Old State Library Building, Brisbane facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Old State Library Building |
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Old State Library Building from William Street
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| Location | 159 William Street, Brisbane City, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1870s–1890s (late 19th century) |
| Built | 1876–1959 |
| Official name: State Library (former), Museum | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 21 October 1992 |
| Reference no. | 600177 |
| Significant period | 1902–1988 (historical Library) 1876–1900 (fabric Museum) 1902–1964 (fabric Library) 1959 (fab |
| Significant components | mural / fresco, library – building, sculpture |
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The Old State Library Building is a historic building in Brisbane City, Queensland, Australia. It used to be a library and before that, a museum. You can find it on William Street. This building is so important that it's listed on the Queensland Heritage Register.
It was first built for the Queensland Museum. Later, from 1902 to 1988, it became home to the State Library of Queensland. The library then moved to the Queensland Cultural Centre at South Bank.
The Building's Journey Through Time
This building was constructed in two main parts. The first part, facing William Street, has three floors. It was built between 1876 and 1879. This was the very first building made specifically for the Queensland Museum, which started in 1855.
In 1876, the plans for the first section were finished. FDG Stanley, the government architect, oversaw the design. A company named W Macfarlane won the contract to build it for about £10,701. The building was meant to be the first part of a bigger complex. This complex would have included two side wings and a grand walkway facing the river.
The building was designed in a classical style, similar to Italian buildings from the 1500s. Its central spot near the city's southern entrance showed how important the museum was for science and culture in Brisbane.
The first part of the building was finished and opened in 1879. However, it quickly became too small for the museum. In 1881, the area below was leveled, and the basement was made bigger. By 1884, the government was already planning a new museum building. But due to money problems, the museum stayed in the William Street building until 1899. It then moved to the former Exhibition Building at Gregory Terrace.
In 1900, a contract for £1,900 was given to change the old museum building. It was turned into a home for the Public Library of Queensland, which had started in 1896. The library opened in the newly changed building in April 1902. Its name was later changed to the State Library of Queensland in 1971.
The John Oxley Library, which collects historical materials about Queensland, moved into the State Library building in 1931. It was started in 1926.
As a big project to celebrate 100 years (a centennial project), the library building was made larger in 1958–1959. This cost over £265,000. The new parts were designed by government architects. They included an exhibition hall on the west side and reading rooms facing the river.
In 1958, national competitions were held to find designs for a wall mural and a sculpture for the new Centennial Hall. Victorian artist Lindsay Edward won for the mural, and Brisbane sculptor Leonard George Shillam won for the sculpture. Shillam's aluminum sculpture, called 'Enlightenment', showed three figures reaching towards the sun. It was meant to show how knowledge spreads to people.
Princess Alexandra officially opened the new extensions in August 1959.
From 1964 to 1965, the original building had a big renovation. This included adding a concrete frame, new floors, a mezzanine (a half-floor), and air conditioning. The skylight was also removed. This renovation cost over £227,000. The outside brickwork might have been covered at this time too. The William Street front of the building stayed mostly the same. It is one of the few 1870s building fronts left in the city.
The State Library of Queensland, including the John Oxley Library, moved to a new building in the Queensland Cultural Centre in 1988. Since then, the Old State Library Building has been used for storing library materials.
Exploring the Building's Design
The Old State Library Building sits between William Street and the Brisbane River. It looks out over Queens Gardens. It was the first of many important government buildings built around Queens Gardens. These include the Treasury Building and the Lands Administration Building. It is also next to the North Quay porphyry wall.
The Old State Library Building has two main parts. There's the original 1879 neoclassical (classical style) structure and the 1959 modern extension.
The original building was a three-story stone building with a sandstone front, called a facade. This facade uses classical elements. It has a rough-textured base and tall columns that go up two stories. These columns support a decorative band called an entablature. The middle of the facade has a special arched doorway at ground level, which was the original entrance but is now closed. Above it, in the entablature, is a small pediment (a triangular shape). The large columns have lotus leaf capitals (the top part of a column) and form a row of columns, or a colonnade, in front of the second and third floors. Decorative brackets called Corbels rise above each column. The very top pediment has sections of balustrade (a row of small pillars). All the windows on this front facade are arched.
The inside of the first section was greatly changed in 1964–1965. A concrete frame was added, along with new floors, a mezzanine, and air-conditioning.
The 1958–59 modern extension is on the west and south sides. It has four stories, but only one is visible from William Street. The William Street front of this new part has a wall with a random pattern at the main entrance. It is topped by a low, copper-covered roof. The western wall is decorated with a huge glass mosaic mural by Lindsay Edward. It is about 20.7 meters long and 4.4 meters high. Its design shows "primitive organic forms" that suggest growth and development. On the river side, there is an aluminum sculpture by Leonard Shillam. It is about 6 meters tall and is called "Enlightenment." It shows three figures reaching towards the sun, symbolizing how knowledge spreads to people. On the south side, the extension has concrete fin walls. These walls offer views of the river, create private work areas, and provide shade from the sun.
Protecting Our History: Heritage Listing
The Old State Library Building was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992. This means it meets certain important standards.
The place is important in demonstrating the evolution or pattern of Queensland's history. The former State Library shows how important the Queensland Museum was in Brisbane's scientific and cultural life in the late 1800s. It is also important because of its 1958–59 extension, which was a major project by the Queensland Government to celebrate 100 years. Plus, it was home to the State Library of Queensland from 1902.
The place demonstrates rare, uncommon or endangered aspects of Queensland's cultural heritage. This building is a special example of a public building from the 1870s in central Brisbane. Not many like it are left.
The place is important because of its aesthetic significance. The building is a key part of a group of important government buildings in Queensland. Its beautiful classical front, designed by FDG Stanley, makes it very important for its architectural quality.
