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Home , Brisbane City Hall, Cremorne Theatre, Goodwill Bridge, Kangaroo Point Cliffs, King George Square, Kurilpa Bridge

Green Cab Tour Commentary Notes (September 2012)

The Wheel of

Photos - both shots taken by Green Cabs riders (1. not sure, 2. By Eduardo Bermudez)

• The is a 60-metre tall transportable erected as part of the 20th anniversary of • it opened in August 2008 and was initially scheduled to close in 2010 but has now been extended until 2013 • each of the 42 capsules can seat up to six adults and two children providing a total passenger capacity of 336 • the ride lasts for approximately 12 minutes and provides 360° views across the city • Green Cabs passengers who arrive at the wheel are entitled to a 2 for 1 discount, saving 2 adults $15

South Bank Parklands

1. Streets Beach 2. The Arbour Walk 3. The Nepalese Pavilion (left at SB after Expo 88)

• (SBP) is the transformed site of Brisbane's World Expo 88 and was officially opened in 1992 • it consists of a mixture of rainforest, water, grassed areas and plazas as well as features such as the riverfront promenade, Streets Beach, the Grand Arbour, the Suncorp Piazza, the Nepalese Peace Pagoda, the Wheel of Brisbane, restaurants, shops and fountains • SBP is also home to the Conservatorium and more recently the ABC Queensland Headquarters Building • approximately 11 million people visit the parklands each year

The

• the Goodwill Bridge is a pedestrian and cyclist bridge linking South Bank Parklands to the Botanical Gardens and Queensland University of Technology’s Gardens Point Campus • opened in 2001 it takes its name from the most popular entry in a public naming competition • six closed circuit TV cameras are spread across the bridge and are monitored from the South Bank Security Control Room • its total length is 450 metres • it was built downstream and then floated by barge upstream at low tide (to get under the Captain Cook Bridge) • its cost blew out during its construction resulting in the use of an extra $20.3 million in government funds • it was scheduled to be opened by Queen Elizabeth II during her visit for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting summit in Brisbane, but after the postponement of that meeting in the wake of the terrorist attacks on New York in September 2001, the bridge was opened by the Queensland Premier • over 40,000 pedestrians and cyclists use the bridge each week

The Botanical Gardens

1. Views to the Riverside Centre and the 2. The city skyline from the gardens

• the Botanical Gardens were officially opened in 1855 • part of the site was originally a botanic reserve, established in 1828 to provide food for the early penal colony • originally plans were to subdivide this area into twelve blocks, intersected by three additional streets running parallel to Alice Street - to be respectively named Blanche, Maude and Eclipse Streets - while George and Albert Streets were planned to extend right through the present gardens area to the river bank • once opened as the Botanical Gardens the site was used for trialling crops and plants from around the world to determine their suitability for growing in subtropical climates • famous plant types now important to the Queensland economy started off as trials in the gardens (eg mangoes, pineapples, paw paws, custard apples, sugar cane, tobacco, ginger, coffee and many types of nuts and grape vines) • major redevelopment of the gardens took place in 1987 including building an information centre, upgrading the paving and converting the former curator's residence into a restaurant • improvements continued in 1989 with the construction of the Mangrove Boardwalk and the • every weekend many parts of the park are used for weddings – Green Cabs are often used by wedding parties as we provide the only form of transport allowed in the gardens

Kangaroo Point Cliffs

1. A view of the cliffs from the river 2. At sunset with views to the city skyline • the cliffs were created by convicts mining the volcanic rock or rhyolite lava flows which form the cliffs, which was deposited in the Triassic Period about 230 million years ago • many of the major historical buildings of Brisbane, particularly in the historical George and William St precincts, were built from rocks mined at the cliffs • now the cliffs are used for rock climbing and it’s also a popular picnic area with very good views of Brisbane’s skyline Gardens Point Campus - Queensland University of Technology (QUT)

