Brisbane Air Raid SheltersBrisbane Air Raid Shelter Plans
- Most shelters of this type were constructed down the centre of the inner-city streets, and all were demolished at the end of the war. A reinforced concrete slab floor supported either reinforced concrete or reinforced double-brick blast walls. Minimum thickness of the concrete walls was 12 inches, while wall brickwork was a minimum of 13½ inches. A reinforced concrete suspended slab roof (minimum 4 inches thick) was cast in-situ after the wall were complete.All were demolished shortly after the war. Provision was made for one or two earth closet lavatories.
- This type of shelter consisted of a reinforced concrete roof, cantilevered each side from a central row of reinforced concrete columns. Council's City Architect, F.G. Costello, intended, where possible, for the shelters to be repurposed after the war, so some thought was put into the aesthetics and design of the structures. The external blast walls were designed to be removed once its purpose as an air raid shelter had passed. The external walls were either reinforced double-brick or reinforced concrete (poured in a series of lifts in rough timber formwork). Most of the shelters still existing in Brisbane are of this type. The shelter at Nundah has been converted into public toilets and a waiting shed. Generally, this type of shelter was constructed in or near parks and is sometimes referred to as a "Park Type Shelter". Almost all shelters still existing are of this type.
- This plan, dated 1951, shows later conversion work on a Double Cantilever Roof type of shelter and is illustrative of F.G. Costello's vision for re-purposing the shelters after the war. Council records indicate this shelter was originally constructed with concrete external blast walls, which would have been removed prior to, or during, the conversion. The shelter was located in Sandgate Memorial Park (opposite the old Post Office). The conversion included construction of a low brick perimeter wall and wooden lattice screen walls. This shelter no longer exists.
- Like the double cantilever design, this type was planned to be repurposed after the war. It consisted of reinforced concrete rear and stub side walls intended to be permanent. The rest of the side and front blast walls were reinforced double-brick. A reinforced suspended slab concrete roof was supported by the walls. For conversion, a row of supporting brick columns would be constructed, inset slightly from the front walls, after which the outer brick walls would be removed. Window openings were formed in the rear walls, although these were temporarily filled with concrete that could be removed at a later time. This design was also known as the "Waiting Shed Type shelter" No known examples survive.
- Another design intended to be repurposed after the war, it consisted of reinforced concrete rear wall and side stub walls. The front and remaining side walls were reinforced double-brick. The reinforced concrete suspended slab concrete roof was supported by the walls. For conversion after the war, a row of supporting columns were constructed inset from the front walls, after which the brick blast walls were removed. The repurposed structure was intended to be a bus stop, hence these shelters were usually located adjacent to a road. A variation on the theme used stone for the rear wall and side stub walls - if stone was used for blast walls, the specifications called for a minimum thickness of 18 inches. Four of these "bus stop" type shelters still exist, one being of the stonework variant. It is possible that the monolithic blockhouse pillbox shelters built in the CBD were of similar design and dimensions as no plans have been found for those shelters, which appear from photographs to be dimensionally similar to the "bus stop" type.
- This "special" monolithic blockhouse type stands abutting the William Street stone retaining wall, on Queens Wharf Road, downstream of the Victoria Bridge. The walls and roof are reinforced concrete. Dimensionally, it is longer and slightly narrower than the shelters build in the middle of the city streets and had a slightly larger capacity of 90 persons. It is the only Council-built public shelter to survive with all of its blast walls intact.
- Brisbane City Council had a large depot in Leichhardt Street, Fortitude Valley, with offices and workshops - known within the Council as "Main Depot". This shelter design is a monolithic pillbox type, with reinforced concrete walls and reinforced concrete suspended slab roof. This was not considered a public shelter, being intended for use by Council staff at the depot. Its appearance and construction were likely to have been similar to the monolithic blockhouse pillbox shelters built in the CBD, with the walls being poured concrete in rough timber formwork. The Council depot also had some subterranean shelters, which were re-discovered during works at the site over the years.
- This plan shows the setout of a large brick-wall monolithic blockhouse pillbox shelter at the corner of Margaret and Felix Streets, approximately where Waterfront Place now stands. The wharves along the river at the time were used by the navy and the shelter was likely intended to provide refuge for the dock workers. It does not appear on the list of Council shelter work, so it is unclear if the shelter was actually built or if it was considered a public shelter.
