The city:
Heritage-listed spots
Originally inhabited by the Jagera and Turrbal people, Brisbane was a penal colony before becoming the foundation for the city we now know. About 200 years ago, Meanjin became known as Brisbane and the landscape has since grown and adapted to modern life. If you look carefully, though, you can find traces of the bustling industrial town that Brisbane once was by exploring some of the heritage-listed sites around The City. While these historical buildings serve vastly different purposes, many have been carefully restored or maintained to preserve insights into Brisbane’s bygone era.
Customs House - 399 Queen St
Originally serving as the customs and excise duties facilitator for all goods that entered the Port of Brisbane from 1884, the grand Customs House was an upgrade from the single-storey Customs House building located in Petrie Bight. With grand offices and public spaces, this Victorian Free Classic-style building took three years to build. As operations moved closer to the river mouth, the customs activities moved to an office block up the road. Customs House was restored and reopened in 1994 as a function space for educational, cultural and business activities and functions. Today, you can visit the popular Patina Restaurant for a bite to eat or a traditional high tea.
Boom Boom Room - 49 Elizabeth St
Ever wanted to dine in a bank vault? The Boom Boom Room subterranean bar and street-level Donna Chang restaurant inhabit an old art deco, heritage-listed bank building in The City. The 1920s bank basement houses old vaults that have now become private dining rooms to add an elevated air of excitement to your next night out.
The Gresham - 308 Queen St
The Gresham Bar is full of history, fun facts and nods to days gone by. Taking its name from a grand hotel that once lay opposite, The Gresham was built in 1881 and initially designed for the Queensland National Bank. The Gresham Hotel wasn’t just a regal and architecturally advanced building, it was also one of Brisbane’s first electricity customers (along with the GPO). After the great 1974 flood damaged the Gresham Hotel beyond repair, it was demolished. All that remains is the Gresham Bar that watched it all happen from the side lines and survived to tell the tale… accompanied by some of Brisbane’s best cocktails and fine whiskies, too.
Treasury Brisbane - 130 William St
Brisbane locals are familiar with the Treasury Brisbane Hotel and attached Casino but few know that it once operated as military barracks that housed government authorities, forming an important symbol of Brisbane’s political history and evolution. 2015 marked 20 years of the Treasury Brisbane as an entertainment destination and also signalled the beginning of a major Heritage Conservation Project to restore and maintain its façade.
Brisbane Arcade - 160 Queen St
Opening in 1924, Brisbane Arcade is Brisbane’s oldest shopping arcade, transporting visitors back in time as they travel down the pedestrian thoroughfare. Linking Queen St to Adelaide St, this elegant shopping arcade is renowned for housing couture fashion, jewellery, tailors, art, dining and more. To this day, it retains its elegance and elevated shopping experience along with some spectacular Christmas decorations when December rolls around!
Regent Theatre - 167 Queen St
The stunning Regent Theatre was built in 1929 as one of four Regent Theatres in Australia. Constructed in the grand Hollywood style that was the fashion of the moment, it featured an auditorium with an oval dome above, resplendent with a one-tonne bronze chandelier. A 25000-pound Wurlitzer organ also found its home in the theatre after travelling from New York (it now lives in GOMA’s Cinematheque). The foyer featured awe-inspiring decorative plasterwork. Nowadays, all that remains of the Regent Theatre is the foyer which currently lies awaiting the next chapter in its story.
Elizabeth Picture Theatre (Tara House) - 175 Elizabeth St
Founded as Tara House in 1919 – initially housing a bookmaker, then the Queensland Irish Association – the Elizabeth St building is now the home of Elizabeth Picture Theatre. It was converted under the capable hands of Stephen and Peter Sourris, the brothers who brought the New Farm Cinema to life (and the grandchildren of Peter, who built the Yatala Drive-In). Avid cinephiles, the Sourris Brothers spared no cost in lovingly refurbishing the building into a truly special cinema.
Beak House - 127 Queen St
Better known as the Hungry Jack’s building in Queen Street Mall, Beak House was established in 1899 and built for the Cairncross family. The Cairncrosses were farmers and property investors who built several adjacent buildings in this inner-city hotspot after a series of fires destroyed many of the original buildings along Queen St. Now we know Beak House as a central landmark in the heart of The City and a popular pitstop for teens, travellers and office workers alike.
