Plough Inn

The Plough Inn is the main pub on Stanley Street Plaza at South Bank Parklands. The inn offers both a traditional pub atmosphere, with beer on tap, along with a steakhouse offering both snacks and meals. The view is excellent, across the beach, river and city and to Little Stanley Street. There is the capacity to cater for a variety of functions for up to 500 people. It is open from 11:00am until late daily.

This historic building was originally built as a hotel in 1885. It replaced a previous, less substantial structure on the site, which had functioned as the Plough Inn since 1864. It had its hey day through the tun of the century due its proximity to the South Brisbane wharves, ensuring its popularity amongst the sea going trade. It was also a significant meeting point for troops during World War II. In 1987 the building was modified to function as a tavern during Expo '88.


Today the pub is quite a popular meeting point and eatery, being a focal point for the many tourists who visit Southbank. By both night and day the atmosphere is always friendly and welcoming, and the grub is good. It is very easy to sit at the entrance to the pub with a cool, refreshing drink and watch the world go by.

Cheers, I Love Brisbane, Wes.

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A Bronzed Aussie and his Blue Heeler Dog

In the grassed area near Picnic Island at South Bank Parklands stands the sculpture A Bronzed Aussie and his Blue Heeler Dog. This is near the Stanley Street entrance to the Parklands. The sculpture depicts the traditional image of a strong country male with his faithful dog at his side. The statue was commissioned in 1980's for the then new AMP Building in the CBD. This came about from a comment by Lady Flo Bjelke-Petersen. At the official opening of the building she mentioned that the new building and the neighbouring building looked like 'a bronzed Aussie and his Blue Heeler dog.'

The associated plaque doesn't acknowledge who the sculptor is, and I haven't been able to find out from any follow up research. The statue was gifted to the South Bank corporation when the AMP Building foyer underwent refurbishment. The concept of the Bronzed Aussie is a national personification of the weather beaten but proudly strong Australian "battler". The bronzing comes from the constant sun endured by much outside work. The Blue Heeler is a faithful Australian cattle dog, portrayed here as loyally sitting by his master.

This really is an Australian sculpture. You don't get much more Aussie in representation than this, and the Queensland association is quite strong, as the sun burns brighter up here! The hands on hip defiant posture, the thick bushy moustache and the rolled up sleeves all show a man ready to work. It could be for shearing sheep, for herding cattle or for a session of fence fixin'. Regardless, our man is up to the task, and he'll knock down a cold beer afterwards. And all through it, his faithful Bluey will remain close by his side.

Cheers, I Love Brisbane, Wes.

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Dinosaur Garden

The Dinosaur Garden is part of the Queensland Museum at Southbank. It is accessible from the Museum itself, or the footpath on Grey Street. The main features of the garden are the life-sized reconstructions of a Tyrannosaurus Rex and a Triceratops. The museum is generally open from 9:30am to 5:00pm daily. Admission is free except for special temporary exhibitions.

The exhibit features two of the most well known dinosaurs. Both are indicated as having lived in North America 65 million years ago. Tyrannosaurus is noted as being a giant bipedal carnivore, although less common than Triceratops. Triceratops is noted as a quadrupedal herbivore, and information is provided on its bony frill used for protection. It is postulated that this was used in its conflicts with other Triceratops or Tyrannosaurus. Although not native to Queensland they provide a great example of what dinosaurs could have been like. More information about Dinosaurs, with particular reference to Queensland species, can be found at the Queensland Museum Dinosaur web site.

How would you like to come across either of these beasties? I've seen Jurassic Park, and I'm sure glad that these types of dinosaurs don't still rule and roam the Earth. The chompers on the T-Rex would make short shrift of me. Of course, you can use these stories with your kids, and I'm fortunate because at the moment my three will believe anything! If you snap and growl and roar like a T-Rex you can chase them all around the garden. This is a great location to take the kids for a quick run through, and a welcome place to rest your feet after traversing the museum, and chasing the kids.

Cheers, I Love Brisbane, Wes.

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The Myer Centre

The Myer Centre is one of the premier shopping and entertainment centres in Brisbane. Located at 91 Queen Street and spanning from the Queen Street Mall through to Elizabeth Street it is a six floor shopping complex. The Centre is home to close to 170 stores, including the largest Myer department store in Queensland, as well as Target and Coles. It opened in March 1988. A full centre directory can be found on their web site. The centre is open most days with store trading mainly from 9:00am - 5:30pm and extended hours on Fridays.

