Parliament House, Brisbane
Encyclopedia
Parliament House in Brisbane
is the home of the Parliament of Queensland
, housing the Legislative Assembly
. It is situated on the corner of George Street
and Alice Street
. Parliament House is bordered by the Queensland University of Technology
and the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens
.
When Queensland
was established as a separate colony from New South Wales
in 1859, its new Parliament met in temporary quarters at the Old Convict Barracks in Queen Street. This facility sufficed whilst the Government of Queensland
directed funds for construction of Government House
.
In 1886, the building was connected to the Government Printing Office via an underground cable. This provided the building with an electrical supply, the first for any Parliament House in Australia.
-wide design competition. Amid controversy and allegations of undue influence on the outcome of the competition, Tiffin donated his prize money for the design to the Ipswich Grammar School
. In 1864 the foundation stone for the building was laid, and it was built by Joshua Jeays
. The George Street frontage was completed in 1868 in French Renaissance
Revival style, with some Second Empire-style elements. The colonnades were built in 1878, and construction on the Alice Street frontage commenced in 1887.
The original zinc roof was replaced in the 1980s with one constructed from Mount Isa
copper
. A 22-storey Parliamentary Annexe building was completed in 1979, built within the grounds of the old Parliament House.
Free public guided tours of the Parliament are available each week day. Also, a gift shop, selling souvenirs and memorabilia, is located in the main foyer.
Parliament House was also used as one of the filming location
s for the 1980s Australian series of Mission: Impossible
.
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...
is the home of the Parliament of Queensland
Parliament of Queensland
The Parliament of Queensland is the legislature of Queensland, Australia. According to the state's constitution, the Parliament consists of the Queen and the Legislative Assembly. It is the only unicameral state parliament in the country, the upper chamber, the Legislative Council, having been...
, housing the Legislative Assembly
Queensland Legislative Assembly
The Queensland Legislative Assembly is the unicameral chamber of the Parliament of Queensland. Elections are held approximately once every three years. Voting is by the Optional Preferential Voting form of the Alternative Vote system...
. It is situated on the corner of George Street
George Street, Brisbane
George Street is a main street located in the Brisbane CBD in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. A major thoroughfare, George Street connects to the Queensland University of Technology as well as the state Botanical Gardens, to the commercial centre of Brisbane, Queen Street and Queen Street Mall.The...
and Alice Street
Alice Street, Brisbane
Alice Street is a central road in Brisbane, Australia. It is the most southern major road in the city's central business district, running parallel to the other female named streets in the city....
. Parliament House is bordered by the Queensland University of Technology
Queensland University of Technology
Queensland University of Technology is an Australian university with an applied emphasis in courses and research. Based in Brisbane, it has 40,000 students, including 6,000 international students, over 4,000 staff members, and an annual budget of more than A$750 million.QUT is marketed as "A...
and the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens
Brisbane City Botanic Gardens
The City Botanic Gardens is located on a point known as Gardens Point on the Brisbane River adjacent to the central business district of the city of Brisbane...
.
When 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...
was established as a separate colony from New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
in 1859, its new Parliament met in temporary quarters at the Old Convict Barracks in Queen Street. This facility sufficed whilst the Government of Queensland
Government of Queensland
The Government of Queensland is commonly known as the "Queensland Government".The form of the Government of Queensland is prescribed in its Constitution, which dates from 1859, although it has been amended many times since then...
directed funds for construction of Government House
Old Government House, Queensland
Queensland's first Government House is located at Gardens Point in the grounds of the Queensland University of Technology at the end of George Street in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia...
.
In 1886, the building was connected to the Government Printing Office via an underground cable. This provided the building with an electrical supply, the first for any Parliament House in Australia.
Architecture
In 1863, design plans by Robert Tiffin for a new Parliament House were finally selected from an AustraliaAustralia
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...
-wide design competition. Amid controversy and allegations of undue influence on the outcome of the competition, Tiffin donated his prize money for the design to the Ipswich Grammar School
Ipswich Grammar School
Ipswich Grammar School is an independent, non-denominational, day and boarding school for boys, located in Ipswich, a city situated on the Bremer River in South East Queensland, Australia...
. In 1864 the foundation stone for the building was laid, and it was built by Joshua Jeays
Joshua Jeays
-Personal life:Joshua Jeays was born in 1812 in Leicestershire, England.He married Sarah Edwyn in 1838 in Marylebone, Middlesex, England with whom he had a number of children including:* Sarah Jane* Joseph Joshua * Charles Edwyn...
. The George Street frontage was completed in 1868 in French Renaissance
French Renaissance
French Renaissance is a recent term used to describe a cultural and artistic movement in France from the late 15th century to the early 17th century. It is associated with the pan-European Renaissance that many cultural historians believe originated in northern Italy in the fourteenth century...
Revival style, with some Second Empire-style elements. The colonnades were built in 1878, and construction on the Alice Street frontage commenced in 1887.
The original zinc roof was replaced in the 1980s with one constructed from Mount Isa
Mount Isa, Queensland
-Culture and sport:The local theatre group, the Mount Isa Theatrical Society, or MITS, often holds plays and musicals, at least once every few months or so....
copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
. A 22-storey Parliamentary Annexe building was completed in 1979, built within the grounds of the old Parliament House.
Public use
Art exhibitions and other displays are frequently staged in the spacious ground floor areas of the Annexe.Free public guided tours of the Parliament are available each week day. Also, a gift shop, selling souvenirs and memorabilia, is located in the main foyer.
Parliament House was also used as one of the filming location
Filming location
A filming location is a place where some or all of a film or television series is produced, in addition to or instead of using sets constructed on a movie studio backlot or soundstage...
s for the 1980s Australian series of Mission: Impossible
Mission: Impossible
Mission: Impossible is an American television series which was created and initially produced by Bruce Geller. It chronicled the missions of a team of secret American government agents known as the Impossible Missions Force . The leader of the team was Jim Phelps, played by Peter Graves, except in...
.