Gifts

Just outside the Marriott Hotel at 515 Queen Street is the sculpture known as Gifts. It shows what I believe to be a young aboriginal boy at play with birds overhead and at his feet. Sculpted by Rhyl Hinwood, it was commissioned in 1998 as a fountain work. Unfortunately, due to the ongoing drought and water restrictions, the fountain area has been re-potted with native plants. However, I feel the aesthetic of the sculpture has not been lost.

Rhyl Hinwood is quite a prolific sculptor, with international renown and a significant number of artworks around Brisbane. She also must have a keen sense of humour, as evidenced by the plaque associated with this sculpture. I thought it best that I transcribe this for reference here!

'I will bring you love', said the young lover,
'A glad light to dance in your dark eye.
Pendants I will bring of the white bone,
And gay parrot feathers to deck your hair.'

But she only shook her head.

'I will put a child in your arms,' he said,
'Will be a great headman, great rain-maker,
I will make remembered songs about you
That all the tribes in all the wandering camps
Will sing for ever.'

But she was not impressed.

'I will bring you the still moonlight on the lagoon,
And steal for you the singing of all the birds;
I will bring down the stars of heaven to you,
And put the bright rainbow in your hand.'

'No,' she said, 'Bring me tree grubs.'

Oodgeroo of the tribe Noonucal

How appropriate that on Valentine's Day I can share this with you.

Cheers, I Love Brisbane, Wes.

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The Axeman

In a small arcade off Queen Street, just before you hit Edward Street and at the side of the National Australia Bank, you'll stumble across an Axeman undertaking his trade. The Axeman is a sculpture created by John Underwood's Artbusters organisation and was relocated here by the bank at some point after World Expo 1988 for the people of Brisbane. The sculpture was part of the Human Factor sculpture series of approximately 90 works originally at the Expo site at Southbank.

The "Human Factors" sculptures created quite a stir at the World Expo 88 in Brisbane. Although these creations, made of fibreglass and coated white, simply showed people doing ordinary things, they derived their powerful impact from the way they illustrated universal and timeless human qualities. The sculptures can still be found at several other locations around Brisbane.

I quite literally discovered this sculpture whilst wandering around the city. I had no idea it was there, but my new found attention to more of the hidden delights of the city drew me down this otherwise unexplored arcade. The Axeman has stood the test of time well, still poised and ready to chop after nearly 20 years! I can only hope that I'd be in as good a shape after 20 years at my job. Wait a minute?! I better check the mirror!

Cheers, I Love Brisbane, Wes.

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Customs House

The heritage-listed Brisbane Customs House is located at 399 Queen Street. Work commenced on the building in 1886, and taking three years to build it was opened in 1889. It served as the base for Brisbane River customs operations for almost 100 years. It is a fine example of the work of Scottish architect Charles McLay, who worked in the Colonial Architect's Office. The architecture represents a Victorian building in the Renaissance mode, with strong Corinthian columns abounding!


It is known as the former Customs House, as Customs activities no longer place there! The building is now leased by the University of Queensland. There is a restaurant within the building, and regular concerts and art exhibitions are also held at the building. Facilities are also available for corporate and private functions for up to 350 guests, including a boardroom for meetings, and a seminar room with audio-visual facilities. The University acquired it in 1992. On a day like today, with storms about and quite blowy, you can see the affect on the palm trees!


One of the interesting things I like on Customs House is the heraldry, as shown above, which were precursors to the Queensland coat of arms. You've gotta love kangaroos and emus. I've had the good fortune to attend a number of activities at the Customs House. The Long Room is quite spectacular, with cathedral ceilings and a fantastic chandelier. I haven't yet had an opportunity to eat at the restaurant though I've heard its good. The Art Gallery, on the river level, also has a great collection of Australian Art.

Cheers, I Love Brisbane, Wes.

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The Post Office Arch

The General Post Office for Brisbane at 261 Queen Street was opened in September of 1872. It has operated as a post office since then, and is part of Australia Post. The complex was established in 1872 to meet the increasing communications needs of the colony of Queensland. It is important as a prominent historic public building and civic focus for Brisbane residents since that time.

Splitting the complex is an arcade which runs from Queen Street through to Elizabeth Street. Its from here that this shot was taken, looking back through the arch to Post Office Square, ANZAC Square and Central Station in the far distance. On the left you have shops for the RACQ, and on the right, the Post Office and related postal services.

To get this shot I've had to stitch together two photos. I love how the arches and columns run down both sides, along with the single arch which you invites you into the arcade. With the sun streaming in, its hard to get a shot which doesn't look too bright, and still captures the view, effectively across two city blocks to the station. The masonry, brick and stonework are some of the hidden delights of this city.

Cheers, I Love Brisbane, Wes.

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The Overseer

If you ever eat at the Post Office Square food court, chances are you've seen this particular gentleman looking over you. Another of the artworks by Cezary Stulgis, The Overseer looks down upon the daily populace of Brisbane as they pass by below. Made of mild steel, and sitting nearly 2 metres high, The Overseer is perched at 300 Queen Street.