Aside from shops, the Myer Centre also is home to an eight screen cinema complex on the top level. Underneath the centre is four levels of car parking, and the Queen Street Bus Station is located on the lower ground level. A major food court is also contained on the lower levels, and coffee shops and eateries are interspersed amongst the specialty shops on most levels. If you can't find something to suit your tastes in either food, goods or fashion, then you're not trying hard enough.

There are two other things I like about the Myer Centre, and they relate to history. Architecturally, the facades of the buildings facing the Queen Street Mall, all date back to the turn of the century. The former Myer store used to be directly opposite the current location, and those facades have similar architecture. The second piece of history is personal. I remember coming to Brisbane in the 90's, and one of the highlights for me was going to what was then known as "Tops", a kids entertainment area on the highest level, and riding the dragon rollercoaster. Sadly, this was all removed when it became unprofitable, although interestingly enough in this case, the dragon has been up for sale!

Cheers, I Love Brisbane, Wes.

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Streets Beach

Streets Beach is the current name for the South Bank Parklands Beach. Completed in June 1992, this man made swimming beach is one of the major features of the parklands. The beach areas main feature is a lagoon containing chlorinated fresh water, with enough water to fill five Olympic swimming pools. Surrounding this are sand beaches, palm trees, rocky creeks and subtropical trees and exotic plantings. Streets Beach is the venue of some of the biggest events held in the parklands, with the annual New Year’s Eve Party at South Bank being a primary example. The beach area was designed by Desmond Brookes International.


The beach is incredibly popular during the summer months. Lifeguards are on duty all year, with extended hours during summer. At the moment for April through August, the beach is patrolled from 9:00am to 5:00pm. Access to the Parklands is free, as is using the beach, although you may have to pay for a locker to store beach going items. At the moment, it isn't too busy, but the unseasonally warm weather we have been having certainly had a lot of people swimming today.


How lucky are we to have a swimming beach of this quality in the middle of the city? I believe it is quite rare to have this type of facility freely available to the public. I love that you can come down here and have a dip in such a great location and with such fantastic surrounds. Even the new Aquativity water area is next door. Streets Ice Cream currently have the naming rights for the beach, which is also great because you are guaranteed to be able to get ice-creams all year round. MMMmmm Magnums. The map reference below shows just how significant the beach is within the parkland.

Cheers, I Love Brisbane, Wes.

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Fern Gully Roma Street Parkland

Roma Street Parkland contains a cornucopia of greenery, and even with the current drought conditions continues to provide a green haven in the city. Part of the park I enjoy visiting is Fern Gully, amidst the Forest Walk precinct of the parkland. Located on the northern tip of the parkland, it can be accessed from the parking area at College Close.

Fern Gully is an integral part of the subtropical Forest. The gully includes a circuitous walk which runs along the side of a man made creek. Various species of tree fern line the banks, and the gully attracts a menagerie of bird life who use the forest for nesting and the stream for water and preening. The stream through Fern Gully originates in a spring adjacent to the bridge and the start of the boardwalk. The stream is also met from water cascading down from Angiopteris Ravine, where are what are known as King Ferms (Angiopteris evecta) provide more sheltered cover.

Like the South Bank Parklands Rainforest Walk, this walk offers a great place for kids to explore. The walkway above Fern Gully gives a fantastic aspect to the gully because as you meander along the paths you move from the rainforest floor through the canopy to over and above the entire area. They have also incorporated sandstone rock faces to hide the not so obvious roadway which is close by. The only thing you have to be careful of is letting your kids go into the stream!

Cheers, I Love Brisbane, Wes.

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Mirage

Mirage is a sculpture located in the middle of the Brisbane Arcade, a shopping galleria which runs from Queen Street Mall through to Adelaide Street. At over 2.5 metres tall and made of stainless steel, the sculpture dominates the main thoroughfare through the arcade. It was designed by Swiss based Israeli sculptor Gidon Graetz.

This is another of the sculptures which was originally commissioned for World Expo 88. It was originally loaned for Expo by Mr. & Mrs. Morgan Adams Jr., of Los Angeles, U.S.A., in association with Galerie Lopes, Zurich, Switzerland. After the Expo it was purchased by Brisbane City Council and the Mayne Estate, and relocated here to Brisbane Arcade. World Expo 88 was host to one of the most prestigious international open-air sculpture collections in the world, with a total collection cost of some $25 million Australian dollars. Many of the works are now on display in various locations in many of Brisbane's popular parks, footpaths and near public buildings and arcades. You can even do a tourist walk which takes in some of these around Brisbane, if you so choose.


