My one and only experience of Wacol was from January -March 1958 where I served in basic training in A Company. It was one of the most formative periods of my life. The weather was scorching and the food was terrible but the spirit and morale were invigorating and team building. Bring back National Service before its too late.
@@tonygarbellotto1926 A friend and I as well as my son and brother-in-law all did our "March Out" parade @ Kapooka, Just outside Wagga Wagga NSW. You are correct
Hi Rob, the barracks you mentioned also housed Vietnamese refugees in the 80's. My family spent about six months in that facility in 1981. I was 4yrs old at the time and felt like it was one great adventure. They used to show movies in the old hanger from what I can remember. Most of the children would be sent to either Darra State School or Inala State school. These were also the suburbs where most Vietnamese families would eventually settle and live presently. Loving the videos Rob, great way to learn more Brisbane's historical areas.
The Snack bar at 13:33 was supposedly where Sharron Phillips was snatched while making a phone call way back in 1986. Shee has never been seen again. Just shows how dark the place can really be? Great videos Rob - keep on documenting our cities fantastic history.
Hi Rob. @ 5:10 Those are precast cement sections used to wall the tunnels being dug in Brisbane. Each section is put in place by the Tunnel Boring Machine while it is still excavating.
My family spent a couple of very happy years there in 1960 on the site of the prison! It was the WACOL MIGRANT CENTER where migrants arrived from overseas . They would spend a few years there while they got a job and saved money for the deposit on a house . Peter
Hi Rob! Loved the video, my grandparents actually owned the very last residential house on Wacol Station Rd when all else had turned into industrial buildings. They sold it on 2007, it was the block directly behind the RSPCA. Where the RSPCA is now used to be the women's prison and my grandad was a prison guard at the Arthur Gorrie correctional centre. When my mum was young they lived in the prison housing there for my grandad's work. She told me a story of one night when a prisoner escaped and came knocking on their door asking them to help him! I also remember driving along Wacol Station Rd past the prison frequently when I was little. It used to be open grass with lots and lots of kangaroos, then they replanted the area and I saw recently that now that area is full of trees :)
Where the RSPCA is now used to be a Boys Detention Centre; I think that it was called "John Oxley." The women's prison is much further down the road towards the river and before that at the back of Bogga Road men's prison and before that the part of Bogga Road prison that is still standing (long time ago)
Wacol Army Camp also had a substantial married quarters area of prefabricated timber homes. If my memory is correct it was located on the north side of the highway near the Centenary Highway intersection.
That phone box in the background for the last 2 minutes of your video is where Sharon Phillips was last seen, the bush at the beginning is where most people say she is buried, and her father did it...
That’s not correct - a taxi driver who apparently assisted her drove her to his place in goodna and either he or his son or both of them did away with her . There are old mine shafts behind goodna & redbank where she was likely dumped. The taxi driver did a deathbed confession.
I lived in the Waco immigration camp in the early 1970’s with my family. We came to Brisbane through the £10 scheme. My mum worked at the Wacol Psychiatric Hospice and I remember we lived in an old watchmakers home after leaving the camp. The old Queenslander we lived in had the most magnificent crystal door nob on the front door and there was a row of shops just down from it. Would love any pics or more info on the places I have mentioned. 👍 can you also do a walking tour of Dinmore? We lived in an old Queenslander next to the railway station which has now been turned into the car park 😢
There are some really nice walking tracks in the council bushland up from the prison across the river towards Riverhills before the big powerlines. Heaps of Kangaroos and wildlife and there’s even a dingo that hangs around. Very peaceful along the river.
Hi Rob, only new to your channel so thank you , Found your Wacol video and was so interested as my husband’s Grandmother died in the Mental asylum on the 26th January 1959. I happened to be watching on Australia Day on her 65th Anniversary ( a bit spooky) and was a bit sad we couldn’t get to look around. She was never talked about really, all hush hush, when I joined the family.😢
Hi, love your channel. The story you told about the naming of WACOL was one I made up back in the mid-nineties. I used to work for Airport Express, taking people from Ipswich to the Brisbane airport and back in a Hi-Ace bus. To add some " Interesting Facts " to the trip, I made up the naming of WACOL story to just pass the time and have a giggle to myself. I may not be the only person to think of Weighing Coal/ WACOL to do this in the history of Brisbane/Ipswich but, over 2 years, working almost seven days a week, 3-4 trips a day, I must have told that story to at least a thousand people. The other story I spread far and wide is the " Big Queenslander on top of the high-rise at Kangaroo point". If you crossed the Storey Bridge in the 90's, looked to the left at about 10 o'clock, there was a big red roof that looked like a Queenslander home on top of a high-rise. The story went that the owner of the land was asked by developers to sell his land, he said NO. When asked why, he said his family was the first in the area and he wasn't going to have his home destroyed. The developer went away and after a while came back and said, "would you sell if we rebuild your home on top of the high-rise and give you a private elevator" and eventually he said yes and that's why you can see the roof from the Storey Bridge. It's actually the air-conditioning unit for the high-rise. I didn't make this one up, it was told to me by a passenger, and I just spread it because I could.
