Queensland Art Gallery Presscuttings Book 4 : Presscuttings, November 1967 - June 1972

Ga fiery site , -no decision Stnlr Cnblnrr yc'.c;l r,rctR \' COl\!-lcir l'P<I C.HCS rnr R l"I('\\· Orl!-bn nr Art GAl!rry, b111 rrnr hr rl 110 drrlc;!on T l1 r T r c a !i u r Pr , Mr Chnlk • . nlrl ln lrr 1hr fl- 1m nrr.o: 111, nlrrd 111 rhoo~,n~ n . 11ltnhlr :-ltr "'f"rp bt"lnJ? 11,·r~,1~n1rri The Sunday Mall MARCH 30, 1969 :• •:_. ' .,.-:, I GALLERY WILL GO HERE, IF. a matter of $6m. A GOVERNMENT-appointed committee hos chosen o two-block site on the riverside at South Brisbane for Queensland'• new prestige art gallery. The land is on the upstream side of the southern approach to Victoria Bridge. The boundaries of the 1ite are '"arked by Melbourne Street, Grey Street, and Peel Street. The Slnle Government t1ees along NorLh Quay Jo1s between Stanley Street corner or the alle IS tnken nnd Brisbane Clt}' Council half hide the court corn- and Grey Slreet. up OR a conslructlon area. have remained silent on the plex A grassy rh•erba11k nut at lcasl two smnll On Friday workmen were whereabout,; or the site. falls· down steeply to row- private homes remnln. One laying new kerblng along The Sunday Mall learned Ing club and pleasure cruise of them, In Stanley Street Stanley Street rrom the Inst week that the Oo- lctr les, soon to br replaced und backing on to the river. new bridge. v er n rn en t committee by n road com11cx ror the has long flower beets with chaired by the Co-ordlun~ Vtctorta Bridge imderpaas. masses or colorful blooms. But the proposed gallery tor General (Mr. Barton>. The two blocks at the The tallest building on site nlso Includes sever 1 t.haJ hna selected the South moment contain a wide the site Is a three - storey old orrtce blocks, some w Brisbane land mrlety or buldlngs mOBt or grey stone private hotel In vacancy signs Olltsldel a · them old · Stanley Street. It Is one or petrol station, a •Salva ton th:rdbo 1 l11 l~h:ni•""!:!:i Several' structures have several private hotels and Army women's home, aMnd 1 a , ov • been demollahcd to make boarding houses. bank or shops along e - ':'.:'.!'r' ,t~dp~~~~ncll fa- way for two large parking The new Victoria Bridge bourne Street. The big question now ls how tho $6 mllllon gallery project can be financed. One of best It ts believed plans unde ~~~~~~';,"~~~ o{~~trafi~ best art centres. It Is understood the plnns provide for more than 10 times the plcture-hangin ff;~e of the exl&tlng oal- The State Treasury has been studying the flnnnc aspect or the proposal. Th e T re a s u r e r <Mr. Chnlk > yesterday would no conrtrm the South Bris– bane site. He snld: "All I cnn sny ls that this mntl.er could come before Cnbtnr.t on Tuesday." Jones' land 1'he site tncludei< a U- r,~rs1:n~\~~rs~1~.:l1";::',:'.'.!: by lho 1,ord Mayor I Al– derman ,Jnnu1. Aldermn11 Jone~ boucht the block In 1959 for £12,- 000. In JOr.5 controversy erupted when Lhe Lord Mnyor and a southern de– vrloper sought to use the land ror n nine-storey block or 62 flats. nut the southern de,·el– oper wlthclrew when the council refused to approve rhr hullclln~ plnns. Aldrrmnn Jones ~•e~ter. day would not commrnt on the slt.tno or thr new onl– lerv. He snlr1 lltl.\' Stnle Gov– ernment rr~11mpt1on of hfs block \\'Oulc1 hn\'e to be 11 e go t I n t r d between Lhe Om·rrnmcnt nnd hi!ii repre• <:rn lRII\'('.<;, The view T hr propo~cci sit r corn – mnnds an lntcrc.c:tlng \'tcw or Brtshane-ncross-the– rh·rr. The skyline ls domlnnted bi- the Tower ~till ~lotcl. Lile S 0 .1.0 . bullcllni:. the Cll l' Hnll. the new T & O b11i,<ll11R, the Trr ru;ury nnd F::;rr11t1,•f! tmlld lne:s. .l11!\l Rl'l'ns~ the rlvrr t h Brisb.lne, \:3 MAR1969 Other fish to fry JIIE old fish market site on the south side of the Victoria Bridge Is under consideration ns the site or the new Queensland Art Gallery, and It certainly would be an excellent one. Facing the Treasury and the Public Lib– rary from across the river, nn attractively de– signed gallery set In landscaped gardens would be a great acquisition for the city of Brisbane, as well as for Queensland art lovers. One need for the new gallery wtll be an ade– quate off-street parking area. This ls essential, tor It people arc to be encouraged to visit the gallery they must have room Lo park their cars. The fact that a Government-appointed committee Is expected to make recommenda– tions to Cabinet next week on a site for the new allery suggests that at last the project will get moving. Once the Government has approved a site, and announced how much money It Is wlll– ng to spend, the design of the new gallery wlll e able to be considered.