• Gardens Point is one of two campuses for the Queensland University of Technology (QUT), with the 2nd QUT campus located 4 kilometres north west at Kelvin Grove • overall the university has 40,000 students, including 6,000 international students, with over 4,000 staff members, and an annual budget of more than AU$750 million • QUT's main fields are sciences, engineering, health & biomedicine, business, the creative industries, education, and law & justice • the Gardens Point Campus dates back to 1849 but it was not always used for education o the area was once solely occupied by the 19th century built Old Government House o in 1909, during the relocation of the Governor's residence, Old Government House and the surrounding five hectares were set-aside for both a University and a Technical College o the first university on the site was the , which was moved to St Lucia in 1945, where it remains today

Old Government House (within QUT)

• Old Government House is currently used by QUT • construction started in 1860 and finished in 1862 • it was originally built as the residence of the 1st Sir George Bowen • the decision to build was one of the first decisions made by the newly formed Queensland Parliament after it met for the first time on in May 1860 • there was some contention regarding building it in Brisbane as the capital of Queensland had not then been decided • the building was designed by colonial architect Charles Tiffin in the classical revival style. The front half of the building contained the Governor's public and private rooms while the rear housed the service section • the building was built from locally-sourced materials, predominantly sandstone, porphyry, red cedar, hoop pine and cast iron

(Old) Parliament House (cnr Alice and George Sts)

• Parliament House is the home of the Parliament of Queensland and houses the State’s 89 seat Legislative Assembly • Queensland was established as a separate colony from New South Wales in 1859. Prior to building Parliament House Queensland’s Parliament met in temporary quarters at the Old Convict Barracks in Queen Street • the building work commenced in 1864 after the design plans by Robert Tiffin were selected from an -wide design competition • Tiffin donated his prize money to Ipswich Grammar School after numerous allegations of undue influence in the judging of the competition • the George Street frontage was completed in 1868 in French Renaissance Revival style, with some Second Empire-style elements. The colonnades were built in 1878, and construction on the Alice Street frontage commenced in 1887 • in 1886, the building was connected to the Government Printing Office via an underground cable providing the building with an electrical supply, the first for any Parliament House in Australia • the original zinc roof was replaced in the 1980s with one constructed from Mount Isa copper • the 22-storey Parliamentary Annexe building was completed in 1979, built within the grounds of the Old Parliament House • free public guided tours of the Parliament are available each week day • Parliament House was also used as one of the filming locations for the 1980s Australian series of Mission Impossible

Riverside Centre and Riverwalk

1. The foyer of the prize winning building 2. A view of the Riverside Centre from the river path

• the 40 storey Riverside Centre skyscraper built in 1986 is at the heart of the ‘big end of town’ with many cafes and restaurants in the precinct • standing at 146 metres tall it is the 14th tallest building in Brisbane • the base of the building which also fronts the is the site for the Riverside Markets on Sundays • the building has been heritage listed and holds the Brisbane Stock Exchange • the site was initially a cemetery, later occupied by low level buildings attached to wharves – it has only recently become the playground for Brisbane’s wealthy classes • Green Cabs operate in the area every Friday and Saturday nights usually from about 10pm till dawn, often taking passengers into the Valley which is Brisbane’s most popular late night club scene

The Story Bridge

1. Story Bridge by day 2. The bridge during the River Fire event in September

• the Story Bridge was opened 6 July 1940 • it is part of the shortest highway in Australia – the Bradfield Highway, named after the consulting engineer John Bradfield • it was called the Story Bridge after John Douglas Story who was a Queensland public servant who argued strongly for its construction – originally it was to be called the Jubilee Bridge in honour of King George V • its construction was part of a broader plan – the Hawken Plan - during the 1920s for a series of bridges over the Brisbane River to alleviate congestion on Victoria Bridge and to divert traffic away from the Brisbane CBD. The Bridge was the first of the Hawken Plan bridges constructed • its construction was delayed due to lack of funds, and was finally constructed as a public works program during the Great Depression. It cost ₤1,150,000 • it mimics the design of the in Montreal, completed in 1930 • it is Australia’s longest steel cantilever bridge with a total length of 777 metres, 24 metres wide and a height of 74 metres, clearance below is 30.4 metres at mid-span • during construction of the southern piers 65 workers suffered from the bends as they had to work using a pneumatic caisson technique as water was seeping into the footing excavation – the workers in the excavation had to go through 2 hours of decompression after each shift to avoid the bends. An on- site air lock hospital successfully treated 65 cases of the bends that occurred • it features prominently in the annual River Fire display and is illuminated every night • bridge climbs for tourists began in 2005 • it has also become notorious as a suicide hotspot - following two high-profile murder-suicides from the bridge in 2011 and 2012, Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk announced plans to install free telephones linked to suicide prevention hotlines

