Treasury Building

The object of the Treasury Department in any government is to provide ways to fleece tax the general populus so that the elected government can get on with its business. They employ lots of clever accountants and lawyers to devise innovative methods to do this, prompting a whole industry of even cleverer accountants and lawyers to find ways around those methods. These pastimes are called democracy and free enterprise. In 1889, the building below was opened, and it contained the offices of Queensland's Premier, as well as the Treasury Department and other State government departments.

(Photo: Library of Queensland and John Oxley Library; #36853)

The building is situated at 1-27 Queen St, right up at the top of the city near the Victoria Bridge. It was built on a site that had been earmarked for Government use since around 1825. The original buildings on the site had been built by convicts and were used as military barracks until about 1864, when the military moved out and the Treasury Department moved in. Sort of a bloodless coup, by the sounds of it. The Treasury Building in the photo was built in three stages between 1886 and 1928, and the picture above was taken in 1898.
(Photo: © 2009 the foto fanatic)

In 1995, with the interior of the building refurbished, it opened for business as the Conrad Treasury Casino (see my photo above - click on it for a larger image), with its new role being to fleece entertain patrons by means of various gambling enticements. Part of the revenue is diverted towards non-profit enterprises in Queensland, oversighted by the State Government. Not much has changed, really! :-)

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