Hiatus II!

I Love Brisbane will again be on a short hiatus whilst I take another personal holiday travelling! This time around I'm fortunate to be going a Queensland coast island as part of a trip organised by my wonderful mother as part of her 70th Birthday celebrations.

Cheers, and see you soon, Wes.

General Post Office

The General Post Office is located at 261 Queen Street, directly opposite Post Office Square. Facing the building, on the right you have specialty shops including the RACQ, and on the left, the Post Office and related postal services of Australia Post. Under the arch the complex is split by an arcade which runs from Queen Street through to Elizabeth Street.

The General Post Office was opened in September of 1872. The original GPO building, was designed by colonial architect Francis Drummond Greville (FDG) Stanley with an Italianate influence. The two storied northern building was completed by John Petrie in 1872, and the southern wing, central tower and archway were erected from 1876 to 1879. The complex was established to meet the increasing communications needs of the colony of Queensland. Helidon freestone is used throughout the building, particularly on the facade, columns and arcades. Over the years further extensions and expansions of the complex were made, however the main original components remain intact.


I love the historic grandeur of the building. Restoration work was undertaken in the mid 1990's, and today the building still shines as a result. The sandstone usage, like many other buildings in the city from that period, is sensational. One part of the GPO I love is the clock face on the northern building. It reminds me of the clock tower from Back to the Future! One day someone should dress up as Doc and slide from the tower down into Post Office Square.

Cheers, I Love Brisbane, Wes.

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Indigenous Art Under the Story Bridge

Most mornings when I walk into work I park in a suburb of Brisbane known as New Farm. This walk involves going under the Story Bridge at its northern end, almost directly under the roadway and high on the cliff side. Rather than dull grey or off white on the walls, aboriginal style artwork has been painted over a simulated brickwork on much of the area directly under the bridge.

I have been unable to determine who or why did this work. I can only assume it may have been part of an community artwork scheme, but then again it may have been a fully commissioned work. It is quite extensive, with a large area which has been sealed off fully painted. Animals represented include snakes, turtles, lizards and fish in vivid colours. There doesn't appear to be any indication of the artist or artists at the actual site.

My take on this is that the Brisbane River is said to have flown for over 400 million years. Indigenous Australians have been here for at least 40,000 years, and were settled in the Brisbane region long before European Settlers left their marks. The artwork represented here appears to be an obvious recognition of the river, its makeup, and of the animals that originally inhabited the area. If you are exploring the city and walk over the Story Bridge, don't forget to have a sneak peak under it at another of Brisbane's hidden delights.

Cheers, I Love Brisbane, Wes.

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The Shingle Inn

Today is my birthday, and what better way to celebrate it with a post on The Shingle Inn. Somewhat of an institution in Brisbane, The Shingle Inn has been creating superior quality cakes since 1936. There are a number of stores throughout Brisbane and the suburbs, however the one represented here is in the basement of the Macarthur Central. The store consists of display cabinets for cakes and pastries, with a cafe area with magnificent high backed chairs to sit, eat and enjoy purchased treats at your leisure.

The Shingle Inn has a long and distinguished history within Brisbane. The original Shingle Inn was unfortunately closed in August 2002. Located in Edward Street between Adelaide and Queen Streets, it resembled English Tudor architecture, and had a distinct feel both inside and out. It also was said to be a popular haunt of soldiers during the second world war, as detailed here. After its closure, the original was painstakingly dismantled due to its heritage listing, with the intent that it would be rebuilt at some future time.

I'm glad you can still savour the delicious cakes in the city even with the original closed. I must admit, however, that as much as I wanted to buy a birthday cake during the day, I knew my wife had made me scrumptious chocolate mousse to devour when I got home - so I had to knock it back for today. There have been very recent rumours that the original Inn will be rebuilt at City Hall, with specific budget put aside, but we shall see.

Cheers, I Love Brisbane, Wes.

