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On 29 June 1964, the popular British band The Beatles arrived at Eagle Farm airport where they were greeted by 10,000 excited fans. The band’s visit to Brisbane came at a point when The Beatles were enjoying tremendous success with records selling out at a phenomenal rate and after they had finished filming 'A Hard Day’s Night'.
Brisbane police had been warned to expect “hysterical enthusiasm” by fans and on their one and only visit to Brisbane, The Beatles certainly inspired scenes of ‘Beatlemania’. Fans of Ringo Starr were left disappointed as illness prevented him leaving London and joining the other members on their world tour.
Over the course of two nights, 29 and 30 June 1964, The Beatles performed to a crowd of almost 12,000 people at Festival Hall. The Chief Inspector of Police declared that during the performance, “quite a number of young girls became somewhat hysterical and press photographers were running here and there among the audience snapping flashlight photos of these girls”.
‘Beatlemania’ did not abate for some time as The Beatles continued to achieve many more hit records in Australia. In 1964, The Beatles sold 25 million records in the United States alone.
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 | Marjorie Stapleton from The Australian Women’s Weekly writes to the Commissioner of Police, requesting police press passes for magazine staff to cover The Beatles' visit to Brisbane, 29 May 1964
Queensland State Archives Item ID 1139503, Digital Image ID 2916 Police Department, Police Service Commissioner’s Office |
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1965 Vietnam War started |
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