Before 1925 the greater Brisbane area was a collection of independent local government areas run by town, city and shire councils and divisional boards.
The Shire of Stephens existed from 1903 to 1925. In 1925, all municipalities were amalgamated to become Brisbane City.
The current suburbs of the old Stephens Shire include, Annerley,Holland Park West, Tarragindi, Tennyson, Yeerongpilly, Yeronga, and parts of Moorooka, Greenslopes, and Mt Gravatt – west of Logan Road.
The Annerley-Stephens History Group tells the stories of people who have lived or currently live in this part of Brisbane.
Suburbs have come and gone since Stephens Shire was established.
The South East freeway in the 1970s was a big disruptor to suburbs in Stephens, splitting former suburbs of Ekibin, the Thompson Estate and Wellers Hill.
See the modern Google Map below, with the boundary of Stephens Shire applied. Click on the map to open it and search for addresses. Alternatively, click here.
Areas within Stephens
Awareness of historical names and current names for areas is useful for research. Below is a list by postcode, of areas falling fully or partly within Stephens:
4103 Annerley Fairfield Thompson Estate
4104 Yeronga Yeronga West
4105 Moorooka Clifton Hill Tennyson Yeerongpilly Moorvale
4121 Tarragindi Wellers Hill Ekibin Holland Park Holland Park West
The short answer is talks, walks, opportunities to participate in history projects, and good online resources.
ASHG recently conducted a small survey on what history and heritage activities and topics members and locals were interested in. Surveys were handed out at an ASHG monthly meeting, at the Annerley Festival, and at the Memories of Stephen’s conference.
Survey placesBreak up between members and non-members
The results of the survey will help us hone our aims with the history room, plan our programs and understand how best to engage people in local history and heritage.
This survey is just a starting point – a guide and point for discussion. From time to time we will check in on how we are doing, or conduct quick online polls.
Activities of interest
People rated their interest in each activity as high, medium and low. Responses were scored 3 for high, 3 for medium, 1 for low and zero if not checked.
Scores were averaged, making ‘3’ the highest possible score. Here are the things you are saying to us:
Tell us about the history – Guest speakers at the monthly meetings, and history talks scored the highest for everyone, members and non-members.
Walk us through the streets – Heritage walks rated next. ASHG’s first self-guided walk is being published next week.
Let us help tell the stories – people are keen to participate in heritage projects. There are many ways people can participate, through activities like:
researching on Trove, and other online archives
visiting archives – city, state and national archives, state library and specialty archives
taking oral histories, telling oral histories,
exploring family histories
writing about our heritage
digital story-telling -sharing stories through video clips, podcasts and posts
creating tiny exhibitions in our history room’s storefront ‘curiosity cabinet’.
Make our history easily accessible to us through online publications and websites
Teach us skills to uncover our history through skills focused workshops
Keep up conferences and books
Full survey results for activities – highest possible score is 3.
Topics of interest
The second part of the survey was topics of interest. These were grouped into categories of history approaches, history areas, periods, places and things and social history.
Topics of high ranking are early 20th century, women, oral history, heritage places and First Nations heritage.
Below the topics are ranked in order based on percentages of those taking the survey. Some of the rankings changed to the above as a few topics were introduced after the test survey.
That’s a quick snapshot of what people want. Our new history room at Yeronga will help us to deliver these things – ASHG just received the key!
This walks begins in Annerley Junction, at the corner of Ipswich Road and Fanny Street – just across from pub where Annerley Road intersects.
As you go you’ll learn about Fanny Street’s history, the people, who they were and what they did.
It is a relatively short walk of about 800 metres but you may find yourself lingering for up to 30 – 45 minutes to absorb the stories and history.
Please bring a hat and water and look out for the shady areas outside the places you stop. Not a walk for the heat of the day.
The walk is fairly easy, but involves a short incline, but may be difficult for those with walking aids.
Fanny Street Self-guided Walk
Start at 99 Bikes, Cnr Ipswich Rd and Fanny St.
