Concrete bus shelters in Canberra

Last updated

One of the concrete bus shelters, located near Old Parliament House ACTION bus shelter.jpg
One of the concrete bus shelters, located near Old Parliament House

Concrete bus shelters are considered an icon of Australia's capital city Canberra. [1] Installation of the cylindrical bus shelters began in 1975 and continued into the early 1990s. At least 477 were purchased, of which 455 remained in use by ACTION buses as of 2016.

Contents

The bus shelters are an example of brutalist architecture, and were designed for the National Capital Development Commission. They have proved to be hard wearing, but problems with their windows and a lack of lighting make them uncomfortable to use at times. Several variants of the design were developed, and some were installed in other cities.

While the bus shelters initially received a mixed response from the public, they are now well regarded. The shelters have been the subject of artwork and have been reproduced in the form of earrings and tattoos. Owing to their functionality and popularity, shelters are relocated to newly established suburbs when bus stops are closed.

Design

The bus shelters were designed in 1974 for the National Capital Development Commission by the architect Clem Cummings. [2] Cummings' design was for a cylindrical shelter made from concrete, with window frames on each side and a bench made from fibreglass. The windows were made from Lexan. ArchivesACT has stated that the design is an example of brutalist architecture. [2]

Various minor amendments were made to the design after the first series was installed; for instance, "Series II" shelters had a precast concrete floor and no backrest for the bench. The Series II shelters located near schools did not have a bench. At least five different series were produced. A design for a windowless variant of the shelters was developed in the 1970s, but none were produced. [2] Since they were first installed, the shelters have been painted cream colour, and their fibreglass window frames and benches have been orange. [1]

The shelters' Lexan windows proved to be a weak point. They were easily damaged by vandals, and could be pushed out of their frames or burnt. The ACT Transport Branch experimented with a different type of Lexan, but it also proved unsatisfactory. Consideration was given to using wire glass, but this option was rejected after glaziers advised the government that such windows would be more dangerous than Lexan if they were shattered. Efforts to replace damaged windows were eventually abandoned, and many of the shelters are now windowless. This has led to complaints about the shelters being cold and drafty. [1] [2]

Lighting has not been installed in the bus shelters. However, in 2021 the ACT Government was experimenting with adding solar-powered lights to two of the shelters at a location in the suburb of Mitchell. [3]

History

A typical suburban bus stop with a concrete shelter in 2018. The shelter is angled so it faces towards oncoming buses. Unusually, this shelter retains both of its Lexan windows, but its fibreglass bench has been replaced with a wire bench. Bunker bus stop in OConnor December 2018.jpg
A typical suburban bus stop with a concrete shelter in 2018. The shelter is angled so it faces towards oncoming buses. Unusually, this shelter retains both of its Lexan windows, but its fibreglass bench has been replaced with a wire bench.

The first 98 "Series I" shelters were installed during 1975 as part of a broader project to upgrade Canberra's bus network. [2] At this time it was intended that the shelters would eventually be installed at almost all bus stops in the city. [4] Another 207 shelters were installed between the 1976–77 and 1979–80 financial years. Shelters continued to be sporadically purchased and installed during the 1980s and early 1990s. [2] By the time construction was complete, at least 477 shelters had been installed. [1] Bus shelters installed in Canberra since the early 1990s have been made from steel and glass. [5]

During the 1980s and 1990s, murals were painted inside some of the bus shelters by school children and community groups; this effort was sponsored by ACTION as a way of discouraging vandalism and promoting community art. ACTION ran an annual mural painting competition between 1987 and at least 1992. [6] By 1992, murals had been painted inside about 200 bus shelters. [7]

As of 2016, 455 of the concrete bus shelters remained in use. A total of 64 of the shelters were relocated after 2007 when they were replaced with glass shelters which include advertising. [1] Other shelters were relocated in the mid-2010s when ACTION's bus stops were upgraded to improve their accessibility for people with disability. [8]

The ACT government intends to retain the shelters for as long as possible. The director of Capital Works at Transport Canberra and City Services told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in 2016 that "they just last forever because of the material they're made out of, [and] the way they're designed". [1] Bus shelters at stops which are no longer serviced due to route changes continue to be relocated elsewhere, including to newly-established suburbs. [3]

Several concrete bus shelters built to Cummings' design have been installed outside of Canberra. Locations with the shelters include Bredbo, Burradoo, Maitland and Tallong in New South Wales as well as Surfers Paradise in Queensland. Two of the shelters in Surfers Paradise have been converted into public toilets. [1]

During the 2024 Australian Capital Territory general election the ACT Greens promised to build approximately 200 new concrete bus shelters. The party argued that the design was better suited to Canberra's climate than glass bus shelters and could be decorated through community art projects. [9]

