Early residents of South Brisbane faced a shortage of water and at the same time there were problems with stagnant foul water courses and swamps.
Life
The Battle of Highgate Hill
In the late 1870s, fears of a Russian invasion led to increased spending on defence. On a hot February afternoon in 1879, volunteers were running all over Highgate Hill firing at each other and letting off their cannons in a military exercise. A crowd gathered to watch the spectacle.
Brisbane Prepares for Air Raids
In 1941, fears of aerial attacks led to the instigation of black-out exercises in Brisbane. The first casualty was in Highgate Hill and inflicted by a dog! In 1942, householders were being urged to construct back yard air raid shelters.
From Telegraph To Telephone
Nowadays the internet and mobile phones are our preferred technologies for telecommunication. However the introduction of the automatic telephone to Brisbane in the last century was a great leap forward at the time.
Children on the Loose
How much society norms regarding the rearing of children have changed is brought home by these stories from not that long ago.
Roosters in the High Court of Australia,
In a classic case of how disputes between neighbours can escalate, in 1930 a problem with crowing roosters ended up in the High Court of Australia.
The Yodelling Milk Money Thief and Other Scoundrels
Over the years descriptions of a number of unusual Highgate Hill thefts have appeared in newspapers including a yodelling milk money thief and an audacious gas meter thief.
Animals on the Loose in Highgate Hill
In Highgate Hill a little over a hundred years ago there was a real risk to life and limb from loose animals.
The Golden Casket Art Union
Queensland's Golden Casket Art Union supported our health system for 90 years
Tennis
The first night tennis tournament in Brisbane took place in Highgate Hill in 1924
