Mister Brisbane: Local heroes
Famous faces and forgotten places, theatre and feedback.
I was recently watching an interview from the American CBS network with country singer Keith Urban, who was talking about coming from Brisbane (which he called a “rural city” in a “rural state”). But Keith was actually born in New Zealand, and grew up in Caboolture, which isn’t technically in Brisbane. Of course, we are very happy to claim him.
It made me think about other people who we identify with Brisbane but weren’t actually born here. First to mind was my friend and colleague Spencer Howson, who was born in the UK but has made it clear that he’s not going anywhere. I also thought of the late grand dame of Brisbane theatre, Babette Stephens, who was also from England.
Although the incumbent, Adrian Schrinner was born here, many of Brisbane’s recent lord mayors aren’t actually from the city. Campbell Newman was born in Canberra, Clem Jones and Tim Quinn in Ipswich, Jim Soorley in Murwillumbah, and Sallyanne Atkinson (pictured above) and Frank Sleeman in Sydney.
I must stress that I don’t think any less of someone because they weren’t born here. Quite the opposite, in fact. Making an active choice to live somewhere is a bigger vote of confidence in a place than just being too lazy to leave.
(I’ve used several online sources to determine birthplaces. Let me know if I’m wrong.)
YE OLDE BRISBANE
A member of the Old Brisbane Album Facebook group recently posted a picture of the street he grew up in when it was unsurfaced and unsewered. This was in the 1960s. That’s well within living memory for many people, but I’m sure a lot of younger folk would be surprised, perhaps shocked, to know that Brisbaneites used to have to go to the backyard “dunny” and drove on dirt roads. As group member Glen pointed out, people in their 90s would remember a very different city. My now-deceased grandparents remembered seeing the first motor vehicles, using the telephone for the first time and many other things that we now take for granted.
PS: I curated the @WeAreBrisbane Twitter site last week, and among the points of discussion there were Greater Brisbane’s lost zoos and amusements parks. Those that came up included Bullens and Ashtons safari parks, Bunya Park, Alma Park, Amazons water slide, and Grundy’s and Marineland on the Gold Coast. Does anyone have any special memories of those or other places to share?
SCENE AND UNSEEN
I have no idea how Google works, and among its many mysteries is the Maps function. In particular, I’m confused about how it decides which labels to show and which ones not to show by default. A simple search for Brisbane came up with a map (above, in detail) that marks only a few of the city’s landmarks. It has City Hall, Anzac Square, the State Library and the Queensland Museum marked, but not other notable buildings, such as the GPO or QPAC. Among the dozens of CBD and South Brisbane hotels, only the Treasury and Emporium get a mention.
Now I know that the degree of magnification is important, and more landmark names will appear if I zoom in. But who decides, for example, that Myer and the Apple Store are more important than the hundreds of other shops? Or that Urban Climb West End and the McDonald’s at Milton are especially significant places? Or that the Pineapple and Story Bridge pubs are worthy while other drinking establishments are not?
PANTO PONDERER
Although the season was cancelled this year due to Covid-19, pantomime remains a great British tradition. Every city and decent-sized town has at least one panto running in December and January. While the stars of the British panto stage had a quiet year, some of them did gather online a few weeks ago for the Friday Night Rambles vodcast. Among them was Anne Hegarty, best known as “The Governess” from quiz show The Chase, who is one of the stars of the online show Once Upon a Pantomime. I was lucky enough to exchange some tweets with Anne after making a comment that they addressed in the YouTube show.
The upshot of it all is: why isn’t panto popular in Australia? Maybe it’s because Christmas falls in the midst of winter in the UK and sitting inside a warm theatre is far more attractive than going to a beach, as we might here. Or are tastes in theatre different: do we prefer the serious over the silly? Or is it simply because nobody has given it a real go?
PLAY TIME
On the subject of theatre, the local arts scene is starting to get into full gear for 2021 after a subdued 2020. Queensland Theatre is kicking off its season with Thornton Wilder’s Our Town, an American classic which includes a large cast (many of whom would, no doubt, be happy to be working again after a lean year). There are details of La Boite’s season here, and you can follow the links for details of shows at QPAC (including performances by the Queensland Ballet, Queensland Symphony Orchestra and Opera Queensland, plus some big musiclas) and the Brisbane Powerhouse.
FEEDBACK
Peter on Facebook praised the Mister Brisbane podcast: “It’s a good sign when you hear a podcast and think it could go a little longer.”
Regarding Brisbane travel cards, Dan wrote: “I hit the Go Card problem when I was in Brisbane over the holidays. I had two Go Cards on me, but no way to top them up at a Citycat. Lucky I had $0.03 on a card so I could go negative.”
On the subject of a cashless society, Daniel said: “I can do without cash but physical currency drives value of cash. How do you teach kids about value of savings without a money box or lemonade stand?”
Daniel also weighed in on the state government’s apparent failure to upgrade certain legislation. “I remember learning at school in the 90s that Queensland’s vagrancy act still made it illegal to wear ugg boots . I wonder if that’s ever been removed (or enforced?)” He later tweeted the link to this story that says the Vagrants Act, which prohibited the wearing of felt slippers in public rather than Ugg Boots, was repealed in 2004.
As for foods that are special treats, as chicken once was, Matthew nominated Christmas ham as a once-a-year favourite, while Brendan says when he cooks for a special occasion, to please his daughter it’s mac and cheese or toad-in-the-hole. Sonia noted: “Before intensive farming there was no way to produce enough chicken to be an everyday meal.”
Remember providing Street Theatre characters for Ashtons and Grundys
Personally born in Nambour moved to Brisbane when 3
Love being a Banana Bender