Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen was notoriously known for authorizing the demolition of some sixty city buildings during his time as Premier.
These were not just any old buildings — most of them were significant buildings of Brisbane’s heritage. As a result, Brisbane soon became known as "the demolition capital of Australia". Of all the buildings demolished between the mid-1970s and late 1980s, two stand out in people's memories — the Bellevue Hotel demolished in 1979, and Cloudland demolished in 1982.
Background to the release of the 1979 Queensland Cabinet Minutes by Christopher Salisbury
Bellevue Hotel broadcast on 17th October 2004 on the ABC REWIND program