The Brisbane Customs House

The Customs House, Brisbane.


The Customs House, Brisbane. Eagle Street and Queen Street corner.


From the river.

The Dome is above the left front only, and the curved circular section is also only on the left (looking from Queen Street).

Looking from the river, the wall hides the bottom floor (warehouse), but right at the river level there is a derelict section, with barred and broken windows, which served as the latrines (so said the girl at the desk). (The latrine was not captured in this photo.)

The coats of arms are pre-federation "Australian" coats of arms. They feature the kangaroo and the emu and the words beneath are "Advance Australia" "1899". One of the 5 pre-federation customs houses in Queensland.(Clearly illustrating the importance of trade/free trade/customs: one of the very few issues dealt with explicitly by our wonderful constitution.)

(Currently owned by the University of Queensland, who use it as a function centre and restaurant. And a very FAQ restaurant it is, sadly.)

This link gives some excellent detail about its history.

Naval Offices, 1900.

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!)