Go back in time to 1885 when Brisbane was a young township

 
Posted by Elliott Murray   ●   11 May 2023

Harriet Jane Neville-Rolfe’s watercolour Houses of Parliament, Brisbane 1885 (illustrated) was painted just before the artist left Australia to return to England. We can clearly see Queensland’s Parliament House and other recognisable Brisbane landmarks from across the river in a depiction of the daily life of a port city named after the river that runs through it.

In the spring of 1883, the young British artist sailed to Australia from her family home in Norfolk to join her siblings on a cattle station 396 km west of Rockhampton in Central Queensland, and 769 km north-west of Brisbane — to give an idea of how remote, if you were driving non-stop from Brisbane today it would take over 11 hours. Alpha Station was therefore extremely remote in the 1880s, however it dominated the area and grew to more than 1600 square kilometres by the 1890s. Over two years, Neville-Rolfe recorded life on Alpha in vivid washes of watercolour and sent many of these drawings back to her family in England before she returned.

Neville-Rolfe’s Breakfast, Alpha 1884 (illustrated) captures her family at the breakfast table. Floor-length white table linen, fresh wild flowers and silver tableware suggest that Neville-Rolfe’s former English lifestyle and social standing had been successfully transported to the colonies. The artist has captured the rustic nature of the interior of the room, illustrating the corrugated iron roof, exposed rough-sawn beams and slab walls, bullock horns and guns hanging on the wall in a somewhat English view of the harsh Australian outback.

Harriet Jane Neville-Rolfe ‘Breakfast, Alpha’ 1884

Harriet Jane Neville-Rolfe, England/Australia 1850-1928 / Breakfast, Alpha 1884 / Watercolour over pencil on wove paper / 25.3 x 35.4cm / Gift of the artist’s son in her memory 1964 / Collection: Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art

Harriet Jane Neville-Rolfe (center front)

Harriet Jane Neville-Rolfe was the fourth of nine children (clockwise from top left) Marie, Alfred, Charles, Herbert, Harriet Jane (center front), and Margaret / Image courtesy: Norfolk Record Office

Brisbane in 1885

Brisbane was a young township when Neville-Rolfe visited, only becoming a municipality 24 years earlier on 6 June 1859 when Queen Victoria approved the creation of the new colony called Queensland. By the 1880s Brisbane became the main site for commerce in the state, and a capital in waiting until 1901. The mid-1880s also brought a period of economic prosperity through trade, and the major construction boom in Brisbane produced an impressive number of notable public and commercial buildings. As the infrastructure of the Colony of Queensland improved, Brisbane began to acquire facilities that laid the groundwork to become the country’s third largest city.

Looking along the Brisbane River 1885 / ID 436317/ Image courtesy: Queensland State Archives

A. Lomer & Co / Panorama of Brisbane River from the Observatory (and detail) c.1885 / 99183857305602061 / Image courtesy: John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, Brisbane

Parliament House (illustrated) located on a prominent point of the Brisbane River overlooks the city’s Botanic Gardens bounded on three sides by the curving river. The impressive architectural symbol was started in 1864, first occupied in 1868, and finally completed 25 years later. Designed by Charles Tiffin (1833–73), the English architect spent most of his career in Queensland contributing to significant architecture in Brisbane as Government Architect with the Public Works Department. Apart from designing Parliament House he also designed (Old) Government House (1860-62) (illustrated) which accompanies Parliament House at Gardens Point.

Parliament House c.1870

Front view of Parliament House, Brisbane from the Botanical Gardens c.1870 / Photograph: Richard Daintree / Image courtesy: John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, Brisbane

View to Government House from Parliament House c.1874-79 

GP Wright, Australia c.1815–91 / Government House and domain from the top of the parliamentary buildings (from ‘Brisbane illustrated’ portfolio) c.1874-79 / Albumen photograph on paper mounted on card / 20 x 24cm (comp.) / Purchased 2005 / Collection: Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art

The three-storey Queensland Club (illustrated) on the corner of Alice and George Streets diagonally opposite Parliament House opened in 1884. Designed to provide a recreational venue and accommodation for the private Club established in 1859 when Queensland became a separate colony. Members were mainly politicians due to its proximity to the seat of government, pastoralists, and business owners.

Queensland Club 1912

Queensland Club on the corner of George and Alice Streets, Brisbane 1912 / Photograph courtesy: John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, Brisbane

Queensland Club tennis court in the Brisbane Botanic Gardens 1885

Queensland Club tennis court in the Brisbane Botanic Gardens in front of Parliament House 1885 / Image courtesy: John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, Brisbane

Contemporary depictions of Brisbane

Surviving early depictions of Brisbane such as Neville-Rolfe’s Houses of Parliament, Brisbane 1885 are rare. Of the works dating from the late 19th century that show the same reach of the river, the Panorama of Brisbane 1880 (illustrated) by J A (Joseph Augustine) Clarke (1840–90) — Queensland‘s first professional artist and art teacher — and Isaac Walter Jenner’s painting Brisbane from Bowen Terrace, New Farm 1888 (illustrated) record the busy life of the colony.

Harriet Jane Neville-Rolfe ‘Houses of Parliament, Brisbane’ 1885

Harriet Jane Neville-Rolfe, England/Australia 1850-1928 / Houses of Parliament, Brisbane 1885 / Watercolour over pencil on wove paper / 17.6 x 25.3cm / Gift of the artist’s son in her memory 1964 / Collection: Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art

Joseph Augustine Clarke ‘Panorama of Brisbane’ 1880

Joseph Augustine Clarke, Australia 1840–1890 / Panorama of Brisbane 1880 / Oil on canvas / 137 x 366cm / Collection: Queensland Museum

Isaac Walter Jenner ‘Brisbane from Bowen Terrace, New Farm’ 1888

Isaac Walter Jenner, England/Australia 1836-1902 / Brisbane from Bowen Terrace, New Farm 1888 / Oil on board / 14.5 x 21.8cm / Acc. 1995.076 / Purchased 1995. Queensland Art Gallery Foundation / Collection: Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art

Landmarks recorded by Harriet Jane Neville-Rolfe

The importance of shipping to Brisbane’s commercial life is evident with the heritage buildings still standing at the intersection of Edward and Alice Streets — the reach portrayed by Neville-Rolfe — however most of these buildings we see today were constructed just after the artist departed Brisbane. Here, we delve into the activities that Neville-Rolfe would have witnessed and the buildings recognisable in Houses of Parliament, Brisbane.

Floating Municipal Swimming Baths

With few houses having access to running water, the building of public baths on the Brisbane River provided both safety and modesty. The Metropolitan Baths referenced here were originally moored at Petrie Bight, a sharp curve upstream at the northern end of the Town Reach. Before the construction of new city wharves, the baths were moved downstream to the end of Edward and Alice Streets, adjacent to the Botanic Gardens from 1875 until 1893. The baths can clearly be recognised in both Houses of Parliament, Brisbane and Panorama of Brisbane.

Metropolitan Baths, Brisbane River 1875 / 99183506762902061 / Image courtesy: John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, Brisbane
Brisbane River at Petrie Bight at the northern end of the Town Reach overlooking the Metropolitan Baths (lower right) 1875 / Image courtesy: John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, Brisbane

Edward Street Ferry Terminal

From 1860 the Edward Street Ferry adjacent to Brisbane’s Botanic Gardens and busy wharves ferried passengers from the city’s trading district to Kangaroo Point at Thornton Street. Originally serviced by row boats, by 1887 they were replaced by ferries. Another ferry operated from the Customs House upstream.

