Customs House, Brisbane
Encyclopedia
Customs House is a building located on Queen Street
by the Brisbane River
in Brisbane
, Queensland
, Australia
. It was originally used for the collection of customs duty
and was both completed and opened in 1889, when Queensland was a British colony, replacing the original Customs House located at Petrie Bight. Construction was finished in three years at a cost of ₤38,346. The downstream end of the Brisbane central business district
was selected to spur the development of wharves in the precinct known as Petrie Bight.
Customs House is a Brisbane landmark known for its distinctive copper dome. The building was designed by Charles McLay of the Queensland Colonial Architect's Office. 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 Port of Brisbane
at the mouth of the Brisbane River, resulting in its closure in April 1988. The building is now leased by the University of Queensland
and was refurbished between 1991 and 1994, at a cost of A$
7.5 million. There is a restaurant and function centre within the building, and regular concerts and art exhibitions are also held here. The Long Room was once the place customs business was transacted. Today the room is used for lectures and dinners.
The Customs House was registered on the Register of the National Estate
in 1980.
Customs House is within reach of the CityCat catamaran
ferry service, as well as the Free Loop Bus.
Queen Street, Brisbane
Queen Street in Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, Australia, is one of the city's major streets. It is the city's central road, partly covered by a pedestrian mall called the Queen Street Mall. Queen Street ends at the Victoria Bridge and is bounded by two of the Brisbane River's central reaches...
by the Brisbane River
Brisbane River
The Brisbane River is the longest river in south east Queensland, Australia, and flows through the city of Brisbane, before emptying into Moreton Bay. John Oxley was the first European to explore the river who named it after the Governor of New South Wales, Thomas Brisbane in 1823...
in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It was originally used for the collection of customs duty
Duty (economics)
In economics, a duty is a kind of tax, often associated with customs, a payment due to the revenue of a state, levied by force of law. It is a tax on certain items purchased abroad...
and was both completed and opened in 1889, when Queensland was a British colony, replacing the original Customs House located at Petrie Bight. Construction was finished in three years at a cost of ₤38,346. The downstream end of the Brisbane central business district
Brisbane central business district
The Brisbane central business district , sometimes referred to as the city, is a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia and is located on a point on the northern bank of the Brisbane River. The triangular shaped area is bounded by the Brisbane River to the east, south and west...
was selected to spur the development of wharves in the precinct known as Petrie Bight.
Customs House is a Brisbane landmark known for its distinctive copper dome. The building was designed by Charles McLay of the Queensland Colonial Architect's Office. Despite no government in the country having a coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
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 Port of Brisbane
Port of Brisbane
Port of Brisbane is the shipping port of Brisbane, on the east coast of Australia. It is located in the lower reaches of the Brisbane River on reclaimed land that was once called Fisherman Islands at the mouth of the river. It currently is the third busiest port in Australia and the nation's...
at the mouth of the Brisbane River, resulting in its closure in April 1988. The building is now leased by the University of Queensland
University of Queensland
The University of Queensland, also known as UQ, is a public university located in state of Queensland, Australia. Founded in 1909, it is the oldest and largest university in Queensland and the fifth oldest in the nation...
and was refurbished between 1991 and 1994, at a cost of A$
Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
7.5 million. There is a restaurant and function centre within the building, and regular concerts and art exhibitions are also held here. The Long Room was once the place customs business was transacted. Today the room is used for lectures and dinners.
The Customs House was registered on the Register of the National Estate
Register of the National Estate
The Register of the National Estate is a listing of natural and cultural heritage places in Australia. The listing was initially compiled between 1976 and 2003 by the Australian Heritage Commission. The register is now maintained by the Australian Heritage Council...
in 1980.
Customs House is within reach of the CityCat catamaran
Catamaran
A catamaran is a type of multihulled boat or ship consisting of two hulls, or vakas, joined by some structure, the most basic being a frame, formed of akas...
ferry service, as well as the Free Loop Bus.