Treasury Building, Brisbane facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Treasury Building, Brisbane |
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Queen Street facade of the Treasury Building, 2008
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| Alternative names | The Treasury |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Italian Renaissance |
| Location | Brisbane Square, Brisbane |
| Address | 21 Queen Street (on the block bounded by Queen Street, George Street, Elizabeth Street, and William Street), Brisbane city, Queensland |
| Current tenants | Treasury Casino |
| Inaugurated | 8 April 1930 |
| Owner | Star Entertainment Group |
| Design and construction | |
| Architecture firm | John James Clark |
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| Location | 21 Queen Street, Brisbane City, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1870s - 1890s (late 19th century) |
| Built | 1886 - 1928 |
| Official name: Treasury Building, New Public Offices, Treasury Casino | |
| Type | State heritage (built) |
| Designated | 21 October 1992 |
| Reference no. | 600143 |
| Significant period | 1880s-1920s (fabric) 1880s-1980s (historical) |
| Significant components | wall/s |
The Treasury Building in Brisbane is a very old and important building. It used to be called the New Public Offices. This amazing building is located at 21 Queen Street in the heart of Brisbane City, Queensland, Australia. It was built a long time ago, between 1886 and 1928, for the Queensland Government.
The building is designed in the Italian Renaissance style. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992. This means it is a special historical place.
The Treasury Building is found near the Victoria Bridge. It takes up a whole city block. This block is surrounded by Queen, George, Elizabeth, and William Streets. The side facing Elizabeth Street is across from the beautiful Queens Gardens. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, this grand building showed Queensland's self-government. It was a place for big celebrations.
Today, the building is home to the Treasury Casino. It is owned by the Star Entertainment Group.
Contents
Building History
The Treasury Building was built in three main parts. This construction took place between 1886 and 1928.
Early Plans and Design
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The land where the building stands has been used by the government since 1825. At first, there were old convict-built buildings here. These included officers' homes and a military barracks. By 1864, the military left. Other government offices, like the Registrar-General's, moved in. In 1874, a new building for the Registrar-General was built. This was part of a plan to develop the area, known as Treasury Square.
In 1883, the Queensland Government decided to build new public offices. They held a competition for the design. A design by architects Grainger and D'Ebro won. However, their plan was never used. Instead, the new colonial architect, John James Clark, suggested a four-storey building. He thought it should be built in stages. Clark's own design, in the neo-Italianate style, was chosen.
John James Clark was a very important architect in Australia. He designed many major public buildings. These included buildings in Victoria, Queensland, and Western Australia.
First Stage of Construction
The plans for the first part of the Treasury Building were ready by mid-1885. This part would face William Street and the Brisbane River. It would also extend a short way down Elizabeth and Queen Streets. Construction started in 1886. A company from Sydney, Phippard Bros & Co., won the contract. The cost was about £94,697.
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This first stage was finished in September 1889. It became the main place for government work in Queensland. Many important departments moved in. These included the Premier's office, the Treasury, and the Police. The Cabinet and Executive Council also met here often. In 1905, the Premier's Department moved to another building.
Second Stage of Construction
Work on the second stage began almost right away. This part finished the Elizabeth Street side. It also extended two-thirds along the George Street side. The plans were prepared by Thomas Pye. He was an architect working for the colonial architect's office. Construction started in 1890. John Jude, a builder from Adelaide, won this contract. The cost was about £67,000.
This part was finished by February 1893. New departments moved into this wing. These included Justice and Public Instruction. The State Savings Bank also moved in. It had a special banking area. The new wing looked just like the first part. In 1893, the inner courtyard was made into a nice garden. It had grass, paths, and trees.
At this point, the site had the first two parts of the Treasury Building. It also still had the Registrar-General's office from 1874.
Federation and Final Stage
In the 1890s and early 1900s, the Treasury Building was a symbol of Queensland's self-rule. It was used for many big events. In 1901, the Federation of Australia was announced. The Governor, Baron Lamington, read the announcement from a balcony here.
The third stage of the Treasury Building started much later, in 1922. This was because new government offices had been built. The old Registrar-General's building was taken down in late 1922. Construction began in 1923. The government used its own workers for this. They even bought a quarry to get the stone.
The front of this third section looked very similar to Clark's original plan. However, inside, it was a modern 1920s building. It was finished and officially opened in 1928. This final stage cost about £137,817. It gave more space to the government offices already in the building.
In the 1950s, more space was needed. So, a five-storey annex was built in the courtyard in 1961. In 1971, the Treasury and Works Departments moved out. This ended the building's main connection to these government groups. The annex was removed in 1987. This was to prepare for a big renovation.
Until 1989, only the Registrar-General's office remained. Even so, the Treasury Building was still known as a key government building. Later, the Treasury Building was sold. It became the Treasury Casino.
