Abandoned and Burnt
Many of Bayshore’s remaining buildings were demolished over the course of the Eighties, and the Yard itself closed down completely in 1988. The Tank & Boiler Shop and the Icehouse at the south end of the Yard evaded demolition thanks to early sell-off dates, being repurposed by their new owners. Over on the parcel which SP still owned in the Eighties, the Roundhouse once again cheated death and became the only other surviving building.
The Roundhouse sat silent until 2001, when the roof was set ablaze. Quick action from the Brisbane Fire & Public Works Department prevented the fire from spreading to the east partition (over stalls 33-40), but it had claimed the entire roof of the west partition (over stalls 24-32) and thoroughly charred its support timbers by the time it could be brought under control.
The daylighting of the west partition has allowed weeds and even shrubs to overtake it. The east partition has fared better, but dirt and litter nonetheless engulf the floor.
The former Bayshore Yard is slated for redevelopment. What that entails for the Roundhouse specifically remains to be seen, but the building’s continued existence has been assured. With the help of San Francisco Trains, the Roundhouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Its protection was further affirmed in 2018 with the passage of Brisbane’s Measure JJ, which makes specific provisions for it.
Rehabilitating the Roundhouse is a tall order indeed. At minimum, the west partition will need every structural timber to be replaced. Talk has been made of jacking the building’s foundation to a higher elevation, to deal with rising sea levels. We respond to this overwhelming challenge with a famous quote that once adorned the crane of the Machine & Erecting Shop:
THE DIFFICULT THINGS CAN BE DONE RIGHT AWAY
THE IMPOSSIBLE WILL TAKE A LITTLE LONGER