ANZAC Square - 285 Ann St
After two years of construction, the Anzac Square memorial was unveiled in 1930 and reflects 14 years of lobbying and work by the Anzac Memorial Committee and everyday Queenslanders to memorialise the Australian and New Zealander service men and women. During the planning process, an architectural competition was held to design it, with a £100 prize awarded to Sydney-based architects Stafford Harman Buchanan and Frederick Mountford Cooper. Over the years the memorials located in Anzac Square have grown to include the Women’s Memorial, Boer War Memorial Statue, WWII statues and more recently, the Indigenous Memorial Statue.
Tattersall’s Club - 215 Queen St
With beginnings in horse racing, the Tattersall’s Club building was modelled off the original horse auction rooms of London. Originally sharing resources with the Queensland Turf Club until it became established independently, the building now allows its rich heritage to trickle down into the modern and exclusive club that operates within.
Brisbane City Hall - 216 Queen St
One of our most iconic landmarks is Brisbane City Hall, standing proudly in the heart of The City. Built between 1920 and 1930 and receiving a restoration in 2010-2013, City Hall now offers venue rooms for hire. It certainly makes for a statement event, with sweeping marble staircases, vaulted ceilings, chandeliers and mosaic floors. There’s plenty to experience when you visit the Museum of Brisbane located on level three and free guided tours of City Hall and its Clock Tower, so you can have your very own Boy Swallows Universe experience.
City Botanic Gardens - 147 Alice St
Escape the hustle and bustle of the city for the calming City Botanic Gardens. Bordered by the Brisbane River, bustling Alice St and QUT, the Gardens are full of attractions and often play host to art installations and exhibitions. Stroll along the Riverwalk or bring your bicycle to cycle along the bike path. Explore the Bamboo Grove, Weeping Fig Avenue, Riverstage, ornamental ponds and so much more.
St Stephen’s Cathedral - 249 Elizabeth St
For more than 160 years, the Cathedral of Saint Stephen has served as the heart of the Archdiocese of Brisbane, as well as a place of worship and sanctuary for many in the community. The volunteer tour guides are passionate about art and architecture as well as the religious and local history of Brisbane. Tours are held at 10.30am on weekdays or made by appointment on Sundays.
John Mills Himself Building - 40 Charlotte St
Built in 1919 and added to the Queensland Heritage Register in 1992, the John Mills Himself building is a heritage-listed warehouse on Charlotte St. Once upon a time, this area of Brisbane was home to light industrial workshops and Mills’ printing and stationery business saw expansion and prosperity following World War II. As time passed and John Mills passed, the building was used as a gym and a hub for arts workers. It’s now the home of renowned Archives Fine Books and a coffee shop that is a must-visit if you’re exploring heritage sites around the city.
Stock Exchange Hotel - 166 Charlotte St
One of the oldest surviving hotels in The City, the Stock Exchange Hotel was originally built in 1863. It’s seen many a facelift since its original heyday but the watering hole remains a local landmark and an integral piece of The City’s DNA. Now a popular sport and social destination, the Stock Exchange continues its legacy of bringing people together.
City Electrical Box
Some of Brisbane’s more discreet and perhaps overlooked pieces of history are the City Electric Light Junction Boxes. Seven of Brisbane’s eight remaining cast iron junction boxes are located in The City and mark the spread of the electrical network throughout Brisbane in the early 20th Century.
Check them out: 19 George St, 549 George St, 125 George St, Road Reserve Tank St, 170 Adelaide St, 166 Creek St, Road Reserve George St
National Australia Bank - 180 Queen St
Constructed between 1929 and 1930, the National Australia Bank replaced the Royal Bank of Queensland in the Queen St building that still stands proudly today. The seven-storey building is fashioned in the Classical Revival style and features impressive pilasters (a column that gives the illusion of being supportive, yet is ornamental in nature), a main banking chamber and a partly renovated mezzanine level. The building is now home to retail tenants on the ground level, along with small tenancies that occupy the upper levels.
Brisbane is full of rich and intriguing history so the next time you’re strolling the streets, slow down and direct your gaze up to the top storeys of buildings and down to what might be passing you by at your feet. You never know what is awaiting your exploration.