Landships II

It's very difficult to drive around Brisbane at the moment and the authorities have said that only essential travel is permitted. I wouldn't even try to get down there to have a look. From the flood maps the block between Grey and Stanley Sts at West End (where the museum is) isn't flooded as yet - the peak in the flood won't happen until 4am tomorrow.

Regards,

Charlie

Fingers crossed, Charlie. Hope you're OK. If the water gets too high, stand on Ted Harris.

The Museum is keeping everyone informed on Twitter

" Qld Museum South Bank closed til 9.30am Friday due to rising river levels. All collection items secure. 10:23 PM Jan 10th via Mobile Web"

-- Edited by James H on Wednesday 12th of January 2011 01:10:43 PM

All the best to all the aussies out there!! Being Dutch, I´m familiar with floodings, but we´ve never had them in this scale. You´re in the news all the time so our thoughts are with you.

James H wrote:

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That's good news. But the most important thing is whether the MCG is playable. I should hate anything to interrupt England's winning sequence.

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The MCG is a tad over two thousand kilometres south of Brisbane, I don't think the water will make it that far!

 

What??? A German tank? In the children's area? Good grief.

I thought Mephisto was in a glass case inside the main entrance.

Last time I saw Mephisto it wasn't in any basement. It is in a glass case near a couple of dinosaurs outside the main entrance.
I wouldn't worry about Mephisto being thrown out. If the QM gave even the slightest hint that they were going to get rid of it, the AWM would jump right in and grab it.

-- Edited by Mark Hansen on Monday 17th of January 2011 01:14:29 PM

James H wrote:

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Mark Hansen wrote:

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If the QM gave even the slightest hint that they were going to get rid of it, the AWM would jump right in and grab it.

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I believe so. The former head of the museum, Brian Crozier, told me that they were constantly fighting off the AWM's attempts to pinch it.

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It would suit me better if the AWM had it. Canberra is only a 3 hour drive away from where I am.

 

When they moved Mephisto from the front (?) of the museum to its present site people that remembered the 1974 floods were told that Mephisto would be high and dry. That was the 'official' word until the water started coming up the drains in the street in front of the display. To stand there you would think that there is no way the river would reach the display but it did.

Museum Director Dr Graeme Potter release the following statement to the media,

"Mephisto, the sole surviving A7V tank in the world, was subjected to minor flooding on 13 January 2011 when the Brisbane River burst its banks and inundated the level 0 of Queensland Museum South Bank. Water rose to just above the tracks and then quickly receded. The surrounding interpretative environment has now been removed from Mephisto's display and the enclosure completely cleaned. Some minor spot rusting has received preliminary treatment under direction from Australia's top metal conservator. Mephisto remains in excellent condition and the Queensland Museum is looking forward to updating the display interpretation supporting this iconic artefact."

The museum remains closed to the public but when it reopens I will drop in and take a couple of happy snaps of Mephisto.

James H wrote:

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Fingers crossed, Charlie. Hope you're OK. If the water gets too high, stand on Ted Harris.

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 Odd you should say that:

 

Surname

Given        Names

Notice Type

Date

Type

Age

Other Details

Public- ation

Published

HARRIS

Edward Gregory (Ted)

Funeral notice

04JAN2011

Death

62

late of Alexandra Hills

Courier Mail (Brisbane)

07JAN2011

Can't be sure this is the same man but the suburb is right and the age is about right - and the diggerhistory website has struggled to stay online for the past year or more.