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Brisbane City Archives

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Access historic records, including survey maps, building registers and old Brisbane photos.

Historical map of central Brisbane including Brisbane River in circa 1844

About Brisbane City Archives 

Brisbane City Archives is an important collection of records that hold historic value to our city and the community. 

Council preserves and provides access to more than 50,000 hard copy and 25,000 digital records dating back to 1855. They include: 

historic images

street naming records  

Council minutes and annual reports 

historic maps and plans from the 1860s showing the development of Brisbane

planning and building records, including the surveyors field book that accompany the detail plans.

information outline

  You can access Brisbane Archives online to: 

  • search for historic photographs  
  • research your house’s history 
  • research Council history
  • research Brisbane’s built environment history.

Looking for something else

Council history

Streets of Remembrance

Request building plans, records and documents

Search Council archives online 

Brisbane Images is a digital collection of more than 25,000 City Archives records dating from the 1850s. These includes images, maps, plans and documents. 

Detail plans 

Find existing buildings and contour levels for Brisbane suburbs dating from 1913. 

Brisbane City Council detail plan no. 2240, circa 1964.

Historic maps and plans 

Explore historic maps including early street and land use maps dating from 1859. 

Historical map of central Brisbane including Brisbane River in circa 1844.

Brisbane transport 

See photos of buses, ferries, trams and transport staff through the years. 

Historic photo of female passenger boarding no. 80 Tarragindi-bound bus.

Brisbane panoramas 

Explore aerial views of Brisbane through the decades. 
 

Black and white aerial photo looking across the Treasury Building to the Brisbane River in 1944.

Building application records 

Research surviving pre-November 1945 building approval records. 

Extract from Brisbane City Council building application records from 1926-27, section 'A'.

Brisbane botanic gardens 

View historic photos of the City Botanic Gardens, Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mt Coot-tha and Sherwood Arboretum. 

Historic colour photo showing people on grass hill watching a band concert at stage in City Botanic Gardens in 1980.

City Archives collections 

Search digitised correspondence files, publications and guides on how to use City Archives collections. 

Top half of The Telegraph daily newspaper front cover for Flood edition, Tuesday evening, 7 February 1893.
Search Brisbane Images

Contact Brisbane City Archives 

To discuss your research needs in advance or make an appointment you can: 

Contact information

Brisbane City Archives

Skyline Business Centre, 15/107-123 Muriel Ave, Moorooka Qld 4105 07 3403 1711

Open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9am–2pm.

You’ll need to make an appointment to visit outside of these times. 

Frequently asked questions

Yes, you can use Brisbane City Archive records to find out when your house was built. Search the building application records, detail plans and property cards in the archive library. For instructions and tips, see the Guide to Researching Your House History. 

You can find digital copies of old Brisbane photos at: 

  • Brisbane Images, the Brisbane City Archives online collection 
  • TROVE, the National Library of Australia’s online research portal. 

Brisbane Images is a collection of more than 25,000 records, including maps, plans, tram routes and publications of historic significance. Search the Brisbane Images records.