This is a striking work, and to me it looks like a large musical note, or the beginning of a tear drop welling from a crying eye. Although, like any mirage, viewed from a different vantage point, it is never as clear as first glance.

Cheers, I Love Brisbane, Wes.

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Port Office Hotel

The Port Office Hotel is a restaurant and bar complex located at the corner of Margaret and Edward Streets. It consists of the restaurant F!X, several bars, a nightclub, a Boardroom, a private wine room and also includes function facilities to cater for corporate events or weddings. Open most days from 11:30am until late, the most active nights are Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

The Port Office Hotel is one of the oldest buildings in Brisbane. The building served as the place for accommodation of the officials engaged in shipping activities in the original port. Initially known as the Shamrock Hotel, it began operation in May of 1864. It has been rebuilt and refurbished a number of times since its early days, with the latest major refurbishment done in 2000. Internally some of the early timber doors, architraves, and skirtings survive but otherwise the majority including has been altered in various refurbishments. It is a heritage listed building.

Having eaten at the F!X restaurant I can recommend eating there. As a place to relax, the Marble Bar provides a great location to put up your feet and watch the world go by as you have a drink. Upstairs in the Velvet Room you can either enjoy the nightclub, or hang out on the veranda overlooking the street. Overall, if you're looking for a place to hang out and chill, you can't go too wrong heading here.

Cheers, I Love Brisbane, Wes.

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MacArthur Museum

The MacArthur Museum is located on the 8th Floor of MacArthur Chambers, which can be found just down from the corner of Queens Street and Edward Street. The museum is dedicated to honouring the story of General Douglas MacArthur and the Headquarters Allied Forces South West Pacific Area during 1942–1944. This was a pivotal point in the Second World War. The building was used because of its central location and reinforced concrete roof. The museum is open Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday from 10:00am to 3:00pm, and can be visited with a small admission charge.


There has been much written about Macarthur and his command during World War II. It was on July 20, 1942 that the Southwest Pacific Area headquarters was moved to Brisbane. MacArthur had been appointed Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in the are, and to remove all ambiguity the then Australian Prime Minister John Curtin put MacArthur in command of the Australian military as well. The museum focuses on Macarthur's time in Brisbane, highlighting not only the man, but how the War affected the city, the people at the time, and the interactions with the large influx of American military.


For some time I was unable to easily locate the museum, largely due to the reduced opening hours. This doesn't negate the fact that the museum provides a great reference point for a significant time in Brisbane's history. It is incredible that 60 years on a location in what is effectively a commercial building has still been maintained in such a dedicated fashion. It reminds us of our history through not only the stories of the times, but also in the heritage of the building itself. It also gives us an historical awareness of how successful the allied coalition in the area was.

Cheers, I Love Brisbane, Wes.

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Naldham House

Naldham House is located at 193 Mary Street, at the intersection of Mary Street and Felix Street. Currently home to the Brisbane Polo Club who began operating from the building in 1990, the building has a long history, originally being part of the maritime community. Naldham House was built in the late 1870s with major extensions in 1889 and served for almost a century as a shipping office. In 1988 major external and internal alternations were carried out in converting the building into premises for the polo club.

The site where Naldham House stands, adjacent to the Brisbane River, was acquired by the Australasian Steam Navigation Company (ASN) in March 1852. In 1864 a two storey office building was erected, and was extended during the intervening years to 1888, when renovations began creating the building in its current form. The name Naldham House came about in 1915 when the building was taken over by McDonald Hamilton - Naldham being a contraction of the two names. For many years the port trade played a significant factor in the economic success of the shipping companies, and they dominated much of the Brisbane River waterfront.


The building itself exudes English colonial style. The building forms a thin rectangle with the visually dominant tower being located at the north-eastern end. I love how the stark white rendering has been maintained, and the architectural integrity has been kept intact. You can take a virtual tour of the insides of the building, and here you can see the definite formal British club influence of the renovations.

Cheers, I Love Brisbane, Wes.

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Eagle Street Pier

Eagle Street Pier is a retail and restaurant precinct located on Eagle Street and lining the Brisbane River. Most restaurants allow diners to have fantastic views of the river from Garden's Point through to the Story Bridge. Some of the premier dining establishments are located here, including Cha Cha Char, Pier Nine, Il Centro, and Vino's.


Not only are there the fine dining restaurants, there are a number of other retailers who offer either cafe style dining, like the Coffee Club, or fast food outlets like McDonalds. Basically, you have almost anything you could ask for covered. Parking is available on-site, and the precinct is easily accessible by both ferry and bus services. On top of the dining, Eagle Street Pier also hosts weekend craft markets, and has areas for entertainment such as musicians.


Eagle Street Pier is a must for tourists to Brisbane. At least one meal should be had within the precinct, as there are such great restaurants there. There is no denying that the views are spectacular, and you will spend as much time enjoying the scenery as you will your meals. Once your done you can hop on a City Cat or Ferry or jump on the Kookaburra Queens for a trip up or down the river.

Cheers, I Love Brisbane, Wes.

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Albert Street Literary Trail

In September 1996 Brisbane City Council commissioned a series of 32 plaques as part of the completion of the Albert Street urban refurbishment. On these plaques the Albert Street Literary Trail was born. Quotes about Brisbane from 32 Queensland writers were chosen for the plaques. Running all the way down Albert Street, from King George Square to the City Botanic Gardens, the authors represented include Steele Rudd, Oodgeroo Noonuccal (Kath Walker), Thea Astley, and David Malouf amongst others. A Map and list of all authors is available on the Archived Web Site, and there is also a guide available from the Museum of Brisbane.

At the time, the quotes were chosen with the the contribution of the then Griffith University's Queensland Studies Centre . They assisted in selecting a cross section of authors and quotes for the trail. All are Queensland writers and most are from Brisbane. The plaques themselves were illustrated by artist Brona Keenan in collaboration with graphic designers Dot Dash and the Brisbane City Council's Urban Design Unit. They are cast in bronze.

If you search the Brisbane City Council's Public Artworks Database for "Albert Street Literary Trail" you can see digital photos of each of the actual plaques, as there are far too many to cover off in just this one post. Better yet, rather than look at pictures on the web, why not wander down to Albert Street and check out the plaques for yourself. Although not all are in the best condition, on most you can still enjoy the quotes. There's a range of coffee shops and restaurants where after you've chosen your favourite quote, you can sit down and read the book it comes from!

Cheers, I Love Brisbane, Wes.

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Trains 4 U at Roma Street Parkland

The Roma Street Parkland is a sub-tropical garden covering 16 hectares. When you have kids, particularly young children, trying to entice them to walk around the Parkland after they've played in the parks there can be quite difficult. That is where the Trains 4 U service can come in handy. The trackless train runs a circuitous route around the parkland, with stops at the Carriage Shed, and at the playground behind the Spectacle Garden.

The 1.3km round trip takes around 15 minutes to complete. A synchronised commentary runs throughout, outlining the various sites and garden precincts of the Parkland as you traverse the route. It runs weekdays from 10:00am to 2:00pm, with extended hours on weekends, 10:00am to 4:00pm, weather permitting. For a family, 2 adults and 2 kids and a baby in our case, the fare runs to just under $20. Trains 4 U also caters for birthday parties (2-6yrs), corporate events and weddings.


There seem to be two trains available, the Jelly Bean Express or Lollipop Express. Both are easily seen and colourful, which makes them a big target for the whole "Can we go on the train, Dad?" calls from the kids. To rest your feet and stop the kids yelling its worth it!

Cheers, I Love Brisbane, Wes.

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Busking in the Queen Street Mall

On any given day as you wander down Queen Street Mall, you can find street performers sharing their talents with tourists, visitors and shoppers. Busking is alive and well within the city. Saturdays seem to be draw a reasonable number, and they are dotted throughout. They range in variety from musicians, such as the blind saxophonist, aboriginal didgeridoo players and the seminal guitarists, through to mime artists, balloon artists and street artists sharing their wares. Most derive their income from using their talents, and some are very good.

To busk in Brisbane, particularly in the Mall or at Southbank, you need to get a busking license. Brisbane Marketing provide a fact sheet on how to go about getting the required permit. Auditions are held quarterly, and there are no limit to the number of permits, but you do need to meet their criteria. Busking is defined as playing a musical instrument and/or singing, conjuring, juggling, mime, mimicry, dance, puppetry, performance art, recitation and other appropriate theatrical and visual forms.

There is an excellent article on Buskers in the Mall by Hideki Kubo. He includes recordings of the various performers, including "Mark" who plays Charlie Chaplin and has been doing such here for 9 years. He is particularly good with kids, and spent a few minutes cleaning up my boy with a feather duster after he put some money in the slot. Hideki has also interviewed is Mister Balloons, David Pearson, another long time performer. The balloon sculptures he comes up with in extra quick time are quite amazing. How lucky are we that for the cost of an Aussie gold coin, we can get some great live performance which brings smiles to all.

Cheers, I Love Brisbane, Wes.

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