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The Dave & Malou Channel, Brisbane (2026)

30/08/2026

🏛️ 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐂𝐈𝐋 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐌𝐁𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 𝐂𝐀𝐏𝐒𝐔𝐋𝐄! - 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐎𝐋𝐃 𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐒𝐁𝐎𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇 𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐂𝐈𝐋 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐌𝐁𝐄𝐑𝐒

Ever wondered about that beautiful old timber building in Maleny Street, Landsborough? It has been part of the community for more than a century! 👀

Long before Sunshine Coast Council existed, Landsborough was the administrative centre of the Landsborough Shire.

The Landsborough Shire was created in 1912, with the first meeting of the newly formed council held on 20 April that year. In 1913, a council residence and one-room office were constructed and used for council meetings.

𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐰, 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐝.

🏛️ In 1924, the purpose-built Landsborough Shire Council Chambers opened.

Designed by Brisbane architect Walter Carey Voller and built by A.E. Round, the timber building was constructed using native hardwoods, hoop pine and bunya pine. It contained council offices, a council chamber, public counter and even a strong room for important documents.

For more than four decades, this modest building was where the business of running the Landsborough Shire was conducted.

𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠.

During the 1950s and 1960s, coastal towns were developing rapidly, with population increasingly shifting from the country to the coast. Landsborough Shire Council had simply outgrown the town and its 1924 chambers.

🏢 In 1968, the council relocated its chambers and staff offices to Bulcock Street, Caloundra. The last shire meeting at the old Landsborough chambers was held on 24 July 1968, with the new Caloundra chambers officially opened just days later.

The old building wasn't immediately abandoned, however. Council records remained there until the premises finally closed in 1974.

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲, 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧'𝐭 𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞. ❤️

On 3 April 1976, the Landsborough and District Historical Society opened the former chambers as the Landsborough Shire Historical Museum.

For decades, dedicated volunteers cared for the building and built an incredible collection documenting the history of Landsborough, Caloundra and the surrounding districts.

The collection grew to include more than 14,000 historical items, along with photographs, documents and publications.

Then, in 2022, Sunshine Coast Council took over management of the museum, helping secure the future of both the collection and this remarkable heritage building.

Today, you can still step inside this beautifully preserved former council building and stand in the very place where the business of the Landsborough Shire was conducted more than 100 years ago.

From council chambers ➡️ to museum ➡️ to a living time capsule of local history.

𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐚𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐥 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠! ❤️

More info: https://heritage.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/landsborough-museum

29/08/2026

🥭 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐎𝐅 𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐃’𝐒 𝐁𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐍 𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐎

Few things say Queensland summer quite like biting into a juicy Bowen mango - but the story behind this famous fruit has an intriguing international connection!

The mango we know as Kensington Pride is also known as Bowen Special and commonly as the Bowen mango. It was selected from mango seedlings grown in the Bowen district of North Queensland during the late 1880s.

At the time, northern Queensland had active shipping connections with South-East Asia. Queensland horticultural records suggest this is the most likely route by which the original mango seed arrived in Australia - although its precise origins remain unknown.

The story became part of Bowen's agricultural history, with the superior seedling eventually becoming known as Kensington Pride. The name is associated with the Kensington property in the Bowen district, where the variety was selected and propagated.

🥭 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞'𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠…

Where did that original mango come from?

There has long been speculation that Kensington Pride may have originated from India or the East Indies, particularly because of the trading links between Queensland and those regions. A Queensland Government technical report records this historical theory.

𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐞.

Kensington Pride is polyembryonic, meaning its seeds can produce several seedlings, including seedlings genetically identical to the mother plant. Polyembryonic mangoes are particularly associated with the South-East Asian group of mango varieties.

That doesn't prove the mango came from South-East Asia - and it certainly doesn't prove that Kensington Pride is a natural hybrid of Indian and South-East Asian varieties.

The truth is that its pre-Australian origin remains uncertain. Modern horticultural references simply record Kensington Pride as originating in Australia, with its earlier ancestry unknown.

What we do know is that Bowen produced one of Australia's most famous mangoes - a variety prized for its sweet flavour, distinctive aroma and low-fibre flesh.

So next time you enjoy a Bowen mango, you're tasting a little piece of Queensland history - with an international mystery still hiding inside the seed! 🇦🇺🥭

And yes… Dave & Malou are perfectly happy to conduct further research.

𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐨 𝐚𝐭 𝐚 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞! 😂🥭

28/08/2026

🚍🐴 BEFORE BRISBANE HAD TRAMS… THERE WERE HORSE-DRAWN OMNIBUSES!

