Brisbane's Best Gifts
Generations past have gifted Brisbane with many beautiful buildings, gracious homes, charming neighbourhoods, streets and gardens. In this season of giving, we remind you to think carefully about the value and importance of these gifts.
And, if you’re looking for Christmas gift ideas for anyone who knows and loves Brisbane, here are two brilliant suggestions.
Gifts worth keeping
Some gifts are worth keeping. The longer you hold them, the more precious they become. It’s the same for places – homes, buildings, heritage precincts. Yet too often we see iconic Brisbane buildings, even whole streets and neighbourhoods, suffer degradation at the hands of poor council planning that allows inappropriate architecture or subdivision.
Every time the Brisbane community is asked to nominate our best streets, names like Laurel Avenue, Chelmer, Windermere Road, Ascot, and Abbot Street, New Farm always come up. Why? Because these addresses, with their grand tree canopies and charming period buildings, ooze Brisbane character and atmosphere.
But, increasingly, they are being altered. Older residents move on, someone new buys in, removes an old Queensland and replaces it with a starkly modern house surrounded by high block fences. Once out-of-character development is permitted, like a cancer, it spreads.
It’s difficult for residential estate agents like us. Often we are party to transactions that lead to such jarring changes. We understand that everyone, when they retire or circumstances change, has the right to gain maximum value for their assets. But, for the good of Brisbane, and those left behind, iconic areas need to be preserved.
The responsibility for protecting Brisbane’s residential character must be taken more seriously by those who formulate and enforce planning policy. Actually, if the character of these locales is preserved, their prestige will grow more. Values will be greater in the long run than the short-term gains from redevelopment.
When it comes to things of such value, we should be guardians to ensure future generations don’t lose the essence of Brisbane. Two outstanding women dedicated to doing just that have recently released books we strongly recommend you add to your Christmas shopping list.
The first is by fellow real estate agent, respected doyenne of western suburbs residential property, Nanette Lilley. Launched this month at St Lucia Golf Club, Welcome to Laurel Avenue1 tells the story of the thoroughfare voted ‘Brisbane’s Best Street’ in 1999.
Nanette has had a 30-year romance with Laurel Avenue – its architecture, ambience and people. No-one is better placed to tell its story. She has captured not just the history, but the unique narrative of this iconic Brisbane street and those who have lived there. Anyone who has any connection with this part of town will thorough enjoy what Nanette calls an “amble down the Avenue.”
Also a must under the tree of Brisbaneites past and present is Lost Brisbane and Surrounding Areas 1860 – 19602. Kenmore teacher, historian and author Jean Stewart collaborated on the book, which is a joint publication of The Royal Historical Society of Queensland and QBD The Bookshop.
This is a spectacular collection of more than 500 photographs from the Society’s collection, tracing the development and changes around Brisbane over a century. It is not only about buildings and places that no longer exist. It highlights changes in landscapes, streetscapes, work places, transport, and recreation pursuits.
The publishers are at pains to point out that it “is not a nostalgic lament for a lost past. It offers authoritative insights into the way Brisbane and surrounding areas have developed and changed since the 1860s.” But, course, plenty will find it hard not to be nostalgic for some aspects of ‘Lost Brisbane’.
- Copies of Welcome to Laurel Avenue are available from the Nanette Lilley Property Centre,
291 Honour Avenue, Graceville Q 4075. Telephone 07 3379 9322.
- Lost Brisbane and Surrounding Areas is available at QBD Bookshops or online at www.qbd.com.au
