An aerial view featuring Customs House, Brisbane, Queensland

This image is aerial view featuring Customs House, Brisbane

Customs House is a heritage-listed customs house at 427 Queen Street, Brisbane CBD, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Charles H McLay and built from 1886 to 1889 at a cost of £38,346 by John Petrie & Son. It was originally used for the collection of customs duty and was opened in 1889,[1] when Queensland was a British colony, replacing the original Customs House located at Petrie Bight. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 7 February 2005 (Wikipedia)

The building remained vacant from 1988 until leased by the University of Queensland. The university refurbished the building from 1991 to 1994 at a cost of A$7.5 million.[4] At this period some of the interior masonry walls that had been removed in 1947 were replaced and the original timber stair was reconstructed. Non-significant partitions added after 1948 and parts of the 1940s fit out were removed except for some good quality intact 1940s office cabinetry which survived and part of the 1940s main stair which provided access to the basement. Two of the 1940s galleries added to the Long Room were removed and one, at the southwest end, retained and adapted. Timber window and door joinery was conserved and plaster mouldings reconstructed where they were missing.[2]

Following the renovation, there is a restaurant and function centre within the building, and regular concerts and an art gallery occupies the lower floor.[3] The Long Room was once the place customs business was transacted.[5] Today the room is used various events, such as lectures and dinners. (Wikipedia)

Thankyou to Mark Brizzypix Coleman for the permission to display this image.