Click Here for the Google Map Reference for this post. (In this case, it is for the Macarthur Central store.)

Jimmy's on The Mall

Jimmy's on the Mall is a restaurant and bar between Edward and Albert Streets in the Queen Street Mall. Effectively an Al Fresco cafe, they offer both a modern Australian (read beer, steaks and seafood!) and Asian influenced menu, and are open every day from breakfast until very late in the evening. There is seating for over 200 patrons, and they are licensed.

Meals range in price from around $10 for entrees, $25 for mains and $8 for desserts. Opened in 1984, Jimmy's has become one of the mainstays of central Brisbane. It is actually operated by the same crowd that runs the Pig 'N' Whistle pub restaurants within the city. There are both outside and inside seats, although the bulk of the seating still is undercover.

If you want a fairly laid back experience and want to watch the multitude of people who frequent the mall on a weekday or weekends, Jimmy's is a great place to go for lunch. Its also a great place for a late night snack or drink, and for a long time was a stop off point within the city for that last bite, due to it being one of the few places that was still open. There are now a number of cafes which do the same thing, but at least with Jimmy's you know you've got an original.

Cheers, I Love Brisbane, Wes.

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Adelaide Street Animal Sculpture

The light posts on Adelaide Street between George and Edward Street are home to a menagerie of sculpted creatures. Created by artist Fred Whitehouse, they include Birds, a Flying Fox, a Frog, a Goanna and a Possum. They are installed in Adelaide Street as permanent artworks. They are all cast bronze sculptures and were installed in 1996.

The detail of each is exquisite, even after more than ten years of peering down on the bus travellers of Brisbane. The recent roadworks and ongoing shop front work have meant that they may not be as obvious to those wandering past, but all you have to do is look up. Fred Whitehouse has other works installed around the city suburbs, however, I'm unsure if he is a local Queensland sculptor, or just happened to be passing through in 1996, when the bulk of his works in the area were installed.

These are more examples of public artwork which blends into the streetscape and is not obvious to those doing their normal daily errands. It is fascinating to watch the responses of people as you turn your camera up to the top of a lamp post. Most people look at you with an expression of "What is he doing?" which soon turns to either delight, amazement or puzzlement when they realise that there are these fantastic creatures mere feet above their heads. I like the surprises, and that our city has these somewhat hidden delights - even if they are in full public view!

Cheers, I Love Brisbane, Wes.

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Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA)

The Queensland Art Gallery - Gallery of Modern Art, or GOMA as its known to the locals, is a wonderful new gallery located in South Brisbane within the Cultural Centre precinct of South Bank. It is the largest gallery of modern and contemporary art in Australia. Opening hours are from 10:00am to - 5:00pm Monday to Friday, with the weekend opening time extended to 9:00am. Admission is free, except for special exhibitions and screenings. It was opened on the 2nd December, 2006.

The entrance foyer is dominated by this huge black and white work by Eko Nugroho. The prime reason for having an art gallery is to exhibit Art, however, aside from the many public gallery areas, there are also cinemas, a library, a number of cafes, and a gallery store. Multi-media and new technology is used as both an adjunct to certain pieces, and also as art in itself. They also have guest speakers and guided tours of the collections. A major exhibition, the Asia–Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art was the prime opening exhibition. At present, the main gallery is being refurbished for a new exhibition. Details of upcoming and current events can be found on the gallery website.


Today we were still able to wander through the existing exhibitions. There are some things which take my eye, and others that leave me wondering if a blank canvas with a small splotch of paint really is art. I enjoyed the indigenous aboriginal collection. One problem I have with these galleries is how hard it is to take your kids, and not let them touch the artworks, particularly things like carved stonework. Of course they want to explore! However, in this instance my boys were very well behaved.

Cheers, I Love Brisbane, Wes.

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Australian Vietnamese War Memorial

The Australian Vietnamese War Memorial is located at the College Road entrance to Roma Street Parkland, at the top of the park. The memorial commemorates and honours Australian defence service personnel who served in Vietnam, and is dedicated to the memory of those who lost their lives in the Vietnam War. It was unveiled on the 16th September, 2005.