Edward Street Ferry service c.1887 / 99183507295202061 / Image courtesy: John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, Brisbane
Edward Street Ferry terminal c.1888 / 99183506853802061 / Image courtesy: John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, Brisbane

Harbours and Marine Building

Still standing today, the two-storey Harbours and Marine Building (1879-80) was erected on the riverbank near slipways, wharves and the Edward Street Ferry Terminal at the corner of Edward and Alice Street which has long been associated with the regulation of shipping. The building provided offices for the harbourmaster, pilots and staff of the Marine Board and Shipping Office and is commonly referred to today as the Port Office. The building can clearly be recognised in both Houses of Parliament, Brisbane and Panorama of Brisbane.

Harbours and Marine Building c.1879 / 99183859234002061 / Image courtesy: John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, Brisbane

Shamrock Hotel

Situated opposite the Harbours and Marine Building on the corner of Edward and Margaret Streets, the originally named Shamrock Hotel opened in 1864. In 1876 the two-storey timber structure underwent substantial renovations and was rebuilt in masonry with wrap-around verandahs. The name was changed to the Port Office Hotel in 1909 with a new licensee, and references its proximity to the Port Office building.

Shamrock Hotel c.1873 / 99183507198302061 / Image courtesy: John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, Brisbane
Shamrock Hotel renamed Port Office Hotel after renovations c.1929 / 99183512857002061 / Image courtesy: John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, Brisbane

Curatorial extracts, research and supplementary material compiled by Elliott Murray, Senior Digital Marketing Officer, QAGOMA

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Stained glass windows in memory of ANZACs

 
Posted by Elliott Murray   ●   25 Apr 2023

Three Queensland Anzacs — Hogarth brothers Alexander Forbes (1886–1915), Archibald McDonald (1879–1916) and Joseph (1877–1918) — are remembered in stained glass windows designed by local artist William Bustard (1894-1973) in St Andrews Anglican Church (illustrated) at Pittsworth, a town in the Darling Downs region, 41 kilometres from Toowoomba and 169 kilometres south-west of Brisbane, and home to some of the richest farming land in Queensland.

William Bustard ‘(Darling Downs landscape)’ 1930s

William Bustard, Australia 1894 -1973 / (Darling Downs landscape) c.1930s / Watercolour over pencil on paper / 24.5 x 35cm / Purchased 2004. Queensland Art Gallery Foundation Grant / Collection: Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art / © William Bustard Estate

Ann (Annie) Cunninghame Hogarth (nee Robertson) and William Hogarth were both from Cumberland in north-west England before emigrating to Australia in their early-thirties, they married in Sydney in 1873. William was a cousin of Patrick Leslie who in 1839 first establish a European presence on the Darling Downs at Canning Downs.

Ann’s family were a wealthy and prominent family of graziers in New England, New South Wales. Their father William’s family from Scotland were known throughout the world as meat curers When William moved to Queensland he worked on the Glengallan run before selecting a large block of choice land on the Darling Downs. He named the property Balgownie, in honour of the ‘Auld Brig o’ Balgownie’ in Aberdeen and made a name for his merino flock and his Aberdeen-Angus polled herd of cattle.1 

By 1886 the property was featured in a profile of the region in The Brisbane Courier, ‘Balgownie Estate is the property of William Hogarth… situated some fifteen miles west of the Clifton railway station… the homestead is charmingly placed as regards landscape effects, for from the veranda of the house a view of the whole property is obtained. The comfortable dwelling-house is erected upon a stony rise, looking down over the level plains of fertile black soil which stretch to a line of timber fully five miles away, and which timber marks the meanderings of the Condamine River. The estate is… about 8000 acres of freehold. Mr. Hogarth is one of the few sheep breeders of Queensland who have remained faithful to “clothing” wool… The sheep are of the true Negretti type, and the wool is beautifully fine, soft, dense, and even.’2

Balgownie Homestead

Balgownie Homestead c.1874 / 99183507869902061 / Image courtesy: John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, Brisbane
Balgownie Homestead c.1917 / 99183508009502061 / Image courtesy: John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, Brisbane

Their mother managed their property ‘Balgownie’ (illustrated) with her family of 11 after her husband tragically drowned in treacherous waters after heavy rain in January 1894.3 She again took command in 1914 when her four sons, including younger brother Angus David Hogarth (b.1888), enlisted in World War One (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918). Sadly, only Angus returned from the war.

Hogarth brothers

(left to right) Alexander Forbes Hogarth (1886-1915); Archibald McDonald Hogarth (1879-1916); Joseph Hogarth (1877-1918) / Images courtesy: John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, Brisbane

World War One patriotic procession, Pittsworth 1914

Street procession in the early stages of World War One, Yandilla Street, Pittsworth c.1914 / 99183512853402061 / Image courtesy: John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, Brisbane

On 25 April in 1939 when Bustard’s three stained glass windows were unveiled, just four months before the start of World War Two (1 Sept 1939 – 2 Sept 1945), the Pittsworth Sentinel noted ‘… the gloomy forebodings of war, caused by the almost daily alarming news from abroad, and the huge expenditure of money on armaments and the building of fortifications in Europe, and with a correspondingly large expenditure in the Commonwealth, has contributed to some extent — and a very large extent — to the observation of Anzac Day this year with greater fervor and intensity of feeling than has been the case previously… We can only hope that the fear of the people will soon be allayed, and that alarming war news will cease to be. It has been proved that the last war did not end wars…’

‘The unveiling of the War Memorial Stained Glass in St. Andrew’s Church… were in memory of all the fallen soldiers in the district, irrespective of what church they were members of, and all who served in any capacity in the nation’s need, and was an act of great generosity and thoughtfulness on the part of the late Mrs. Ann Cuninghame Hogarth, who made the bequest.’4

Consecration of St Andrews Anglican Church

Consecration of St Andrews Anglican Church, 7 October 1913 / 99183509597702061 / Image courtesy: John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, Brisbane

St Andrews Anglican Church

St Andrews Anglican Church illustrated in The Queenslander Pictorial, supplement to The Queenslander 11 October 1919 / 99183906399202061 / Image courtesy: John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, Brisbane

The stained glass windows designed by Bustard were manufactured by RS Exton & Co, renowned painters, decorators and glaziers in Brisbane who also worked with the artist on stained glass for St Stephen’s Catholic Cathedral, Brisbane and the Brisbane City Hall. Originally the windows were to be produced in England, similar to the earlier four windows in the church dedicated previously to the memory William Hogarth and his three sons, however the high exchange rate and transit cost meant the order was cancelled and recommissioned locally.

Detail of stained glass previously dedicated to the Hogarth family

Stained Glass Window designed in England (detail) from St Andrews Anglican Church, Pittsworth

The following inscription at the bottom of the stained glass designed by Bustard and unveiled by Angus Hogarth is  — To the glory of God. These windows were given by Ann Cuninghame Hogarth who loved all things beautiful. They were designed to commemorate the Spirit of Sacrifice expressed in the lives of the brave men and women of the Pittsworth district who served in the Great War of 1914 – 1918 for the cause of righteousness and in defence of the British Empire. Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet, lest we forget, lest we forget.

