WHARVES AJ)J.ACENT TO WILLIAM 'ST, Cl,Y
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RE COMM END ED P R O P O 5 A L S When considering proposals for the river it is very difficult to restrict oneself to a specific area of land.
However, for the purposes of this thesis proposals for the whole of the river will be discussed and then more detailed proposals will be submitted for the redevelopment of the specified area.
The prime object of these proposals is to bring to readers I at tent ion that much 'WO rk may be accomplished with very little expenditure. Admittedly some proposals will involve considerable expenditure but this may be reduced by developing in stages.
The Broad scale proposals are as follows: - (1) MAINTENANCE
As mentioned before there is a very drastic need for some form of maintenance program on the river and its banks.
At the present time neither the City Council nor the Harbours
& Marine Department have taken any responsibility for
maintaining and improving the banks of the river. Consequently rubbish is dumped here and there and washes caused by river traf-:fiqlend to e~t away at the unkept banks.
This is very noticeable at the North Quay.
Private Enterprise also contributes to the squalor of riverside development.
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The formation of an authority composing the Brisbane City Council, the Harbours & Marine Department, and Private
Enterprise should be instigated to administer some over-all control on the river and its devel opment. This control
may require all riverside developers to maintain the bank by the building of a batter wall according to a standard specification. This may be of stone and concrete or just plain concrete . All mooring facilities on the river for small private boats shall only be ins pecified areas and if any jetties a re built they shall be according to a standard specification.
The mud banks at Garden Point and Kangaroo Point should be removed to allow for easier movement of rivertraffic.
(2) MOORING FACILITIES
As mentioned previously, with the increase in the number of registered private boats the existing mooring facilities on the river are totally inadequat e and many b oats which are moored in the creeks and in the river dot end to hinder
general navigation. Because of this certainareas of the river would be very suitable £or the construction of a 1:D at hartour.
With a substantial account of dredging the area of
water east of ~arker Island would be ideal f or a boat harbour.
The Aquarium Passage, Breakfast and Norman Creek would be also useful if something was done to deepen the creeks, provide some sort of stone wal l on to th sides and with a standard type of jet ty construction being introduced. The
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condition of some jetties in these creeks at the present time is well below standard and this does paint a very drab picture of existing creek moorings.
(3) PORT FACILITIES
Our existing port facilities are very inadequate.
Brisbane as a river port cannot remain as sich if it is to meet .future overseas demands.
Now that containeration has loome1 • d its head we in Brisbane must thin~ ahead. In many ports throughout the world essential features on Yhich port expansion has been
based is
(1) Probability of large tracts of industrial land adjoining the port.
(2) Depth 0£ water 35 feet and over (3) A thriving export market
(4) Good commercial outlets
(5) Good communications system for access and distribution.
With industrial development being more prevalent at the mouth of the river and with the availability of eleven thousand acres of land int he Serpentine area, much
reclamation and dredging could be instigated to provide
attractive sites £or fostering the r ight kind of industries.
GRAVING DoCI< SOUTH B~t'58ANE
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At the present time t>ydney and Melbourne are in the process 0£ constructing container berths which should be completed in 1968. We here in Brisbane have little time to lose and much thought should b e given in £ostering this
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development. ChalYanges £rom Gladstme in the north and Iluka in northern New South Wales poses real problems £or the future 0£ Br isbane as a river port if measures are not adopted to act at once.
The provision 0£ port facilities in the Serpentine has everything in its £ avour.
(1) Availability of suitable industrial l~nd.
( 2) Proximity to the city
(3) Proximity to rail and road communications.
Containers are sealed by the customs authorities and despatched all over the world. Ships transporting the containers will be able to discharge 10,000 tons a day.
With the tonnage 0£ ships increasing every year, port fac- ilities £or container ships are most important. Brisbane could well become a manu£acturing and distribution base to serve the Orient and Asia. Because 0£ the stability of the economic and political situation, Brisbane could
attract outside capital
The more detailed proposals a re as £allows: - ( 1} CULTURAL CENTRE
The most picturesque spot on the river is at the present
THE. CONSERVA.TORIVM Of: MU'51C. SOUTH 13Rl'Sf3P-NE.
