Queensland Art Gallery Presscuttings Book 10 : Record of press coverage, March 1982 - May 1984

,r ,. ' ,Updating old impressions of the sleepy town that was Brisbane By CHARLES SRIBER ~~: .WE TRENDY southerners ni.~e re~n to update our impres– ~ of Brisbane. If, like me, you haven't visited in years, I can assure you It has long graduated ~ from the category of a sleepy provincial town. These days, at l~ast superficially, the Queensland C!lpltal Is as mod– er.n as any city Its size anywhere In the world, and possibly a little big– ger than many. One can honestly say Brisbane offers a far-reaching range or at– tractive diversions and, to the eyes of this southern visitor, comes across as surprising and quite love– a~e. I use that word deliberately. "J..oveable" Is the promotional theme of the Brtsbani: Visitors and Conveqtlon Bureau and could be suspect, yet I found It rather apposite. I visited on a Sunday when the ci– tizens were out enjoying their city. The new,pm of an art gallery was full of amlaler!I absorbing thr. pic– tures and sculpture and the re– markably sympathetic building that hOUl!eS them. I cruised the river enjoying a brunch jazz session while noting a few self-drive pontoon crart beetling to and fro and tying up for picnics along the banks. Strolling the Mall I wondered when we'll see something similar In the heart of Sydney, snapped out of reverie to watch Life-Be-In-It en– thusiasts cycling through the Bota– nlc0Oardens, stopped off for a quick one at Breakfast Creek Hotel, and spent a lot of effort revising outdated ideas of this city which 1.3 million people call home. It appears the Commonwealth Games gave- the place a fillip that had as much to do with local attltu– . des as with architectural and · planning achievements. The result Is a city so vastly dif– ferent; only patches of the old place are recoiintsable. Fortunately, these embrace the dellghtrul tim– ber bulldlnp that were a feature or old Brlabane. For me, the most Impressive or all - was the Cultural Centre, a remark– able four-part complex with section Mo~ern aspects of the City of Brisbane of It - the Art Gallery - already functioning admirably. The Performing Arts Complex, due to open later this year, will house the Lyric Theatre, capable of extending Its audience capacity from 1000 to 2000, and a 2000-seat Concert Hall. The riverside location and flow– through _ planning with a wide bridge spanning busy Melbourne St gives a homogeneity to the en– tire centre and, while reminiscent of London's Festival Hall, It has a more attractive exterior. I went on the Brisbane Padd– Jewheeicr, a newish venture oper– ated by a couple of eA· patrlatc Syd– neyslders. The pad, ·1es are really courtesy appendage ,. We left the wharf near the library on the regular Sunday morning jazz cruise. Strictly trad. "We tried modem and mainstream. but Brls– banltes love trad." And with me the only "foreigner". It was evident they did. The cruise gives a realistic Idea of burgeoning Brisbane, with the tow– ering clump of buildings In the city centre contrasting with some at- tractive homes and a sprinkling of kitsch along the upper reaches. Downstream, the paddle-wheeler cruises near the Botanic Gardens, past energetic souls pedalling along the paths on their hired bikes and an Impressive number of overseas yachts at the international moor– ing. We gilded past some new apart– ment blocks Including a "million– dollar penthouse" I was told had sprung from the proceeds or sev– eral hairdressing establishments. What happened to home curler kits? Far-reaching diversions Brisbane people am Inordinately proud of their Queen St Mall and this Sydneysider. musing on the stlll-unstartcd Pitt St Mall. has to hand It to them. The open-air cares reminded me of Vienna's Graben and, while the rotunda bandstand was empty of musicians as I passed it, I'm told l re!l'ular weekday rntcrtainment has done much to Jill the adjoining cares and to move people into the stores and boutiques. I hadn't time to cycle around the gardens, gingerly cuddle a suspect koala at Pinc Ridge or visit Pana– roo·s Playthings Museum - "Doll and Toy Museum With Over 5000 Items". But I did call at the Immor– tal Breakfast Creek Hotel. Anyone who has ever visited Bris– bane tends to remember their drive through The Valley and down to The Creek wh"re I.he pub is a local Institution. l was assured any allusion to the Breakfast Creek Mob was purely coincidental and probably ac– countable to the location of the Labor Party headquarters opposite. "A Jot of them drink here. but .,.,e·re non-political. " the duty manager said. Perhaps the nicest thing about the 94-year-old Breakfast Creek Hotel is that no one has tried tart– Ing tt up. It's been In the Cavm family - Cavill Ave at Surfers is named after them - for more than 50 years and they still have their bartenders draw beer from the wood, claiming to be the only pub In the southern hemisphere where this custom persists. I was assured eating out In Bris– bane Is reasonable compared with other capital cities. Expl'ct to pay $10 maximum for a main dish - un– less you order lobster or mudcrabs. Many of the smaller places grow their own fruit and vegetables. The Brisbane Visitors and Con– vention Bureau publishes a guide to restaurants . and there's a restaurant tour. The hotel situation 1s rather dll– ferent too, with Lcnnons Plaza car– rying on the great wartime name and many new ones like the Ansett Gateway, Ga1.cbo Terrace. Crest International and an Imposing Sheraton Brisbane opening next May. Brisbanites· only bitch has to do with 11ro11le who fly In and immedi– ately head to the "coasts" - Gold. Sunsr · , or Reef. Stay, they plead. take 1, uny or so to set your clock right . and appreciate the new Brisbane. . ,