Addresses

Along  Kingsford smith Drive, Hamilton, Queensland 4007

Type of place

Retaining wall

Period

Postwar 1945-1960

This is an image of the local heritage place known as Hamilton retaining wall No. 2

Hamilton retaining wall No. 2

Hamilton retaining wall No. 2 Download Citation (pdf, 107.76 KB)

Addresses

Along  Kingsford smith Drive, Hamilton, Queensland 4007

Type of place

Retaining wall

Period

Postwar 1945-1960

Hamilton Retaining Wall No.2 is a fine example of a mid-twentieth century stone retaining wall construction. This wall, and its counterpart further along Kingsford Smith Drive, is a prominent landmark in the district, the scale, texture and colour of the walls having considerable visual impact on Kingsford Smith Drive and the associated riverscape. The wall extending west from Crescent Road is important for its aesthetic contribution to the setting of the surrounding residences.

Geolocation

-27.439151 153.054514

Key dates

Local Heritage Place Since —

Date of Citation —

Construction

Walls: Stone

Criterion for listing

(A) Historical; (B) Rarity; (E) Aesthetic

Interactive mapping

City Plan Interactive Mapping

Geolocation

-27.439151 153.054514

Key dates

Local Heritage Place Since —

Date of Citation —

Construction

Walls: Stone

Criterion for listing

(A) Historical; (B) Rarity; (E) Aesthetic

Interactive mapping

City Plan Interactive Mapping

History

The suburb of Hamilton is a residential area important for its elevated sites offering dramatic views of the river and areas beyond and taking advantage of the sea breezes. The value of the Breakfast Creek/Hamilton district had been recognised from the earliest settlement of Brisbane. In 1824, prior to the resiting of the Moreton Bay penal colony from Redcliffe to Brisbane, Breakfast Creek was nominated by Governor Brisbane and John Oxley as a more suitable place for settlement.

The first known settlement in the area was the establishment of Eagle Farm in 1829. During 1829-30 the present main thoroughfare, Hamilton Road (now known as Kingsford Smith Drive), was hewn from rock along the riverside and linked the convict women’s goal at Eagle Farm with the city settlement.

Land in the area was cleared by convicts and by the 1840s wealthy free settlers were attracted to the area by the elevated hilly country which offered river views and sea breezes. However, rough and swampy roads deterred settlement generally and residential development in the area was slow. In 1899 the tram line was extended from Breakfast Creek to Ascot and heralded an influx of settlers.

The wall was initially a raw rock embankment remaining along Hamilton Road after the road was cut through. As part of efforts to widen Kingsford Smith Drive in the 1950s, a Brisbane Tuff retaining wall was constructed by 1960 to support the embankment, as residences had been established on land immediately above the embankment. 

Description

There are two substantial quarry-faced Brisbane Tuff retaining walls along Kingsford Smith Drive, Hamilton. The scale, textured surface and the distinctive pinks, greens and browns of the Brisbane Tuff contribute to the visual impact along Kingsford Smith Drive. Individual stones are cut in irregular sizes and blocks are laid in courses. 

Retaining Wall No. 2

From Crescent Road a quarry-faced Brisbane Tuff retaining wall extends approximately 200 metres west along Kingsford Smith Drive and ranges in height from 0.3 metres to 6.5 metres. A long flight of concrete stairs with a mid-landing sweeps up from the Crescent Road corner to the tarmac pedestrian footpath running along the top of the wall providing access to the properties overlooking the road. The wall terminates at a modest flight of concrete stairs further along the Drive. A plain metal balustrade and handrail runs to the south of the flights of stairs and along the top of wall. A pedestrian footpath runs along Kingsford Smith Drive at the base of the wall.

A secondary wall matching the large wall retains to the Crescent Road corner property supporting a white timber picket fence and continuing around into Crescent Road. 

Statement of significance

Relevant assessment criteria

This is a place of local heritage significance and meets one or more of the local heritage criteria under the Heritage planning scheme policy of the Brisbane City Plan 2014. It is significant because:





Citation prepared by — Brisbane City Council (page revised August 2023)

Postwar 1945-1960
Retaining wall
Along  Kingsford smith Drive, Hamilton, Queensland 4007
Along  Kingsford smith Drive, Hamilton, Queensland 4007
Historical, Rarity, Aesthetic