Tram Shelter No. 3 (former)

Brisbane’s association with trams began in August 1885 with the horse tram, owned by the Metropolitan Tramway & Investment Co. A contract to electrify the system was given in 1895 to the Tramways Construction Co. Ltd. of London. It was officially opened on 21 June 1897 with a tram running from Logan Road to Victoria Bridge. Other lines opened in that year, including the George Street, Red Hill and Paddington lines.

The Brisbane Tramway Trust took over the Brisbane Tramway Company on 1 January 1923. Prior to this no new lines or extensions were built and little rolling stock was constructed - in spite of growing traffic and serious overcrowding. After the formation of the Greater Brisbane Council in 1925, the Council took over the tramway system and instigated immediately a programme of route extensions and shelters. For example, provision was made in the budget for construction of shelters for the comfort and convenience of passengers. 

Many tramline waiting sheds were constructed by the BCC as a direct result of petitioning by the community or progress societies. The Council would then complete a survey over several days to see if a stop was needed. Waiting sheds promoted the system of public transport by providing a comfortable waiting area protected from the elements, and were often internally lit. Letters of thanks to the editor of the Telegraph and Courier Mail record that this detail was appreciated by passengers who could read the daily paper while waiting for trams or at night. After 1945, the Council realised revenue could be gained from the structures, and many were adorned with billboards and illuminated signs. 

The extension of the tramline system throughout Brisbane stimulated residential investment in the early decades of the twentieth century. The impact of this type of transport is evident in the volume of land sales. These ‘estate map’ advertisements often cited proximity to the tramline in a bid to increase sales. For example an estate map dated 1926, which advertised land for sale at Greenslopes, gave the estate name as the ‘Logan Road Tramway Extension Estate’. 

There are several remaining types of tram shelters to be found in Brisbane. The most common are the four-posted ‘standard waiting shelter’, the two-posted ‘standard small-type shelter’ and the less common ‘six-posted shelter’. At the time of writing, this large shelter on Logan Road is considered to be the last remaining six-posted shelter of the type produced in the 1940s.

All types were built of timber with either terracotta-tiled roofs (during the earlier period) or corrugated iron roofs. They were built to service not only tram routes, but also trolley buses and, later, buses. Referred to as ‘A’ type shelters, their construction was phased out by the Brisbane City Council during the 1960s with the introduction of aluminium and steel shelters, which were known as ‘J’ type shelters. 

Six-posted shelters of this type were rare and those in existence were usually in inner-city locations. This shelter is thought to originate from Ann Street, although further research needs to be conducted to confirm this. It is currently in use as a shelter at the ‘Park and Ride’ bus station on Logan Road – an integrated transport facility initiated by the Whitlam government in the mid 1970s. It has been well maintained and is in good condition, contributing significantly to the streetscape.

The short-ridge roof is sheeted with corrugated iron and is supported by six square timber posts with solid, elongated timber brackets. Two rows of timber seating are fixed to the footpath and are facing each other.

The shelter appears to be in fairly original condition with its original seating arrangement.

1. Brisbane City Council Archives

2. Brisbane City Council Minutes and Meetings, 1915-1945

3. Brisbane City Council Water Supply & Sewerage Detail Plans

4. Clark, Bill. Brisbane City Council Trolley Bus, Tram and Bus Shelters. Brisbane: Queensland University of Technology. 1992

5. Clark, Howard & Keenan, David. Brisbane Tramways: the last decade, Transit Press, Sydney, 1977

6. Greenwood, Gordon and John Laverty, Brisbane 1859-1959: A History of Local Government, The Council of the City of Brisbane, Brisbane, 1959

7. Steer, G.R. “Brisbane Tramways: Their History and Development”. Historical Society of Queensland Journal, Vol. 3, No.3, May 1944, pp.209-233

8. Tyrrell, S. The Trams of Brisbane, The Brisbane Tramway Museum Society, Brisbane, 1971