Long before electric trams and motor buses became part of everyday life, Brisbane residents relied on horse-drawn omnibuses to get around the growing colonial city.

According to the Archives, this particular omnibus operated between three important Brisbane destinations:

⛴️ The Edward Street Ferry – an important river crossing at a time when ferries were an essential part of Brisbane's transport network.

🌿 The Botanic Gardens – already a popular destination for recreation and leisure.

📚 The Normal School – Queensland's first normal school, established to train teachers, with a model school associated with the training of future educators.

In an era before widespread motorised transport, the omnibus provided a practical way for people to travel around the city – powered by horses, rather than petrol or electricity. 🐎

And Brisbane was about to enter a new era of public transport.

Horse-drawn trams began operating in Brisbane in August 1885, with the first service operated by the Metropolitan Tramway and Investment Company. The new trams ran on rails and gradually expanded their network across the city and inner suburbs.

Then, on 21 June 1897, Brisbane's first electric tram began operating, marking another major change in the way people travelled around the city.

So this seemingly simple illustration captures an important moment in Brisbane's transport story – a time when getting around the city meant horses, harnesses, ferries and omnibuses, just before the arrival of Brisbane's tramway era.

The omnibus itself gives us a wonderful glimpse of late-19th-century urban transport, while the people, clothing and surroundings help place the scene firmly in Brisbane's colonial past.

A note on our visuals: To help bring this story to life, we've used an artistic illustration based on historical descriptions. While we've aimed for historical accuracy, some details may contain minor artistic interpretation or imperfections. The visual is intended solely for educational and non-commercial historical storytelling.

27/08/2026

🇺🇸🚨 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄 𝐆𝐔𝐀𝐑𝐃 𝐇𝐔𝐓 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐀 𝐁𝐈𝐆 𝐖𝐖𝐈𝐈 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘! 🇦🇺

Tucked away in Banyo (QLD) is a tiny timber hut with a fascinating connection to Brisbane’s WWII history. 🇺🇸🪖

During World War II, Banyo became home to the United States Army General Depot - the largest US Army depot in Australia.

Established in 1943, the enormous facility included 14 warehouses, vehicle storage areas, railway sidings, administration facilities, workshops and a troop camp. Huge quantities of military stores were held here, while vehicles were stored and repaired before being sent wherever they were needed in the Pacific.

And keeping watch over it all was this little US Army sentry box! 🚨

𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦…

Earnshaw Road ran through the middle of the depot! 😲

The road was closed when construction began, but was later reopened to local traffic once security measures were in place.

Two sentry boxes were built along Earnshaw Road — one at each end of the depot. Guards stationed there recorded the registration number and time of civilian vehicles passing through.

And incredibly, one of those WWII sentry boxes has survived!

🗺️ 𝐁𝐔𝐓 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄'𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐖𝐈𝐒𝐓…

The hut isn't actually where it originally stood!

On our map:

📍 A = Original location
📍 B = Present location

Brisbane City Council’s heritage assessment notes that the timber sentry box appears to have been relocated to its current position in the corner of the car park during later industrial development.

Today, it is the only surviving building from the former US Army General Depot, making this tiny hut a remarkably rare piece of Brisbane’s WWII history. 🏚️🇺🇸

After the war, the site was transferred to the Australian Army and became known as the Banyo Ordnance Depot. Part of the former site was later used by Golden Circle, while the Australian Army continued operating the depot until it vacated the site in 2001.

𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐡𝐮𝐭 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐝. ❤️

So next time you're in Banyo, remember that this quiet suburban area was once a vital part of the enormous American military logistics operation supporting the war in the Pacific.

Amazing what you can discover when you start looking closely at Brisbane’s past! 🇦🇺

Did you know Banyo once had such an important US military depot?

B&W images ca. mid 1940's: Public domain.
Map image: Black-and-white photograph taken in 1946, digitally superimposed over a modern-day 2026 map for comparison.

26/08/2026

🌸 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐓𝐨𝐨𝐰𝐨𝐨𝐦𝐛𝐚 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 "𝐆𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲"? 🌸

Toowoomba didn’t earn its famous nickname overnight — it grew into it, quite literally! 🌳🌺

Sitting around 700 metres above sea level on the edge of the Great Dividing Range, Toowoomba enjoys a cooler climate and four distinct seasons. Over generations, residents cultivated gardens, planted trees and created beautiful parks, helping build the city’s reputation for greenery and flowers. Queens Park, reserved as public parkland in 1873, became one of the city’s most important green spaces and remains a much-loved part of Toowoomba today.

