Queen Street

Geography

Queen Street is the city's central road, partly covered by a pedestrian mall called the Queen Street Mall. It ends at the Victoria Bridge and is bounded by two of the Brisbane River's central reaches. Uptown at the top of the mall is George Street.

The next street parallel to the south is Elizabeth Street, while Adelaide Street is the next parallel street to the north.

History

Before 1842 and free settlement, Queen Street was originally a track leading from the main section of the early Moreton Bay Penal Colony, crossing a stream known as Wheat Creek with a deviation going up to the Windmill. In early 1840, a surveyor named Dixon drew up a survey for the central Brisbane streets with all streets 66 feet (20 metres) wide. Changes were then made to this plan with square blocks flattened into a rectangular grid with streets becoming 1.4 chains (27 metres). On Governor Gipps' visit to Brisbane Town in March 1842, Gipps remarked that Brisbane Town was "simply an ordinary provincial settlement", which would need no grand avenues. As a result, Gipps moved the planned width of Queen Street, along with other streets, back to 66 feet (20 metres), arguing that this change would mean that buildings could be kept out of the sun.

Later, there was compromise with the main street that would be known as Queen Street, with the western boundary's width changed to 1.2 chains (24 metres).

The first sitting of Legislative Assembly of Queensland in May 1860 occurred in the old converted convict barracks on Queen Street.

In 1864, there were two significant fires along the street. The September 1864 fire started in the Little Wonder store on Edward Street which destroyed 14 shops in Queen Street. This event later became known as Bulcock's Fire. On 1 December 1864, the Great Fire of Brisbane started within the cellar of a Queen Street drapery store which burnt down buildings bordering Queen Street, as well as Albert Street, Edward Street, George Street and Elizabeth Street. Brisbane Courier described the fire as "the whole of the business premises and private residences...were, in a couple of hours, reduced to a heap of ruins".

On 9 December 1882, a demonstration of electricity was conducted with eight arc lights along Queen Street. Power was supplied by a 10 hp generator driven by a small engine in a foundry in Adelaide Street. This was Australia's first recorded use of electricity for public purposes.

In 1885, Poul C. Poulsen opened his photographic studio at 7 Queen Street. Ada Driver trained at Poulson's studio before opening her own photographic studio, 'Ada Driver's Studio', at 51 Queen street in 1906.

Heritage listings

There are many heritage-listed buildings in Queen Street, including:

21 Queen Street: Treasury Building

33 Queen Street: Bank of New South Wales Building

43 Queen Street: Trustees Chambers

62 Queen Street: Colonial Mutual Chambers

86 Queen Street: Palings Building (also known as City International Duty Free)

110 Queen Street: Allan and Stark Building (also known as former Myer Store)

114 Queen Street: Gardams Building

116 Queen Street: Hardy Brothers Building

120 Queen Street: Edwards and Chapman Building

160 Queen Street: Brisbane Arcade

167 Queen Street: Regent Theatre

180 Queen Street: National Australia Bank (180 Queen Street)

196 Queen Street: Finney Isles & Co Building

229 Queen Street: MacArthur Chambers

270 Queen Street: Sir William Glasgow Memorial

289 Queen Street: Newspaper House (now the Manor Apartment Hotel)

299 Queen Street: National Mutual Life Building

Major intersections

North Quay / William Street

George Street

Albert Street

Edward Street

Creek Street

Wharf Street / Eagle Street

Adelaide Street

Ann Street