Welcome to the Boggo Times, designed to bring you quick, honest and reliable updates and news about Boggo Road-related matters on a regular basis.
BRGHS NOW ON THE NATIONAL TRUST OF QUEENSLAND COUNCIL
BRGHS secretary Chris Dawson has recently been appointed to the Council of the National Trust of Queensland in the official capacity of representing the Boggo Road Gaol Historical Society. The BRGHS has welcomed this fantastic opportunity to work more closely with this prestigious organisation and hopes it proves to be a big step towards cementing a close working relationship.
BT
BOGGO ROAD REOPENING NEWS
The planning stage for further work on the Boggo Road Urban Village is still underway, with a draft plan expected sometime in the next few months. The Boggo Road Gaol Historical Society has continued to work behind the scenes with other organisations and the road ahead is looking clear. If everything comes together as we hope, the future for Boggo Road Gaol will be very exciting indeed with a whole range of fresh new tour experiences and other services planned.
Just to recap the current planning situation:
- Leighton Properties, the developer of part of the ‘Boggo Road Urban Village’, are putting together a plan for reusing the old prison.
- Leighton are undertaking a nine-month ‘investigation period’ which will involve consultation with various stakeholders.
- It is a condition that the public access, educational and historical values of the site will need to be respected. Any draft plan will then be submitted to the Queensland Heritage Council and the city council for approval.
- Given the length of this process, and the fact that parts of the prison are in need of repair, Boggo Road will not open before late 2013.
Of course the recent election of the LNP state government has the potential to change things again. We have heard a lot of noise about savings and cuts from the new government, and hope that the reopening of Boggo Road Gaol is not adversely affected in this budgetary climate.
BT
MOONLIGHT TOURS OFF TO GOOD START FOR 2012
Our night tours of South Brisbane Cemetery started up again last month with a
Friday 13th special featuring 'Haunts of Brisbane' blogger Liam Baker, along with regular guide and historian Tracey Olivieri. We've had two very good tours so far
are looking forward to another productive year in the cemetery.
BT
BRGHS MEMBERSHIP STILL ON THE RISE
BRGHS membership numbers have continued to rise to record levels and we are now not too far off 300 members.
BT
THE BRGHS IS OUT TO CLEAN UP BOGGO ROAD
BRGHS people have been going into Boggo Road for cleaning bees every month since September last year. Our enthusiastic members have got stuck into some serious scrubbing in various buildings and yards (which had not been touched in six years), and the place is looking so much better now. Having now got the worst of it out of the way, we will continue to return on a monthly basis so we stay on top of things. Please note that access is limited to BRGHS members only. If you want to join up to help out, please see here.
BT
BOGGO ROAD TOURS WAITING LIST
It may seem like the reopening is a long way off, and it is not known what tours will run at the gaol and who will provide them, but the BRGHS is busy making preparations to provide a range of tour experiences, including day, night, psychic, and ‘haunted cellblock’ tours.
Email us to register your interest so you can be among the first through the doors when the gaol reopens.
BT
Boggo Times
May 2012