Ann Cunninghame Hogarth

Ann Cunninghame Hogarth (nee Robertson) d.1930, illustrated in A biographical record of Queensland women 1939 / 99183910817202061 / Image courtesy: John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, Brisbane

Detail of stained glass designed by William Bustard

Stained Glass Window designed by William Bustard (detail) from St Andrews Anglican Church, Pittsworth

William Bustard

Born in England, William Bustard (1894-1973) was a painter, stained glass artist and book-illustrator. He learnt stained glass techniques in London and worked in cathedrals locally and in the United States before enlisting and serving in World War One. After the war he remained in Europe and helped repair medieval stained glass in Belgium and France.

Bustard migrated to Queensland in 1921 with his wife Lily and soon became a leading figure in the development of art in Queensland and a strong advocate for Queensland artists. He taught at Brisbane’s Central Technical College, was president and life member of the Royal Queensland Art Society and a member of the Queensland National Art Gallery Board of Trustees and Arts Advisory Committee.

Portrait of William Bustard c.1923 / 109438 / Image courtesy: John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, Brisbane

Stained glass windows designed by Bustard can also be seen in St John’s Anglican Cathedral, Brisbane (illustrated); St Stephen’s Catholic Cathedral, Brisbane; St Augustine’s Anglican Church, Hamilton; and Brisbane City Hall (illustrated), among others. QAGOMA has a collection of working illustrations by Bustard, among them window designs for All Saints’ Anglican Church, Brisbane (illustrated); and St Mary’s Star of the Sea Cathedral in Darwin (illustrated). This Catholic Cathedral was built in 1962 as a War Memorial to those who died in the Japanese air raid in 1942 during World War Two.

Edited extracts, additional research and supplementary material sourced by the QAGOMA Research Library and Elliott Murray, Senior Digital Marketing Officer, QAGOMA

Endnotes
1 ‘Death of Mr. W Hogarth’, The Queenslander, 3 February 1894, p.225
2 ‘The Darling Downs – Their Modern Development’, The Brisbane Courier, 23 November 1886, p.2
3 ‘Death of Mr. W Hogarth’, The Queenslander, 3 February 1894, p.225
4 ‘Anzac Day. Unveiling of War Memorial Windows’, Pittsworth Sentinel, 26 April 1939, p.3

Design of stained glass for St John’s Anglican Cathedral

William Bustard, Australia 1894 -1973 / Sketch for stained glass window, St John’s Cathedral, Brisbane (St. Etheldreda) / Pencil and watercolour on paper / 115 x 50.5cm / Gift of the John Oxley Library, Brisbane 1977 / Collection: Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art / © William Bustard Estate

Detail of stained glass from Brisbane City Hall

Stained Glass Window (detail) from Brisbane City Hall / Courtesy: Brisbane City Hall

Design of stained glass for All Saints’ Anglican Church

William Bustard, Australia 1894 -1973 / Design for memorial window, All Saints Church, Brisbane (St Etheldreda, St Michael, St Augustine and St Mary Magdalene) 1949 / Watercolour on paper / 34.5 x 40.6cm / Purchased 1973 / Collection: Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art / © William Bustard Estate

Design of stained glass for St Mary’s Star of the Sea Cathedral

William Bustard, Australia 1894 -1973 / Design for Star of the Sea window, Darwin War Memorial Church (St Mary) c.1943-60 / Watercolour and gouache over pencil with pencil grid on wove paper / 53.3 x 38.7cm / Purchased 1973 / Collection: Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art / © William Bustard Estate

William Bustard Archive

William Bustard is represented in the QAGOMA Collection and the Research Library holds the William Bustard Archive of original material, including his exhibitions book, 1931–50, pressclippings, photographs of his stained glass windows and letters. A selection of material from the archive is currently on display in the Library.

QAGOMA Research Library

The QAGOMA Research Library is located on Level 3 of the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA). Open to the public Tuesday to Friday 10.00am to 5.00pm. visit us in person or explore the online catalogue. Access to special collections is available by appointment.

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Go back in time before Brisbane’s Grey Street Bridge

 
Posted by Elliott Murray   ●   28 Feb 2023

Brisbane is known as the ‘River City’ and a great way to get around is to jump aboard one of the river cruises or CityCat and ferry services on offer, if you are travelling by land, you can rely on the many vehicle, cycle and pedestrian bridges, although that was not always the case.

Both the Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA) are surrounded by bridges, however South Brisbane and the South Bank site that QAGOMA now occupies once depended on one river crossing to access the city central business district on the north bank. The original Victoria Bridge (illustrated) which opened in 1874 was the first road crossing over the river and an important transport and communications link between the two banks — its replacement entered service in 1897 (illustrated) while the current streamlined modernist bridge which opened in 1969 is the third permanent crossing at this location and is now at the Queensland Art Gallery’s doorstep.

First Victoria Bridge 1874

GP Wright, Australia c.1815–91 / Victoria Bridge, from William Street (from ‘Brisbane illustrated’ portfolio) c.1874-79 / Albumen photograph on paper mounted on card / 19.5 x 24.5cm (comp.) / Purchased 2005 / Collection: Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art

View of South Brisbane featuring the second Victoria Bridge 1905

Unknown, Australia / Victoria Bridge, Brisbane (from ‘White Series’) c.1905 / Postcard: Coloured lithograph on paper / 9 x 14cm / Gift of Glenn R Cooke through the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art Foundation 2014 / Collection: Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art

View of the future Grey Street Bridge crossing at Kurilpa Point 1905

Unknown, Australia / North Quay and Milton Reach, Brisbane (from ‘White Series’) c.1905 / Postcard: Colour lithograph on paper / 8.7 x 13.8cm / Gift of Glenn R Cooke through the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art Foundation 2014 / Collection: Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art

The need for further cross river links became evident as Brisbane grew and a new bridge linking the south bank peninsula at Kurilpa Point to North Quay to divert traffic away from the Victoria Bridge and the centre of Brisbane was required, this was to be the Grey Street Bridge, now adjacent to the Gallery of Modern Art.

Grey Street Bridge 1932

Unknown, Australia / Grey Street Bridge c.1932 / Album Hornibrook Business and Family Photographs / 30146-0001-0032 / Image courtesy: John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, Brisbane

View of Grey Street Bridge today from the Gallery of Modern Art

View of the Grey Street Bridge from the Gallery of Modern Art, overlooking Kurilpa Point Park / Photograph: N Harth © QAGOMA

Brisbane was a growing city in a construction boom at the time the Grey Street Bridge (1928-32) was commenced. The intense building activity during the 1920s and 30s saw the construction of major capital works programs, bridges and buildings such as the Brisbane City Hall (1920-30), Shrine of Remembrance and Anzac Square (1928-30), Indooroopilly Toll Bridge (1930-36) (illustrated), Hornibrook Highway Bridge (1932–1935) (illustrated), and the Story Bridge (1935-40) (illustrated) to name just a few.

Indooroopilly Toll Bridge 1936

Arthur McLeod / Indooroopilly Toll Bridge c.1936 / 32086-0004-0017 / Image courtesy: John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, Brisbane / Construction work began on the Indooroopilly Toll Bridge (now known as the Walter Taylor Bridge) in 1930, opening to traffic 14 February 1936. Designed and built by Walter Taylor for the Indooroopilly Toll bridge Ltd. under a Queensland Government Franchise.

Hornibrook Highway Bridge 1935

Unknown, Australia / Opening of Hornibrook Highway Bridge, Redcliffe Peninsula, Moreton Bay, 4 October 1935 / 99183505611102061 / Image courtesy: John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, Brisbane / The toll bridge was designed and built by Manuel Hornibrook under a Queensland Government Franchise.

