Brisbane Open House (part 1)
This weekend was a busy one as we ventured into the city for Brisbane Open House. This year was the first time this event has taken place and 20 venues were on offer to visit for free. Unfortunately the weather wasn't the best, with cloud and rain being the dominant feature. But it didn't stop us getting around 6 buildings.
Our first stop was QPAC (Queensland Performing Arts centre). We were able to do a self guided tour before being taken on a guided backstage tour of the Lyric Theatre. It was a fascinating glimpse into life behind the curtain and it gave us a totally new perspective of what the performers see as they look out onto 2000 expectant faces. The Centre has just undergone a $34.7 million refurbishment and is looking great. Our visit to see "Wicked" next February will take on an added interest.
Then we took a short train ride across the river and joined the line of people wanting to visit the Masonic Memorial Temple. This beautiful building was built as a monument to Freemasonry in Queensland and as a WW1 memorial. It was completed in 1930 and was built in the Classical Revival style. Fortunately the queues weren't too long and the rain held off as we stood outside.
Time for a quick coffee stop and a sit-down before walking around the corner towards the river and our next building, The Brisbane Customs House. Built in 1889, this classical building was in use as a customs house until 1989, a few months short of 100 years. It is now owned by the University of Queensland who restored it back to its former glory.
OK...time for a rest before we continue onto some more buildings. I'll catch you tomorrow.