| Description: | In 1926 the then Lord Mayor of Brisbane, W.A. Jolly, decided to amend the architectural plan of the newly commissioned city hall building. He saw there was a need to provide centrally located rest rooms for women and children in the basement of city hall. This suite of women’s rest rooms, furnished with chairs and tables, fitted with conveniences and additional services, was to be installed in the basement corner of the building. Entry to the rooms would be from the Adelaide Street side. The Lady Mayoress was said to be an enthusiastic supporter of this idea.
The rooms, described as a boon to women visiting the city, opened in May 1930. As time passed, the facility became highly popular. Opening hours were extended to cater for working women as well as mothers and children, and offered limited low cost tea, milk and snacks. There was a special room for mothers with babies, and a parcel service was also approved. With such a broad range of services, the rooms came to be known under a number of titles, such as the tea rooms, mothering rooms, parents room, and so on.
An immunisation clinic, managed by the Red Cross and funded by the city council, operated in the rooms from the early 1930’s. This service continued for several decades until immunisation became available from general practitioners. The role of the Red Cross led to the rooms bearing the popular designation: The Red Cross Tea Rooms.
In the 1950’s the rooms were modernized to accommodate more facilities. In all, the range of services included a lounge where light refreshments were available, a writing room, a toiletries requisites shop, a mothering room, a parcel and baggage storage area, and telephones. |
