Turbot Street as a name existed prior to 1860. Appearing on Ham's 1863 map, a short street, it ran from today's
North Quay, past the Roma Street intersection (then 'New Street') towards Albert and
Edward Streets, all of functional . The western end of the street abutting the
Brisbane River also had
ferry steps, towards the then-Stanley Street,
South Brisbane. The
ferry point was closed in May 1875, and within a year the old shed was harbouring 'idle and disorderly people'. To the north of North Quay, Turbot and George Streets was a dammed water hole known as Tank Stream which served as the colony's water supply from 1842 (and later gave its name to Tank Street). By the 1880s new water supplies were found and saw that area opened up to commercial premises. The 1850s, following the 'Hungry '40s', saw bullock teamsters staying at Humber's Forge on the corner of Turbot and George Streets. The section between George and Albert Streets was fairly much unpassable to vehicular traffic due to the deep gully running from Tank Street to Ann Street. A ladies seminary, or 'school for young girls', was opened on the street in 1866, and was to include the teaching of English, French, and music. Over the years, the construction of Turbot Street underwent various changes. Edward Street intersecting with Turbot Street was altered ca. 1867. In 1880, soil material from the road cutting of Ann Street was moved to Turbot Street between George and Roma Streets. Another cutting of Turbot Street occurred in 1884. By 1926 Turbot Street had extended from its original North Quay—Albert Street length, to Edward and Upper Edward Streets, a change from to long. In December 1877, Alderman Pettigrew made a motion before the town council, :In order to relieve Queen-street of the traffic from the railway station to the Valley, that Turbot-street from Roma-street to Edward-street, thence by that street to Wickham-terrace, and thence by that terrace to near Wharf-street, be put in such passable order as will enable traffic to pass that way instead of by the way of Queen-street. The year 1886 also saw the
asphalting of footpaths on both sides of Turbot Street being undertaken. The looseness of soil and presence of rock resulted in the death of two workers, Patrick Gleeson and Thomas McCullough, at the Turbot Street railway cutting in late 1888. The railway was extended from the 1873
Roma Street to
Central terminus by 1889. The major
1893 Brisbane flood, compared to Queen Street, had little impact on Turbot Street. Electric street lighting started to be introduced to the area by 1898. In 1900 Turbot Street was proposed as a new
Brisbane town hall 3.5-acre site, at the top of Edward Street and near the railway station; the extending of Turbot Street to Creek Street, closing Upper Edward Street. At this time the land reserve above Central Rail Station had been set-aside as a school reserve. With the municipal hall proposal not progressed by 1904, Turbot Street was not extended. Public
telephone boxes appeared after 1910. Street
gas lamps were still being superseded by electric lighting by 1919, between the
Edward Street to
Roma Street sections. Never explained was the serious explosions of five postal department electric
utility hole covers on Monday, 28 July 1913. In late-1917, a deputation of businessmen protested the closure of the street around the fruit markets and police barracks to traffic. This was introduced due to traffic congestion in that area, as well as issues created by earlier colonial land divisions. It was stated that over 400
horse carts used the area between 8.30 am and 1.00 pm, as well as being a thoroughfare from
Spring Hill. The closure was intended for land resumption by the government between Roma and Albert Streets. A 1924 photograph shows the road again open, and two-directional traffic flow. On 23 October 1922, the death of a fruit vendor Randolph Nolan Birrell occurred on the street. After leaving the fruit markets following a hard fall against a truck, an unsteady Birrell appearing inebriated, went across to a pie
cart. The 'Pieman King' told Birrell that he could not get a pie without money. Birrell then went to the front of the cart and hit the pony drawing it soundly on the nose. Confronted, the owner pushed away Birrell, who fell backwards and struck his head on the footpath. Regaining consciousness a short while later, he was then charged with public drunkenness before being taken to the watchhouse. Transported to hospital, after his death, he was determined to have died of a fracture to the skull. Charges of unlawful killing against the pieman were later discontinued. A newspaper sensation occurred the following year at one of the street's
boarding houses when on 16 February 1923 a male tried to use a .32
calibre revolver to unlawfully kill a female, after she indicated she would not leave her allegedly-violent husband. During
World War II, a tunnel and large underground
air raid shelter were proposed on the northern side of Turbot Street. A fire was also labelled as suspected
sabotage during this period. On Tuesday, 13 January 1942 saw tragedy when three
fire brigade officers died in a fire at the R. M. Gow Pty Ltd office and warehouse. Stock including £65,000 of emergency food supplies was destroyed, and large building valued at £25,000 was ruined; impacting 200 employees. Third Officer Alfred Lambert and firemen Henry Schirmer and George Uren were overcome by smoke and fumes in the office. To 1951, this was the worst brigade disaster. The 'Arcade Murder' of 19-year-old typist Bronia Mary Armstrong occurred near the
BAFS Institute rooms on 10 January 1947, where a 49-year-old accountant was charged. Described by the presiding judge as 'probably one of the most brutal and pathetic cases in the history of Queensland crime', the suspect was found guilty, sentenced to life at
Boggo Road Gaol, and took his own life nine days later on 21 March 1947. Following on from the extension of the railway line and tunnel underway from Roma Street in 1889, concern with the weight of the first Trades Hall over the tunnel resulted in land resumption, with a new site selected at Upper Edward Street for the hall. The presence of the second trade union hall with the intersection along Turbot Street with Edward Street also meant
Labour Day processions and
street marches on Turbot Street. This included the 1927 lock-out of 1500 railwaymen, and 1948 clash between police and
communists. The poem 'The Tears of Turbot-street' by E. N. MacCulloch was penned in 1927 with reference to the Trades Hall and Labour Day. Trams never ran on Turbot Street, although they crossed it at Edward Street. In 1960, the Gardens trolley bus route was altered to include Turbot Street, although
Brisbane trolley buses ceased service on 13 March 1969 and were replaced by buses. At some time, Turbot Street connected straight through to Wickham Street (a change from to long), and Ann and Turbot Streets became a
one-way pair.
RACQ representations sought the highly congested area at the produce markets become one-way. A later 1954 proposal to make the street one-way between George and Roma Streets was also to assist the markets through increased traffic speed, and allow more space for more retailers. In 1971 the Turbot Street Bypass was constructed, including over
Creek Street. Such construction saw the demolition of the building used by the
Twelfth Night Theatre, as well as the 1878
Roma Street Police Station. In 2009, the vehicle speed limit for the Brisbane CBD was reduced to 40
km/h, except for Ann and Turbot Streets which remained at 60 km/h (Ann Street's speed was lowered to 40 km/h on 5 November 2018, east of Wharf Street, to the Riverside Expressway). ==Landmarks==