The memorial features two life size bronze statues dedicated to the armed forces of Australia and The Republic of Vietnam. On the left is an Australian Infantryman and on the right a South Vietnamese soldier. The memorial consists of a 1.2 metre high base which has the map of Vietnam on the front panel with the Australian and Republic of Vietnam flags on either side. The side panels have the tri-service logos of both the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) with words of dedication underneath them.

I feel similarly about this memorial as I do about the Vietnam Memorial in ANZAC Square. I'm saddened that we had to send our troops to Vietnam, largely due to the large loss of life and the ultimate futility of War. I'm glad that we have come to recognise the work and sacrifice of Australian Vietnam Veterans, and also glad that this particular memorial also reflects the Vietnamese community and recognises the South Vietnamese impact.

Cheers, I Love Brisbane, Wes.

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Elevat "at" 32

Hidden within every city, down a side street or lane, there will always be a local eatery, restaurant or take-away that doesn't seem to make it to any of the eating guides. One such place in Brisbane is Elevat@32. Located at 32 Burnett Lane, the restaurant serves simple Taiwanese food, but is always busy with mainly Asian clientele. They are open weekdays from 11:00am until 7:00pm, and later on Friday evenings.

The menu is distinctly Asian with a strong Thai influence. Most meals are served with either noodles or rice, and you can have chicken, pork, beef or vegetarian variations. Prices are excellent, ranging from a few dollars to generally no more than ten. They also have a variety of the pearl teas which are quite popular within the Asian communities here.

I was lucky enough to get introduced to this place by a colleague one lunchtime. Although the interior is nothing exotic, it is functional. The congestion at lunchtime to me is always a sign that they must be doing something right! I was glad I found it, however, I can't stress enough how little information there appears to be on the Internet about it. Perhaps if I could decipher the Asian characters I'd find more!

Cheers, I Love Brisbane, Wes.

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Frogs Hollow

Between the Port Office Hotel and Smellies Building at the lower end of Edwards Street is a small entrance way which has this excellent sculpture known as Frogs Hollow. Created by artist Christopher Trotter in 2000, it is part of his series on nature. As you can see, the sculpture is basically a resting place for all manner of metallic frogs!

In Brisbane's history, this was part of the low-lying, swampy district known as Frog's Hollow. It was bounded by George and Edward Streets to the north and south, the west by Elizabeth Street and on the east by Alice Street. In the 1880's boom period Frog's Hollow became the principal warehousing and light-industrial sector of Brisbane's central business district. The sculpture is inspired by this area, and the use of discarded metals is noted by the artist as acknowledging the significant founding ironmongery history of the building to which it is attached.

This is another excellent work reminiscent of one of Christopher's other pieces, City Roos. The attention to detail, and his ability to add character and a sense of fun to his works is evidenced by not only this piece, but the number of artworks throughout the Brisbane suburbs which he has also created. Frogs Hollow has been acknowledged as quite a rough neighbourhood in its heyday, although I bet the frogs were always friendly!

Cheers, I Love Brisbane, Wes.

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Walter Hill Fountain

The Walter Hill Fountain, in the City Botanic Gardens, is a unique monument to the colonial botanist and original director of the gardens, Walter Hill. Stonemason John Petrie built the stone drinking fountain in 1867 using the designs of Queensland's first colonial architect, Charles Tiffin. It was constructed using Helidon sandstone and marble from Gladstone.

The fountain commemorates the construction of the Enoggera Dam, which was engineered to provide drinking water for the growing city. It was the first ornamental drinking fountain in Queensland, and for many years functioned as such. The aim of Walter Hill was that all visitors to the Botanic Gardens would have access to pure drinking water. The original lions head through which the water funnelled still remain as features of the fountain. Located almost in the centre of the gardens, the fountain would have provided a focal point for those visitors as they perused the botanical delights.