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time occupied by the Harbours and Marine buildings adjacent to the South Brisbane Graving dock. The Botanical Gardens are directly opposite with the Brisbane Conservatorium of Music occupying the South Brisbane Town Hall. The cliff faces of Kangaroo Point provide an excell~nt foreground with the Story Bridge in the distant background.
This is the site the writer suggests £or a cultural
centre. In 1970 a replica of Captain Cook's ship "Endeavour"
will sail out to Australia and cover the same ground as Captain Cook. At the present time no provisian has been made £or docking this famous ship. The South Brisbane Graving Dock would be an e xcellant position £or this, also being part of a cultural centre .
{2} SOUTH BRISBANE REACH
At the present time the south side of the South Brisbane Reach presents a ver y dilapidated appearance from the north side of the river. However in the past few months much &
demolition has been taking place and filling has been
deposited £or car parking purposes. The Fish Board wilding will be demolished very soon. Many buildings have been
demolished to make way £or the new Victoria Bridge. The area of land between Victoria Bridge and the
South Brisbane Graving Dock should be developed as i:arkland interspersed with occassional office blocks and tourist bureau facilities. With the implementation of the Wil bur Smith road system most of the north bank of the South Brisbane
THE. NORTH 13ANK r-r-v r THC,.
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SO UTH 8Rl$8ANE REPCH.65
Reach will be encroached upon by new expressways. This will have its effect on many £unctions associated with the river
namely Hayles cruises and the rowing sheds of Commercial Grammar and Brisbane clubs. Some thought should also be given for placing more emphasis on the John Oxley Memorial which at the present time is'iiery insignificant surrounded
by tall grass and a fence behind i t .
Hayles Cruises Pty. Ltd. would benefit much more in the form of advertising using their boats as a medium i f they shifted to the opposite side of the river where there is ample deep water and easier access for people. Their offices would be in a parkland setting.
The rowing sheds $X)U ld be repositioned on the south side of the Milton Reach adjicent to the William Jolly Bridge.
There have been proposals put forth for a Riverside Drive along the south bank of Mil ton Reach and these club houses may be incorporated in a strip of parkland b2tween the drive and the river banks. Some thought should be given tot he river banks themselves along this side of-the reach.
A riverside restaurant would also be fitting on the
south bank of the South Brisbane Reach with mooring facilities for small boats. At the present time there is no such
restaurant in Brisbane and many fine views of the city may be seen f rom this spot.
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CLIFF FAcE'S ADJAcENT TO RNe.R TERRACE.
KANGAROO Pr.
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(3) IBE NORTH QUAY
At the present time the river banks at the North Quay are very delapidated. With the new express-ways being built much 0£ the land under these roads will have to be landscaped with the incorporation 0£ riverside boulevards suitable lighting and planting. Many people would enjoy a riverside walk, but at the present time there are no
£acilities £or this type 0£ recreation.
( 4) LANDSCAPING
With a small amount 0£ expenditure many parts 0£ the river may be tidied up and suitably landscaped. The gravel and sand depots are not a very pleasant site in their
present state. To suggest moving these depots out 0£ the city would increase the cost 0£ gravel to the consumer and consequently the cost 0£ building would rise. A suitable
£orm 0£ screening these depots would be necessary to make them pre sent able £rom the river. The cli££ £aces opposite the Botanical Gardens are"'llery unkept at the present time, but with the planting 0£ suitable txees, and shrubs and cleaning
up the riverbanks this area could be most picturesque.
Many old wharves and buildings round Kangaroo Point should bb be demolished and as this area is so close t o the central city area some £orm 0£ river wall and boulevard should be envisaged.
(5) KANGAROO POINT REDEVELOPIBNT
At the present time this area is in a very neglected
KANGAROO PT
WHrt£S PARK KANGAROO PT.
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state, especially on the extreme point where some light
industry has been established. However, some effort has been made by many residents to renovate their homes and gardens during the past few months.
As this area is only a ·few minutes away from the
central city, it would serve a very useful purpose £or the cxmstrucJion of multi story high density residential
development set in a landscaped park. This area is relatively free from traffic and many 0£ the existing light industries in this area should be demolished . and relocated.