Geoffrey Powell ‘Construction of the Story Bridge’ 1939

Geoffrey Powell, Australia 1918 -89 / (Construction of Story Bridge, Brisbane) 1939, printed 2005 / Gelatin silver photograph on paper / 21.9 x 33cm (comp.) / Purchased 2005 / Collection: Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art / © Estate of the artist

Symbols of an emerging modern city fostered considerable enthusiasm in Queensland contemporary artists and inspired numerous images of industry and a dynamic city during a time of ambitious nation-building projects across Australia and later to offset the effects of the Great Depression.

Below we delve into the artistic depictions of the Grey Street Bridge by Rosie Simmonds, Vida Lahey and Stanley W Eutrope and celebrate the construction of Brisbane’s oldest road crossing, now nearing 100 years. It’s not often you can view a work in a gallery setting and have the artist’s inspiration just outside to observe in real life.

Grey Street Bridge

The Grey Street Bridge was one of the first major capital works of the newly formed Brisbane City Council in 1925 which amalgamated the City of Brisbane and the City of South Brisbane and numerous neighboring towns and shires. The bridge design with three graceful arches was constructed during the Art Deco period when overseas influences were brought back to southeast Queensland.

Two other bridges, the Indooroopilly Bridge in Brisbane’s west, and the Hornibrook Bridge on Moreton Bay had Art Deco styling in their concrete arched towers framing the entry and exit approaches. This short-lived movement was a transitional period between traditional and modern approaches to building, combining traditional elements with modern design.

A feature of the Grey Street Bridge is that the curving, modern arches rise through the deck, sharing this design with the Sydney Harbour Bridge (illustrated), however the Brisbane bridge has its steel frame arches covered with a concrete veneer.

Harold Cazneaux ‘Bridge, West Circular Quay’ (Sydney Harbour Bridge) 1931

Harold Cazneaux, Australia 1878-1953 / Bridge, West Circular Quay 1931 / Gelatin silver photograph on paper 30 x 24.3cm (comp) / Purchased 2011. Andrew and Lilian Pedersen Trust / Collection: Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art

Grey Street Bridge during construction 1929

Unknown, Australia / Album Hornibrook Business and Family Photographs / Arch of the Grey Street Bridge under construction c.1929 / 30146-0001-0029 / Image courtesy: John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, Brisbane
Unknown, Australia / Queensland Cement and Lime Company / Arch of the Grey Street Bridge under construction c.1929 / 10189-0001-0051 / Image courtesy: John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, Brisbane
Unknown, Australia / Queensland Cement and Lime Company / Arch of the Grey Street Bridge under construction c.1929 / 10189-0001-0050 / Image courtesy: John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, Brisbane

The Grey Street Bridge was designed by (Alison Eavis) Harding Frew (1883-1952) a Queensland civil engineer. Frew recommended a design that was both graceful and innovative in design. In the Brisbane Courier Mail on 1 March 1927 Frew appeals for beauty:

Surely… the time has now arrived when some improvement in the appearance of at least our city bridges should be looked for in Queensland, and it is undoubtedly to European practice that engineers should turn to obtain more aesthetic results.

The question of utility and aesthetics should be weighed carefully, especially in relation to a city’s importance, its civic pride, and its future.

Beautiful bridges are an asset to any town; the beauty, however, must not be confused with ornamentation… the shape, proportions, and dimensions of the main structural parts must convey the idea of handsomeness, and ornamentation must be considered and treated as subservient to structural members and so should be only applied to enhance structural lines, without indulging in purposeless scroll work or expensive statuary.

The Grey Street Bridge was officially opened on 30 March 1932, eleven days after the opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge (19 March 1932). It would be another eight years before the Story Bridge (6 July 1940) would connect Kangaroo Point and the southern and eastern suburbs adding another bridge access to the Brisbane central business district.

On 5 July 1955 the Grey Street Bridge was renamed the William Jolly Bridge in memory of William Jolly who was the first Lord Mayor of Brisbane.

Official opening celebrations, Grey Street Bridge 1932

Unknown, Australia / Crowds gathered for the opening of the Grey Street Bridge, 1932 / 34276 / Image courtesy: John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, Brisbane
Unknown, Australia / Official opening of the Grey Street Bridge, 1932 / 150516 / Image courtesy: John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, Brisbane

‘The Queenslander’ bridge souvenir 1932

Illustrated front cover from The Queenslander, 31 March 1932 / 702692-19320331-s001 / Image courtesy: John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, Brisbane

Grey Street Bridge lit at night

Grey Street Bridge lit at night pre 1967, showing the second Victoria Bridge in the distance / PR 3317485 Neg No.C2-1055 / Image courtesy: Queensland State Archives

Rose Simmonds

A Bromoil transfer photograph of the Grey Street Bridge (illustrated) taken by Rose Simmonds (1877–1960) in 1933 — not long after the bridge was officially opened on 30 March 1932 — is currently on display in the Australian Art Collection at the Queensland Art Gallery.

Simmonds’ photography has an important position in the Queensland Pictorialist photography movement. Taking her lead from the atmospheric landscape painters such as JJ Hilder and Sydney Long, Simmonds explored techniques and processes which endowed the photograph with a more painterly quality, in favour of soft-focus and low-toned prints, producing romanticised images of her subject. Bromoils were favoured during the Pictorialist movement, elevating photography to an art form.

Rose Simmonds ‘Grey Street Bridge’ 1933

Rose Simmonds, Australia 1877–1960 / (Grey Street Bridge, Brisbane) c.1933 / Bromoil transfer photograph on paper / 18.4 x 23.9cm (comp.) / Gift of Dr J.H. Simmonds 1982 / Collection: Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art

Vida Lahey

With the interest in the massive public works under construction in Brisbane at the time, the building of a central city bridge provided Vida Lahey (1882–1968) with watercolour studies of the bridge under construction with Building the bridge 1931 (illustrated) and The new bridge 1931 (illustrated).

Vida Lahey ‘Building the bridge’ 1931

Vida Lahey, Australia 1882–1968 / Building the bridge 1931 / Watercolour and gouache over pencil on wove paper on cardboard / 24.5 x 28.5cm (comp.) / Gift from the estate of Mrs Gladys Powell 1941 / Collection: Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art / © QAGOMA

Vida Lahey ‘The new bridge’ 1931

Vida Lahey, Australia 1882–1968 / The new bridge 1931 / Watercolour on paper / 48.7 x 53.5cm / Purchased 1997 with funds from M.I.M. Holdings Limited through the Queensland Art Gallery Foundation / Collection: Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art / © QAGOMA

Stanley W Eutrope

Stanley William Eutrope (1891–1983) was also inspired to document the Grey Street Bridge when completed with Under the bridge c.1933 (illustrated) and The bridge approach c.1935 (illustrated). An expert at the bromoil photographic process, Eutrope’s work was noted for its decorative and graphic effects. The process combines photography, painting and printmaking, where a photograph’s silver image is removed and substituted with ink.

Stanley W Eutrope ‘Under the bridge’ 1933

Stanley W Eutrope, Australia 1891–1983 / Under the bridge (Grey Street Bridge, Brisbane) c.1933 / Bromoil photograph on paper / 21.5 x 29.7cm (comp) / Gift of Mrs J. Searston in memory of her mother, Mrs Florence Radford, through Miss Shirley Eutrope 1984 / Collection: Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art

Stanley W Eutrope ‘The bridge approach’ 1935

Stanley W Eutrope, Australia 1891–1983 / The bridge approach (Grey Street Bridge, Brisbane) c.1935 / Bromoil photograph on paper / 29.7 x 21.8cm (comp) / Gift of Miss Shirley Eutrope 1984 / Collection: Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art

Curatorial extracts, research and supplementary material compiled by Elliott Murray, Senior Digital Marketing Officer, QAGOMA

Featured image detail: Rose Simmonds (Grey Street Bridge, Brisbane) c.1933 

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Visit the Gallery Watermall & Sculpture Courtyard

 
Posted by Elliott Murray   ●   21 Feb 2023

The Queensland Art Gallery’s (QAG) permanent home at South Brisbane since 1982 was designed around the Brisbane River, and the spectacular Watermall within its cavernous interior runs parallel to the waterway threading its way through the ‘River City’.

