train.

The train at Imbil waiting for the return journey

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Hope Sugar Mill, Ormiston

Following from yesterday's post about Ormiston House, you remember I mentioned that Captain Louis Hope who built the first dedicated sugar mill in Australia, at Ormiston, near Brisbane, spat the dummy after he lost a court case and sailed with his family back to England, but not before destroying the sugar mill so it couldn't be used by anyone else.

That's what he left behind: 

The Hope saga is now finished with this post!

No hope for Hope

Visiting Ormiston House yesterday I found this cairn in the garden dedicated to captain Louis Hope, a Scotsman who built the first sugar mill in Australia specifically designed to crush sugar cane. Mills before were also used to crush other produce. Unfortunately, a few years later, Louis Hope was sued by a neighbour / tenant for not crushing his cane properly. The mill at the time was not working properly and Hope claimed it was not his fault that the cane didn't get crushed properly. The court didn't see it that way and Hope was ordered to pay the litigant £1,200, so upset was Hope by this decision, he packet up his family, shut up the house, destroyed the mill and sailed back to the United Kingdom, never to return again to Australia.  

Historic Ormiston House

We visited Ormiston House today with the University of the 3rd Age Camera Club we both belong to. It is a historical House open on weekends and on special occasions. 

Historic Ormiston House was the home of Australian sugar industry pioneer, Captain Louis Hope. It is regarded as one of the finest examples of colonial architecture in Queensland. The House dates back to 1862, has spacious grounds and gardens, and expansive views overlooking Moreton Bay. Ormiston House has been meticulously restored and furnished with authentic period pieces.

Watery car for Watery Wednesday

It was raining again on the weekend here. 'Rain drops keep falling on my car....etc. etc.'

See more participants in Watery Wednesday - CLICK HERE

Victoria House Est 1875

Strolling along Brunswick Street in Fortitude Valley a couple of weeks ago, we spotted Victoria House. No idea if it is private or commercial as there were no markings other than this plaque specifying the year it was established. I really would love to know more about this house.

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Strange Vehicle

If it looks like a duck, and if it sounds like a duck, .. it's probably an amphibious bus.

Spotted this strange looking vehicle at Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast today. This is an amphibious tour / bus / boat vehicle that takes people sight seeing around Surfers Paradise.

Our local vineyard

Sirromet Wines at Mount Cotton are the only vineyard in the Brisbane area as far as I know. They have a superb restaurant called 'Lurleen' and te wines are not bad either.

Motorbike park

Walking across the Goodwill Bridge and past the Queensland University of Technology, Garden campus, we came across the student's motor bike parking area. It reminded me of a European city parking situation.

Koalas

We have friends from the Hunter Valley staying with us for a couple of days, so today on the way to lunch at Cleveland, we stopped at the Koala Centre here at Daisy Hill to show them our local marsupials.

And a couple of them were kind enough to wake up for us to get some shots.

Two Seasons

This tree is in the centre of a roundabout near us. Taken in Spring (left) and summer (right)

I have no idea what the name is of this tree. If anyone can tell me I'd appreciate it.

Green Bridge to Learning

The new Eleanor Schonell Bridge, better known as The Green Bridge,  is a 390m (1,280 ft) cable-stayed bridge across the Brisbane River from from Dutton Park to the University of Queensland St Lucia campus.

The bridge was opened on December 17th, 2006 and is the first bridge in Australia, exclusively designed for buses, cyclists and pedestrians.

HAPPY 5th ANNIVERSARY TO ERIC OF PARIS DAILY PHOTO

Mooloolaba Beach

This picture was taken a few weeks ago, from the Mooloolaba Surf Club and shows a typical Queensland beach scene on the Sunshine Coast.

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Cruising again

We're on a trip through Canada and Alaska...


We are sailing south again through spectacular waterways.

The Grand View Hotel - Bigge's Folly!

After my faux-pas with the Wickham Hotel last week, I'll try again. This is the Grand View Hotel which occupies a choice spot along the finger of Cleveland Point, overlooking Raby Bay on one side and Toondah Harbour on the other. Judging by its current popularity it could hardly be called a folly today as it was by Dr. Lang in 1853. To understand the nickname it is necessary to dip back into the past and examine the overall scene.

After Governor Gipps? slimy departure in 1842, many lesser men than Bigge would have given up the tussle to have Cleveland established as the major port. But Francis Bigge was the leader of the pastoralists of Ipswich and they were determined men indeed. They ignored Brisbane ? a mere convict settlement in their view ? by way of building a road direct from Limestone (as Ipswich was then known), to the wood stores and industrial activities of Cleveland Point.

Therefore Bigge, who had many heavy investments in the area, could hardly be blamed for his continued enthusiasm on the Cleveland Point issue. For one thing, the Brisbane River had proved unsuitable for the loading of large vessels because of the prohibitive native of the sand bar at its mouth. Smaller boats had to be used to transport the wood bales out to the large ships anchored in the bay, a costly and time-consuming process. It appears even ships of six hundred tons could not exit without peril across the bar. The squatters reckoned on ships being loaded more quickly and economically at Cleveland Point.

When the Grandview Hotel was first built in 1851, one sceptic named it Bigges Folly and another was of the opinion it had been built by "an enterprising landowner during the crisis of a commercial dream". Today it is not a commercial dream but a commercial success. It has withstood the test of time.

Read the whole story HERE

Interesting garbage bin

We saw this rather interesting "wheely bin" opposite the Court House restaurant at Cleveland a while back.

Scenic Sunday on the Bay

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Rainbow Lorikett

A Rainbow Lorikeets (Trichoglossus Haematodus), taken in our garden.
The Rainbow Lorikeet is found in Australia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and other Pacific Islands. In Australia it is common along the eastern seaboard, from Queensland to South Australia.

Cleveland Sky

This is part of SkyWatch Friday - For more click HERE

Old building in Brunawick Street

The old Masonic Temple in Brunswick Street, looks like it has been converted into apartments. Unfortunately I didn't see a date on it.
Still wandering around Fortitude Valley.

The McWhirter Building in Fortitude Valley is part of Brisbane's history.

McWhirters Department Store in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane, 1938

McWhirters Store was erected in four stages on land acquired between 1899 and 1929, by Brisbane draper, James McWhirter of the firm of McWhirter & Son Ltd (later McWhirters Ltd).

It’s founder James McWhirter had arrived in Australia in 1878, from Ayshire, Scotland.

From its establishment in 1898, McWhirters Ltd expanded rapidly from a small drapery business to become one of Brisbane's largest and most sophisticated departmental retailers, with the principal store occupying over an acre of land bounded by Brunswick, Wickham and Warner Streets, at the well known Valley Corner.

Today, McWhirters are long gone and the building now houses individual shops and eating places.

The Wickham Hotel

The Wickham Hotel in Fortitude Valley

We take a train to Brisbane

Sunday morning we took a train into Brisbane to go to the Home Show. We don't often travel by train so this was quite an experience.

This train flashed by at Central Station

A south-bound train arrives at Kuraby, our station.

So this is the our train arriving at Kuraby station