Page 231 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Australia

BRISBANE  229

Arcade and arches of the north façade of Old Government House
tion is a welcome haven from in 2009 after renovation. It now of traditional craftsmanship are
the city’s high-rise buildings. has an art gallery dedicated to evident in the floor mosaics,
In its earliest incarnation, the area the works of William Robinson, ornate ceilings and woodwork
was used as a vegetable garden one of Australia’s greatest living carved from Queensland timbers.
by convicts. It was laid out in its landscape artists. City Hall’s 92-m (300-ft) Italian
present form in 1855 by the Renaissance- style tower gives a
colonial botanist Walter Hill, who panoramic view of the city from
was also the first director of the 7City Hall and a platform at its top. A display of
gardens. An avenue of bunya Museum of Brisbane contemporary art and Aboriginal
pines dates back to the 1850s, art and ceramics is housed in the
while an avenue of weeping King George Sq, Adelaide and Ann sts. Museum of Brisbane on level 3.
figs was planted in the 1870s. Tel (07) 3403 8888; Museum: (07) 330 Free tickets to access the clock-
Hundreds of water birds, such 0800. £ Brisbane Central, Roma St. tower are available from the
as herons and plovers, come to @ Free Loop. g North Quay. Open museum, with small group
the lakes dotted throughout the 8am–5pm daily (from 9am Sat & Sun). departures every 15 minutes.
7 8 Museum of Brisbane and
gardens’ 18 ha (44 acres). clocktower: Open 10am–5pm daily. The Shingle Inn, an iconic 1936
Brisbane River’s renowned Closed public hols. Museum of walnut-panelled café/bakery in
mangroves are now a protected Brisbane: Open 10am–5pm daily. City Hall, has been restored to
species and can be admired from ∑ brisbane.qld.gov.au; its former glory.
a specially built boardwalk. ∑ museumofbrisbane.com.au The attractive King George
Square, facing City Hall, has
Completed in 1930, the several interesting statues,
6Old Government Neo-Classical City Hall is including Form del Mito by
House home to Brisbane City Arnaldo Pomodoro. The
Council, the largest council work’s geometric forms and
Queensland University of Technology in Australia, and the small polished surfaces, for which
Campus, Gardens Point, 2 George St. Museum of Brisbane. this Italian sculptor is noted,
Tel (07) 3138 8005. £ Brisbane Central.
@ Free Loop. g Gardens Point. Brisbane’s early reflect the changing face
Open 10am–4pm Sun–Fri. 7 - 8 settlement is depicted of the city from morning
∑ ogh.qut.edu.au by a beautiful sculpted to night. The bronze Petrie
tympanum above the main Tableau, by Tasmanian
Home to the National Trust entrance. In the King sculptor Stephen Walker,
of Queensland since 1973, the George Square foyer, was designed for
state’s first Government House some fine examples Australia’s bicentenary.
was designed by colonial architect
Charles Tiffin and completed in
1862. The graceful sandstone
building served not only as the
state governor’s residence, but
also as the administrative base
and social centre of the state of
Queensland until 1910. It was
then occupied by the fledgling
University of Queensland. Old
Government House reopened City Hall, with its Italian Renaissance clocktower