The gaol and the floods

Well 2011 sure started with a bang. Everything is on hold as Queensland recovers from the floods and looks to rebuild. There are thousands of tasks to be done and obviously the old gaol seems quite unimportant at times like this, and as I know people who have lost everything in the floods, it isn't. It is, however, probably as good a time as any to assess the impact of the floods on Boggo Road.

Boggo Road Gaol is on very high ground and is of course quite safe from flooding. The only damage for the gaol comes as an indirect consequence of the massive flood damage seen across the rest of Queensland. With a damage bill estimated to run into the billions and a reconstruction timetable spanning two years, it is safe to say that any lingering hopes of government investment in the site, even the $500,000 it would have cost to make the gaol safe for even limited public access, have receded a lot faster than the waters themselves are. 

This of course is quite understandable. After all, the rebuilding of many parts of Queensland are of utmost priority. However, the combination of the global financial crisis, the 2011 floods, and a government unwilling to invest in heritage have ensured that Boggo Road has remained closed for five full years with no prospect of opening anytime soon. The 2011 flood will affect us all in many ways, and this is just one other consequence to add to the growing list.