Brisbane’S Lost Sandgate Road — Two Routes, One Fascinating Story!
Did you know that the road we know today as Sandgate Road wasn’t the only route travellers once used to journey north from Albion?
The story of Brisbane’s early roads is full of steep climbs, flood-prone crossings and the ingenuity of people determined to get from A to B. And remarkably, parts of the earlier route can still be traced through today’s streets!
THE OLD ROAD
According to Back to Clayfield: Life in Clayfield, Circa 1888 (2013), the earlier route followed what is now Bonney Avenue, continued along Jackson Street, crossed the low-lying country around Kedron Brook and then climbed the steep ground around present-day Bage Street.
For travellers using horse-drawn wagons, this could be a challenging journey, particularly after heavy rain.
The same local-history account describes wagons being unloaded when water levels were high, with animals crossing the brook and produce transported separately in punts before everything was reloaded.
Imagine the extra work involved just to continue your journey!
There’s an important historical qualification here: the account attributes this story to McLurge (1975), but we haven’t yet identified the original source behind it. It’s a fascinating description of the difficulties early travellers faced, although the specific incident remains unverified.
THE SEARCH FOR A BETTER ROUTE
A more practical alignment was needed to overcome the challenges associated with steep gradients and low-lying ground.
The 2013 local-history publication records two important dates:
1862: A government road had reportedly been formed as far as the area of present-day Gregory Street.
10 October 1877: The account records deeds relating to land needed for the continuation of the road through Clayfield.
These dates help us understand how the road network developed, but they don’t establish precisely when construction began or when the entire new alignment opened.
A HOTEL WITH AN EARLY HISTORY
The Prince of Wales Hotel at German Station, now Nundah, was established in 1865, according to local historical accounts.
The hotel and German Station National School formed part of the settlement’s early community life, well before the land transactions recorded in 1877.
It’s an important reminder that the district was already developing before the newer road alignment took shape. However, we shouldn’t assume that the road was responsible for the hotel’s establishment.
THEN CAME THE RAILWAY
On 11 May 1882, the railway to Sandgate opened, offering a new way to travel between Brisbane and the seaside.
The railway brought Sandgate within easier reach of Brisbane residents and helped encourage further settlement and development along the line.
Roads remained important, but the railway was another major chapter in the evolution of transport across Brisbane’s northern suburbs.
THE MAP THAT BRINGS THE STORY TO LIFE
One of the most compelling pieces of evidence is an 1899 map of the Albion Hill Estate, held by the State Library of Queensland.
The map explicitly identifies Old Sandgate Road — now Bonney Avenue — and New Sandgate Road — now Sandgate Road.
A contemporary advertisement in The Telegraph on 19 October 1899 also describes the estate as being at the intersection of the old and new roads.
This gives us direct evidence that both names were in use by 1899, even though the map alone cannot establish every detail of the routes’ earlier development.
So next time you travel through Albion or Clayfield, spare a thought for the generations who navigated these earlier roads.
From difficult creek crossings and steep gradients to railways and modern traffic, the story of Sandgate Road reveals how Brisbane’s transport network evolved over time.
And the best part? You can still follow parts of the earlier route today — if you know where to look!
SOURCES & FURTHER READING
• State Library of Queensland — Albion Hill Estate, Albion and Clayfield, 1899: https://www.slq.qld.gov.au/blog/albion-hill-estate-albion-and-clayfield-1899-map-week
• Back to Clayfield: Life in Clayfield, Circa 1888 (2013), p. 10: https://clayfieldbaptist.org.au/wp-content/uploads/backtoclayfield.pdf
• State Library of Queensland — Sandgate: https://www.slq.qld.gov.au/blog/sandgate
The earlier road route, the 1862 and 1877 dates, and the wagon-and-punt account are reported in the 2013 local-history publication. The original source attributed to McLurge (1975) has not yet been independently identified.
