Brisbane Freethought

I first read the term `freethought' in the book Radical Brisbane: an unruly history an excellent book proving both Brisbane and history are in fact quite interesting. Chapter 8 is titled Maritime Hall and is predominantly about radical union politics, specifically the Brisbane Trades and Labour Council and its successors.

However for our purposes the interesting fact was that at the time of its founding the Brisbane Trades and Labour Council met at Freethought Hall, sadly later renamed Maritime Hall (hence the title of the chapter). There is only one paragraph briefly outlining freethought and the Freethought Society in Brisbane, but I was captivated.

Freethought Hall, on the corner and between Eagle and Queen Streets, was the Brisbane headquarters of the Freethought Society. The society apparently founded in 1870 had at one time, aside from a building, an "extensive library" the fate of which I would very much like to learn, and published journals called Freedom, and, The Pilgrim, similarly seemingly lost to history.

What became of the Freethought Society is not clear, but it is a pity that it didn't continue on into the present day.