Building Design and Features
The Treasury Building is a four-storey building. It takes up a whole city block. This block is bordered by Queen, George, Elizabeth, and William Streets. It is part of a group of important public buildings. These buildings surround Queens Gardens.
The building has a partly hidden basement. It also has an elevated ground floor, called a piano nobile. Above this are two more floors. It is built around a large central courtyard.
The design uses a classical style. This style comes from Italian architecture of the 1500s. Arcades (covered walkways with arches) are on three sides. These arcades protect the building from the weather. The sides with arcades are balanced. They have central towers that are one storey taller. The corners of the building stick out a bit. The basement walls have a special rough stone look. The side facing southeast does not have an arcade or a central tower.
The building is covered with sandstone blocks. The inside walls of the arcades are brick. They are covered to look like stone. Different types of sandstone were used for each building stage. You can see a slight color difference. The stone for the first part came from Highfields. The stone for later parts came from Helidon. The outside walls sit on a dark stone base. A matching low stone wall with a wrought iron fence is also around parts of the building.
The first two parts of the building have a fire protection system. The floors are made of concrete. They are supported by iron beams. Steel roller shutters can close to protect openings. The third part of the building uses reinforced concrete slabs. These are supported by strong walls and steel beams. The roofs of the older parts are sloped and made of corrugated iron. The roof of the third part is flat concrete.
The building has several entrances. The main entrance is in the middle of the Queen Street side. Wide stairs lead to three sets of glass doors. These doors open into a foyer on the ground floor. The foyer has a patterned floor and a decorative ceiling. Two Ionic columns are opposite the entrance. They frame the grand staircase. This staircase was part of the third stage. It is made of reinforced concrete. The staircase gets light from large windows facing the courtyard.
Wide hallways connect all the rooms on each floor. There are also large staircases along the hallways. Most stairwells get light from glass lanterns at the top. All staircases have wooden handrails and decorative iron balustrades. The stair landings have bold patterns. Some original staircases have been removed. Rooms open off both sides of the hallways. They get light from the street or the courtyard. Cast-iron balconies run around the courtyard on every floor. Rooms facing the courtyard have french doors that open onto these balconies. Two sections with toilets extend into the courtyard.
The inside of the building is simple but elegant. It has cedar wood details and decorative plasterwork. The fanciness of the rooms depends on how important they were. Rooms in the William Street part have decorative vents, marble fireplaces, and plaster ceiling decorations. The Cabinet room, in the middle of this wing, is very special. It has a more decorated ceiling and carved cedar panels. Ministers' offices were in the corner sections. They had doors to the arcades and private hallways. This allowed them to move around without being seen by the public.
The third part of the building had a modern 1920s look. It used movable walls between columns. These walls had asbestos cement panels below and patterned glass above. The outside of the building is mostly unchanged. The inside has had only small changes.
Treasury Casino
The central courtyard of the building was covered with a roof. This was done when the building was turned into a casino. Since 1995, the renovated building has been home to the Conrad Treasury Casino. This changed the building from a place of government to a place of fun. It now has two bars, five restaurants, and eight rooms for events.
Why the Treasury Building is Special
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The Treasury Building was listed on the Queensland Heritage Register in 1992. This means it is recognized as a very important historical site.
- Shows Queensland's History: The building shows how Queensland grew and became proud. It proves Queensland's fast economic growth in the 1880s. The inside of the building is still very original. This helps us understand how the Queensland government worked long ago.
- Unique and Rare: It's rare to find such an old building that kept its design over three different building stages. This makes it a unique part of Queensland's history.
- Great Example of Style: The Treasury Building is an excellent example of the Italian Renaissance style. This style was popular for public buildings in Australia in the late 1800s.
- Beautiful Design: People, especially those who study architecture, value its beautiful design. They admire its details, materials, and how well it was built. It's a landmark in the city. It looks great with the other buildings and the river.
- Creative Achievement: It's a major work by a famous Australian architect, JJ Clark. This shows a high level of creative skill.
- Important to the Community: The building has always been a symbol of government in Queensland. It's been a popular sign of self-government for over 100 years. It's a key part of the most important group of government buildings in Queensland.
- Long History of Authority: Both the land and the building have been linked to government and administration in Queensland since 1825.
Images for kids
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Registrar-General's Office on the corner of Queen and George Streets, 1875
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Construction work on stage 2, 1893
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Lord Lamington addressing the crowds on Federation Day, 1901
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Treasury Building after Stage 2 with the Registrar-General's building still on the corner of Queen and George Streets, circa 1907. The internal walls facing the internal courtyard can be seen.
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William Street facade completed in the first stage, 2014
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Elizabeth Street facade completed in the 2nd stage, 2013
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George Street and Queen Street facades completed in stage 3, 1928
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Perspective view (Queen Street to the left, William Street to the right), circa 1888
