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South eastern view of the State Library of Queensland, South Brisbane, 2006
Renovation work on the State Library building in William Street, Brisbane, 1959
Public Library of Queensland, 1931
Timeline of State Library history
State Library of Queensland buildings
To celebrate the first birthday of the redeveloped State Library of Queensland building at South Bank, Picture Queensland is pleased to present this special feature, highlighting the history of the buildings occupied by the State Library over the past century.
William Street building
The first building occupied by the State Library was at 159 William Street, Brisbane. This building, erected by the colonial Queensland Government between 1876 and 1879, was not built for the library, but was in fact the first purpose-built home for the Queensland Museum. In 1876 the design for the first section, a three storeyed masonry structure with a sandstone façade, was completed under the supervision of Queensland’s colonial architect Francis Drummond Greville Stanley. The façade is in the classical style, modelled on 16th century Italian buildings.
The building was completed and occupied early in 1879, but proved inadequate for museum purposes. The Queensland Museum vacated the premises in 1899, and in September 1900 a £1,900 contract was let for conversion of the building into premises for the Public Library of Queensland, which had been established in 1896. The Library opened to the public in the refurbished building in April 1902.
1958-59 extension
As a major Queensland centennial project, the William Street building was extended in 1958-59, at a cost of over £265,000. The additions included an exhibition hall on the western side, known as Centennial Hall, and reading rooms on the river elevation. In 1958 national competitions were held for designs for a wall mural and sculpture to embellish the exterior of the new Centennial Hall. The mural competition was won by Victorian artist Lindsay Edward, whose glass mosaic mural suggests primitive organic forms indicative of growth and development in Brisbane. Leonard G Shillam won the sculpture competition. His aluminium sculpture, Enlightenment, depicts three figures reaching towards the sun, symbolising the dissemination of enlightenment to mankind. The extensions were opened officially in August 1959 by Princess Alexandra of Kent.
Moving to South Bank
In 1975 the Queensland Government announced construction of the Queensland Cultural Centre at South Bank. A new State Library of Queensland was announced as stage 4 of the project. Architect Robin Gibson was awarded the design of the entire Cultural Centre precinct. The new, larger State Library building was opened to the public in 1988.
Bigger, bolder, brighter...
In 2000 Premier Peter Beattie announced the Millennium Arts Project which included a major redevelopment of the 1988 State Library building. A design competition was held and in April 2002 the Queensland-based architectural team of Donovan Hill + Peddle Thorp was engaged to design the new building. Construction of the new design commenced in 2004. The redevelopment doubled the size of the Robin Gibson designed building and included a new five-level addition linked to the existing building by the Knowledge Walk, with a new roof encasing the entire structure.
On 25 November 2006 the redeveloped State Library of Queensland opened to the public as a new cultural and knowledge destination. On 25 October 2007 the State Library of Queensland building was voted Australia’s ‘Building of the Year’ at the Royal Australian Institute of Architects (RAIA) Awards ceremony in Alice Springs with accolades going to architects Donovan Hill + Peddle Thorp.
View other pictures of the different State Library buildings
Acknowledgments
Most of the information about the William Street building was taken from the Queensland Heritage Register, available at http://www.epa.qld.gov.au/projects/heritage/index.cgi?place=600177&back=1 [new window]
More information
If you have an enquiry, you can contact us in any of the following ways:
For general enquiries:
- Ask at your local Queensland public library
- Other libraries [new window http://www.nla.gov.au/libraries/]
Last updated: 27th June 2008
Creatively linking Queenslanders to information, knowledge and each other
