Meet George Fish — the Man Behind Fish Lane (South Brisbane)!
So, who was George Fish? And why was Fish Lane once called Soda Water Lane?
The answer takes us back to the bustling streets of 19th-century South Brisbane, when cordial factories, steam laundries and small businesses helped shape the growing town.
FROM SODA WATER TO FISH LANE
Long before it became one of Brisbane’s favourite dining destinations, Fish Lane was a narrow access lane running between Stanley Street and Grey Street.
Its original name, Soda Water Lane, came from the Eodone Aerated Water Company, one of the lane’s earliest occupants.
The company established its cordial factory in the former St Thomas’ Church of England building, which had been leased for commercial use after the congregation moved to a new church.
By 1884, Eodone had installed new machinery reportedly capable of producing up to 3,000 dozen bottles a day!
The factory was accessible through a small laneway running alongside the building. With the aerated-water business occupying the site, the lane became known as Soda Water Lane.
The name first appeared in the Queensland Post Office Directory in 1885, the same year the lane was formally gazetted.
And there was more than just fizzy drinks here! By 1886, other businesses, including a lemonade manufacturer and a paint manufacturer, were also recorded along the lane.
ENTER GEORGE FISH
In January 1881, the Brisbane Steam Laundry opened on Grey Street, South Brisbane, under B. Burlinson.
A couple of years later, Burlinson handed the business over to George Fish. Around the same time, the laundry appears to have relocated to Stanley Street, at the corner of Soda Water Lane.
The Queensland Post Office Directories list the Brisbane Steam Laundry at this address throughout the remainder of the 1880s, with George Fish recorded as its manager.
So, for a time, the lane was associated with two very different businesses — one producing fizzy drinks and the other washing Brisbane’s clothes!
THE 1893 FLOODS
Then came the devastating 1893 Brisbane floods.
South Brisbane was particularly badly affected, and the Brisbane Steam Laundry was reported as having been very materially damaged.
But George Fish bounced back.
In October 1893, he dropped the Brisbane Steam Laundry name and renamed the business Fish Steam Laundry.
The following year, he entered local politics, successfully contesting a seat on the South Brisbane Municipal Council.
Fish became a prominent local figure, serving as an alderman until 1907. He also helped lead the campaign to abolish the Victoria Bridge toll and contributed to other civic projects in South Brisbane.
A NAME THAT STAYED
By 1902, Fish’s growing laundry business had outgrown its Stanley Street premises.
That year, he moved the operation across the river to purpose-built premises in Ann Street, Fortitude Valley.
But his connection with South Brisbane wasn't forgotten.
In 1904, the South Brisbane Council approved the renaming of Soda Water Lane in his honour.
Interestingly, the State Library of Queensland notes that Fish Lane did not appear under its new name in the Queensland Post Office Directory until 1906, after the lane had disappeared from the directories during the 1890s.
Whether the name was officially changed in 1904 or simply came into use over the following years, George Fish's name was firmly attached to the laneway.
And that's how a little lane once associated with a local aerated-water manufacturer became Fish Lane - named after the laundryman and local alderman who helped shape South Brisbane.
From cordial factories and steam laundries to today's vibrant arts and dining precinct, Fish Lane has certainly had a fascinating journey!
A wonderful reminder that sometimes the names we walk past every day are actually little pieces of Brisbane's history.
What to learn more about fish lane? Check out this article from the Queensland library: https://www.slq.qld.gov.au/blog/tag/fish-lane
Sources: Brisbane City Council — Fish Lane Heritage Citation, State Library of Queensland — A History of Fish Lane, Part 2: The Eodone Aerated Water Company, State Library of Queensland — A History of Fish Lane, Part 3: The Fish Steam Laundry, Queensland Post Office Directories
George Fish, ca. 1902, photographed by Poulsen Studios, John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, Neg. 115268. The new Fish Steam Laundry premises in Fortitude Valley, 1902. John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. Neg 45207 - Images colourised by the Dave & Malou Channel. Colourisation is an artistic interpretation and does not represent the original appearance of the photographs. While every effort has been made to maintain historical accuracy, colourised images may contain errors or elements of interpretation. These images are presented solely for educational, non-commercial history storytelling.