Customs House

Views of Customs House from both sides – Queen St and from the river

• Customs House was originally used for the collection of customs duty • it was both opened in 1889 • construction was finished in three years at a cost of ₤38,346 • the downstream end of the Brisbane CBD was selected to spur the development of wharves in the precinct known as • despite no government in the country having a coat of arms at the time, the building features a depiction on its facade of a shield between an emu and kangaroo • an iron balustrade was shipped from England with the initials VR wrought on it. Inside the structure features black and white marble with cedar fittings • the building became redundant when port facilities moved to the at the mouth of the Brisbane River, resulting in its closure in April 1988 • it is now leased by the University of Queensland and was refurbished between 1991 and 1994 at a cost of A$7.5 million – it includes a restaurant and function centre, and hosts regular concerts and art exhibitions • it was registered on the Register of the National Estate in 1980

William St Heritage Area

Commissariat Stores built circa 1825 Lands Administration Building circa 1909 • William Street is significant to Brisbane’s early development as a penal colony. The first convict buildings were built along William Street in 1825 • the Commissariat Store in William St was built by convicts in 1829 making it one of Brisbane's oldest surviving buildings • other significant buildings on William St include the Treasury Building which is now the Conrad and the Lands Administration Building, which is now the Treasury Hotel

George Street History

1. and the State Law Building 2. The Mansions

• George St was one of the first streets established along with Queen St and William St during the early days when Brisbane was a penal colony • it includes State Parliament House, the Executive Building (where the has his office), the Treasury Casino and Brisbane Square, as well as the Law Courts Complex and the State Law Building • the street also is home to The Mansions, an historically significant building: o the Mansions are a heritage listed set of six three-storied terrace houses located on the corner of George and Margaret Streets - few terrace houses were ever built in Brisbane and even fewer remain intact today o it was built during the Victorian era in 1889 for residential use o cat on the building's parapet were rendered in New Zealand limestone o an early resident was Dr Lillian Cooper, who was Queensland's first female doctor and Australia's first female surgeon o in 2002, it featured in a television advertisement for the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service, which starred the late Steve Irwin – the crocodile hunter

Conrad Treasury Casino

• Conrad Treasury Casino stands on Reddacliff Place, also known as Brisbane Square. It contains three-levels of gaming areas plus five restaurants, seven bars and a nightclub • the casino and the associated Treasury Hotel, located behind the casino across Queens Park, occupy two of Australia's grandest heritage buildings – the Treasury Building which houses the casino and the Lands Administration Building, which houses the hotel • the Treasury Building is an early 19th century building with Edwardian- Baroque exterior designs and ornate colonnades, striking sandstone walls and a six-story atrium • it was opened in April 1995 and refurbished again from 2005-2008 Some interesting facts: • between 1993 and 2001 it was defrauded of $5.7 million when corrupt staff and food suppliers fabricated food orders and invoices. It’s believed senior management tried to prevent a proper investigation and the police major fraud squad became involved in 2003 • the casino was used for money laundering by welfare recipients on behalf of organised crime syndicates from May 2006 to November 2007

Brisbane City Hall

1. City Hall at night during a festival 2. At the opening ceremony in 1930 – note flags draped over the entrance 3. The controversial ‘tympanum’ artwork – see notes below

