The late nineteenth century was a period of major economic and social expansion in Brisbane. Panoramic photographs, paintings and drawings were popular means of recording the physical growth of the city. These were often taken from favoured outlooks, such as Kangaroo Point and, as in this example, the Signal Tower (also known as the Old Windmill) on Wickham Terrace. The Tower is Brisbane's oldest building, having been built in 1823. Along with the Commissariat Stores in William Street, it is the only surviving relic of the Moreton Bay Penal Settlement. From 1861 the building was used as an observation tower and signal station for shipping movements in the Brisbane River. It was situated on one of the highest vantage points in Brisbane and offered a commanding aspect over the city for photographers and artists. This photograph looks south over the Brisbane River towards South Brisbane.

View from signal tower looking south is presented in an album of 27 late-nineteenth-century photographs. This format enhances its importance, providing an original context for both the ways in which people collected photographs at the time, and the important role photography played in recording people, places and events.