Watermall

On entering the Queensland Art Gallery, the grand Watermall is one of the most striking exhibition spaces first viewed, either from above at the Melbourne Street entry or a surprise feature from the Stanley Place entrance. As well as giving a sub-tropical character to the building, it’s a visitor favourite for both tourists and regular art lovers.

The water provides both a physical connection and serves as a parallel reflection of the Brisbane river, a perfect and unique backdrop for a range of memorable installations and permanent sculptures. This central water feature is lit through hidden domes in the ceiling above that filter out the sun’s glare, bathing artwork in a soft natural light.

‘Living Patterns: Contemporary Australian Abstraction’ installed in the Queensland Art Gallery Watermall until 11 February 2024.

What is your favourite Watermall installation?

The popular waterfall-style chandelier installation of Ai Weiwei’s Boomerang 2006 installed in the Queensland Art Gallery Watermall 2020-22
Installation view of Yayoi Kusama’s Narcissus garden 1966/2002, QAG Watermall 2017
Installation view of Yayoi Kusama’s Narcissus garden 1966/2002, Queensland Art Gallery Watermall 2017 / © Yayoi Kusama, Yayoi Kusama Studio Inc

RELATED: Gallery precinct sculpture walk
RELATED: Memorable Watermall projects

The Watermall also extends far beyond the Gallery’s interior; from five cast bronze pelicans by Queensland sculptors Leonard and Kathleen Shillam at the east, to the Dandelion fountains created by innovative fountain designer Robert Woodward to the west, and through to the Gallery’s Sculpture Courtyard reflection pond and waterfall adjoining the QAG Cafe. Enjoy a quiet moment of contemplation, mesmerised by the light dancing on the water while overlooking the sculpture garden’s art works.

QAG Cafe

Enjoying the delights of the QAG Cafe

Sculpture Courtyard reflection pond and waterfall

QAG Cafe and Sculpture Courtyard reflection pond and waterfall

Water Dragons

Keep an eye out for our friendly resident water dragons, Australia’s largest dragon lizard that keep visitors to the QAG Cafe entertained. Native to eastern Australia, they have a life span of around 20 years, though they can grow up to a metre in length, thankfully our plump residents aren’t that big. They are especially adapted to an aquatic life, and if you’re lucky you can watch them dive into the pond from the overhanging Tipuana tree and swim off using their powerful long tail. If you visit in summer, the blooms create a carpet of bright yellow on the water.

A Water Dragon, Australia’s largest dragon lizard

Watermall features

  • Pelicans: Five bronze sculptures by Leonard Shillam and Kathleen Shillam in the Watermall, Melbourne Street forecourt and viewable inside from the Pelican Pool Lounge.
  • Dandelion Fountains: Nine nozzled spray heads by Robert Woodward in the Watermall, Sculpture Courtyard and viewable inside and from the QAG Cafe.

Leonard Shillam & Kathleen Shillam ‘Pelicans’

Leonard Shillam (1915–2005) and Kathleen Shillam (1916–2002) created life-size statues that relate directly to their observation of nature, their aim to go beyond reality, bonding the physical with the spiritual. Pelicans 1984 are a grouping of five pelicans which patiently sit in the Queensland Art Gallery’s Watermall, the bronzes can be viewed from the Gallery’s Melbourne Street forecourt or more closely observed from within.

Leonard Shillam, Australia 1915–2005 and Kathleen Shillam, United Kingdom/Australia 1916–2002 / Pelicans 1984 / Cast bronze / Tallest bird 137cm high / Collection: ArtsWorks Queensland / © Leonard Shillam and Kathleen Shillam Estate

Study for Pelicans

Leonard Shillam, Australia 1915–2005 and Kathleen Shillam, United Kingdom/Australia 1916–2002 / Study for Pelicans 1984 / Ball-point pen on paper / Gift of the artists 1985 / Collection: Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art / © Leonard Shillam and Kathleen Shillam Estate

Robert Woodward ‘Dandelion Fountains’

Australian architect Robert Woodward (1923-2010) gained widespread recognition for his innovative fountain designs. Woodward was commissioned to design the water feature at the Performing Arts Complex and a fountain for the Queensland Art Gallery’s Watermall. The Gallery’s dandelion fountains have a connection to Woodward’s El Alamein Memorial Fountain in Fitzroy Gardens at Kings Cross in Sydney, a modernist design which evokes a huge dandelion of water. The Gallery’s grouping of nine smaller sphere-shaped nozzle spray heads are radially arranged on stalks to create the impression of a dandelion, the fine mist of water makes a sphere of water, the spray sensitive to air changes from convex to concave creating an ever-changing movement.

Robert Woodward, Australia 1923-2010 / Dandelion fountains 1982 / 9 fountains / Bronze with brass pipes / Collection: ArtsWorks Queensland

Sculpture Courtyard art works

  • L’Age d’airain (The Bronze age): A bronze sculpture by Auguste Rodin in the Upper Sculpture Courtyard
  • Bather no. 1: A bronze sculpture by Emilio Greco in the Upper Sculpture Courtyard
  • Snowman: An Ice sculpture by Peter Fischli & David Weiss in the Upper Sculpture Courtyard
  • Spring awakening: A bronze sculpture by Harold Parker in the Lower Sculpture Courtyard
  • Hope sleeping – grand disguise: A steel sculpture by David Wilson in the Lower Sculpture Courtyard
  • The Visitation: A bronze sculpture by Jacob Epstein in the Lower Sculpture Courtyard

RELATED: Gallery precinct sculpture walk

Auguste Rodin ‘L’Age d’airain (The Bronze age)’

The Gallery’s Collection includes six works by French sculptor Auguste Rodin (1840–1917) with L’Age d’airain (The Bronze Age) 1876-77, currently installed in the Sculpture Courtyard. The Bronze Age was the first full-scale figure that Rodin exhibited under his own signature and was based on a young Belgian officer, the sculpture took more than 18 months to complete with Rodin recalling that he was in the deepest despair with the figure, and worked so intensively on it, trying to get what he wanted, that there are at least four figures in it. When the work was first exhibited in a Paris Salon, the figure was so lifelike that it was believed it to have been cast from a human body rather than purely sculpted.

DELVE DEEPER: The life and art of Auguste Rodin

Auguste Rodin, France 1840-1917 / L’Age d’airain (The Bronze age) 1876-77, cast 1955 / Bronze / 99 x 12 x 29.5cm; 104 x 39.4 x 30.5cm (with base) / Purchased 1955. Beatrice Ethel Mallalieu Bequest / Collection: Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art

Emilio Greco ‘Bather no.1’

Influenced by Greek and Roman art, Italian sculptor Emilio Greco (1913–95) was a key figure of post-war Italian art. Best known for his classicised portrait busts and monumental bronze figures, he developed his own unique style which tended to be refined, with elongated forms, with a hint of melancholy.

