Queensport Aquarium

Last updated

The Queensport Aquarium is considered the first amusement park in Queensland, Australia. It was located at Hemmant (in present-day Murarrie) in Brisbane on the lower reaches of the Brisbane River. It operated from 1889 to 1901. [1]

The Aquarium was officially opened with great celebration on 7 August 1889. [2] In addition to the aquarium with its marine life ranging from seals to sharks, there were the "finest collection of tigers in captivity", a black Java panther, a cheetah, bears, monkeys, a collection of birds (parrots, cockatoos, pigeons, doves, English finches and black swans) and reptiles. [1]

Viewing the animals was only part of the entertainment at Queensland's first theme park. The huge concert hall was equipped with an organ which entered guests at concerts on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. There was also an Aquarium Band to serenade the "best singers" who could be found in Brisbane. The Aquarium boosted the popularity of the area; land near the Aquarium was subdivided and sold as The Queensport Aquarium Estate. [1]

The crowds who visited the Aquarium arrived by steamer from the Aquarium Company's own wharf in the Brisbane city centre. This was a package deal. The return fare on the steamers Natone, the Woolwich or the Alice cost two shillings for adults and one shilling for a child. Moonlit excursions to dances in the concert hall were well patronised. The Aquarium and its hall were equipped with every modern convenience including electric light which was connected in September 1889. [1]

Daytime activities included sports days to celebrate the new year, picnics on Foundation Day (as Australia Day was then known) and, in May 1891, the amazing sight of a hot air balloon delighted the crowd. The Brisbane Courier reported, "Professor Fernandez, an aeronaut who has performed many remarkable feats in the Southern colonies, appeared at the Queensport Aquarium and made his first balloon ascent in this colony", a feat which nearly ended in disaster when the balloon began to deflate and appeared likely to sink into the river. Fortunately, the balloon rose again and landed safely. [1]

The Aquarium was not greatly troubled by the large flood in 1890, even though the wharf in the city was inundated. However, in the flood on 5 and 6 February 1893 tore down the fences, [3] liberating many of the animals, and ruined the carefully landscaped gardens. The animals were rescued, but the building was subsequently used as a dance hall. [4] Before long, J D Campbell and the Aquarium Company advertised the sale of the steamers and, although picnic parties from the city continued to travel to dances and picnics, the Aquarium's popularity had diminished by the end of the 19th century. [1]

Related Research Articles

Milton, Queensland Suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Milton is an inner suburb of the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census the population of Milton was 2,274 people.

Sandgate, Queensland Suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Sandgate is a northern coastal suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, Sandgate had a population of 4,909 people.

Cleveland railway line

The Cleveland railway line is a suburban railway line extending 37.3 kilometres (23.2 mi) east-southeast from Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland, Australia. It is part of the Queensland Rail City network.

Kangaroo Point, Queensland Suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Kangaroo Point is an inner southern suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, Kangaroo Point had a population of 8,063 people.

Coorparoo, Queensland Suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Coorparoo is a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) south-east of the CBD. It borders Camp Hill, Holland Park, Stones Corner, Greenslopes, East Brisbane and Norman Park.

South Brisbane, Queensland Suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

South Brisbane is an inner southern suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, South Brisbane had a population of 7,196 people.

Annerley, Queensland Suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Annerley is a suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, Annerley had a population of 11,336 people.

West End, Queensland Suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

West End is an inner southern suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, West End had a population of 9,474 people.

Windsor, Queensland Suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Windsor is an inner northern suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, Windsor had a population of 7,013 people.

Nundah, Queensland Suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Nundah is an inner suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, Nundah had a population of 12,141 people.

Murarrie, Queensland Suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Murarrie is an eastern riverside suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, Murarrie had a population of 4,303 people. Queensport is a neighbourhood within Murarrie. Gibson Island is a neighbourhood within Murarrie and, despite its name, is no longer an island.

East Brisbane, Queensland Suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

East Brisbane is an inner southern suburb of the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, East Brisbane had a population of 5,934 people.

Hamilton, Queensland Suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Hamilton is an affluent riverside mixed-use suburb in the north-east of the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Hamilton is located along the north bank of the Brisbane River. In the 2016 census, Hamilton had a population of 6,995 people.

Bulimba, Queensland Suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Bulimba is a suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is located 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) north-east of the CBD, on the southern bank of the Brisbane River, and borders Balmoral, East Brisbane, Hawthorne, and Morningside. The 2011 Australian Census recorded a population of 5,941 increasing rapidly to 6,843 in 2016.

Hemmant, Queensland Suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Hemmant is a suburb of the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, Hemmant had a population of 2,385 people.

Shire of Stephens Local government area in Queensland, Australia

The Shire of Stephens was a local government area in the inner southern suburbs of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The shire, administered from Annerley, covered an area of 9 square miles (23 km2), and existed as a local government entity from 1886 until 1925, when it was amalgamated into the City of Brisbane under the City of Brisbane Act 1924.

Evans Deakin and Company

Evans Deakin & Company was an Australian engineering company and shipbuilder. In 2019, the company was inducted into the Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame in recognition of its major contributions to the Queensland economy for nearly a century through excellence in heavy engineering, construction and ship building.

City of South Brisbane

The City of South Brisbane was a local government area on the southern side of the Brisbane River, Queensland, Australia. It was established in 1888 and existed until 1925 when it was amalgamated into the City of Brisbane.

Town of Sandgate

The Town of Sandgate is a former local government area of Queensland, Australia, located in northern Brisbane adjacent to Moreton Bay.

Turbot Street

Turbot Street runs parallel to Ann Street and is on the northern side of the Brisbane CBD in Queensland, Australia. It is a major thoroughfare, linking as a three-to-five lane one-way street with the Riverside Expressway in the southwest to the suburb of Fortitude Valley in the northeast; address numbers run the same direction. It is a one-way pair with Ann Street.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Gregory, Helen (29 August 2012). "The business of tourism: Queensland's 1880s theme park". State Library of Queensland . Archived from the original on 26 November 2019. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
  2. "THE QUEENSPORT AQUARIUM". The Brisbane Courier . XLVI (9, 849). Queensland, Australia. 8 August 1889. p. 5. Retrieved 26 November 2019 via National Library of Australia.
  3. "THE LATE FLOODS". The Brisbane Courier . XLIX (10, 944). Queensland, Australia. 10 February 1893. p. 6. Retrieved 26 November 2019 via National Library of Australia.
  4. "Hemmant". Queensland Places. University of Queensland . Retrieved 26 November 2019.

Attribution

CC-BY icon.svg This Wikipedia article incorporates text from The business of tourism: Queensland's 1880s theme park (29 August 2012) published by the State Library of Queensland under CC-BY licence , accessed on 26 November 2019.

Coordinates: 27°26′49″S153°06′07″E / 27.447°S 153.102°E / -27.447; 153.102