The naming of wacol is recorded as a portmanteau of weigh and coal, and can be seen in newspaper articles from 1927, so the thing you made up is just true.
We had a drive around today and saw the barracks,can't visit the farm house as its not open to the public unless they have a special advent,thats a shame. Also went to centenary village which the army built. We have learnt a lot from your videos.
About 45 years ago I visited the part of Wacol prison (not the hospital) where people who had been found to be criminally insane were locked up. I'm pleased to say that I only spent a couple of hours there, doing some work on the security camera system. It was a horrible place. Many of the prisoners spent their time crouched in a corner or pacing back and forth. If you were not insane when you went in, you soon would be. After I left I needed to have a long shower, trying to wash away the memories of what I had seen.
Not sure if anyone touched on your comment about what type of prison wacol is but it's actually split into 4 correctional facilities being: Wolston Correctional Centre which is a High Security prison but also a protection prison, then Brisbane Womens Correctional and Brisbane Correctional Centre, then finally the Brisbane Youth Detention Centre
Wacol, Richlands, Carole park, gailes, Darra have always been very strange areas to me. A bit of a weird feeling to them. It's also the CHEAPEST area in brisbane to buy a house. For a good reason
@Des Embrey in terms of the train station, I believe the barriers there are purely for safety. Common sense is a rare commodity these days and nobody wants to be sued if someone happens to walk where they shouldn't. For people just getting on and off the trains the barriers are superfluous. As for the RSPCA, I'm guessing the staff don't want the animals running away and getting run over. And regarding the prisoners, well - prisoners do get locked up. That's just what happens.
Agree,I avoided Wacol and areas surrounding as there is a disturbing feel to the atmosphere there. In an interesting angle on the area you point out. More could be put on the table of understanding this area and its importance to Brisbanes history by the local government. I liked your video and the narrative you gave Wacol as I find it important to shine a light from a tourists perspective no matter the magpie attacks. Good work Rob, history of Queensland towns and subburbs are worth it. Keep it up.👍
Was awesome seeing Wolston Farmhouse my paternal ancestors him. Their only daughter & child Jem Grindle was killed in a horse riding accident, from memory she was about 12 years old.
I thought it ironic that you mentioned you had never been inside a prison just after coming out of the RSPCA building which used to be the old John Oxley Youth Detention Centre until it was closed and the Brisbane Youth Detention Centre was opened up the road!
I've worked as an engineer at a few companies in the Wacol area, the industrial estate is an interesting place to walk around. They've got the big Volvo Trucks manufacturing facility there, there's also the remnants of a rail line branch that went under the motorway and across Industrial Avenue to provide freight into the area (e.g. hauling grain to the feed mill).
Hi Rob great video of the area. I was born and raised in Wacol and my parents still live there 50 years on. I have seen alot changes in my 50 years. I got married at Wolston House. We still live close by in Westlake. It was a great place to grow up with so much bushland around there were countless adventures and plenty of mischief to get up to. If you were to go again Wolston Park Cricket Club has a very rich history also. Cheers
I worked in Booval in 1982 which I think was just up the track from Wacol. It seemed lazy and irresponsible to me at the time to name a town like that. I remember many who didn't know the meaning of Wacol !! It's always been a dark spot on the map for good reason. Cheers!
I’m surprised you didn’t go into any of the history of the old Wolsten park cemetery. How it was situated very close to the river. Then within 12 months of the first person being buried there, the cemetery had to be moved up the hill somewhat. This was due to the fact that after some heavy rains, flooding caused some of the bodies to be washed from their resting place and were sent floating down river through the heart of Brisbane and eventually out to Moreton Bay. Then only a couple decades later, the cemetery was moved again to make way for expansion of facilities at Wolsten Park. Finally, at the conclusion of the First World War, all the bodies were exhumed once more and moved to the goodna cemetery, in order to build accommodation for returned servicemen who were suffering from shell shock. It has been estimated that of the 4000+ people that should have been buried at Wolsten Park, only 1200 or so bodies were moved to goodna. The rest remained buried underneath the new buildings or were never accounted for at all.
Yes that's right. A most interesting turn of events. did consider going over the details of the cemetery but for some reason, which now escapes me, I decided to leave it out.