Emilio Greco, Italy 1913-95 / Bather no. 1 1956 / Bronze / 219.5 x 52 x 74cm / Purchased 1966 / Collection: Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art / © Emilio Greco Estate

Peter Fischli & David Weiss ‘Snowman’

The life-sized snowman by leading contemporary artists and collaborators Peter Fischli and David Weiss (1946-2012) will be an unexpected sight in Brisbane’s warm weather. The Swiss artists conceived of an artificial snowman that would remain frozen all year round, this version an update of a 1987 site-specific work. The sculpture composed of an actual snowman encased in a glass freezer presents a contradiction by only staying frozen in an artificial home. Its expression will shift over time as the smile and eyes are re-traced by hand every few days, this regular act binds the snowman to us as we care for it far from its snowy origins.

DELVE DEEPER: Snowman makes Brisbane its home

Peter Fischli, Artist, Switzerland b.1952 / David Weiss, Artist, Switzerland 1946-2012 / Snowman 1987/2017-19 / Ice sculpture in refrigerated vitrine / Vitrine: 218 x 209 x 140cm; snowman: 130 x 70cm (diam.) / Purchased 2019 with funds from Tim Fairfax AC through the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art Foundation / Collection: Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art / © Peter Fischli and Estate of David Weiss/Courtesy: Spruth Magers, Berlin

Harold Parker ‘Spring awakening’

Harold Parker (1873-1962) is one of Australia’s most highly regarded sculptors, and one of a small group of Queensland artists with an international reputation during his career. Parker was educated in Brisbane where he studied drawing and modelling at the Brisbane Technical College under Joseph Clarke he also learnt woodcarving and from 1889-95 was a regular prizewinner at Brisbane’s annual National Association exhibitions. In 1896 Parker moved to London where he studied sculpture and developed an interest in the work of French master Rodin, exhibiting in London and Paris before returning to Brisbane to live in 1930. His bronze Spring awakening is a symbolic representation of the season as a young woman, there is a strong suggestion of tension in the way the eyes of Spring are covered by the figure’s hands.

Harold Parker, Australia 1873-1962 / Spring awakening 1913, cast 1993 / Bronze / 74 x 100 x 45cm / Gift of an anonymous donor through the Queensland Art Gallery Foundation 2000. Donated through the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program / Collection: Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art / © Harold Parker Estate

David Wilson ‘Hope sleeping – grand disguise’

David Wilson’s approach to sculpture is probably the most romantic of those Australian sculptors who work in steel, his romantic spirit is allied with the passion he has for steel as a medium. One of the toughest problems faced by a steel sculptor is that the medium is hard and ungiving, rather than use pre-fabricated elements, Wilson makes the un-malleable look malleable, in the same way that we might use clay. Steel is forged, shaped, carved, joined and modelled with blow torch, grinder and hammer, he even creates a sense of texture on steel. Hope Sleeping – Grand Disguise 1989 is a sculpture of considerable physical presence, the work the first on such a large scale by the artist.

David Wilson, Australia b.1947 / Hope sleeping – grand disguise 1989 / Steel / 470 x 275 x 185cm / Purchased 1989 / Collection: Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art / © David Wilson

Working drawing for ‘Hope sleeping – grand disguise’

David Wilson, Australia b.1947 / Working drawing for Hope sleeping – grand disguise 1988 / Pencil on paper / 54.7 x 37.4cm 40 x 30cm / Gift of the artist 1995 / Collection: Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art / © David Wilson

Jacob Epstein ‘The Visitation’

American-British sculptor Jacob Epstein (1880-1959) helped pioneer modern sculpture, often producing controversial works which challenged ideas on what was appropriate subject matter for public artworks with a range of themes including maternity, sexuality, age and religion, his sculpture distinguished by its vigorous rough-hewn realism. The larger-than-life size figure Visitation 1926 looks downward in a moment of reflection and Epstein explained of the work: ‘This figure stands with folded hands, and expresses a humility so profound as to shame the beholder who comes to my sculpture expecting rhetoric or splendour of gesture.’

Jacob Epstein, England 1880-1959 / The Visitation 1926, cast 1958 / Bronze / 171 x 47 x 47cm / Purchased 1958. Estelle Marguerite Cunningham Neilson Bequest / Collection: Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art / © Jacob Epstein Estate

Curatorial extracts, research and supplementary material compiled by Elliott Murray, Senior Digital Marketing Officer, QAGOMA

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Go on a gallery sculpture walk with us

 
Posted by Elliott Murray   ●   15 Jan 2023

Ever wondered how many sculptures are surrounding the Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art? We have compiled our precinct Sculpture Walk highlighting the 10 fascinating artworks by leading Australian and international artists. The walk is a delightful way to explore the works at your leisure at any time.

Background

Even before the Queensland Art Gallery opened in its new permanent and purpose built home at South Bank in June 1982, the provision of artworks for public areas around the precinct was recognised as an integral part of the Queensland Cultural Centre. It was to be the first time that a major grouping of Australian sculptures were simultaneously commissioned to have a harmonious relationship with their surrounding environment.

From an original selection of nine possible locations, a final five locations were approved. In August 1983, artists throughout Australia were invited to register their interest with 69 responding, of those, 26 were asked to provide a more detailed proposal for their chosen locations and finally in April 1984 five artists were announced and the series was installed by May 1985.

Since the Gallery of Modern Art opened in 2006, public art has gradually been commissioned to surround the site, continuing the vision begun for the Queensland Art Gallery.

Queensland Art Gallery

  • Offshoot: A painted aluminium abstract by Clement Meadmore positioned at the entrance to the Queensland Art Gallery plaza.
  • Pelicans: Five cast bronzes by artists Leonard Shillam and Kathleen Shillam for the Queensland Art Gallery Water Mall, Melbourne Street forecourt.
  • Sisters: Two bronze figures by Ante Dabro, located on the Queensland Art Gallery’s Melbourne Street forecourt.
  • Leviathan Play: An abstract painted steel sculpture by Ron Robertson-Swann on the Queensland Art Gallery’s Melbourne Street forecourt.
  • Approaching Equilibrium: A large painted steel abstract by Anthony Pryor positioned on the upper Queensland Art Gallery plaza.

Clement Meadmore ‘Offshoot’

Clement Meadmore is known for his powerful welded sculptures, he used steel or aluminum to create his colossal outdoor sculptures. His works typically involve a rectangular form that dynamically twists and moves through space, exploring the expressive potential of geometry. Offshoot 1984 denies its physical reality, its simple but elegant volume freed from gravity.

Clement Meadmore, Australia 1929-2005 / Offshoot 1984 / Painted aluminium / 720 x 360 x 300cm / Collection: ArtsWorks Queensland / © Estate of Clement Meadmore / Photographed June 1985

Leonard and Kathleen Shillam ‘Pelicans’

Leonard Shillam and Kathleen Shillam created life-size statues to place. Their sculpture relates directly to their observation of nature, with the aim to go beyond reality, bonding the physical with the spiritual. Pelicans 1984 are a grouping of five pelicans which patiently sit in the Queensland Art Gallery’s Water Mall, the bronzes can be viewed from the Gallery’s Melbourne Street forecourt or more closely observed from within. Their creative endeavors relate directly to their observation of nature, the aim to go beyond reality, bonding the physical with the spiritual.

