Coast mourns loss of our first Meter Maid
THE Gold Coast’s original Meter Maid Annette Bryant – who many credit as a pioneer for the city tourism profile in the 1960s – has passed away.
Ms Bryant, formerly Annette Welch, died in recent days on the Gold Coast where she had continued to live after the earlier passing of her husband and leading city real estate agent Doug Bryant.
It is believed she was in her 80s.
Family friend Duncan McInnes confirmed she had passed away this week.
Harking back to her days as the city’s first-ever Meter Maid, he said: “She was a great sort, a very gregarious woman and very popular in town. She was a stunning person, beautiful, had the drop-dead bikini body, had a vivacious smile and was a great person – larger than life.”
Her late husband Doug had fought in World War II before turning his hand successfully to real estate on the Gold Coast where luminaries of the industry such as Max Christmas worked for him.
“He was a very successful real estate agent and his wife was the very glamorous Annette Bryant,” Mr McInnes said.
When the Gold Coast City Council first introduced parking meters into tourism hub Surfers Paradise in December, 1964, the then Surfers Paradise Progress Association adopted Florida’s concept of having Meter Maids to save visitors from parking fines.
Ms Bryant became the first person to step out in the role in a two-piece swimsuit and golden tiara to feed the meters of cars with interstate numberplates.
At the time, she was a professional model and fed sixpences into expired meters, targeting cars with interstate numberplates before placing a calling card under windscreen wipers that read: “To save you the inconvenience of a fine, our Meter Maid has inserted a coin in the meter. By courtesy of Surfers Paradise Progress Association.”
One report says she only did it for two days before returning to modelling but she is credited as being the original flag-bearer of the tradition, which continues today but under a privately-owned and operated business.
Ms Bryant had remained active and was a passionate golfer, playing mostly at Southport and Lakelands.
She is survived by her son Mark who is believed to live overseas, had recently married and had a child of his own.
It was unclear what she would have thought of the current Meter Maids who have been a hot topic of debate in recent years regarding their appropriateness.