Iconic status

Canberrans' views on the bus shelters were initially mixed. A 1976 National Capital Development Commission paper noted that the bus shelters had been "generally ... well received". However, The Canberra Times received letters which were critical of the design and one of its journalists, Shirley Despoja, labelled them "lunatic". [2] [10] In 1990 the local politician Bill Wood, who was advocating to retain the remaining timber bus shelters, labelled the concrete shelters "quite undesirable". [11]

A bus shelter decorated with paintings at the Australian National University Decorated concrete Bus shelter on Liversidge Street September 2019.jpg
A bus shelter decorated with paintings at the Australian National University

Public attitudes to the bus shelters have since improved, and they are now well regarded. [12] ArchivesACT has written that "over the years, the concrete shelters have become an admired element of Canberra's urban landscape" and they are "arguably Canberra's most endearing piece of urban architecture". [2] The ABC and The Canberra Times have described them as "iconic". [1] [13] The Canberra Times also stated in 2021 that the shelters are a "a much-loved symbol of Canberra", and residents of new suburbs are pleased when they are installed. [3] They are often called "bunker" bus shelters by Canberrans. [13]

The artist Trevor Dickinson has become well known for his drawings of the shelters, created as part of a project to record all of them. An exhibition of Dickinson's work was hosted by the Canberra Museum and Gallery in 2018. [13] [14] An ACTION bus was also wrapped with some of Dickinson's drawings to coincide with the exhibition. [15] In 2020 Dickinson released a 166 page book entitled Beautiful Bus Shelters of Canberra which includes his photographs of all of the bus shelters and paintings of 52 of them. The Canberra Times has credited Dickinson as having "almost singlehandedly elevated the bus shelters to icon status". [12]

A range of other reproductions of the bus shelters have also been created in recent years. These have included earrings and tattoos. [12] They have also been used as costumes in the past. [16] When a damaged bus shelter was offered for sale by a concrete recycling company in 2020, they received a large number of offers from people interested in installing it on their property. The company eventually decided to retain the bus shelter as a "smoko hut" and souvenir. [17] Canberra radio host Nigel Johnson also notably got a tattoo of a bus shelter in 2023. [18] In December 2023 a property developer lodged a development application for a 15-storey apartment building in central Canberra with balconies modelled on the concrete bus shelters. [19]

In 2021 the ACT Chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects awarded the bus shelter design the Sir Roy Grounds Award for Enduring Architecture. [20] In issuing the award, the Institute described the shelters as 'a remarkable design for a functional pre-cast concrete shelter, with a radical cylindrical form and fibreglass windows, suggesting space-age technology' and stated that the 'architectural integrity and enduring quality of the design is evident through its simplicity, functionality, and materiality'. [21]

Despite their iconic status, none of the concrete bus shelters have been heritage listed. [13] Dr Hanna Jaireth, a member of the ACT Heritage Council, noted in 2016 that the shelters would qualify for heritage listing in the future if "they were to become rare and endangered". [22]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bus stop</span> Designated area for passengers to board or disembark busses

A bus stop is a place where buses stop for passengers to get on and off the bus. The construction of bus stops tends to reflect the level of usage, where stops at busy locations may have shelters, seating, and possibly electronic passenger information systems; less busy stops may use a simple pole and flag to mark the location. Bus stops are, in some locations, clustered together into transport hubs allowing interchange between routes from nearby stops and with other public transport modes to maximise convenience.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gordon railway station, Sydney</span> Railway station in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Gordon railway station is a heritage-listed railway station located on the North Shore line, serving the Sydney suburb of Gordon. It is served by Sydney Trains T1 North Shore line and T9 Northern line services. Situated at St Johns Avenue, Gordon in the Ku-ring-gai Council local government area of New South Wales, Australia, the station was designed and built by the New South Wales Department of Railways in 1909. The property was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Civic, Australian Capital Territory</span> Suburb of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory

Civic is the city centre or central business district of Canberra. "Civic" is a common name for the district, but it is also called Civic Centre, City Centre, Canberra City and Canberra, and its official division name is City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Parliament House, Canberra</span> Seat of the Parliament of Australia from 1927 to 1988

Old Parliament House, formerly known as the Provisional Parliament House, was the seat of the Parliament of Australia from 1927 to 1988. The building began operation on 9 May 1927 after Parliament's relocation from Melbourne to the new capital, Canberra. In 1988, the Commonwealth Parliament transferred to the new Parliament House on Capital Hill. Since 2009, Old Parliament House has become a museum about the building and Australian democracy more broadly, named the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House (MoAD). It also serves as a venue for temporary exhibitions, lectures and concerts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ACTION</span> Public bus operator in Canberra, Australia

