Queensland Art Gallery Presscuttings Book 1 : Presscuttings, 1959-1962

rtt r - ,q - - 7-7 7 "COURIER MAIL" Brisbane, Qld. Bank to put up building MEMORIAL TO BE on Square "TELEGRAPH" Brisbane, 0. THE Reserve Bonk of Australia will erect GIVEN NEW the main building in the proposed ex- tension of King George Square. KING GEORGE SQUARE CHANGFc The Lord Mayor The King George V memorial and the fountains in King George Square will be resited when the square is enlarged in 1965-66. (Alderman Clem Jones) announced last night a special meeting yesterday of the Estab- lishment and Co-ordin- ation Committee had: Accepted a £256,000 of- fer from the bank for a section of land which would form a corner of Adelaide Street and the proposed new square. Decided to buy for £330,000 the Hiberian Building, now on the pres- ent corner. Alderman Jones said he would like the other new building to front the 90ft. wider square to be a new Queensland Art Gallery. Ready 1965 He said he had written to the gallery trustees' president (Sir Soslyn Philp) suggesting this. It was proposed that the whole plan for the new square, with a central city car park below it and a park above. would be im- plemented In 1965-66. Construction of the un- derground central city car nark would start in 1963- 64. The whole developmental cost of the new square scheme had been pro- grammed so that none of the cost would be met by the council. would move along together.Alderman Jones said it was expected that. in 1003- 84, parking meter revenue would make up the difter- once between the £2511000 Paid by the Reserve Bank and the f330,000 paid by the council. Parking aim "The utilitarian aim of this project is a central city parking station," he said. Out of it. we get for nothing a magnificent civic square." The Lord Mayor said parking revenue would make up the difference be- tween what the Reserve Bank and others paid for land which the council ac- quired and what the whole scheme cost Two buildings like the bank and the Art Gallery were required to give a suitable facade to the square. Demolished Alderman Jones said the Hibernian Building and the Centennial Building, Ade- laide Street. already bought by the council. would be demolished. The Hibernian Building would be pulled down by June. 1964, and then building of the bank and ;9c4! development of the square t Meters pay It was also expected that in the year, meter revenue would meet tam for the cost In 1963-64 of work on the car park. The £72,000 cost of the Centennial bought in 1961-62. would eventually be paid for out of parking meter revenue, he said, "COURIER MAIL Brisb "Art not so Down Under" "DOWN UNDER" was now a cul- tural, academic, and scientific misnomer for Australia, the Education Minister (Mr. Pizzey) said last night. The term had become only a geographical fact, Ile said. "We are proud of the skills we have developed," Mr. Pigsty said, when he officially opened an exhibi- tion of Pre-Raplinelite paintings at the Queens- land Art. Gallery. "We must sell ourselves note in this highly com- petitive world." the 'ittnister said. "We must parade our virtues and accomplish- ments with a confidence begotten of fact" Big challenge Mr. Piney said there Was a big challenge to "cul- tural Australia," butt he was confident it would be met. "I think this country should do more to en- courage its artists. authors, scientists. educationists, and professions by foster- ing contacts with their op- nosites in countries hioughnut the world," he rontinued. The Lord Mayor, Ald. tlem Jones, announced yesterday that the Reserve Bank of Australia would build opposite the City Hall on the realignment of the Adelaide Street coi- ner. He hoped the Deus Queensland Art Gallery would be built alongside the Reserve Bank build- ing. Present buildings oppo- ote the City Hall would be demolished and the pro- posed new buildings would be built 90 ft. back fans the present alignment. Aid, Jones said today that this would allow for ii half acrearksquare ofabriumt square. A decision would he made Inter on where the mem- orial and the fountains would be placed. Buildings lining the park opposite the City Hall must balance the City Hall, he said. The new batik would be built in natural stone. Problem for traffic seen The CMG Leader, Ald. Crawford, said today it was inevitable that tie statue and fountains shoulut be moved, otherwise value of the wider square would be lost. If it were intended to make the present sqiiare park area, where people could move freely with- out being disturbed by traffic, It would create a problem for trail, flow in Albert and ,Inn Strets, one-way streets. The proposal would havu to be examined by traffic engineers, Ald. Crawford said the iroposal to have an Art allery in the square was an excellent suggestion. It would be a good central position for it. However, the trustees of the gallery would face the problem of finance to buy the land and to erect the WIWI) . II I SITE MAIL" Brisbane, Qld. ' igt Site for Art Gallery THE building of a new National Art Gallery is still very much in the air. The Lord Mayor's suggestion that a place for it might be found in his plan for enlarg- ing King George Square is worth careful consideration. A gallery sited in the centre of the city would serve more people than one located in or close to the Botanic. Gardens. It would be accessible to people during their lunch-hour break and to others who come to the city to shop and could con- trive to spare half -an -hour or an hour to see what has been added to the State's art collection. Many would make more frequent visits to a gallery in the centre of the city and would be able to learn more from it. The Botanic Gardens are off the beaten track of most Brisbane people. An art gallery fronting the City Hall across an enlarged King George Square could dignify Brisbane's civic centre. What it would cost to do that is another question. But if, as the Lord Mayor suggests, there may be an opportunity in the next few years to peg a site for a new art gallery In the reconstruc- tion of King George Square it should not he missed. With a definite project promising a big benefit to the city and approved by art lovers the Government could go ahead with an appeal for public financial help and have good hope of an en- couraging response. "COURIER MAIL" Brisbane, Qld. Art trustees will meet Queenslond Art Gal- lery trustees will dis- cuss the King George Square gallery proposal next week. Tha culler t II (1111,1111iiii fin' U11:,1Y11 111111) N:11(1 tins night. Sir pre- ferred 011 the prop. I,0Id NItiN or I Aid( t 'nun c!,..111 ,lama, ilt 4.11-illt2 it with tellow . ti II, rrrrr .,an III, Lcrl i I . 5,1,11't p,/,1,11" ( Ethicat Ion Pizzev, said het Seel, inuncv should he spent on school, tn pretniviiii Ill tl new ai "COURI R ' I ' 1961 Brisbane, Q. ant a cit rt gallery QUEENSLAND'S new Art Gallery should be in the inner city, "where people, including young people in their lunch hour," can hove ready access, the Gallery Trustees' chairman (Sir Roslyn Philp) said last night. After a meeting of rustees, Sir Roslyn said: "We are deter- mined to press ahead with the move for a new Gallery." He said the Trustees would "try to arrange some definite project." He named three inner- city sites which, he said the Trustees were consider- ing.- Opposite the City Hall in a widened King George Square. The Main Roads Depart- ment building site in Albert Street. The Supreme Court site. He said he would head a Trustees' sub -committee which would seek an inter- view with the Education Minister (Mr. Pizzey) to clarify the Government's attitude toward a new Gallen_y . "Has merit" Mr, Pizzey last week in- dicated that schools would get higher priority than a new art gallery. Sir Roslyn said the Trustees considered the move for a "Centenary ultural Centre" near the Id Government House nd the Botanic Gardens had considerable merit,. "But it is a long way out of the city, and we be- lieve the Brisbane Town Plan involves building a bridge across the river near this site." he added. He said the Trustees had also decided to ask the Lord Mayor (Alderman Clem Jones) for details on cost and site area at the ing George Square loca- Ion Alderman Jones had uggested.