Newstead air raid shelter

This is my local bus stop. It's the one at the end of Route 199 at the Teneriffe Ferry. It's kind of... well - ugly, if you must press me for a description. And uncomfortable. Notice how the seating is on a slant down the hill? I've been using it for nine years or so, and I have often wondered "Why don't they rip this thing out and build something more aesthetically pleasing?" There is a simple and compelling reason why that hasn't happened. It is heritage listed because it was built in 1942 to act as an air raid shelter during WWII. It is very similar to the one we visited at King Edward Park, except that this one has been built of brick, not stone as that one was.
(Photo: © 2010 the foto fanatic)

Following the bombing of Darwin, it was felt that Brisbane should take some basic precautions to protect its citizens in case the same thing were to happen here. Over 200 such shelters were built in Brisbane and about twenty survive. The Council architect decided to plan for the shelters to have a life after the war, designing them to be partially dismantled and used as park shelters or bus and tram shelters. Only two brick air raid shelters survive at bus stops - this one and one at Newmarket. The former tram shelter at King Edward Park is the only stone one left. Given that US navy ships were frequently berthed at the Teneriffe Wharves, the shelter built here would have been quite significant, as any enemy air attack would most likely have had this area in their sights.
(Photo: © 2010 the foto fanatic)

Well, I sort of got my wish. My ill-advised silent request to have the bus shelter removed has not occurred, and probably never will. However, a better-looking shelter has been added because a new bus service has arrived to the area and it uses the same point as its terminus - see my photo above. The new CityGlider buses travel from Teneriffe to West End, but they are like express buses - there are only about three stops on either side of the CBD and a couple in the CBD itself. Workers can get to the city or Valley in a fraction of the time that it took via the previous circuitous "milk run" service. A great way to keep more cars off the road.

Click here for a Google Map.

tff

Next: Inside the House