By 1949, Toowoomba already had a well-established “Garden City” reputation, and local businessman Essex Tait and the Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce saw an opportunity to turn that reputation into something bigger. They developed the idea for the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers to boost community spirit and economic activity following the hardships of World War II.

The first Carnival was held on 21 October 1950, with an estimated 50,000 people watching a three-mile street procession led by a bullock team! 🐂🌺

Today, the Carnival is recognised as Australia’s longest-running annual horticultural event, while Toowoomba’s parks, gardens and leafy streets continue to earn it the title “Garden City.”

🌼 Have you visited Toowoomba’s gardens or the Carnival of Flowers? What’s your favourite spot in the Garden City? We’d love to hear your memories in the comments!

25/08/2026

🔪 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐗 𝐌𝐔𝐑𝐃𝐄𝐑: 𝐃𝐈𝐃 𝐁𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐁𝐀𝐍𝐄 𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐆 𝐌𝐀𝐍? ⚖️

In 1848, Brisbane was still a young colonial settlement when a horrifying murder shocked the community. On 26 March, the dismembered remains of sawyer and former convict Robert Cox were discovered along the riverbank at Kangaroo Point. A man named William Fyfe was arrested, convicted and hanged for the crime.

Almost 150 years later, historian Rosamond Siemon revived the case in her book The Mayne Inheritance, proposing a sensational theory that a wealthy Brisbane butcher may have been the true killer!

Did Brisbane's most notorious murder mystery send the wrong man to the gallows? More than 175 years later, we still don't know. 🤔 What do you think?

📜 𝐃𝐚𝐯𝐞 & 𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐮 — 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐞'𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞.

𝑯𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏!

𝐴 𝑁𝑜𝑡𝑒 𝑜𝑛 𝑂𝑢𝑟 𝑉𝑖𝑠𝑢𝑎𝑙𝑠: 𝑇𝑜 ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑝 𝑏𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦 𝑡𝑜 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒, 𝑤𝑒’𝑣𝑒 𝑢𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑢𝑡𝑒𝑟-𝑔𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑝𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑦 ℎ𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑠𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑐𝑒𝑠. 𝑊ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑒 𝑤𝑒’𝑣𝑒 𝑚𝑎𝑑𝑒 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑒𝑓𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑎𝑟𝑒 ℎ𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑎𝑐𝑐𝑢𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒, 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑑𝑒𝑡𝑎𝑖𝑙𝑠 𝑚𝑎𝑦 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑐 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑟 𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑐𝑐𝑢𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑠. 𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑠𝑒 𝑣𝑖𝑠𝑢𝑎𝑙𝑠 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑙𝑦 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑒𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙, 𝑛𝑜𝑛-𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑐𝑖𝑎𝑙 ℎ𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦𝑡𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔.

24/08/2026

📸 𝐊𝐎𝐃𝐀𝐊 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐒𝐄: 𝐁𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐁𝐀𝐍𝐄’𝐒 𝐅𝐀𝐌𝐎𝐔𝐒 𝐊𝐎𝐃𝐀𝐊 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐎𝐍 𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐄𝐍 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐓

For generations of Brisbane residents, Kodak was almost synonymous with photography - and at the heart of that story stood Kodak House at 250–252 Queen Street.

The impressive six-storey building was constructed in 1913 and opened in January 1914, almost directly opposite Brisbane’s General Post Office. It became the home of Kodak’s Brisbane retail store and an important centre for the company’s Queensland operations.

But Kodak’s Brisbane story began more than two decades earlier.

📅 KEY MILESTONES

1891 – Baker & Rouse bought the Lichtner & Co photographic business at 9 Hayes Buildings, Elizabeth Street. Just two months later, the expanding business moved to 46 Queen Street.

1905 – Baker & Rouse became the sole Australian distributors for Kodak products and moved to 78 Queen Street to accommodate its growing photographic business.

1908 – Baker & Rouse merged with Eastman Kodak to form an Australian Kodak subsidiary, although its retail stores continued operating under the Baker & Rouse name for several more years.

1911 – Kodak Australasia Limited was established, bringing the Brisbane business firmly under the Kodak name.

1913–1914 – Kodak constructed its impressive new six-storey Kodak House at 250–252 Queen Street, which opened in January 1914.

Inside, customers could find the latest Kodak and Brownie cameras, photographic film, papers, chemicals and a wide range of accessories. Kodak also provided photographic processing, printing and enlargement services.

