(Photo: State Library of Queensland and John Oxley Library; #103466)
The original store was in Elizabeth St, but it made much more sense for it to be relocated to William St where goods could be easily unloaded from ships. Wouldn't it be interesting to know what sort of goods came in? Probably refined or processed or preserved foods; possibly even livestock; also clothes, I guess; and perhaps even building equipment and materials. I imagine that it would be a pretty busy place, and that the nature of the imports would have changed as the colony became more self-sufficient. The building itself was constructed of local stone from Kangaroo Point and Oxley Creek, and the original structure included a wharf.
The State government's EPA site provides a great deal more information about the building, past and present. Here are today's pictures of the Store, starting with the same viewpoint as the original.


My second photo, above, was taken from the original front of the building in Queens Wharf Rd (the entrance to the building today is in William St), and shows the Royal Seal above the main doors. Click the photo for a larger view. The building is now occupied by the Royal Historical Society, and of course, it was one of the city's first buildings to be heritage listed.
Click here for a Google Map.
tff
Next (tomorrow): Turning 60
Talking of convicts and of early Brisbane settlement, did you like the article on Joseph Backler's Views of Brisbane, in The Library Magazine, National Library of Australia, June 2010? He might have been a Very Naughty Boy, but goodness his panoramas were talented. And full of historical data.
ReplyDeleteInteresting story and wonderful art.
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