Follow the walk instructions in the Fanny Street walk guide – click here to view.
Afterwards, if you are looking for coffee or refreshments here are some options:
Miss Milly’s Espresso across Ipswich Rd in the Annerley Arcade is open Monday-Friday 6.30-14.00 and Saturday 6.30-12.00 midday.
The Junction Hotel is open each day after 10.00. It serves non alcoholic drinks is as well as alcoholic and pub style food is available in the restaurant.
Other cafe options at the junction, just a little further away are Little Clive and Laneway 86. Check the internet opening times .
Enjoy the walk and this slice of history. We are planning on more self-guided walks in the near future.
This walk was researched and designed by Pauline Peel, Denis Peel and Kate Dyson.
Local railway stations in Fairfield, Yeronga and Yeerongpilly are being upgraded and made accessible as part of the Cross River Rail project. ASHG is working with Cross River rail to provide historical signage for each of the stations. Research for the Fairfield Train Station has been finalised although the signage is yet to be installed. In the meantime Cross River rail have presented ASHG with 3 posters for the new local history room in the Yeronga Community Centre. The posters reflect each area of the research undertaken for the signage: Indigenous history; Rail (Fairfield) History and Urban Change. Denis Peel, Secretary of ASHG, holding the poster about the rail history of Fairfield in the above photo. Denis and President Jeff Brunne undertook the research.
ASHG is excited that the Fanny Street Park, Annerley historical signs are now in place. Check them out. The signs are part of improvements that Clr Nicole Johnston and BCC have been making to this beautiful yinnell/gully park. The signs provide an insight into our Indigenous history, speculate as to why the street is called Fanny Street and paint a picture of Fanny Street and the local area in the early part of the 20th century.
Prior to the outbreak of World War One, the Australian Government pledged 20,000 men as an initial response to support the allied forces. At the declaration of war in August 1914, the First AIF was committed as reinforcements at the rate of 3,000 per month. From the beginning, there was a recruitment rush of men offering to defend the honour of their country and the principles of the British Empire. Following alarming losses in Gallipoli, enlistment continued to grow as young men were anxious to help their mates overseas and were swayed by an effective government advertising campaign. However, after early heavy losses on the Western Front enlistment slowed. Prime Minister Hughes called for 50,000 volunteers above the quota.
The idea of recruitment marches originated in Gilgandra, NSW with the Cooee March. The Queensland State Recruiting Committee organised the only ‘snowball’ recruitment march outside New South Wales. It began at Warwick on 16th November 1915 with 28 recruits. The route followed the old highway and much of the way on the railway line to Toowoomba and via Gatton and Ipswich to Brisbane. Meals and accommodation were provided by communities along the way.
Final Day (15) Tuesday 30 November 1915
On the final day of the march, the recruits departed Oxley at an early hour and rested at the Moorooka Railway Station at 8am. The final recruit [NAME UNKNOWN] joined making a total of 125 men. The parade included cadets, military bands, school children and mounted light horsemen continued up Ipswich Road to Junction Park State School and were welcomed by Cr WR Juster, Chairman of the Stephens Shire Council which provided breakfast (City of Greater Brisbane formed 1925).
The Mayor and Aldermen of South Brisbane Council and the Railway Band greeted them at Woolloongabba. The Governor, Sir Hamilton Gould-Adams met the recruits at the Municipal Baths (now Kurilpa Point) where the men enjoyed a refreshing swim. Marching over the Victoria Bridge, they were welcomed to the City of Brisbane by the Mayor, Ald J Downes. A large contingent of Regular Army soldiers joined the recruits down Queen Street to Albert Square (now King George Square) for welcome speeches by the Premier, Hon TJ Ryan and others. After lunch at the Government Domain, the recruits proceeded by train to Bell’s Paddock at Enoggera.
Over 400,000 men and women served in WW1 from an Australian population of 4.5 million.
Source: The Dungarees compiled by Nat McCaughey.
Two re-enactments will be held in Brisbane on Sunday 29/11/2015 and Saturday 19/12/2015 by separate groups.