I've just spent the past week travelling down through the eastern parts of Australia. Fortunately, as I went inland we had quite a lot of rain during my travels, and this meant that finally some of the drought stricken areas of the country have had some relief, and their was greenery through most of New South Wales. Posting on this fountain has made me reflect on how the provision of water, one of the basic necessities of life, has been made so difficult for our city over the past few years. Here's hoping we get more rain into our catchments so we can be spared further drought restrictions in the future.

Cheers, I Love Brisbane, Wes.

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Hiatus!

I Love Brisbane will be on a short hiatus whilst I take a personal holiday travelling! On my return next week, I'll continue posting about our wonderful city of Brisbane.

In the meantime, why don't you go over and visit Brisbane Is Home, another wonderful blog dedicated to this fantastic town!!!

Cheers, and see you soon, Wes.

Shrine of Remembrance

The Shrine of Remembrance is located in ANZAC Square and serves as a State memorial to those who lost their lives participating in overseas armed service campaigns, in particular the First World War. The Shrine houses an Eternal Flame in remembrance of those who lost their lives representing the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZACs). It holds an elevated position at the Ann Street entrance to ANZAC Square. It was dedicated at 11am on Armistice Day, Tuesday, 11 November 1930.


The Shrine is a dominant feature of the Square. The architecture is Greek Classic Revival style, utilising the forms of a Greek sacred enclosure (temenos) comprising of a round temple (tholos). The various columns are made of Helidon sandstone, which stand on a three tiered base of Queensland granite. The eighteen columns utilise doric order, and represent the year of peace, 1918. They support a circular entablature which on its outside edge is ornamented with rosettes and within the shrine is inscribed with the names of battlefields where Australian soldiers fought. Within the middle of the shrine a bronze urn houses the Eternal Flame. Twin stone staircases wrap around the Shrine, descending to the level of the Square.


Of all the elements within ANZAC Square, this has to be the most striking. The Shrine is a meeting place for the dawn service on ANZAC Day, and throughout that particular day draws huge crowds who pay their respect. At any time of the year, it is a moving and sombre experience to visit and recognise and remember the fallen.

Cheers, I Love Brisbane, Wes.

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The Mansions

The Mansions are a row of six attached houses which were built in 1889. The first tenants were three doctors who set up practice early in 1890 and included Dr Lilian Cooper, the first female doctor in Queensland. It was also used by Queensland parliamentarians, including the then premier Boyd Dunlop Morehead. In the following years the various houses were used as private residences, a day school, consulting rooms and boarding houses before falling into government hands as offices. In 1982 the building was refurbished to accommodate shops and a restaurant on the ground floors and offices on the upper levels.


Given its age, the style is a Victorian version of Italian Classical architecture. With predominantly red brickwork, each attached house is three stories in height. Designed by architect G.H.M. Addison it is an example of the prestigious housing of the late 19th century. This was where the elite of Queensland society of the time lived, offering views over the township and the river from one of the highest points in the city. The interiors have been significantly renovated over time, with very little of the original interior architecture remaining.

I love how at each of the main corners of the building facing George Street, two cats are perched overlooking the streetscape. These are similar to Gargoyles, however these serve as sculpture providing what appears to be an ornamental or artistic function. I wonder if these were placed here to scare off evil spirits and used for some level of spiritual protection. They looked quite determined with their ever vigilant eyes on those who pass by underneath.

Cheers, I Love Brisbane, Wes.

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Thomas Joseph Ryan Sculpture

Thomas Joseph Ryan was Premier of Queensland, Australia from May 1915 until October 1919. He has been immortalized with a bronze statue designed by noted Australian sculptor Sir Edgar Bertram MacKennal which was unveiled in Queens Gardens in 1925. It is located diagonally in from the intersection of William Street and Elizabeth Street. The grand figure in full legal regalia stands upon a pedestal of Helidon sandstone and Enoggera granitebase with a plaque which identifies his stature in Queensland politics, and provides a remembrance of his untimely death.

