Old Queensland Museum

The Queensland Museum is now based at Southbank, and I haven't yet been there. It's on my list, as they say. This post is about the old museum site at Bowen Hills, which is the one I went to as a student. It was sort of exciting, because it was right where The Ekka is; but it was also interesting. In fact, so interesting that on one visit with my primary school, I must have been walking around looking at the exhibits more than I was watching where I was going, and I bumped into a pillar and took a chunk out of my ear. I've still got the notch there today. The following photo, from 1910, shows the exterior of what is now called the Old Museum Building.

(Photo: State Library of Queensland and John Oxley Library; #117228)

In the old days, there was an old WWI German tank, Mephisto, parked out the front, and that was enough to get a boy's attention immediately. The tank was there because it was captured during the war by a Queensland regiment. Then, when you walked inside, the first thing that you would notice was Bert Hinkler's plane.
(Photo: © 2009 the foto fanatic)


The building was constructed in 1891, and its style is described on Wikipedia as "progressive eclecticism", which sounds pretty much like a back-handed compliment to me. It is now the home of the Queensland Youth Orchestra.

Click here to see a Google Map.

tff

Next: A tribute to Hector