3almmAmnsonb BRISBANE 3c£ f 3 4067 03198 7554 University of Queensland ~- I -^ •> / Presented to The Fryer iVIemorial Library of Australian Literature by MIV4;RbITY 0F...:,igri5i;NoLM ss 19.6.5-.. Property of University of Queensland Press - do not copy or distribute BHIBAHE Property of University of Queensland Press - do not copy or distribute Property of University of Queensland Press - do not copy or distribute \ailifmtteAPl<l'^'mon'^ University of Queensland Press ST LUCIA • LONDON • NEW YORK Property of University of Queensland Press - do not copy or distribute Property of University of Queensland Press - do not copy or distribute First published as Around Brisbane in 1978 by University of Queensland Press Box 42, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia Revised edition 1985 ® Sallyanne Atkinson 1978, 1985 This book is copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission. Enquiries should be made to the publisher. Typeset by University of Queensland Press Printed in Australia by Dominion Press-Hedges & Bell, Melbourne Distributed in the UK and Europe by University of Queensland Press, Stockley Road, West Drayton, Middlesex UB7 9BE, England Distributed in the USA and Canada by University of Queensland Press, 5 South Union Street, Lawrence, Mass. 01843 USA 3<^ Cataloguing in Publication Data National Library of Australia Atkinson, Sallyanne, 1942- Sallyanne Atkinson's Guide to Brisbane. Rev. and updated ed. Previous ed. published as: Around Brisbane: including Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Toowoomba. St Lucia, Qld.: University of Queensland Press, 1978. 1. Brisbane (Qld.) - Description - 1976- - Guidebooks. I. Atkinson, Sallyanne, 1942- . Around Brisbane: including Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Toowoomba. II. Title. III. Title: Around Brisbane: including Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Toowoomba. IV. Title: Guide to Brisbane. ^ 1/ - . K 919.43'10463 Z, ISBN 0 7022 1845 6 ''' .--. "v s'' Property of University of Queensland Press - do not copy or distribute For Leigh, Nicola, Damien, Eloise, Genevieve, and Stephanie Property of University of Queensland Press - do not copy or distribute Property of University of Queensland Press - do not copy or distribute Contents Acknowledgments zx Introduction 1 1. About the place 4 Tourist information. Getting your bearings. Money matters. Medical matters, Shopping, Going by car. Going by bus. Going by train. Going by ferry. Going by plane. What to do with the children. Churches, Public holidays. National associations. Other clubs and societies 2. Where to stay 32 High tariff accommodation. Medium tariff accommodation, Lou> tariff accommodation 3. Where to eat 41 Alphabetical listing of restaurants (with separate sections for Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Lebanese, Indonesian, Greek, Grills and bistros. Dinner and a Property of University of Queensland Press - do not copy or distribute viii Contents show (includes clubs and hotels). If you lob in town early and need breakfast. Late night eating. Eating out on Sunday A. Things to see and do 64 Seeing Brisbane on foot. Bus and boat tours. Views worth a look. Parks and gardens. The universities, Specialty museums. Places to see in action 5. Historic places 81 Background history, Historic public buildings, Historic churches and religious buildings. Historic houses 6. Out of town 97 Scenic drives, Ipswich, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Toowoomba, Moreton Bay and the islands. Day return to the Great Barrier Reef Seeing the outback 7. Arts and entertainment 108 What's on where, Queensland Art Gallery, Queensland Museum, The Performing Arts Centre, Theatres, Cinemas, Music, Art galleries. Festivals Index 123 Property of University of Queensland Press - do not copy or distribute flcknowledgments Some years ago I came back to Brisbane after a time away and saw it as though for the first time; this book is the result of this new view and old knowledge. I discovered Brisbane as a tourist, with my family in tow, and put my findings together with my long experience of the place. Many people gave me help and advice in getting this book together, but without the practical encourage­ ment of my husband and friends, it would probably never have been finished. Among many others, my thanks go to the Queens­ land Government Travel Centre, the Royal Automobile Club of Queensland, the Brisbane City Council, the National Trust of Queensland, the Queensland Hotels Association, and the University of Queensland. Property of University of Queensland Press - do not copy or distribute X Acknowledgments To the best of my knowledge all the information in this book was correct at the time of going to press. However, it will be appreciated that hotels and restaurants do change hands, businesses do move elsewhere, and Telecom does