Ryan was born at Port Fairy in Victoria on 1 July 1876. He was educated in Victoria at South Melbourne College, Xavier College, Kew, and the University of Melbourne, graduating with legal qualifications. Moving to Queensland, he practised as a solicitor at Rockhampton and then as a barrister in Brisbane. He entered politics in October 1909 as part of the labour party, and was elected leader in 1912 from whence he became Premier at the election of May 1915. He moved from state to federal politics in October 1919. Unfortunately, during a trip to England he contracted influenza, and on his return never quite fully recovered. On 1 August 1921 he died of pneumonia.

There are not that many of these types of sculptures in the Brisbane city area. This work effectively provides a memorial to a man who many believed could have been a likely Australian Labor Party leader, and potential Prime Minister, before his premature death. The sculpture itself is an excellent representation of who TJ Ryan may have been. The plaque notes that not only was he Premier, but also a Scholar, Jurist and Statesman. Given the piece was erected by public subscription, he must have been well respected within the community of the time.

Cheers, I Love Brisbane, Wes.

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Plant Form

Plant Form is a large steel sculpture located on the riverfront within the City Botanical Gardens. Brisbane City Council purchased the piece after the finish of World Expo 1988 and relocated it to this position within the gardens. Created by Robert Juniper, it stands over four metres tall and is an imposing artwork on the riverwalk. The easiest way to locate the artwork is to enter the gardens via the Alice and Edward Street entrance and proceed along the river.

Born in Merredin, Western Australia in 1929, Robert Juniper is considered one of Australia's most renowned painters, sculptors and printmakers. He is acknowledged as a major figure in Australian landscape painting, and he has also been honoured by the Western Australian government as a 'Living Treasure'. He's even been on Burke's Backyard! He studied commercial art and industrial design at Beckenham School of Art, England before returning to Western Australia in 1948 where he painted, taught and exhibited from the early 1950s. In the 1980s he investigated other artistic avenues, including stained glass and metal sculpture like the work presented here. He has won numerous awards with individual and group collections presented worldwide.

In researching Robert, I found reference that most of his sculptures are made from bits and pieces of rusty steel he finds in old deserted gold mining towns and dumps, and then welds together. This seems to fit this mold perfectly. I feel like this work is perfectly located. To me, the leaf elements of the work look like boat anchors, so the juxtaposition with the yachts on the river works beautifully. In a similar vein the same juxtaposition with the garden backdrop behind the piece works just as well due to the "plant" nature of the sculpture. Good planning, or just good luck? Who cares, it sure is striking!

Cheers, I Love Brisbane, Wes.

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Transcontinental Hotel

The Transcontinental Hotel is a historic pub located at 482 George Street opposite the Brisbane Transit Centre. Open from 10:00am until late each day, the complex offers restaurant, bars and a pokies gaming area. Renowned as both a live music and dance venue, as well as a great place to get cheap eats, the Trans, as it is locally known, has been a Brisbane pub institution for a number of years. I do not, however, believe the hotel currently offers accommodation.

The Transcontinental Hotel has quite a long history with Brisbane. It was constructed in 1883-4 as a first class hotel for the city's gentry. It originally contained 27 bedrooms, seven public rooms, billiard room and a private bar over four levels, with the lower level being below street level. It was reputed to have one of the largest bar trades in Brisbane, with only the best liquor carried. Over the years, although the facade has remained largely intact, the interior has had significant remodelling.

Today, the trans has several theme nights, changing from pub sports on Monday, music jam night Tuesday, funk and R&B Wednesday, university night Thursday, office Friday and differing varieties on Saturday and Sunday. The crowd is a mix of backpackers and tourists, the office set, and students, depending on which night you go. During happy hours the beer is cheap and flows regularly, and their pub meals are quite good value.

Cheers, I Love Brisbane, Wes.

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