Lands Depatment Building - 710064 Brisbane City, Queensland, Australia
By C○3 ♀ Ɛ○<<○3 on 31-May-24. Waypoint TP13733
Cache Details
Difficulty: | |
Terrain: | |
Type: | TrigPoint |
Container: | Other |
Coordinates: | S27° 28.350' E153° 1.467' (WGS 84) |
56J 502415E 6961229N (UTM) | |
Elevation: | 27 m |
Local Government Area: | Brisbane City |
Description
This is a Trig cache. It is a virtual cache. There are no physical geocache containers with logbooks or swap items here.
So what exactly is a Trig?
"Trig" is the abreviation of Trigonometric Station/Point. They are, or in most cases were, used by surveyors to create accurate maps of the area. Trigonometric Stations are named as such because trigonometry calculations are used to map out the location.
Over time there have been various mapping methods some of which were a little innacurate. Over the last 100 or so years Trigs have proved to be a fairly accurate tool when surveying. More recently though, technology has proved much more reliable. However, if technology suddenly failed forever and all maps went up in flames with it, we would have a great network of Trigs to start over with as seen in THIS MAP.
The locations, aka points or stations, where the surveyors made these calculations from were saved for future surveying using markers. These markers were meant to be permanent, however people have changed the landsape through things like farming and town growth and development meaning some of these markers have been removed. Luckily with the use of satelites and other amazing technology the older markers are pretty much unnecessary for surveying now. But they are great historical markers and fun to find, especially if left long forgotten in the middle of the bush like buried treasure. The long list of trigs on Geocachign Australia will help you find these Trigs.
Across Australia and New Zealand you can find a number of different styles of Trigs. Commonly they consist of a copper pin hammered into the ground or embedded in a concrete pillar with a stand and vane of some shape above it making it easier to find from long distances like other nearby Trigs. A few examples are in the images below:
[Image seen only is web browser, not in apps]
Trig points are generally located at the top of hills or points of prominence in the landscape. Many provide unique views and challenges, with some being difficult to get to. Accessing these Trigs is at your own risk. Please respect local laws and regulations when searching for trig points. If on private property, always seek permission to visit the Trig beforehand. If you think this trig listing should be archived because it is inaccessible, no longer exists, or is in a dangerous location, please log a 'Needs Archiving' log with explaination.
To log this trig as found, take a photo of the Trig with yourself or your GPS or something that represents yourself and proves you were there. Upload the photo with your found log. Other photos of the trig or area are always welcome.
If you can add information to this trig listing, such as access instructions or interesting facts, please add it at the botom of this description. All GCA members can use 'Edit this Cache' to add these details.
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This building is where the surveyors who created and used the trig stations of QLD worked and mapped and stored their information. With this in mind, although you cannot see the actual trig point unless accessing the rooftop, a photo of your GPS, yourself or item identifiying you were at the location with the north flagpole reference point in the image is sufficient for logging as found. Although, personally, I think the Queen Victoria statue should be it as it sits in the circle at the tip of the triangle of the Queen's Gardens. haha.
For those of us who like historic or surveying stuff, ask at the Hotel reception for historic info about the building and take a wander around looking at the architecture (like an inquisitive guest, hehe). Here are a couple of images of what things used to look like inside.
Logs
Thanks for the cache
At first I was just going to look around the foyer and ask reception if they had any history info of the building. However, upon receiving a file of historic info and reading the word "map room", I figured further exploration needed to be done. I called the geo-buddy inside and pretended (in my head so I didn't chicken out) that I was just a guest looking at the history of the place I was paying to stay in. Haha. I was only questioned when sprung in the Surveyors Room, but I told the truth of what I was doing and was allowed to continue without a problem.
There was a collection of prints of old surveying tools but I think they've all been purchased by the Hotel and used to accessorise the surveyors wing. There were a couple of old QLD maps hung in the Map Room that you can download free online and print yourself. There was one drawing of the building near reception, which may have also been just a print. I desperately wanted to go up and down the old lift but decided that was probably pushing my luck too far. The courtyard was begging to be relaxed in and you could see the old pulley arm for lifting things in and out of the stores section, although I doubt it would have held up under the weight of those giant cameras installed. There were stained glass Lands Dept themed art pieces in the entry/exit areas. And there were a number of artworks around the walls depicting a rural looking Brisbane. Well worth the wander.
I think I'll have to return here another day to enjoy a coffee in the Cafe and relax in the courtyard, explore the other wing, and maybe even sneak in a ride up and down the lift.