Brisbane City Council Centenary
Naming Lillian Avenue Park
Sunnybank/Cooper Plains Heritage Trail and History Board
A History of Coopers Plains transport routes
Collaborations with Moorooka History Group

Brisbane City Council Centenary

A coalition of local history groups have come together and formed the “100 Years of Greater Brisbane Coordinating Committee” to commemorate The Centenary of the Amalgamation of the Towns and Councils of Greater Brisbane into what we now know as the Brisbane City Council. An exciting line-up of events have been scheduled for 2025, culminating in a Community History Commemoration Day at the Brisbane Town Hall on October 1^st. See their Calendar of Events at
https://linktr.ee/GreaterBrisbaneCentenary
For more information: https://www.greaterbrisbanecentenary.com.au/

The much ignored Bicentenary of Queensland and Brisbane got a mention last month by the Brisbane History Group at its seminar on October 27th.

Next month is 200 years since Governor Brisbane arrived to inspect the Moreton Bay Penal Colony: More information is available at https://equanimity.blog/2024/06/19/the-bicentenary-few-seem-to-care-about/

Naming Lillian Avenue Park

Cr Steve Griffiths’ office asked Moorooka History Group Chair, Barbara Ravenswood to find a park name for the old quarry site at what is currently listed as Lillian Avenue Park, next to the Baptist Church, Salisbury. She asked me (Simon, Chair of CPHG) to do it and I have done further research into a name proposed at last month’s meeting; “Quarry Park”.

Sunnybank/Cooper Plains Heritage Trail and History Board

The Dutch Housing Project Plaque proposal has progressed with a response via Cr Kim Marx’s office from Cr Tracy Davis, Civic Cabinet Chair, Environment, Parks and Sustainability Committee. The proposed protection of six Dutch Houses behind St Thomas School, Sunnybank “will proceed to full Council by the end of the year to seek approval for the Minister to adopt”. In the meantime, our request for a plaque at McKoy Park, Coopers Plains was rejected, citing a) the Heritage Trails program online and b) the location from the Dutch Houses proposed for protection being too far from the park. We responded with gratitude for the information about the Heritage Trails, which we were not aware of. They can be found on the BCC website at https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/things-to-see-and-do/experiences-and-culture/heritage-trails. We expressed concern for those who don’t use the Internet. We also pointed out that McKoy Park is central to the original Dutch Housing Project. We proposed that an alternative site for a more general history of Coopers Plains and Sunnybank, including information about the Dutch Houses could appear on a History Board at the new shopping area on the corner of Boundary and Troughton Roads. This information can be expanded upon online at the Heritage Trails site which could accessed via a QR code on the board.

A History of Coopers Plains transport routes

I wrote a summary of transport across Coopers Plains from pre-colonial days to the present, presenting the Boundary Road level crossing as a kind of crucifix for our neighbourhood: https://equanimity.blog/coopers-plains-our-neighbourhood/

Collaborations with Moorooka History Group

The Chair of MHG, Barbara Ravenswood and I (Simon) are working more closely than ever. We attend each others’ meeting. See below in Events.

Ongoing projects:

• Composition of a publication of the Origins of Coopers Plains from before British settlement (Moreton Bay Penal Colony) to promote Coopers Plains as the first crossroads of Brisbane.
• Plaques in Salisbury about the WWII Munitions Works, specifically the corner of Evans Road and Project Street in front of the still extant South Guard House. Also, recognition of the nearby Art Deco Rocklea Munitions Works Laboratory (former). Cr Griffiths’ support to be procured.

Events

Moorooka History Group December Christmas Meeting

Saturday 7^th at 10 am, venue TBC in Moorooka. Call Barbara on 042 287 425

Coopers Plains History Group Monthly Meetings

Saturday 16^th of November at 4pm
Coopers Plains Library Meeting Room (at the back)

All welcome. Please RSVP by by commenting on this post below (if you can’t see the comment field, click the heading above).  Thanks to the friendly and helpful staff of the Coopers Plains Library for printing out these newsletters and offering them to anyone who wants to keep in touch without going online. The Coopers Plains Library Meeting Room is booked every 3^rd Saturday at 4pm for us to meet.