Queensland Art Gallery Presscuttings Book 7 : Debate on New Art Gallery and Cultural Centre, 1970-1976

Fr om "COURIER MAIL" $45m. 15 NOV 1974 _ Brisb•ne, Old. centre for the arts l .'.l.. lj THI State Govern11.1ent would build a cultural centre complex coating mo.-. than $45 million, the Deputy Premier (Sir Gordon Chalk) said last night. He wu delivering the supplementary Natlonal– Laberal policy In Lhe Brl bane City Hall for Lhe Dec mber 7 Sta t.e ele lion. S i r Gordon, rhe pa rlt a- ment.arv •· r11I Lead,.r S&Jd tti, : x. wou ld oomprr u n ' to ar , eut.sa ... ., a pert m a n ew ,,.1,. ' " a re. tr, • Cul u-r , I(.•>,, •• u mouslv df:S<'rl "lma iri r.•l• ,.~ cl11ng·• "' • r,he corn pti, , hared a i n, , 1 t r r - Jon'a oN1ce yes ~rd ., The , mprex on 1 sotHh .e of the Bras- ban ,r close Lo V lc- From toria Br1d1:e. absorbs the $7.li00,000 art gallery al– read,v proposed on part or the same ~lte tor com~ pletlon in 1978. The area tnvol ved will have frontage., to Grry, •'t.anl 'I and Mt'lbourne , t reer..~ down to the City ouncll park opposite 1 hr South Brisbane ralJ– "'aY sta lion. Casket cash Work couh1 begin I\I• ITIObL Immediately, and It ill plarmtd to hll't' Lbe complex completed In tlve Yl!il A, 1 hi' 111. 1a!Jery. plan• r.or 11•hlch are rtadY , wilt ~ llnt!hed earlier than µro posed. It la underatood the complex will be rlnanced from loan m oney, consol- 1d111rd revt"nue. &nd pn~– s I b I v $5C:J,OOO . On!den CBSker.a. It wu atated offlcIa lly vesLerday the Oovern– rnent had a..:q111red Lhe hulk of the land requrred an d was negoLlaLlng for the flnal aect1on . St11.nlev Street would pass under the museum 11.nd the l\l't 1allery. and car parkl.n1 lhu11 would be made available unrler U1eae aec ttoru. Overhu.d walkway, would Rive s,edeatrr111u access Lo the whol, 010- Jecl which WOUid be ,n– hanc:ed bv exleruion of the reata urant over the river. "CHRONICLE" Toowoomba, Qld. t 2 o· 1Cl? $2.Sm BLOCK FOR QLD ART GALLERY BRISIUSE. Thf' St.at, Gov1:rnmf'11t ha• bouiht a bl()('k or proper – tiH in South BrLshant for lls propo!!ed r ultural rom – plellt and art 1all~ry at a price of S2,RJJ,000. T he bl ock nt pre> rr11 con – t.A In . a hotel antl st'1rrnl o~he r bul ldln~s TrNt5Urer Sir Gordon Ch11l k ~Id •hr Oovrrn – m n l ln tendrd lo 1110\'r quickly tn an cntlen1011r to romplet.e tl1e cul tural , omplc> x 11;,lt hln !ll'e year: All essential eervlc.– would be built ~v• flood level. A Government apoua.– man aid the compleJC landscaped with lawn& and gardena. would ~ tdPallv placed with the river and city u a back· drop. · Prnltssor Zelman Cow• en. Aui;trallan Opera Company board member commented : "Thu really mPRnA a major contrlbu– r inn to the per– formmii aa-1.li . It will pro– vldt flnt-clw tac.1Jttlea ror opera and et.her Ptr• formlne arta. "Wt' need H ursenUy A perfonrung aru centre w I t h major raeiliUea t ul"™ a town lnt.o a great me1ropollt.an centre." SI r Leon T r o·u·t , QueeNlan(I Art O&lle°l'Y trustees chairman aaid : "The prruum1ty of ooe aecUon r.o -•nether i. bound Lo aumulate wider intttest in culture 111Der– ally." Mr. 0 . K. D. Murphy. QueerulRnd Library Board chairman aald he WU dellrhted With the 1chtme Library accom– modation w~ at crtslS poln l. S i r Da vi d M u ir, Queen I I and Theatre Company aba1nnan de– ecnbed the overall con– e e p t 1s tremendou11Jy 1ml\jpoatlve. j ~ riJ ~ 'q,lf. kRT f'OR PETE'S SAKE ! c., - ••ell •re of thlll a111I ... rlate will be &uJn, out •l!eclal ••~•r– a • ce 09Hr hfore &he, •••re .,., la ea llrla- aae.,. Here1 we"re only Just 1row n1 accuatomeci to the Idea that the Inter– national P&llllelUN!r 1I 1oo could blow over the hills and far away with any hl1h Wlnda Iaat1nI the airport ... And Jo and behold 1't! learn that our lon1 out– dated Art Oaller, la un 11re "for the P\lbllc atart and t.he 14 mUuori collection." That's the Truateea• aueument which ICll'Cely can leave the l>Owera • that • be· an:r– where but at a point of np return. Not, of coune, that anyone can accuae the wheela or Oovemment or not tu~ In the cauae or art. A new OaUer:, site haa been acquired, an ar c h I t e c t awarded a cornm!Mlon to deal1n the bulldln, - and .., o p e n I n I hopefully scheduled for around 1978. But hf'y, wait a min– ute . . . The Trustees· report report.a that back In 1970 a Fire Brl1tade rep0rt said the state or the present bulldln1t was such lhRt a fire would spreRd mpldly and IL would not be possible to savr nn,v or the contents · ·And now Is 1974, now Isn't It? Which, not surprisingly le1wes me, like you, won– dering .•.. • Where, for more ~an three yean, has that leRve the matter or safety - for vlslton, for starters and for ex– hibits, not only In the Art Department but - In the Museum. next door. In that crumbly old museum piece of a converted concert hall complex. And - Who reels like our " Ill! up for a servr or ' ,II ure rl1tht now? Why. r gueS& even Blue Poles wouldn'I tempt you . even If there wn.~ the remote11t chnncc of thl'm risking the ''mMl.erJilece" In n place thnrr. ,'IO lonr been A risk to YOU! Yours sincerely,