The first railway in Brisbane was built in 1879 when the line from Ipswich was connected to Roma Street.

The section of line between Central and Roma Street stations opened in 1889; these two stations remain the key transport hubs in Brisbane.

As well as the railway, from 1885 to 1897 Brisbane was once connected through a network of horse-drawn trams, which were then replaced by electric trams that operated up until 1969. These convenient forms of public transport encouraged urban sprawl into the suburbs.

The face of public transport in Brisbane continues to change. Roma Street Station is currently undergoing a major transformation as part of the Cross River Rail project and is set to become the most significant transport interchange in Queensland. Cross River Rail is a 10.2km rail line between Dutton Park and Bowen Hills. The first stage of the Brisbane Metro is also currently underway, due for completion in late 2024, connecting existing transport stations between the suburbs and the city.

Many artworks in the Museum’s Collections depict these key stations, such as Vida Lahey’s Central Station 7.00 a.m. (c1935). Works such as this illustrate how major art movements influenced the way Brisbane artists chose to depict their city. This included the influence of Australian Impressionism, which saw leading Australian artists, including Vida, advocate for painting en plein air (outdoors) and mastering the effects of distinctly Australian light and colour. Vida was also fascinated with modern day-to-day life, romanticising the ordinariness and industry of busy city living that railway stations embody. This aligned with the aims of Social Realism of the 1930s and the European Impressionists of the late 19th century.