- Plan of a large monolithic blockhouse pillbox shelter at Circular Quay in the city with a capacity of 80 people. The precise location is unknown. It was mainly of reinforced concrete, however the front walls had brick infills, showing its intended use after the war as a waiting shed. It also shows the typical toilet facilities that were installed in some of the larger shelters, consisting of a small cubicle with wooden door and simple "earth closet". Also shown are the z-shaped air vents that were built into the walls just below the ceiling height.
- A plan illustrating how some shelters were created in existing buildings. The precise location is unknown. It shows extensive strengthening and bracing work, construction of internal walls, bricking-up of windows, construction of entry walls and installation of toilet facilities.
- This plan show a small (44 people) shelter, likely sited behind Kurilpa Library, Boundary Road, West End. It is not clear if this was a public shelter or intended for library staff and patrons. While not noted on the plan, the shelter appears designed to be re-purposed after the wall as it has a row of columns at the front that would allow the brick walls to be removed. It was possibly intended to be retained as an ablutions block and storage shed. The plan also shows the typical slatted wooden seating installed in shelters.
- A large air raid shelter trench system was constructed in the City Botanic Gardens, at the corner of George and Alice Streets. Its total length was approximately 1,000 feet and the stated capacity was 1,000 people - which would have been quite cosy! It was laid out in a zig-zag pattern with six entry points.
- The "trench" was actually a reinforced-concrete rectangular-section tube half-sunk into the ground and covered by the excavated earth. The tube was just wide enough for narrow wooden benches along each side. Brick-walled entry steps led down to the entry doors, flanked by lavatories. There were also strategically placed air vents which doubled as emergency exits if required.
- This plan discovered in the Brisbane City Council archives shows designs for air raid shelter trenches by the National Emergency Services in New South Wales. It is dated later than the Council's Botanic Gardens plans.
- While most shelters were designed only as protection against strafing and shrapnel during an air raid, a plan exists in the Brisbane City Council archives of a design for a shelter designed to withstand the direct hit of a small bomb. Protection was afforder by layers of earth and brick totalling approximately 16 feet (4 metres). The plan states the design could withstand a direct hit from a 2 hundredweight bomb (approximately 100 kilograms).
These are various plans of air raid shelters discovered in the Brisbane City Council archives. Apart from the "standard" shelters a number of "specials" were constructed at specific locations.
Some of the standard plans are not necessarily easy to decipher, as they were drawn with both original construction and post-war conversion in mind. Thus, a plan drawn in 1942 and issued for construction has a slightly confusing title of "Proposed Double Cantilever Waiting Shed Constructed from Pillbox Type Air Raid Shelter".
Standard Monolithic Street "Pillbox" Air Raid Shelter (182Kb PDF)
Standard Double Cantilever Roof Air Raid Shelter (12.4Mb PDF)
Shelter Conversion - Sandgate Double Cantilever (0.6Mb PDF)
Standard Single Cantilever Roof Air Raid Shelter (12Mb PDF)
Standard Bus Stop Type Air Raid Shelter (17.4Mb PDF)
Air Raid Shelter (Special) - William Street (Queens Wharf Road) (13.4Mb PDF)
Air Raid Shelter (Special) - Council Depot - Fortitude Valley (0.9Mb PDF)
Large Pillbox Shelter (Special) - Navy Wharves, Brisbane City (1.8Mb PDF)
Large Pillbox Shelter (Special) - Circular Quay, Brisbane City (1.9Mb PDF)
Basement Reinforcing - Maritime Building - Brisbane City (2.3Mb PDF)
Pillbox Shelter (Special) - Kurilpa Library, West End (0.6Mb PDF)
Trench Air Raid Shelter Layout - Botanic Gardens, Brisbane City (4Mb PDF)
Trench Air Raid Shelter Details - Botanic Gardens, Brisbane City (10Mb PDF)
National Emergency Services NSW - Standard Air Raid Trench (12.3Mb PDF)
Direct Hit Bomb Shelter (182Kb PDF)