ACTION is a bus operator in Canberra, Australia, and is owned by the Government of the Australian Capital Territory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Garema Place</span> Public square in Canberra, Australia

Garema Place is a paved outdoor area in Civic, Canberra, Australia, with a number of shops, restaurants and cafes with outdoor dining. As a central point within the CBD, many community events including protests and festivals are held at the location.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transjakarta</span> Bus Rapid Transit service in Jakarta

Transjakarta or Jakarta BRT is a bus rapid transit (BRT) system in Jakarta, Indonesia. The first BRT system in Southeast Asia, it commenced operations on 15 January 2004 to provide a fast public transport system to help reduce rush hour traffic. The system is considered as the first revolutionary public transit mode in the capital city of Indonesia. The buses run in dedicated lanes (busways), and ticket prices are subsidised by the regional government. Transjakarta has the world's longest BRT system, which operates about 4,300 buses. Transjakarta aims to have 50 percent of its fleet be electric buses by 2027. By 2030, the aim is for the entire Transjakarta ecosystem to use electric buses. As of November 2023, it serves an average of 1.134 million passengers daily.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ANU School of Music</span> School in Canberra

The ANU School of Music is a school in the Research School of Humanities and the Arts, which forms part of the College of Arts and Social Sciences of the Australian National University. It consists of four buildings, including the main School of Music building – which contains Llewellyn Hall – and the Peter Karmel Building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Saviour's Cathedral, Goulburn</span> Church in New South Wales, Australia

The St Saviour's Cathedral is the heritage-listed cathedral church of the Anglican Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn in Goulburn, Goulburn Mulwaree Council, New South Wales, Australia. The cathedral is dedicated to Jesus, in his title of Saviour. The current dean is the Very Reverend Gavin Krebs. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 20 April 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MTA Regional Bus Operations</span> Bus operator in New York City

MTA Regional Bus Operations (RBO) is the surface transit division of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). It was created in 2008 to consolidate all bus operations in New York City operated by the MTA. As of February 2018, MTA Regional Bus Operations runs 234 local routes, 71 express routes, and 20 Select Bus Service routes. Its fleet of 5,840 buses is the largest municipal bus fleet in the United States and operates 24/7. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 730,924,600, or about 2,531,200 per weekday as of the second quarter of 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edmund Barton Building</span> Commercial office accommodation in Canberra, Australia

The Edmund Barton Building is a large office building positioned prominently on the National Triangle in the Canberra suburb of Barton, Australian Capital Territory. It was designed by the Australian architect Harry Seidler. It is named after Sir Edmund Barton, the first Prime Minister of Australia and one of the founding judges of the High Court of Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Light rail in Canberra</span> Light rail network in Canberra, Australia

The Canberra light rail network is a light rail system serving the city of Canberra, Australia. The initial 12-kilometre (7.5 mi) line links the northern town centre of Gungahlin to the city centre (Civic) and has 14 stops. Services commenced on 20 April 2019. The 14th stop at Sandford Street in Mitchell commenced operation in September 2021.

<i>The Skywhale</i>

The Skywhale is a hot air balloon resembling a strange whale-like creature designed by the sculptor Patricia Piccinini as part of a commission to mark the centenary of the city of Canberra. It was built by Cameron Balloons in Bristol, United Kingdom, and first flew in Australia in 2013. The balloon's design received a mixed response after it was publicly unveiled in May 2013. It has since been displayed around the world, and was acquired by the National Gallery of Australia in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ellice Nosworthy</span> Australian architect

Ellice Maud Nosworthy was an Australian practising architect for approximately 50 years and graduated as one of Australia's first female architects in 1922.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canberra Liberals</span> Political party in Australia

The Canberra Liberals, officially known as the Liberal Party of Australia, is the division of the Liberal Party of Australia in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). The party has been in opposition in the ACT Legislative Assembly for much of its existence, but held power with the support of minor parties and independents between 1989 and 1991 and again between 1995 and 2001. It is currently the only state or territory division of either major party to be unrepresented in the Federal Parliament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Science House</span> Historic site in New South Wales, Australia

Science House is a heritage-listed commercial building located at 157–169 Gloucester Street and Essex Street, in the inner city Sydney suburb of The Rocks in the City of Sydney local government area of New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by Peddle Thorp & Walker Architects and built in 1930 by John Grant and Sons, Master Builders. It was also known as Sports House from 1978–1991. The building is owned by Denwol, a property group owned and controlled by Phillip Wolanski AM. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 10 May 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elion-Hitchings Building</span> Building in North Carolina, U.S.

