Transport, Published 13 August 2026
RACQ Pilots Helped Country Visitors Navigate Brisbane During the Ekka!
Imagine driving into Brisbane for the Ekka in the 1940s or ’50s - perhaps after travelling for hours from the country - only to be confronted by unfamiliar streets, trams, traffic and one very busy city!
Thankfully, there was RACQ’s pilot service.
During the busy Ekka period, RACQ pilots helped visitors who weren’t familiar with Brisbane find their way to the Showgrounds. Motorists could meet an RACQ pilot at a designated point and then follow the pilot into the city, making the journey a whole lot less daunting.
And you could spot the meeting points by the distinctive signs reading:
“MEET RACQ PILOT HERE”
Some recollections describe these signs as tall yellow wooden posts, standing around 10 feet (3 metres) high.
For country motorists, it must have been quite a relief!
Instead of worrying about where to turn next, you simply followed the RACQ pilot.
It’s a wonderful reminder that RACQ’s role once went well beyond fixing punctures and mechanical breakdowns. They were helping Queenslanders navigate Brisbane itself, particularly during the huge influx of visitors for the Ekka.
Can you imagine something like this today?
“Welcome to Brisbane - just follow the RACQ bloke!”
It’s another fascinating little piece of Brisbane and Ekka history that has largely disappeared from memory.
With special thanks to Ted Balneaves for the idea and inspiration behind this story.
A note on our visuals: To help bring this story to life, we've used an artistic illustration. While we've aimed for historical accuracy, it may contain errors or artistic interpretation. It is used solely for educational, non-commercial history storytelling.
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