And then there were the windows! 👀📸

Kodak’s Queen Street displays were far more than simple shop windows. They were elaborate advertising installations packed with cameras, photographs, posters and decorative scenery.

Surviving photographs from the 1910s and 1920s show just how spectacular they could be. Displays promoted seasons, holidays, new Kodak products and local events, with slogans including “Easter Time is Kodak Time” and “Take a Kodak with you.”

Around 1920, another Queen Street display promoted the Brisbane Henley, demonstrating how Kodak used local events and photographic exhibitions to attract the attention of passing shoppers.

By the mid-1920s, Kodak had expanded further, opening a dedicated developing and processing laboratory in Drake Street, West End, where customers’ photographs could be processed.

Kodak House remained a familiar Queen Street landmark for decades and continued as a Kodak retail store and service centre into the 1970s.

The six-storey building was later demolished, bringing an end to one of Brisbane’s most recognisable photographic landmarks.

Thankfully, photographs preserved in the Kodak Heritage Collection provide us with an extraordinary glimpse into Brisbane’s early photographic and retail history.

It’s fascinating to think that more than a century ago, Brisbane shoppers could stand outside Kodak House and browse displays promoting the latest photographic technology - much like window-shopping for the latest gadgets today. 📸

A note on our visuals: To help bring this story to life, we’ve included some computer-generated illustrations. While we’ve aimed for historical accuracy, AI-generated images can contain minor errors or artistic interpretation. They are used solely for educational, non-commercial history storytelling. Dave & Malou image is AI-generated.

23/08/2026

🪙✨ 𝐃𝐈𝐃 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖 𝐆𝐘𝐌𝐏𝐈𝐄 𝐇𝐀𝐃 𝐈𝐓𝐒 𝐎𝐖𝐍 “𝐅𝐎𝐎𝐋’𝐒 𝐆𝐎𝐋𝐃”?

When thousands of hopeful prospectors rushed to Gympie after James Nash discovered payable alluvial gold in 1867, they weren’t finding pure gold everywhere.

They were also encountering pyrite - the shiny, brassy-yellow mineral better known as “fool’s gold.” 🪨💰

𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠…

Pyrite was an important part of the story of Gympie’s gold-bearing reefs. Historical accounts of the Gympie goldfield describe pyrite in the ore, with pyrite-bearing concentrates being sent to specialised “pyrites works” for further treatment to recover valuable material.

So, for a 19th-century prospector, finding a shiny, golden-looking mineral certainly didn’t automatically mean they had struck it rich! 😄

Pyrite and gold can look deceptively similar, but they behave very differently:

🪨 Pyrite: brittle and much less dense than gold. It can fracture or shatter when struck.

🥇 Gold: extremely dense and malleable. It can be bent, flattened or hammered without breaking.

The amount of pyrite associated with Gympie’s mining operations became significant enough for the goldfield to develop dedicated pyrites works - plants where pyrite-bearing concentrates could be further processed.

The first pyrites works was established in Commissioner’s Gully, just north of the Gympie Hospital. It served miners during the early shallow-reefing era.

Then, in 1879, Mark Curtis established an ore-treatment plant, pyrites works and assaying works on Deep Creek. A larger plant was also built near the Gympie Crushing Battery, with grinding pans and roasting furnaces. A cyaniding plant was later added, capable of processing up to 300 tonnes of concentrates per month.

And Deep Creek remains part of Gympie’s golden story today.

The Deep Creek Fossicking Area is an officially designated Queensland fossicking area where visitors can still try their luck panning for alluvial gold. Queensland Government records state that the gold there was derived from the weathering and erosion of several historic reefs, including the Columbia, Smithfield, Monkland, Never Mind and Russell reefs. 🥇

So next time you see a shiny, golden-looking mineral around the Gympie goldfields, remember…

𝐈𝐭 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐥𝐝… 𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮! 😉🪙

📜 Another fascinating chapter in the story of one of Queensland’s great gold rushes.

23/08/2026

📜 MORETON BAY HISTORY SEMINAR 2026
📍 Morayfield Sport & Events Centre

📅 Tuesday, 1 September 2026
⏰ 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM

Hello everyone! 👋

Just a quick reminder that Dave & Malou will be presenting at the Moreton Bay History Seminar 2026 on Tuesday, 1 September.

This year’s theme is “Change” - exploring the big, bold and fascinating changes that have shaped the City of Moreton Bay, from the stories and experiences of the past to the exciting new ways we’re sharing history today.