• is the home of the . • it was built in the 1920s and opened in 1930 and was then the tallest building in Brisbane • the foundation stone was laid by Prince Edward (later King Edward VIII) with an opal encrusted 18ct gold hand trowel in 1920. An earlier foundation stone had been laid in 1917 by the Queensland Governor however it was found to be out of alignment and removed, and reportedly then stolen from a BCC depot • the clock tower is 91 m high and has the largest clock faces in Australia. The tower is based on the design of the St Mark's Campanile in Venice. The observation platform above the clocks is normally open to the public between 10am and 3pm seven days a week – it’s free, but maybe not open during the current renovation • it was designed according to the style, symmetrical and formal – it cost ₤1,000,000 including fit-out and furnishings • the ‘tympanum’ artwork above the main entrance was carved by noted Brisbane sculptor . Some controversy surrounds its theme which depicts the settlement of Queensland. The female figure in the centre depicts "progress" or "enlightenment", while settlers with their cattle and explorers with their horses, move out from under her protecting arms to claim the land from the Indigenous people and native animals, who are represented by two Aboriginal males crouching in the left hand corner, and a fleeing kangaroo • the centre of City Hall features a stunning auditorium, based on the Pantheon in Rome. The auditorium is a large circular hall that seats up to 2,500 people and is covered by a large copper dome. When originally built it was intended the building would house most of the Council's administrative offices, but now these are housed elsewhere in the CBD. The Council Chambers (located on the Street side of the building), and councillors' offices, remain in City Hall • City Hall closed on 31 December 2009 for a 3 year restoration project. Its major problem is that it was built on swampy ground. It has suffered from rising damp as well as numerous other issues, including subsidence, concrete cancer, a lack of reinforcing in the concrete and old wiring

King George Square

1. Lions 2. View from Adelaide St

• was named in honour of King George V • originally this area was much narrower and was called Albert Square, but was increased to its current dimensions in the late 1960s • when Albert Square was redeveloped into King George Square, the existing fountain at Albert Square was relocated to Wynnum, a seaside suburb of Brisbane • King George Square is a popular place for public gatherings, rallies and protest marches • the square was remodelled and re-opened in October 2009 for the 150th Anniversary of Brisbane as State Capital of Queensland. Its revised appearance has been heavily criticised for being ‘barren looking’ • the original bronze lion sculptures and the statue of King George V were re- incorporated into the new redeveloped King George Square in 2009. The lions are modelled on the bronze lions of Trafalgar Square, London. The accompanying bronze work that complements the King George V sculpture is based on the life of a pioneering Brisbane family • Green Cab riders used to be fined $500 for riding through it but now the fine has been removed to accommodate the CityCycle scheme

Kurilpa Bridge

• the is a $63 million pedestrian and bicycle bridge connecting South Brisbane to the city. It was opened on 4 October 2009 • in 2011, the bridge won the transport category at the World Architecture Festival • it is a multiple-mast, cable-stay structure based on the principles of tensegrity which produces a synergy between balanced tension and compression components to create a light but incredibly strong structure • it’s estimated 6.8 km of spiral strand cable are used in the bridge. It is the world’s largest tensegrity bridge. Its construction was achieved to within 13mm of its planned vertical position in its final state at the centre of the bridge • the bridge is 470m long with a main span of 128m and features a continuous all-weather canopy for the entire length of the bridge. (A criticism of Victoria Bridge by the way is that it does not have shade cover for pedestrians) Some interesting facts: • the bridge is lit with a sophisticated LED lighting system. Between 75%-100% of the lighting power can be provided by solar energy. The light colours are changed according to the event being celebrated at the time (ie during State of Origin maroon lights are dominant; during Breast Cancer Awareness Week its pink!) • the name reflects the Australian Aboriginal word for the South Brisbane and West End area, and means ‘place for water rats’ • people either love it or hate it – some say it looks like a ball of wool with knitting needles sticking out or it; while others say it looks somewhat like an old style sailing ship • Green Cab riders prefer Victoria Bridge simply because it’s less steep than Kurilpa Bridge • some controversy existed when it was opened as some people were worried it could be hit by a high vehicle on the under-passing SE Freeway

Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA)

• GoMA opened in December 2006 and is part of the Queensland Cultural Centre • it holds most of 's contemporary works and is the largest gallery of modern and contemporary art in Australia. It is situated on Kurilpa Point and has a total floor area over 25,000 m² and the largest exhibition gallery is 1,100 m² • a main theme of the design is a pavilion in the landscape, one which assumes its position as both hub and anchor for this important civic precinct

Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC)

• the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (known as QPAC) is part of the Queensland Cultural Centre • QPAC was finally built in 1985 after the recognised the need for a new art gallery in 1972 and a new major performing arts complex, in addition to a new location for the and State Library. It was officially opened by The Duke of Kent • its location was culturally significant for some time before this due to the presence of the Cremorne Theatre. Originally an open-air structure with seating for about 1,800, the Cremorne Theatre was located close to the point where the Victoria Bridge on-ramp is today • the Cremorne opened on 5 August 1911. Brisbane's subtropical climate meant the theatre's use was frequently interrupted by rainfall and it was closed temporarily in 1917 while weatherproof awnings were erected. The Cremorne continued in various forms until it burnt down in 1954 and was never rebuilt • the Lyric Theatre is a proscenium theatre and is the largest venue in QPAC, with a seating capacity of approximately 2,000. It is Brisbane's main venue for musicals, operas and ballets. The premiere production at the Lyric Theatre was La belle Hélène. Opera Queensland is the resident organisation of the Lyric Theatre • the Concert Hall is QPAC’s second largest venue, with a seating capacity of approximately 1,800. It is Brisbane's main venue for orchestral performances although it is also used for comedy performances, graduation ceremonies and awards presentations. The venue features a 6,566 pipe Klais-organ which was built in 1986. The Queensland Symphony Orchestra is the resident organisation of the Concert Hall • the Playhouse is a proscenium theatre and is the third largest venue in QPAC, with a seating capacity of approximately 850. The venue was constructed in 1997. The Queensland Ballet is the resident organisation of the Playhouse • the Cremorne Theatre is the fourth largest venue in QPAC with a capacity of 200 to 300 depending on its configuration, with six potential configurations (proscenium, theatre-in-the-round, concert, cabaret, cinema or flat floor). The Queensland Theatre Company is the resident organisation of the Cremorne Theatre • the building is much criticised for being dull looking and has been affectionately referred to as like a ‘bomb shelter’ or a ‘bunker’

Other interesting facts about Brisbane

Brisbane Floods 2011

1. The Wheel of Brisbane was only out of commission for one week after the floods 2. Many inner city suburbs were flooded

• flooding began to affect low-lying areas of Brisbane on the morning of 11 January 2011 • by 2:30pm AEST, the Brisbane River broke its banks leading to evacuations in the Brisbane CBD and the suburbs of Fortitude Valley and West End • an evacuation centre was established for flood-affected residents at the RNA Showgrounds in Bowen Hills • residents of 2100 Brisbane streets were advised to evacuate prior to the arrival of floods, which struck the city on 12 January • it was estimated 20,000 homes would be affected when the river peaked on 14 January • the Brisbane River transport infrastructure (city cat terminals and ferry stations) were substantially damaged or destroyed • the river peaked on 13 January at a lower level than predicted, but still 20,000 houses in Brisbane were inundated • the floods damaged some of Brisbane's icons. The Brisbane Riverwalk, a floating walkway over the Brisbane River linking the inner city neighbourhoods of Fortitude Valley and New Farm, broke up, with a section forming a 300 metres floating missile that threatened bridges downstream. The largest part of the floating boardwalk was safely guided under the bridges by a tugboat and past other infrastructure before being safely secured • Brisbane's major Rugby League and Association Football venue, Suncorp Stadium, filled with water up to 2 metres deep, reaching the fourth row of seats • with the flood peaking at 4.46 metres in Brisbane City, the flood level was about the 10th highest in the city's history, several metres below the 1890 flood and the two major floods in 1893 • parts of the western suburbs of Brisbane were cut off for three days and the army had to use helicopters to take food into certain areas

Brisbane’s tallest building

• Soleil, opened in 2012, at 495 Adelaide Street is the tallest building in Brisbane with 74 levels • it is the 2nd tallest building in Australia • it contains 25 floors of serviced apartments and 43 floors of private residential apartments with a total of 464 apartments, but no penthouse • it is situated on a relatively small 1500 m² corner site with 10 levels of underground car park - one of the biggest excavations in Brisbane's history. • there are 3 levels for cafes and restaurants