I remember when they knocked it down to build the RSPCA. I went to the opening of the RSPCA, it was so packed you could only shuffle along. I go there for lunch. Great little cafe and then visit the animals. Good stress relief.
Ok - there's bits I know about the area. The Mental Health building you talk about was the "Woogaroo Insane Asylum" (Named after the local creek and I believe the original name of Goodna). It was only open from 1865 to 1880. If you go to the other side of the modern hospital there are massive whitewashed wards on the other side of the cricket ovals. I believe that's where it moved in 1880 and had men's and Women's wings. If you follow the road from the RSPCA towards Mount Ommaney you will go past a lot of woodlands with some prisons built in. You will get to "Pooh Corner" which has some nice walking tracks. The thing is the whole area was used for Artillery training back in WW2 and they suggest STRONGLY that you never leave the paths. A lot of the "Do not enter" lands near the prisons are the same. As a Uni Student I did a tour of the prison. They had just opened it. We left one of the boys locked in a cell and went home.. oops.
I really enjoyed that. Ive been out to the metal hospital twice. First time no one said anything to me, even security drove past and waved at me. 2nd time I was told to leave and if I didn't the police would be called. I was wandering around for a good 45mins too.
I spend a lot of time around Wacol, I have a lot of customers in the area. Have you ever done a walk around Toowong Cemetary. There are some fascinating people up there. Captain Bligh's grandson is up there.
One of the songs you played was the Christian song "Leaning". More history, along Herston Rd Kelvin Grove down towards the RBH, there used to be many Army huts similar to what you showed in this video. Soldiers and later families were housed in them. The children there used to go to Kelvin Grove State School, where I went. Thanks for the interesting video. I'm not likely to want to go there though.
Rob the RSPCA women was right nobody goes to Wacol to be happy, the vibes i got from your video it kinda felt like in between a Cemetary and a garbage landfill site. The highlight was the old Wolston farmhouse you visited but i would feel quite uneased being in this area, even the hairs on the back of my neck stood up once when i thought i was taking the train to Indooroopilly but it was a express train to Goodna and when the train past Walco i just shuddered, i mean for Gods sake i walk around Sydney Olympic Park unbeknown that Silverwater is just there and if a riot broke out. anyway thx for the tour of a suburb i often thought belonged to Ipswich council area but i found out it was definitely BCC problem, no body wants a prison in their council area it lowers the land value.
RSPCA is in the old juvenile detention facility. We did a tour on a corporate volunteer day and in some of the offices they still have the heavy doors.
The back streets of Wacol between boundary road and the Centenary Highway is still full of big acreage plots, including some agriculture that’s still holding on. Although these are slowly becoming industrial blocks.
It really does feel like a forgotten part of Brisbane, out there! I’ve been out to check the mental asylum, before - long ago. It’s very spooky, with horrible stories, of course. Lots of graffiti and heaps of random crap you’ll find, like old refrigerators... Also, all of the floors are burned down in there, leaving only the supports. It really is a shame that they restrict access, these days. I’ll need to check out some of the other places you went to, including the Farmhouse…
brings back bad memories, first work experience in physiotherapy as 15 yo, children looked more depressed and stressed than those dogs, rocking , corner sitting and head banging, all chronic antipsychotic use features too. second was just after medical registration, getting doctors bag etc.. attended person hit by truck ahead of me on highway, turned out my friend doing internship there responded to her claims of suicidal feelings with "you don't have the guts". I watched her bleedout internally from ruptured liver. Helen ended her dreams of psychiatry, I didn't report her confession.. we're trained not to.. last one was at Disability Royal Commission Xmas event, sat next to woman taken from street as 14 yo runaway from cunnamulla, part indigenous.. she was kept for years in cell where she was raped and mutilated.. they cut off her finger tips and stabbed her legs etc.. she's a champion now.. boxing etc despite wheelchair bound.. like dogs, people pick up with love vs neglect and violence.. there's a book about some women's experiences there.. I already know to much, though have a document on history of asylum system going back to bedlam which funded crusades which would make an interesting documentry, in my own personal fight against the evils of psychiatry..
One of my great grand aunts was a patient at the women's mental health building. Qld Health won't tell me what her illness was but my aunty did get some information before they closed the files. Apparently, these days, my great grand aunt had a condition that there is treatment for today. My great grand aunt didn't die from her mental health illness, but her death certificate shows that she died of a (complication)of a UTI. Interestingly there is no other diagnosis on her death certificate.
@Shell yes I was surprised when I was researching this area how much more there was to explore. And Wolston House is quite amazing. Have you visited it?