From dusty archives, old photographs and handwritten records to digital storytelling, immersive exhibitions, interactive media and cutting-edge technology, the way we discover, preserve and experience history is changing rapidly.

We’re thrilled to be part of the program and to share a little about how AI and new digital technologies can help bring historical stories and images to life, while still keeping research, accuracy and the original history at the heart of what we do.

It promises to be a fantastic day for anyone interested in local history, heritage, storytelling and the future of how we connect with the past. ❤️📚

We’d love to see some familiar faces there!

🎟️ FREE EVENT — BOOKINGS REQUIRED

Audience: Suitable for ages 16+

📍 Morayfield Sport & Events Centre
📅 Tuesday, 1 September 2026
⏰ 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM

👉 Book your FREE tickets here:
https://www.moretonbay.qld.gov.au/libraries/Events/History-Seminar-2026

See you there!

𝒟𝒶𝓋ℯ & ℳ𝒶𝓁ℴ𝓊

22/08/2026

🏛️ 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐞 𝐎𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐝 𝐈𝐭𝐬 𝐎𝐰𝐧 𝐍𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐥 𝐃𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞! ⚓

If you've ever wandered along Edward Street, you may have walked past one of Brisbane's fascinating heritage buildings without realising the remarkable history behind it.

The former Naval Offices at 3 Edward Street were constructed in 1900–1901 as the first purpose-built headquarters for naval forces in Queensland. The building was commissioned for the Queensland Marine Defence Force (QMDF), established in 1885.

Before Federation, Australia's colonies were responsible for their own defence, and Queensland maintained its own naval defence force, consisting of vessels and personnel who could be called upon for service.

The building appeared at a remarkable moment in Australian history. Construction began while Queensland was still a self-governing colony, but Australia became a federation on 1 January 1901.

The timing was extraordinary. The Naval Offices were completed in 1901, only months after Federation. But by then, the building's role had already changed. On 1 March 1901, Australia's separate colonial naval forces were transferred to Commonwealth control and combined to form the new Commonwealth Naval Force.

Queensland contributed several vessels to the new Commonwealth force, including the gunboats Gayundah and Paluma, the torpedo boat Mosquito and the picquet boat Midge. These former Queensland vessels continued in naval service, including training and other duties.

📍 The building's location was no accident. It stood within the Town Reach precinct of the Brisbane River, an important maritime and government area close to the Port Office and other government departments associated with shipping and river administration. The surrounding area included the Government Shipping Office, Marine Board Office, Harbours and Rivers Department and Shipping Master's Department.

Although Commonwealth authorities took control of Queensland's naval forces in 1901, the Naval Offices building itself remained Queensland property until 1911, when it was transferred to the Commonwealth.

Then came another major milestone. On 10 July 1911, King George V granted the Commonwealth Naval Forces the title Royal Australian Navy.

From 1911 and throughout both World Wars, the Naval Offices remained an important centre of naval administration in Brisbane. The building continued in naval use until 1975, when it became redundant as defence properties were rationalised.

Architecturally, the building is fascinating too. Designed by Queensland's Department of Public Works, it is a fine example of Federation Free Style with Arts and Crafts influences, featuring high-quality face brickwork, stucco and rendered detailing, decorative eaves, tall chimneys and an ornate entrance incorporating a sculpted naval coat of arms.

And then there's Captain William Rooke Creswell - one of the most important figures in Australian naval history.

Creswell became Queensland's Naval Commandant in 1900, after previously commanding the South Australian Naval Forces. When the South Australian gunboat Protector was sent to China as part of Australia's contribution to the suppression of the Boxer Rebellion, Creswell took command of her and sailed for China in August 1900.

After returning to Australia in 1901, Creswell became the first commander of the newly formed Commonwealth Naval Force and a leading advocate for a unified Australian navy. In February 1904, he was appointed Naval Officer Commanding the Commonwealth Naval Forces and went on to become one of the principal architects of Australia's national navy.

Today, the former Naval Offices remain a remarkable reminder of a time when Queensland maintained its own naval defence force — and when this stretch of Edward Street formed an important part of Brisbane's maritime world.

The building was eventually returned to Queensland Government ownership in 2011 and, since 2012, has been leased for commercial use.

Even more remarkably, the heritage assessment identifies the building as the only naval headquarters building constructed by the Queensland Government.

💬 𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐜 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠? We'd love to hear your memories or see your old photos in the comments!

The Dave & Malou Channel

30/08/2026

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