City Hall Leadlight

When people think of Brisbane City Hall, the immediate things which spring to mind are its facade featuring the tympanum of the pediment, the Museum of Brisbane, or the spectacular main auditorium. However, if you wander around the hallowed halls, you can come across other, more subtle pieces of Brisbane's history. These include the magnificent leadlight feature windows which can be found in the small entrance halls off Adelaide and Ann Streets on the first floor level. These were designed by artist William Bustard.

William Bustard (1894-1973) is renowned in Australia not only as a painter, but also due to his stained-glass and book illustration work. Born in England in 1894, he migrated to Queensland in 1921. At that time he was already well versed in stained glass work and over the intervening years through to the second world war he did work in many of Brisbane's churches, along with this piece in City Hall. His artworks can also be found at the Queensland Art Gallery.

The history of City Hall has been well documented, having been opened in 1930, but with the idea and foundation stone being laid in 1913. I think that William Bustard would not have worked on this until the late 1920's. What I particularly love about this piece is I believe it would have been reflective of the view one would have had from Adelaide Street back down to the Brisbane River at that time. The crest with the phrases City of Brisbane and Conjunctis Viribus (With united powers) emblaze the sky, and the wealth from the land and growing industry are also depicted.

Cheers, I Love Brisbane, Wes.

Click Here for the Google Map Reference for this post.

Museum of Brisbane

Aside from housing the Brisbane City Council, Brisbane City Hall houses the Museum of Brisbane. The Museum entrance via City Hall is located at King George Square, between Adelaide and Ann Streets. The Museum has four Spaces in which exhibitions are held, along with specific theatre areas for lectures and presentations, and discovery areas for kids. Most exhibitions are free, and they offer guided tours of the exhibitions on specific days. The Museum is open daily from 10:00am to 5:00pm.

At the moment they are changing over some of the exhibitions, so some of the spaces were not accessible. However, the Lord Mayor's Photographic Awards 2006: Secret Treasures of Brisbane was still on, and will run until only the 25th of March. Some of the photographs are sensational, and the commendations and awards for winners are well worth it. Along with the photographs are some objects and pieces from people's homes, museums and private collections which also represent Secret Treasures. This copy of the William Bligh's account of the Mutiny on the Bounty in particular caught my attention.


The Museum of Brisbane is highly accessible to visitors to the city. They have a distinct flavour in featuring both Brisbane history, and emerging artists and cultural exhibitions. It is fantastic that we have this as this type of venue. It also provides an active and participative place for our kids to explore and engage in the exhibitions, and I've always felt being immersed in something is the best way to learn.

Cheers, I Love Brisbane, Wes.

Click Here for the Google Map Reference for this post.

The Clock Tower

This is a picture of an antique lift. It is located within Brisbane City Hall, which is in King George Square, between Adelaide and Ann Streets. City Hall has an imposing Clock Tower, allegedly based on the design of the St Mark's Campanile in Venice, Italy. Imagine my delight when I found out that you could catch a lift on the fully restored antique elevator up to the clock tower, 76 metres above the City Plaza to the observation deck. The tower itself reaches 92 metres. The lift operates from 10:00am to 3:00pm Monday to Friday, and was ideal for a late lunch! Its free as well, although you might have to share the lift with school kids. It is quite unassuming when you walk up there and discover it.

The four clock faces on each side of the tower are the largest in Australia. Each face is made up of 1 tonne of slivered white opal. They are almost 5 metres in diameter, and the minute hands are made of sheet copper at three metres in length. The hour hands are shorter at 1.7 metres. The chimes are Westminster containing 5 bells. The chime bells weight 3 tonnes each, and the hour bell weights 4.3 tonnes.

Up until 1973 the clock tower was the tallest structure in Brisbane. It was in the late 1960's that they relaxed the laws relating to height restrictions for CBD buildings, and since then the views have largely been built out. This shot aims towards the Southbank area, with Stefan's Skyneedle (the Expo Sky Needle) in the distance. Imagine the view from here in the 1970's or earlier as Brisbane was coming of age.

Cheers, I Love Brisbane, Wes.

Click Here for the Google Map Reference for this post.

Tympanum of the Pediment

The Brisbane City Hall faces King George Square. Bounded by the square, Ann Street and Adelaide Street, the building is one of the most significant buildings in Brisbane. One of the most famous sculptures in Brisbane, Progress of civilisation in the state of Queensland or Tympanum of the Pediment, is above the main entrance to City Hall.


Created by Sculptor Daphne Mayo, the sculpture was carved in Helidon Freestone (sandstone) over three years. Its unveiling on 17 December 1930, completed the construction of City Hall. The components are symbolic of the settlement of the State by the early pioneers. The central figure is the State protecting the citizens. The figures to the left hand side represent the native life (man and beast) dying out before the approach of the white man. The figures to the right hand side represent the early explorers discovering the possibilities of the new land and its industries. The overall length is 54 feet.

At night, they light up the main face of City Hall, with the tympanum being highlighted by a set of spotlights. This adds another dimension to an already impressive feature. The sculpture has had some controversy over the years, due to the apparent depiction of Aboriginal Australians. I don't believe that was the intent of Mayo back in the 1930's, as she undertook the artwork as a commission for the city council of the time, working to their themes. Aside from this, the sculpture is quite magnificent, and a fantastic representation of another master craftswoman at work.

Cheers, I Love Brisbane, Wes.

Click Here for the Google Map Reference for this post.