It’s good that you choose these quiet and isolated areas of Brisbane. Because whenever you put your camera down, and we see you walk away, I am always nervous that someone will run up and piss off with it 🤣
@Debi Taylor I can get a bit nervous too whenever I leave the camera behind to get a shot. Luckily it's a very small camera and is hard to see from even a moderate distance. So glad you enjoying my vids.
So found a wonderful place to get the hoons back off the street. However it's apparently secret smack bang in the middle a government built race track (training centre) looks amazing and would be perfect as is. Can't find a bloody thing about it let alone ask. They've dropped a absolute fortune and the ppl who pay for it getting fined constantly by police. 😔 I would love to see joy in such an evil place
Apparently the mental health patients built the Wolston Park Golf Course for the doctors to play on. It was still in the trusteeship of Queensland Health until only a few years ago. ALso The Women's Asylum is very old and dangerous and should probably be demolished (considering the gnastly things that went on there). The cost to renovate/rebuild was $50m +. Better things to spend tax payer money on imo.
Love your videos and your walks but a short mention of Sharron Phillips going missing and never found and the fact there are two signs on the Ipswich motorway to remind us would have been nice it is part of Wacol
@Hemi Mogg Had I known that Sharron Phillips had disappeared from Wacol, I would have mentioned it in the video. As a Sydneysider and a teen at the time, her disappearance was not something I was aware of. Also, I arrived in Wacol via back roads from Logan and so did not see any signs that mention her.
I think I saw that investigative TV story, really hinted at him as the POI, but he had passed away, no evidence, so nothing proved. @@elephantgiftstore
The new industrial estate you went to was also part of the army barracks. The foundations of house are from a few blocks of properties that survived until the last motorway upgrade, then they were bulldozed. I used to deliver to the prisons, definitely not a place I plan to spend time in!
Used to do vollie work at the RSPCA in Wacol and also used to work on the other side of the train tracks. Always knew the suburb had a bad rap but never got into any trouble while I was there. When I started at my old job I would love to see the Kangaroos grazing with the rising sun as a backdrop. Always wonder where they went off to after they developed the land.
That woodland was planted around 2012ish it used to be very open and had a lot of kangaroos there I presume they planted there to hide the prison and stop the kangaroos congregating (they used to get hit by cars very often and caused crashes)
At wacol you have 3 prisons, 2 state run ones and a private one. The one you are looking at at 5:08 is privately run aurthor gorrie, its a combined maximum and minimum. Wolston and the womens prison are state run maximum mens and combined max min womens and you have the childrens detention around the back
Yes 'it's a great area' hahaa - I used to work for the government at one of the facilities around there (I see some subtle changes in this video since I was last there) - I'd like to say I had more good memories than bad, but I've never been a liar.😆
Rob do us all a favour and NEVER show the animals in "jail" and I mean the dogs and cats..it breaks peoples hearts as mine was.. more should have been said about the old mental asylum and the graves around it like surely from the rotunda and around as the history is there as I have been there and there is a lot to say about the place as well as the old wacol jail now abandoned as it is on here as well. I love ya work and always like so now I sub'd..no more dogs n cats tho please
Those barracks looked very familiar, when you mentioned immigrants arriving and housed there. I’m pretty sure we were there very briefly when we arrived from U.K. in 1972.
@@walkaboutwithrob Got some old photos buried here somewhere from a distant relative of her brother and mates from Toowoomba doing their Nasho there previous to that. (I believe - memory ain't the best these days!)
Unfortunately I believe there were some trespassers who engaged in vandalism and other "anti-social activity" in the old buildings at the mental hospital and so that's why they had to lock it down. But you're right, they should do something to make it open to the public while also protecting it from that kind of thing. Like the old ghost tours of Boggo Road jail, they could do something with this, and still preserve the privacy of those still resident there. It would have been interesting to see how Wacol developed if the Brisbane City Council proposal of building a bus, bike and pedestrian bridge from Moggill into the area near Wolston Farmhouse had gone ahead.
I remember visiting a farm prison in Wacol back in the day,my biological father was a frequent in both prison in the area,my mother & uncle used me as a mule to sneak drugs in! Glad I was taken away I'd probably be dead or doing the same as them
@@walkaboutwithrob thank you,me too, doing well these days & just moved back to Brisbane, love you're work too & enjoy everyone episode keep up the great work 🙏
Also just looked into the history of the wacol name and it actually comes from the railway station originally being called wolston but the name was confused with Wilston so it was renamed to wacol which is a coined word from weigh coal as the main purpose of the station was coal handling.
it wasnt the "coppers" but Queensland Transport and it was just before the wacol railway station on the left as you're going in towards Rocklea/Archerfield on the way into Brisbane.
