Historian unearths lost Logan stories

In 2014, Brendan Noonan quietly began chronicling local history in a little corner of the Internet.

His Facebook page, aptly titled ‘Lost Logan’, now boasts more than 20,000 followers, and has become a place to collectively reminisce.

Brendan, who grew up in Woodridge, shares nostalgic photos and interesting facts gleaned from sources like Logan City Council Libraries, Queensland State Archives, and online community submissions.

Lost Logan has been his passion project for almost a decade, all while juggling full-time work at Woolworths and duties as a doting father of 2.

Brendan is finally reaping the fruits of his labour as his Lost Logan book – which took 4 years to complete – is now available to pre-order.

‘I’ve always been a history buff, but I noticed that there wasn’t much about Logan history online or even in school curriculums,’ he says.

‘Even if you grew up here, you don’t learn much about the area’s history and that’s the strength of the Lost Logan page and book.’

Lost Logan provides rare insight into what life used to be like in Logan, starting from 1880.

Brendan spends hours scouring for news stories that have been forgotten and stowed away in archives.

Overlooked historical information and figures are brought to the forefront on the page – for instance, the ‘Park Ridge Cowgirl’ Heather Doran who was known for riding her cow to Park Ridge State School as a student.

She later became Queensland’s first mounted policewoman in 1975.

Other historical highlights include the water park that was demolished to make way for the Hyperdome and the beloved Hyperdome playground.

‘History is so important because who we are today is because of the people who were here before us – what they went through, all the hardships,’ Brendan says.

‘I’ve managed to get that message out to the masses and that’s the most satisfying feeling.

‘It’s amazing the number of comments and messages I get; the community feedback is phenomenal. It goes to show the people of Logan really have a genuine interest and love for the area.’

Brendan’s new book, which he describes as an ‘easy read’, is chock-full of unseen photos and stories.

‘What makes the Lost Logan book different is how it incorporates community storytelling, because I’ve included hundreds of user-submitted anecdotes that share different sides of the same story,’ he says.

‘There’s something for everyone – it’s very nostalgic and interesting at the same time, with plenty of new things to discover.’

Pre-order the book at InHouse Publishing or visit the Lost Logan Facebook page.