Leonard Shillam, Australia 1915–2005 and Kathleen Shillam, United Kingdom/Australia 1916–2002 / Pelicans 1984 / Cast bronze / Tallest bird 137cm high / Collection: ArtsWorks Queensland / © Estate of Leonard Shillam and Kathleen Shillam / Photographed June 1985

Study for Pelicans

Leonard Shillam, Australia 1915–2005 and Kathleen Shillam, United Kingdom/Australia 1916–2002 / Study for Pelicans 1984 / Ball-point pen on paper / Gift of the artists 1985 / Collection: Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art / © Estate of Leonard Shillam and Kathleen Shillam

Ante Dabro ‘Sisters’

Figurative sculptor Ante Dabro’s life-size Sisters 1985 featuring two figures in quiet introspection adds to the tradition of the exploration of the possibilities in representing the human form. His works executed in bronze are based in European artistic traditions.

Ante Dabro, Croatia/Australia 1938-67 / Sisters 1985 / Cast bronze / Tallest figure 214cm high / Collection: ArtsWorks Queensland / © Estate of Ante Dabro / Photographed June 1985

Ron Robertson-Swann ‘Leviathan Play’

Ron Robertson-Swann is best known for his Cubist inspired abstract welded steel sculptures, often painted in bright colours. Robertson-Swann describes his sculpture as drawing in space and Leviathan Play 1985 balances volume to guide the viewer through and into the work.

Ron Robertson-Swann, b.1941 / Leviathan Play 1985 / Painted steel / 264cm high / Collection: ArtsWorks Queensland / © Ron Robertson-Swann / Photographed June 1985

Anthony Pryor ‘Approaching Equilibrium’

Anthony Pryor described Approaching Equilibrium 1985 as exhibiting ‘the condition of equal balance between opposing forces… an equality of importance or effect among the various parts of a complex unity. The sculpture is like a loose drawing in space , however it’s actually in a state of physical balance, this is the process of approaching equilibrium’.

Anthony Pryor, Australia 1951-91 / Approaching Equilibrium 1985 / Painted steel / 820 x 765 x 915cm / Collection: ArtsWorks Queensland / © Estate of Anthony Pryor / Photographed June 1985

Gallery of Modern Art

Our second site the Gallery of Modern Art, located on Kurilpa Point — only 150 metres from the Queensland Art Gallery — opened in December 2006. The new building more than doubled the Queensland Art Gallery’s size, and since then, five artworks have been installed to enhance the existing public art.

  • The High/ Perpetual Xmas, No Abstractions: A 10-metre high Gold Coast‑type signage sculpture by Scott Redford erected at the forecourt to the Gallery of Modern Art.
  • Bodhi Tree Project: A living installation Bodhi tree with six marble seats that echo the heart-shaped leaves of the tree by Lee Mingwei is a focus for gathering and contemplation outside the GOMA Store. 
  • tow row: A cast bronze sculpture reimagination of a traditional fishing net used by Aboriginal people by Judy Watson at the entrance to the Gallery of Modern Art.
  • The World Turns: A bronze five-metre high elephant and a nonchalant kuril by Michael Parekowhai take over the stretch of lawn between the Gallery of Modern Art and GOMA Bistro.
  • We are shipwrecked and landlocked: Three white coated aluminium Cubist inspired trees by Martin Boyce at the gateway to the Kurilpa Bridge outside the western precinct of the Gallery of Modern Art.

Scott Redford ‘The High/ Perpetual Xmas, No Abstractions’

What others may call kitsch, Gold Coast artist Scott Redford sees as embodying a complex history and identity. Redford’s ‘Proposals’ series of sculptures examine and celebrate the Gold Coast as a remarkable phenomenon in late modern architecture and design in Queensland. In 2006, the Gallery acquired the artist’s Proposal for a Surfers Paradise public sculpture/Paradise now 2006. Subsequently, a second work from the series, titled The High/ Perpetual Xmas, No Abstractions 2008 was fabricated as a 10-metre high sculpture and erected at the forecourt to the Gallery of Modern Art where it flashes neon into the night.

Scott Redford, Australia b.1962 / The High/ Perpetual Xmas, No Abstractions 2008 / Brick, stone, steel, aluminium, 2-pack paint, acrylic, neon glass tube, fluorescent glass tube / 990 x 466 x 140cm (above-ground dimensions) / This project received financial assistance through Arts Queensland from art+place, the Queensland Government’s Public Arts Fund / Collection: ArtsWorks Queensland / © Scott Redford/Copyright Agency / Photograph: N Harth © QAGOMA

Lee Mingwei ‘The Bodhi Tree Project’

During the development of the Gallery of Modern Art in 2006, a work was commissioned from Lee Mingwei for the front of the Gallery — The Bodhi Tree 2006 — is an ambitious, living artwork, and resulted in a sapling descended from the sacred Bodhi Tree in Sri Lanka, the oldest species of tree to be depicted in Indian art and literature. Mingwei creates works which forge a direct connection between the artist and audience and his Bodhi Tree Project is intended as a focus for gathering and contemplation and as a work that continues to evolve in its engagement with community, memory, nature and culture. The tree was planted in 2008 and stands alongside six marble seats that echo the heart-shaped leaves of the Bodhi, designed by Mingwei and carved from Chilagoe marble by Queensland artist Paul Stumkat.

DELVE DEEPER: Lee Mingwei ‘Bodhi Tree Project’: An ambitious living artwork

Lee Mingwei, Taiwan/United States b.1964 / Bodhi Tree Project 2006 / Living installation Bodhi tree, marble seats (designed by Lee Mingwei; carved by Paul Stumkat, Queensland) / Commissioned by the Queensland Government for the Millennium Arts Project, Queensland Cultural Centre, Bodhi Tree Lawn, Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art / Collection: Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art / © Lee Mingwei / Photograph: N Harth © QAGOMA 

Judy Watson ‘tow row’

Judy Watson’s impressive cast bronze sculpture, tow row 2016 is a reimagination of a traditional fishing net used by Aboriginal people on the Brisbane River. The nets, locally known as ‘tow row’, were used to scoop up fish near the banks of the river, or to catch entire schools of fish in smaller creeks, where fishermen would stand midstream during the dropping tide, trapping the fish. The importance of the correlation between past, present and future is acknowledged by Watson, by creating this contemporary public sculpture, Watson enables us to glance at the history of the site.

DELVE DEEPER: Experience Judy Watson’s ‘tow row’ in digital reality
RELATED: The story of Judy Watson’s ‘tow row’

Judy Watson, Waanyi people, Australia b.1959 / tow row 2016 / Bronze / 193 x 175 x 300cm / Commissioned 2016 to mark the tenth anniversary of the opening of the Gallery of Modern Art. This project has been realised with generous support from the Queensland Government, the Neilson Foundation and Cathryn Mittelheuser, AM, through the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art Foundation / Collection: Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art / © Judy Watson / Photograph: N Harth © QAGOMA 

Michael Parekowhai ‘The World Turns’

Michael Parekowhai is known for the use of wry humour and his skilful combination of popular culture, art, literature and history. The World Turns 2011–12 is a witty bronze sculpture which comprises a five-metre elephant bookend turned on its side, and don’t miss the kuril (illustrated), the native marsupial water rat significant to the dreaming of local Aboriginal people, and, at the periphery of the stretch of lawn, a solitary chair for you to sit and contemplate.

DELVE DEEPER: The World Turns: A warm, witty outdoor sculpture
RELATED: How often do you see a five tonne sculpture float down the river?

