Naval Offices, 1900.
Naval Offices, Brisbane. Pre-Federation, in a time when Queensland was the equal of any other Australian colony, a sovereign state. (The date under the anchor clearly indicates 1900.) Despite the link below, the building was started prior to 1901 and was built because of Queenslands needs which were also seen as national needs. (The commonwealth in taking it over and in having to justify it on the commonwealth register, has, I suspect, slightly subverted its history - Queensland would go it alone, if necessary, but of course all the states were persuaded of the need for defence, a major reason for federating. This seems to me to be yet another example of the confidence and belief in the future of those 19th century colonials. Think, for example, of the beautiful Rockhampton Customs building, and the Townsville Customs building. Both wonderful, confident, 19th century buildings.)
Yet another wonderful Brisbane building.
See the link to the commonwealth heritage register.
On reflection this building is not in the same class as the Rockhampton Customs House. The link below is quite good, particularly when it talks about the building, but again, while built at a time close to Federation, the building looks more like it was staking a claim for the city's importance post federation, than creating something for the commonwealth to take over!!
Check out the building and the associated details.
Nor as good as the Townsville Customs House which is on the register of the National Estate, but was ruled ineligible for the Commonwealth Heritage List.
(And now I clearly need to see the other three customs houses which Queensland so generously donated to the new commonwealth!)
1 comment:
The issues about which city might be the capital, in which state the capital might be, had not been resolved when these buildings were conceived and built.
Whatever pious words were uttered in the Queensland parliament to conciliate southerners, I see these buildings not only as wonderful examples of 19th century confidence but also as staking a claim to leadership in the new commonwealth, rather than some big-hearted gesture of generosity to the new commonwealth.
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