It's an ordinary day for eight construction workers at Toowong but the end of an era for the decades-old building they're demolishing.
It was expected to take just one day and five crane lifts to pull down more than 50 years of broadcasting history as the ABC's antenna tower at the Toowong "cancer cluster" site was pulled to the ground on Monday.
Demolition at the famous old studios started in November to allow developer Sunland Group to build its proposed $420 million "champagne flute towers" development.
Sunland site manager John McErlean said Monday's dismantling of the transmission tower was an historic occasion.
"It's significant in that it's actually the end of the ABC," he said.
"It's an end of an era I suppose. There's always history."
ABC staff left the property in 2006 over concerns of a cancer cluster after 18 women who worked at the studio were diagnosed with breast* cancer in 12 years.
But Sunland managing director Sahba Abedian told Fairfax Media in November he had no concerns about cancer issues.
"Already adjoining the site there's many residential developments," Mr Abedian said.
"If there was such concern the same outcomes would be prevalent in the adjoining localities and it's not," he said.
"Extensive testing has been carried out that has proved once and for all, emphatically, that there is no direct association with what has taken place and the site itself."
Sunland bought the property in 2013 for $20 million and applied for the Grace on Coronation development in September.
Brisbane City Council is yet to approve the development. In mid-January it asked the developer to make several changes to its plans, particularly in relation to traffic and layout, before a final decision could be made.
Concerns were raised in September over proposed changes to a busy Coronation Drive intersections put forward as part of the proposal. BCC told the developer the intersection would not be changing.
Sunland has promised to protect the heritage-listed Middenbury house located on the same block.
Toowong and District Historical Society member Leigh Chamberlain said the familiar Toowong landmark would be missed.
"I think it's sad seeing the ABC go and I'm sure that people who go to the RE (Royal Exchange Hotel) will miss seeing ABC staff in there after work, having a drink after work," she said.
"The fact that it was so close and handy and it's a familiar landmark and we're all used to going by it but we've got used to the idea of it not being there."
The demolition of the tower is an important step in the demolition process itself, which is expected to be finished in the next two to three weeks.
It was left towards the end of demolition because it was easier to access once surrounding buildings had been cleared.
*This article has been updated to show the women were diagnosed with breast cancer.
