Apollo Road Ferry Terminal & Toilet Block

Hamilton's new shelter was built in 1926.

In 1927 Jolly visited Bulimba to inspect a proposed new road which would provide a shortcut to the Apollo ferry.

Letter to the editor, 'On the Bulimba side of the river the district to be served [by the ferry] consists  mostly of mud flats and lagoons with a fringe of about 18 to 20 houses.'1

In 1939 'The Lord Mayor (Alderman AJ Jones) has approved the construction of a new waiting shed for the Apollo Ferry, at Bulimba, in accordance with a notice of motion by Alderman M Kelly.'2

From Bulimba Ferry Terminal [602211] and Hawthorne Ferry Terminal & Hardcastle Park [602212]:

Since the days of the convict settlement at Moreton Bay when a punt was poled between the main settlement and the south bank of the river, ferries have been a vital transport facility for Brisbane. The river twists and loops through the city and cross-river access is important in linking city and suburbs and greatly reducing travel time between them. Although the first bridge linked the city and South Brisbane in 1862, no other bridges were built for many years, public transport was limited and few people had private transport until after World War Two. People who needed to commute to work and to access shopping and entertainment facilities used cross-river ferries on a daily basis. Ferries were the only major transport service provided by metropolitan local authorities as responsibility for care and management had been placed in their hands by an 1858 Act.

In November 1844, the first ferry service commenced between Customs House and Kangaroo Point and in 1850 Samuel and Matthew Buckley operated a rowing boat ferry service at Bulimba. In 1864, John Watson began a vehicular ferry at Bulimba under lease. He purchased the allotment at the terminal to build his house. The route was then serviced by the steam paddleboat 'Advance' until transferred to the city route in 1893 when floods destroyed the Victoria Bridge. It was replaced at Bulimba by a punt operated by winch and cable until a new ferry was obtained.

In 1888 Bulimba and Hawthorne were included in the area for which the Balmoral Divisional Board was responsible. Balmoral Shire was created in 1901 and was responsible for Apollo, Bulimba, Norman Park and Hawthorne ferries. A special sub-committee was responsible for the provision of boats, buildings and landings and fixed fares. 

In 1925 the various Brisbane district councils amalgamated into a single local government authority, the Brisbane City Council, and construction of ferry terminals because their responsibility.

1. Daily Standard, 15 October 1925 p9

2. Telegraph 3 March 1933 p8

3. Telegraph 5 January 1939 p13

4. Brisbane City Council Building Cards

5. Queensland. Certificates of Title

6. Queensland Post Office Directories

7. Digitised newspapers and other records. http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper