Queensland - Brisbane City Hall

City Hall, Brisbane


City Hall was constructed from 1920-1930, and it's so cool that it was occupied starting in 1927. It was re-restored shortly before I visited in 2013 to restore some of the aging materials and building subsidence. The clock tower is 64 metres tall and was based on St. Mark's Campanile in Venice. Upon its construction, the building was the tallest in Brisbane and the clocks on the tower were the largest in Australia. Now that I've told you all about the building, you can just enjoy my walk around it from the west side (Ann Street) to the east side (Adelaide Street via King George Square).


Walking north up Ann Street. The lions (and the adornments above them) grace the western entrance to City Hall.


The Petrie Tableau is in the centre of King George's Square west side. Andrew Petrie, an early Australian pioneer, is leaving his entire family in the tableau to head on an inland expedition, with the kids spilling over the side to stare at kangaroos. The last photo is of the square's namesake, King George V.


To save the best for last, I'm skipping ahead to Adelaide Street on the east side of City Hall.


The coolest side of City Hall is the front, of course. If you'd like to see a kangaroo, a bull, and *gasp* some nudity, click on the last photo for a closeup. It's the 1930 tympanum created by sculptress Daphne Mayo, depicting white settlers pushing away native animals and people from the central figure of "enlightenment." The cringeworthy name is "The Progress of Civilisation in the State of Queensland." I think we've learned since then.

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