alter phone numbers, etc. My apologies for the inconvenience such changes may cause. Property of University of Queensland Press - do not copy or distribute Introduction For years travel books have described Brisbane as easygoing and sleepy, and tourists have zoomed through it on their way between Great Barrier Reef and Gold Coast, Australia's most famous international resorts. The essential Brisbane is still a city whose people have a relaxed and casual attitude to life, and pride themselves on not having been caught up in the rat race of their southern neighbours. But Brisbane is now a young-adult sort of city, newly grown up. It is fast becoming a significant tourist destination in its own right. Over the past few years, it has acquired a multi­ functional Cultural Centre, world-class sporting facilities (for the 1982 Commonwealth Games), and the 25,000 hectare Brisbane Forest Park right on its doorstep. The city centre skyline has soared upwards Property of University of Queensland Press - do not copy or distribute 2 Introduction and our citizens have acquired the confidence of coming of age. Brisbane is the capital of Queensland, a subtropical city that lives on its hills and around its winding river. The summer is hot and humid, though the tempera­ ture rarely exceeds 38°C, and in winter the days are crisp, clear, and sunny. April/May and September/ October are without doubt the best months to come; but if you don't mind humidity and the odd mosquito, the city looks its best in summer when all the flower­ ing trees are in bloom, and if you're escaping the rigours of a southern winter June, July, and August are the months for you. All tourists worth their traveller's cheques know about Lone Pine and its koalas; but what they pro­ bably don't know is that there is a genuine rainforest a few hundred metres from the City Hall, in the Botanic Gardens; that the wooden houses on stilts marching up and down across our suburbs are unique in Australia; and that the cobweb-steel Story Bridge, built in the Depression to provide work for the unemployed, is longer than the Sydney Harbour Bridge. On the outskirts of the city there is one of the largest park areas in Australia. The Brisbane Forest Park stretches out from our western suburbs and includes rainforests, scenic lookouts, camping areas, riding and walking trails. The city sprawls across an area of 1,220 square kilometres, all of which is administered by just one local council. The Brisbane City Council is one of the largest municipal authorities in the world and the only one in Australia to control its own water supply, sewerage, and transport services. It's unlikely you'll hear many people in Brisbane Property of University of Queensland Press - do not copy or distribute Introduction sounding off with even half this much civic pride - getting steamed up is not part of their relaxed style. But you'll enjoy discovering Brisbane for yourself, especially as this book was made to help you. Property of University of Queensland Press - do not copy or distribute City Mall 1 About the place Tourist information Many visitors to Brisbane begin their stay with a visit to the Queensland Government Travel Centre, corner Adelaide and Edward Streets, City (312211). This government-run tourist information office has the latest information about what to do in Brisbane and when and how; it also handles bookings and trips both within the city and to destinations elsewhere in the state, and the staff will find and book accommoda­ tion for you anywhere in Queensland. All brochures, pamphlets, and booklets are available upon request. The centre is open from 9 a.m. to 4.45 p.m. Monday to Friday, and 9 a.m. to 11.15 a.m. Saturday. In the Queen Street Mall there is a City Council information booth stocked with plenty of tourist Property of University of Queensland Press - do not copy or distribute About the place 5 brochures and helpful staff who'll point you in the right direction if you are lost. The council's "Heritage Trail" booklets are useful for exploring. A trip to the National Trust's office at the bottom of George Street (229 1788) is a must for anyone in­ terested in history and old buildings. Appropriately, the office is located in Old Government House, built in 1860 beside the Botanic Gardens. The Trust's booklet "Four Walks and a Drive around Brisbane" is available at the office. The Royal Automobile Club of Queensland has an excellent touring service for its members. Information about the RACQ is provided in the Going by Car section of this chapter. Getting your bearings Finding your way about the city streets is fairly easy if you remember that the women's names go one way and the men's another - Ann, Adelaide, Elizabeth, Charlotte, Mary, Margaret, and Alice Streets are parallel to the main street. Queen Street; William, George, Albert, and Edward are at right angles to it.