The Little Railway Bridge That Refused to Disappear!

Here’s a piece of Brisbane railway history you could easily walk past without giving it a second thought.

Tucked away at Peacock Street in Boondall is a humble timber railway footbridge — but this isn't just any old bridge.

It is the only surviving remnant of Boondall’s first railway station.

And its story goes right back to the beginning of Brisbane’s suburban railway network.

The Sandgate railway opened in 1882, Brisbane’s first suburban rail line. Near Cabbage Tree Creek, a railway stop was established to serve the farming community of Boondall. It was named Cabbage Tree Station, after the nearby creek.

The first train to Sandgate passed the site on 11 May 1882, and a passenger shelter was added in 1884.

Then things got complicated!

In 1911, the station was renamed Nudgee College Station, following pressure from the nearby Nudgee Boys’ College. But the new name quickly became unpopular with local residents.

Why?

Because the railway also carried the mail — and people complained that mail was being sent to the wrong stations.

Local residents, many of them farmers, organised a petition opposing the name change. Within months, 70 signatures had been collected and sent to the Railway Department.

But it wasn't until December 1923 that the name was finally changed to Boondall.

According to Brisbane City Council’s heritage record, the name means “crooked creek.”

And then there's the bridge…

During the 1920s, Queensland Railways built timber pedestrian footbridges at many suburban stations. With car ownership still relatively low, railways were an important way for Brisbane residents to travel.

This timber footbridge was built during that period.

Then came 1986.

Boondall Station was redeveloped as part of the construction of the new Boondall Sports and Entertainment Complex. A second station was built nearby and opened on 2 October 1986. The original station was renamed North Boondall.

The old nineteenth-century Cabbage Tree Station building and waiting shed were removed and relocated to the Railway Museum at Cabanda, while the humble timber footbridge was retained.

Interestingly, Brisbane City Council says the bridge may have been moved slightly during the redevelopment, from its former position at the end of Peacock Street to its present location.

Today, the footbridge at 11 Peacock Street is officially recognised as a Local Heritage Place, valued for its historical importance, rarity and as a representative example of an interwar Queensland railway footbridge.

And here's another fascinating fact: of the 19 stations built along the Sandgate/Shorncliffe railway line, Brisbane City Council identifies North Boondall and Northgate as retaining these interwar footbridge structures.

So next time you're around these area's, keep an eye out.

Because sometimes the most fascinating pieces of Brisbane's history aren't grand buildings or monuments…

They're the humble survivors hiding in plain sight.

Sources: Brisbane City Council, Rosewood Railway

Images: The Dave & Malou Channel