Unveiling of Salisbury Quarry Park
End of Year Social and tour of the Brisbane Motor Museum

Salisbury Quarry Park The park formerly known as Lillian Avenue Park at 313 Lillian Avenue has been renamed Salisbury Quarry Park to mark the site’s role as a source of gravel for the first roads laid out in Salisbury.
A commemorative sign was erected showing a brief history of the location.

The unveiling was an event to behold, with Cr Steve Griffiths boldly removing tenaciously attached plastic covering with the help of a Council grounds worker. In attendance was Barbara Ravenswood of Moorooka History Group (who passed Cr Griffiths’ request for a name suggestion on to me, also pictured) and a number of petitioners and local residents. To see the entertaining video, go to our Facebook page.

Brisbane 100 History Conference The History Conference commemorating the centenary of the amalgamation of Greater Brisbane was a big success. Dr. Denver Beanland AM spoke about “The Coming of the Greater Brisbane Council (GBC)” and former Lord Mayor Ms. Sallyanne Atkinson AOI gave an interesting presentation “Leader of Civic Reform” about William Jolly, Brisbane’s first Mayor. The Q&A ended with a very pertinent question from the audience, “Why did Brisbane amalgamate?” The answer just scratched surface, so proffer one myself: 

It was attributable to Queensland being a frontier super-state whose political institutions were still in flux some time after the other colonies/states’ had settled down. Evidence: The last border change was in 1883 [the ‘New Guinea grab’]: The Qld delegation missed one of the federal constitutional conventions because they were consumed with debate about whether or not the colony should be divided up into a federation itself because of its size: The Central Qld Separation Movement (there were others): Abolition of the upper house. Many, if not all of those politicians involved in the amalgamation would have had living memory of some of these changes. They were thinking big and pioneering. The tradition lives on: Qld is the only state with a political party with representation in parliament that has a secessionist policy (Katter’s AP).  There is a contrast with WA, which is also a super-state, but its border has been fixed since 1825 and so in that sense is not the ‘frontier/pioneer’ state Qld was/is: WA’s secessionist sentiments were/are focussed on that border, not on internal divisions. Perth hasn’t been amalgamated to the extent Brisbane was. Now that everything has settled into a pattern across the country it is much more difficult to change them.    (Simon Cole, 2025)

Events

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Coopers Plains History Group Social and Trip to the Brisbane Motor Museum

Saturday 13th of December

We’ll meet on the balcony of the Coopers Plains Library at 10am for a morning chat (BYO coffee). Then at 10:45 an optional trip out to the big (and still fairly new) Brisbane Motor Museum in Banyo for a self-guided exploration and lunch at the cafe (which has a full menu). A fun filled morning. It’s a 40 minute drive to Banyo and we will arrange car pooling on the day. RSPV if you need or can offer a lift.

Buy tickets at the door or in advance at 07 3195 7804 or tickets@brisbanemotormuseum.com.au
Adults $21.25 – $25 ● Seniors & Concession $17 – $20 ● Children 12-16 $10.65 – $12.50
For more details and to RSVP, please text or call 0491 737 603 and leave a message for a call back.

Monthly Meetings

Note the Coopers Plains History Group and Moorooka History Group will not meet in December or January. We will begin meeting in February.

Coopers Plains History Group

normally meets at the Coopers Plains Library Meeting Room which is booked every 3rd Saturday at 4pm.

Moorooka History Group

normally meets on the 1st Saturday of the month at 10am at St Brendan’s Church (entrance at the left hand side) Hawtree Street, Moorooka. Call or text Barbara on 0422 287 425.

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