Ashgrove Historical Society Inc.

Visitors are encouraged and very welcome at the Ashgrove Historical Society meetings held at the Ashgrove Library on the first Saturday of the month 10am-noon. The topic for the meeting on 1 April will be The History of the Red Hill Skate Arena presented by Andrew Darbyshire and Mark Louttit.

Precis: The Red Hill Skate Arena first opened circa 1920 as the Red Hill Picture Pops Theatre. The theatre functioned until around 1964 when new owners converted the building into a ‘sound lounge’ known as Teen City. However, in 1965 the building was converted for use as the Red Hill Skate Arena, which became one of the most popular and well-known skating rinks in Brisbane.

While this presentation will focus on the Red Hill Skate Arena’s ever-evolving incarnations it will also look briefly at the history of roller skating in Brisbane. Come along and remember the fascinating life and fun times of this iconic building.

There will be morning tea following the presentation which will provide the opportunity to share memories with the guest speakers and other people interested in local history. If possible, please register your anticipated attendance on the society’s Facebook page under ‘Events’.

Save the Date: The society will be celebrating 20 years of preserving Ashgrove’s history at a lunch on Saturday 6 May. Further information will be available in the April edition of the Western Echo, our website and Facebook page. Members will be kept informed by email.

If you would like to become an AHS member or purchase membership as a gift for someone, fees are $10 single per annum (1 July - 30 June), or $15 couple/family. Membership includes discount on our publications and the quarterly newsletter, Tram Stops. Please contact the secretary, Julie, (ahs.secretary@bigpond.com) and she will let you know the EFT details or join at a meeting. Funds raised from memberships, raffles and sale of our publications supports the research, preservation and recording of Ashgrove’s history.