Michael Parekowhai, Ngāti Whakarongo, New Zealand b.1968 The World Turns 2011-12 / Bronze / 488 x 456 x 293cm / Commissioned 2011 to mark the fifth anniversary of the opening of the Gallery of Modern Art in 2006 and twenty years of The Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art / This project has received financial assistance from the Queensland Government through art+place Queensland Public Art Fund, and from the Queensland Art Gallery Foundation / Collection: Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art / © Michael Parekowhai / Photographs: N Harth © QAGOMA 

Martin Boyce ‘We are shipwrecked and landlocked’

Martin Boyce’s three Cubist inspired trees are nestled within nature waiting to be discovered — a hidden gem outside the western precinct of the Gallery of Modern Art and the gateway to the Kurilpa Bridge which connects Kurilpa Point to Tank Street in Brisbane’s CBD. Boyce re-imagines twentieth-century Modernism through his sculptures and installations, which rework and give new life to modernist forms of art, architecture and design. We are shipwrecked and landlocked 2008-10 was inspired by a photograph of a group of four concrete Cubist trees designed by French sculptors Joel and Jan Martel in 1925.

DELVE DEEPER: Martin Boyce re-imagines twentieth-century Modernism

Martin Boyce, United Kingdom b.1967 / We are shipwrecked and landlocked 2008-10 / Polyurethane on aluminium / Three elements: 770cm (high, each) / Gift of Kaldor Public Art Projects (Sydney), the artist and The Modern Institute (Glasgow) with financial assistance from the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland 2010 / Collection: Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art / © Martin Boyce / Photograph: N Harth © QAGOMA

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Go back in time to an evening at Dutton Park in Brisbane

 
Posted by Elliott Murray   ●   12 Dec 2022

Evening (Mt Coot-tha from Dutton Park) 1898 (illustrated) is an accomplished work of a painter aware of the work of his Australian contemporaries Tom Roberts, Arthur Streeton and Charles Conder. Frederick James (FJ) Martyn Roberts, born in 1871 was 27 at the time he completed Evening using the Australian impressionists broad-brushed technique to depict the landscape looking toward South Brisbane with Mt. Coot-tha in the distance.

Dutton Park, an inner southern suburb is bordered by Highgate Hill, Fairfield and Woolloongabba, and is only 3kms from Brisbane’s CBD. Development in the suburb was relatively slow because of difficult terrain as the area was originally heavily timbered with deep gullies, initially a farming area, however by around the 1890s, the area became increasingly populated.

You can see similar perspectives photographed in 1884 taken from O’Rielly’s Hill (now Highgate Hill) looking across West End (then South Brisbane) towards Toowong, with Mt. Coot-tha in the distance with the unsealed road now Dornoch Terrace. Contemporary photography of the Brisbane River from Dutton Park in 1914 and later are a good indication as to what Martyn Roberts would have seen, with views documented from Mt Coot-tha looking back to Dutton Park showing the Brisbane River snaking through the recently formed municipality.

Contemporary views from Dutton Park

Looking across West End (then South Brisbane) towards Toowong, with Mt. Coot-tha in the distance. O’Rielly’s Hill is now Highgate Hill and the unsealed road is Dornoch Terrace, 1884 / Image courtesy: John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, Brisbane

View of the Brisbane River from Dutton Park 1914 / Image courtesy: John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, Brisbane

Looking across the river from Dutton Park c.1920 / Image courtesy: John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, Brisbane

Contemporary view from Mt. Coot-tha to Dutton Park

Elevated view from Mt. Coot-tha across the suburbs c.1900 / Image courtesy: John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, Brisbane

RELATED: Under the jacaranda: A quintessential image of Brisbane

Although artists like R Godfrey Rivers, perhaps Brisbane’s most prominent artist of the time when Evening… was painted, best known for Under the jacaranda 1903, he was not overtly influenced by the techniques of the Australian impressionists, however, the style was not unknown in Brisbane. All the significant artists working in the style came from the southern states — a number of works that had been influenced by the movement were being created and exhibited in Brisbane.

The inclusion of works by prominent southern artists, including Julian Ashton, Sydney Long and Tom Roberts, in the Queensland Art Society Annual Exhibitions during the 1890s was greeted with enthusiasm by local reviewers and artists. There was optimism that a continued presence by these artists would assist the development of the local art scene, and although few continued to exhibit with the Society after the turn of the century, and the works sent were not of the highest quality, Brisbane did experience at least a limited exposure to their work.1

The most notable Brisbane artist experimenting with the style was a student and colleague of Rivers, FJ Martyn Roberts, whose painting Evening shows that by 1898, at least one influential local artist was using the impressionists technique to depict a landscape in the afterglow — a favourite pictorial device of the Heidelberg School artists. Roberts had spent a short time in Sydney during the 1890s under the tutelage of Julian Ashton, and he had painted en plein air with a number of other members of Sydney’s avant-garde.

FJ Martyn Roberts ‘Evening (Mt Coot-tha from Dutton Park)’

FJ Martyn Roberts, England/Australia 1871-1963 / Evening (Mt Coot-tha from Dutton Park) 1898 / Oil on canvas / 74 x 125.1cm / Purchased 1997 with funds from M.I.M. Holdings Limited through the Queensland Art Gallery Foundation / Collection: Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art / © FJ Martyn Roberts Estate

Evening was immediately recognised as a ‘modern’ work at its display in the Queensland Art Society’s 1898 Annual Exhibition. Roberts’s painting shared the Society’s prizes that year and the Brisbane Courier reviewed the work with guarded enthusiasm:

Mr Roberts is an impressionist, and an exponent of much of the broad modern school of work… Altogether the picture is a very vigorous and distinctly convincing suggestion, and a promise of the future excellence of the artist is contained in it.2

Roberts’s style attracted much local attention, and many years later it was regretted that he had not been able to paint more prolifically, due to his teaching commitments at the Brisbane Technical College where he succeeded Rivers as Supervisor of the Art Department.3

He was somewhat in advance of his time … had the opportunity been his to continue more as a practising painter than as a tutor he would have held a place to-day with Streeton, Gruner, and Lambert. His work and that of Streeton was [sic] very similar in those far-off days.4

Edited extract from ‘Looking for the ‘Beau Mode’ in Brisbane: Godfrey Rivers Under the jacaranda‘ by Sara Tiffin from Brought to Light: Australian Art 1850-1965, Queensland Art Gallery, 1998.
Curatorial extracts, research and supplementary material compiled by Elliott Murray, Senior Digital Marketing Officer, QAGOMA

Endnotes
1  Brown & Maynard, p.187.
2  Brisbane Courier, 28 July 1898, p.2.
3  Roberts attained the position ahead of Max Meldrum who had also applied for the position with the endorsement of the prime minister and members of the Senate (David Seibert, ‘The Queensland College of Art 1881-1985’, The Professional Officer, August/September 1985, p.100).
4  P. Stanhope Hobday, art master at Brisbane Polytechnic and one-time president of the Queensland Authors’ and Artists’ Association, quoted on the occasion of Roberts’s retirement, in ‘Art Master to retire’, press clippings file, 1937, Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane.

FJ Martyn Roberts

FJ Martyn Roberts was a major influence on students and artists in Brisbane. He began teaching in 1894 at the South Brisbane Technical College and after a number of moves within the system was appointed Supervisor of the Arts Department at the Central Technical College in 1916 following the resignation of R Godfrey Rivers in 1915. Roberts held this position until his retirement in 1936 despite widespread public agitation to have his appointment extended. Noted artists among his pupils at the Technical College were Lloyd Rees and Daphne Mayo.

Engagement photo of FJ Martyn Roberts and Lizzie Page who were married 15 December 1899 / Courtesy: https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Roberts-18612

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