The Elion-Hitchings Building on Cornwallis Road in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, U.S. was an architecturally significant brutalist building designed by Paul Rudolph and completed in 1972 as the headquarters for Burroughs Wellcome. Part of the original building and a later addition were torn down, and despite opposition, the rest of the building was demolished in January 2021.

<i>Owl</i> (sculpture) One of Australias 150 big things

The Big Powerful Owl is a sculpture 8 m (26 ft) tall, designed by Bruce Armstrong, in the Belconnen District of Canberra, Australia; it depicts a powerful owl.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sandford Street light rail station</span> Canberra Metro station

Sandford Street is a light rail station in Australia on the Canberra Metro R1 Civic to Gungahlin line, located at the intersection of Flemington Road, Sandford Street and Morriset Road in Mitchell. The station serves the surrounding business and industrial precinct, and will support future residential development in the neighbouring suburb of Kenny. Bicycle racks are provided around the intersection adjacent to the station. It is the only station on the Civic to Gungahlin route that did not open with stage 1 of the network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sir Roy Grounds Award for Enduring Architecture</span> Annual award for significant buildings in Australian Capital Territory

The Sir Roy Grounds Award for Enduring Architecture is an architecture prize presented annually by the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects (AIA) since 1995. The award recognises significant, long lasting and innovative architecture with usually more than 25 years passed since the completion of construction.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Gee, Sonya. "Are Canberra's iconic bus shelters found anywhere else in the world?". ABC News. Retrieved 4 November 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Concrete Monstrosities or Canberra Icons? C.G. Cummings Plans for the Concrete Bus Shelter". Previous find of the month. ArchivesACT. May 2016. Retrieved 4 November 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 Kanapathippillai, Julia (15 January 2021). "Canberra bus shelters move to new locations in the ACT". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  4. ↑ Wright, Bruce (21 March 1975). "New shelters for ACT bus stops". The Canberra Times. p. 8. Retrieved 4 November 2018– via National Library of Australia.
  5. ↑ Back, Alexandra (15 February 2016). "Heritage protection likely for Canberra's timber bus shelters". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 4 November 2018.
  6. ↑ "The Urban Environment Enhanced: The ACTION/Montone Bus Shelter Painting Competition". Previous find of the month. ArchivesACT. February 2015. Retrieved 4 November 2018.
  7. ↑ Clack, Peter (22 September 1992). "MLAs give graffiti the thumbs down — 'It is not art'". The Canberra Times. p. 3. Retrieved 4 November 2018– via National Library of Australia.
  8. ↑ Haider, Talib (18 July 2018). "Canberra to retain iconic concrete bus stops during accessibility upgrade, ACT Government says". ABC News. Retrieved 4 November 2018.
  9. ↑ Mindena, Kate (18 September 2024). "ACT Greens say they will create Chief Heat Officer if elected in October". ABC News. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
  10. ↑ Despoja, Shirley (16 August 1975). "Letters pray". The Canberra Times . p. 9. Retrieved 24 January 2021– via National Library of Australia.
  11. ↑ "'Pill-boxes' are a 'threat' to local history". The Canberra Times. 19 January 1990. p. 5. Retrieved 24 January 2021– via National Library of Australia.
  12. 1 2 3 Doherty, Megan (20 November 2020). "Canberra bus shelters in Trevor Dickinson's book now icons". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  13. 1 2 3 4 Burgess, Katie (6 August 2018). "Iconic bunker bus stops left idle by network change to be moved". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 4 November 2018.
  14. ↑ "Trevor Dickinson's beautiful bus shelters of Canberra". Canberra Museum and Gallery. Retrieved 4 November 2018.
  15. ↑ Kanapathippillai, Julia (24 October 2018). "Canberra's iconic bus shelters hitch a ride". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 4 November 2018.
  16. ↑ "Canberra teen is a worthy heir apparent to Trevor Dickinson". 14 December 2023.
  17. ↑ Samaras, Denholm (3 December 2020). "Decommissioned bus shelter finds new home". Canberra Weekly. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  18. ↑ "Nige, the bus shelter and Harry the cat". 19 October 2023.
  19. ↑ Levinson, Brittney (20 December 2023). "Canberra's iconic bus shelters inspire the design for proposed Civic towers". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  20. ↑ Kimber, Libby (4 June 2021). "Architecture awards recognise a Canberra icon". Canberra Weekly. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  21. ↑ "2021 ACT Architecture Awards". Australian Institute of Architects. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  22. ↑ Samaras, Denholm (10 June 2016). "Historic Canberra bus shelters and rare geodetic observatory heritage listed". ABC News. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.