Installed in 2003, this was a commissioned work. The intricacies of the design show the expertise with which this sculpture was created. From his own site, I note that Cezary's technical skills include "monument, kinetic, figurative, ceramic, model making as well as fabrication steel, stainless steel sculptures. Cezary has been producing fine art plus mural design and paintings for at least 10 years".

I'm glad that through public work like this we get to experience the sculpture of someone who is a master. Brisbane is fortunate to have work from artists of this calibre on public display within the city. This representation of the human form is exquisite. From both side on and front on, the posture and the way it is captured. Were he real, I wonder what he would be pondering. From his pose I hope it is simply "Relax and Chill!"

Cheers, I Love Brisbane, Wes.

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The Victory Hotel

The Victory Hotel is located at 127 Edward Street. A well known watering hole for beer, it has been a meeting place for after work activities for many years. It has allegedly the only open air beergarden within the CBD, and has six different bars at which you can partake of amber fluids, amongst other beverages. They also have poker machines, and a bistro.

Open until late most evenings, the big nights are generally Thursday, Friday and Saturday. They have live music in the beer garden most evenings, and on Sunday afternoon's you can chill out and relax, usually to reggae music. Then there is the Garden Grill, where you can order and eat out in the beergarden during the day at lunchtime, or for an early evening meal.


I don't actually get to The Vic that often, and although I like to watch other people screw up royally with Karaoke, I'm yet to do it myself. It is great to sit out in the beer garden and watch the world go by under the palm trees, or watch the kids singing all the songs I grew up with sung by 80's cover bands!

Cheers, I Love Brisbane, Wes.

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CityCat and CityFerry

The CityCat and CityFerry are catamaran and ferry services which are operated on the Brisbane River. The services run along the Brisbane River between Brett's Wharf in the suburb of Hamilton in the east and the University of Queensland at St Lucia, via the Brisbane CBD. It is a great way to get around the city on the river. Services began on CityCat in 1996 with 6 vessels, each capable of carrying 150 passengers, with two further vessels being added to the CityCat fleet in 1998 due to increased demand. Two more were added in 2004-05. The area covered by the CityFerry service differs from that of the CityCat ferry service in that it is smaller, and is operated with 12 monohull ferries.

The service is a great way to get around the city via the river, with various crossings over the river, along with runs up and down the river stopping at various locations. Services run from around 6:00am through to 10:30pm each day. For around $5, you can travel all day. Full details can be found at the Translink web site.


I've used the cats and ferries as a great way to see the city from the river. There are a number of terminals near Eagle Street Pier which will allow you go either go up or down river, or across to Kangaroo Point. We have taken the kids on the ferry from New Farm Park up to South Bank Parklands, and they love it! Its definitely an enjoyable and cheap way of cruising the river.

Cheers, I Love Brisbane, Wes.

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Vietnam Memorial

Another of the War Memorial sculptures in ANZAC Square is to the Vietnam War. The Vietnam War was a conflict between North and South Vietnam. South Vietnam's allies included the United States, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. Australian and New Zealand troops were involved from 1962 to 1973. Some 50,000 Australians, including ground troops and Air Force and Navy personnel, served in Vietnam; 520 died as a result of the war, and almost 2,400 were wounded.

The memorial depicts an act of mercy performed many times during the campaign. It shows an Australian soldier directing a medical helicopter to descend and tend to his wounded mate. The memorial commemorates those Australians and their allies who died or served during the Vietnam War. It was unveiled as part of a bicentennial project by the then governor of Queensland in 1988.

Like the current War in Iraq, 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. This memorial does depict one of the better aspects, mateship, and standing by your mate to help out at a time when your own safety would still have been in jeopardy.

Cheers, I Love Brisbane, Wes.

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City Birds of Paradise

As much as Brisbane is paradise, and does have great Birds to use the colloquial for attractive women, I'm actually talking about something different. My favourite flowering plant is the Bird of Paradise, or Strelitzia Reginae. This particular photo was taken around the garden beds on the footpath near the intersection of Market and Charlotte Streets. The reason why its called the Bird of Paradise should be obvious due to its appearance like a bird's head and beak.

Indigenous to South Africa, the plant was introduced to Australia. All over the world the flower is symbolic of the tropics, but most residents of Brisbane will be familiar with it growing in local gardens. I've got two at my place, but they haven't quite reached this level. The plant grows to around 2 metres tall with broad strong leaves and stalks about 1 metre long. The flowers stand above the foliage at the tips of the stalks.


I love how there are flower beds and greenery dotted all around the city. Rather than just being a concrete jungle, you can always find pockets of greenery and tracks of grass where you can sit and escape. On top of this, you have the fantastic City Botanic Gardens as a feature of the city. What's not to love!

Cheers, I Love Brisbane, Wes.

