Published August 2025
A Brisbane author has claimed that Baby Boomers lost their cultural ‘place’ in 1982 with the demolition of the city’s iconic dancehall.
Dr James Lergessner presented his book “Cloudland: Queen of the Dancehalls” at the Nundah Historical Society in July.
Published by Boolarong Press in 2013, the book argues that the Cloudland Ballroom “played a significant role in the social lives of at least three generations of Brisbane citizens”.
“What are our landmarks now… the Story Bridge and the Brisbane City Hall?” Dr Lergessner said.
“What I’m saying is the Baby Boomers have lost their place.”
He rued the loss of shared experiences such as ballroom dancing in our culture today.
“We had a lot of shared experiences to the sense of Cloudland being a place where a lot of couples met,” he said.
“When I put the Cloudland book out, it was amazing to see how people responded, such as couples who had met there and then gone on to get married.
“Even though the Cloudland nightclub has memorabilia from the dancehall, it doesn’t have that air of tradition and excitement when you come into a big venue that can hold 1500 people,” Mr Lergessner said.
With “sweeping curtains and timber floors”, Cloudland hosted military functions during WWII and, in the seventies, opened its stage to AC/DC and The Ramones.
Cloudland famously welcomed Queen Elizabeth II on her 1977 silver jubilee tour, although the ballroom required special decorations to hide its flaking paint.
“Peter Kurtz bought Cloudland in 1974 and put $700,000 into renovating the place, but it couldn’t save Cloudland,” Dr Lergessner said.
“I think this is the way we’re going, putting up new buildings and ignoring the ones that exist.”
“So, we don’t have that many heritage buildings left.”
For locals who share his passion for Brisbane’s history, Dr Lergessner recommended the Nundah Historical Society, a group “dear to his heart” who offer tours on foot and by bus.
Cloudland Memorial Arch on Cowlishaw St still stands as a monument to the danceroom.
To find out more, visit brisbanelivingheritage.org/location/nundah-districts-historical-society/.
