Brisbane things to do: City Hall

Brisbane City Hall

Last week, inspired by Australia Day 2015, we figured that after 16 years, it was time for a long overdue visit to iconic Brisbane City Hall, officially opened in 1930, subject of a 3 year restoration from 2010, reopened in 2013 and home to the Brisbane Lord Mayor.

On entry I was amazed and impressed, in this era of fear, by how freely we were able to wander the halls and corridors. Hot from the Brisbane summer, we dissolved into the Red Cross operated Shingle Inn to be tempted by their delicious array of cakes and lunches. Yummy! Too delicious! Delightfully refreshed, we popped up to the Museum of Brisbane to book our free tickets for a tour of the Clock Tower. Be warned, although these trips run every 15 minutes, the wait time can be longer than expected so consider getting your tickets as soon as you arrive.

City Hall - Entry Foyer

We had over 2 hours to wait for our clock tower visit so opted for a free 45 minute guided tour of City Hall. If I am honest, the tour won't change your life but did include some fascinating non-public areas of the building. In particular, the urinal wall, dating back to WWII and only rediscovered during building works in 2008. 

This captivating feature, originally positioned above the men's urinals (hmmm!!) back in the 1940's contains messages, signatures and numbers of over 150 servicemen from that era. Wonderful to see this little piece of engaging history preserved for future generations.

Of course, as always our tour guide came complete with a collection of historical anecdotes, including an amusing tale about Billy Connolly's appearance in the 1970's and how he shocked the locals who, allegedly, weren't too keen on his offending the ears of the ladies at the time! How times have changed!

Clock Tower Lift

The lift to the Clock Tower was a piece of history in its own right. Manually operated by our tour guide, it soon climbed past the huge clock faces to arrive at the top of the tower where, as we took in the 360 degree views of the city, we could almost see the huge bells that chime every 15 minutes. Fascinating!

Definitely a highlight and something every Brisbane resident must do at least once!

Another highlight is the magnificent auditorium, accessible without the tour, if not in use.  Circular in design and modelled on the pantheon of Rome, covered by a huge 31 metre copper dome, the largest in the Southern hemisphere. The auditorium is used for music recitals, citizenship ceremonies and other community events.

The auditorium is home to Father Henry Willis Organ, built in Liverpool (UK) in 1891 and constructed of around 4,500 pipes.

In a word, 'impressive'!

The incredible ceiling above the auditorium flashes with hundreds of LED lights, hated by some, admired by others and an addition made as part of the 3 year $215M restoration and definitely adding a contemporary feel to this beautiful building.

Do you love it or hate it? 

Add a comment below and tell us your thoughts!

We were fortunate to also see an exhibition of Costumes from the Golden Age of Hollywood, from a private collection. Some petite and beautiful, others heavy and coarse, not suited to the modern era of digital high definition for sure. This free exhibition is only on until May 2015 so be quick!

I was in awe of just how tiny were the outfits for those darlings of Hollywood, Joan Collins and Elizabeth Taylor! Very beautiful and so enviously slim.

Joan Collins dress designed by Bill Thomas

Elizabeth Taylor dress designed by Helen Rose

Brisbane City Hall lit for the G20, November 2014