queen

The Brisbane GPO was built in 1872 to replace a temporary post office that operated elsewhere in Queen Street. A central tower, southern Telegraph Wing and clock were added in 1879. The complex held Brisbane’s first telephone exchange (1880) and was the telegram central distribution centre. A replacement clock was installed in 1908, when a three-storey building facing Elizabeth Street was added. Minor extensions occurred in 1911, 1943-44, 1957 and 1975. During World War II, its front was used as a saluting dais for military parades. A replacement clock was installed in 1982. In 1983, a postal and telecommunications museum was included within the GPO. Located in Queen Street, the original GPO building by FDG Stanley is an Italianate-influenced design with a near square plan form. The building is constructed of brick, porphyry (Brisbane Tuft) and sandstone. It has an arched sandstone colonnade at street level above which is a verandah whose roof is supported on Corinthian columns. The main entry of the building was marked by a triple bay projecting slightly forward and surmounted by a pediment enclosing a clock. The three central projecting bays of the arcade have vermiculated rustication below the line of the arches. Source: heritage.brisbane.qld.gov.au/heritage-places/408

‘In Brisbane’s sunshine’ Thousands of Queenslanders greeted the Queen with great enthusiasm and informality. Through speeches and exhibitions, Queensland was portrayed as rich in natural resources and agriculture with great potential for long-term prosperity. At a parliamentary luncheon held in Brisbane on 10 March, the Premier talked of the major rural industries of Queensland including wool, sugar, beef, and dairy, as well as the coalfields of Blair Athol and the Callide Valley. Although the Royal couple were in the State for only nine days they covered a significant distance and the areas they visited displayed the resources and achievements of that region. In Toowoomba, prized livestock of the district was paraded for the Royal couple at a reception at the Athletic Oval. At a Civic Ball held at the Brisbane City Hall on 10 March, flora and fauna of Queensland were brought directly to the Royal pair where a representation of a rainforest, complete with flowers, foliage and waterfall was set up. The simulated gum tree provided a temporary home for nine koalas. Source: www.qhatlas.com.au/content/queen-queensland-1954

The Queen and Duke flew to Brisbane from Toowoomba on 11 March before flying the next day to Townsville. To get from Townsville to Cairns the Royal couple changed their mode of transport and sailed on the Royal yacht, the SS Gothic. They arrived in Cairns on 13 March at 11.30 am. People waited overnight on the wharf and in the streets to get the best vantage point. The couple’s time in Cairns was very short, however, and by early afternoon the Queen and Duke were back on the Gothic to cruise south to Mackay through the Whitsundays. They left the yacht to view the reef in private through a glass-bottomed boat and spent a free afternoon on Seaforth Island. Source: www.qhatlas.com.au/content/queen-queensland-1954