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Memories of Wind

Another of the sculpture's in Kind Edward Park, which reaches between Turbot Street and Wickham Terrace, is Fumio Nishimura's Memories of Wind. This piece was originally part of the artwork from World Expo 1988, and was relocated to the park some time after the event. Created from granite at a height of 2 metres, it was originally loaned by the artist to the Expo in association with Gallery Seiho, Tokyo.

What strikes me about this piece is that it invokes in me thoughts of Hiroshima at the end of World War II. I have no idea what the original intention of the sculptor was, but in my imagination this represents an individual who was able to withstand the blast and wind which would have occurred with the bombing. To do so, they would have had to have been as strong as this granite statue, facing into the destruction and always to remember the memories of wind.

On the surface, you could easily pass this sculpture by with out much notice. With the considerations above, in me it does strike a strong emotive response due to my feelings about the futility of war.

Cheers, I Love Brisbane, Wes.

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Treasury Casino at Night

The Old Treasury Building spans the block bounded by Queen, William, Elizabeth and George Streets in the city. Now home to the Conrad Treasury Casino, the building was built in three stages from 1886 to 1928. Even before then the site had been reserved for government activities, and was assigned to the treasury activities from around 1860. The design was proposed by Australian Architect John James Clark, and is important in demonstrating the principal characteristics of Italian Renaissance style in late nineteenth century Australian public buildings, of which Clark was a significant proponent.

The Conrad Treasury Casino is not only a casino, but more of what is classed as an entertainment venue. It also houses a hotel in the nearby Lands Administration Building, several restaurants and bars, as well as a nightclub. Opened in April 1995, the casino houses a three-level gaming emporium of 80 gaming tables and over 1300 gaming machines. If gambling isn't your cup of tea, other entertainment is provided most evenings ranging from bands, dance and comedy.

As you can see, in the evening it lights up with neon lights as befitting a casino! From the outside, the colour of the lights around the building definitely makes the casino stand out. I know that it has enticed me into its den of pleasure a few times, but in the main I always come out a little lighter in the pocket. The gambler's lament "If only I could hit the jackpot..." rings true each time!

Cheers, I Love Brisbane, Wes.

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St Stephen Cathedral Bell

After visiting the Cathedral of St Stephen during last week, one of my colleagues commented that I should do a post on the Cathedral Bell located on the same site. We went back and visited today, so here it is!

The bell had a hundred year history within the Cathedral from 1888 to 1988. It was cast at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry, famous also for casting of the American Liberty Bell. It was brought to Australia in 1887 on the R.M.S. Dacca. Its weight is 2856kg.

Today, the bell sits on concrete pillars in the courtyard of the Cathedral. It has an imposing and virtually immovable position, given its weight and size. It hasn't necessarily been untainted by sitting outside the bell tower, with a certain level of graffiti on the outer casing. It is still an impressive piece of metal, and it would have been great to hear its peal around the area over those 100 years.

Cheers, I Love Brisbane, Wes.

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A tree a rock a cloud

Outside Central Plaza Two, on the corner of Elizabeth Street and Creek Street is the sculpture 'a tree a rock a cloud'. Designed by now Brisbane sculptor Barbara Heath, it was installed in 2000. The associated plaque reads that the sculpture is combining symbols of the world around us while reflecting aspects of the innovation and achievements of business.

After being born in Sydney and then studying her craft in Melbourne, Barbara moved to Brisbane to set up her studio in 1983. It would seem she's been here ever since, and is a fascinating artist on the Brisbane scene with fantastic jewellery works and design. A self professed Jeweller to the Lost, she has exhibited many times in Brisbane, Queensland and internationally.

The picture above doesn't quite do the design justice, and with the water restrictions in Brisbane at present, there is currently no associated water feature with the sculpture. The angle also didn't quite capture the colour of the cloud part of the sculpture as much as I would have liked. This is another classic example of sculpture in the city which although not immediately grabbing your attention, will cause you to reflect on its themes once you do!

Cheers, I Love Brisbane, Wes.

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The Manor Apartments

The Manor Apartments are located at 289 Queen Street. Acting as both permanent and hotel accommodation, the Manor offers apartments for the weary traveller and corporate clientele. Officially known as Newspaper House, the building has also been known as the Colonial Mutual Life Building. The building was constructed between 1930 and 1931 for Colonial Mutual Life Assurance Society (CML). To compensate for the site's narrow frontage of a small 10 metres, an agreement was made between the Commonwealth authorities, who administer the adjoining GPO, and Colonial Mutual Life to allow a "right-of-way to extend the full depth of the building".


The building is 10 storeys high with a very narrow frontage to Queens Street. There are several sculptured ornaments adorning the building. The style of these on the building facades is influenced by American Art Deco buildings of the 1930's. These included sculptured lions like those seen in this photo, and at the top there are a number of eagle gargoyles which gaze down at those on the street below.

I love the architecture of this building. The depth and the sculptures make it visually attractive as part of the streetscape. The heritage elements also make it unique. It is beyond those buildings of the late 1800's, yet still reflects a time between the world wars where different influences were coming in to play.

Cheers, I Love Brisbane, Wes.

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