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

e r C b I C, n r< I I I rl ! r. • 11/ ~I I· ,, E .s s I ' " ·- I THE COURIE!t-MAIL FRIOAY JAM• .23 19715 Future of ·the CQsket l W.HOLEHEMTED- LY support the praise given to the Queensland Ambu– lance Transport Bri– gade by · your corres– pondents E. 'A. Marsh (C.~M., January 1) and Sheila Barker (C.-~. January 9), Both ·correspondent, are under the erroneous lm– Dnll$ll)li' that Golden Ca,;– liieh pi'oeeeda 11:e being dl– i,tlf:d to ,poaltlng orgRn- ~ -~b~~~~!f~~t~•ie~ ••~ seem~ '·to "8 1hnred In ptber, 00111,ted ~ ctlorjs of · the com1ntinlty. ' · Fo.r many yeara, OaAket JlfO tl-ts helpep AUStaln Queenslnnd's rree hospital syatcrn, W I t h the ad1·ent or iMediban!c, and becauAe of the relatlve1Y-am11ll contri– bution that , cut.et pro– dll reprN8h L lri ov~rail O.\pltal expenditure~, IJ"e o v•e r nm e n t drcll!ed ! ould be appropr!ate ,pplr the Casket rundJI t he esia:bllshment o! cul :e1u!:'.lllt1111 tbrourhou Fu t u·r e Cuket profits wlll be directed t.o help pay for the plahned $45 mllllpn ,cul! ur~[____ ~-.ipleil on tqe IIOUUlai~ ,Brilba.ne . RIY.et' , an!! otb,r cultural butldinaa In otllei', ports of Queenaland. ' Thuat 'DNlllta rrom tht o~e wn1 1 be re~rned to the ·-public In the form of tanttble racllltlea which wlll bene!lt the community pnerall1:. . ! would empha.,tse, how– ever. that the estab– lishment or .cultural !aoll– llJes la not being under– taken at the expense or the ambulance. . The State Ool'erM1ent hu oonala!ently and sub– atlittlally 1111llJ)(lrted ambu- 1811ce operatlons rtnanclal- 11·. . :Treasury subsidy t.o am- bulance brigades was Increased from 15 'een ~ lh , the dollar to ·dollnr-ror- · dollar '6n -;all • endowable · collections made by the brl11ades from July I, 1974. This Improvement means an additional SU1tA! grants or SI. 175.000 per year and brings the subsidy payment to ambulance services In 1975-71 to an estimated U,849,000. That compares with a subsidy payment or Sl,848,6Q4 only three years 11110. J believe the 8Ubsldy trend clearly lllwtrates the ·state ooyeml)lent's con– llnuln11 concern !or ambu– lance services throughout the• Stat.e. - Gortlnn Ohallr., Deputy Premltr and Trea1urer ut Queensland. -THI ~USTRALIAN Friday January 16 1976 ART - -, BETTY ' CHUACHER I - - - Culture by the . raver ./ WITH SURVEY. work in · j large central space with a progress, Brisbane is lllfhttng sys\9m wbtch allOW& watching with interest as for rtexlbllitJ aocordlntr to t he . , • • needs of -.urator. The re- its i:iew c~Itural centre mwtnder o ,6hta level ts broktm gets under way. •l,nto sma ' .allerlea for, dts- r plays ,of c:MIIP.lcal progres- The complex, which Includes •I/he State Art Oa11ery, a- mu– seum, a concert theM,re, a lyric thelfl,re (for opera and ballet) and the State Library, will stmddle one of the main approach roads to the. cUy · 00111.!'e and· occupy a bel\utlful riverside site OU the city's south bank. . sion. , Both the visual aspects of I the rallery and tne uae of lnt4lrnal space appears, from -bile plan, to bi! auccessrut. However, there could be a danrer or creatlntr a super-· :;:-:.t•.,,!':i4:pl:'eI~ .= loosely defined. There aeema also to be a danger of ne1lecUng the need or the student and connoisseur ,while • caterllli excellently for the movement or -the ml.lob more numerous casual visitor or Stage 1, the art gallery, ls being documented for. contract and ·work should 1betrl~ by the second half of this yea,:. T,be archlt.cct, Mr Robin Gibson, says •he has thollcht of Ule complex as a city.· entrance with' the various units on the SOJl.thernmost aide united by a w,n wlttch will serve aa a membnne lo encloee •the sys– tcmltfttt, 1<n early city. 1 • tourist. · or course the .-di Cl( a J. Mr Gibson's desltrn approach' was based on his determi– nation to ,,Jceep the butldtnp 1,, v to preserve unbroken the undulating horizon-line of Mt Coot-Tha as a backdrop to the bulldln1111 rrom the city f public gallery a~e dlwne and– at tlln83 confllctln,. There are the bislc needs ot the pllery tt.setr, the·provision of llllitable apace ror .the proper present&-· tlQn and sto1Ne of Ule city's colleoUap. '111en there are the needs ·or the public which has the right to expect not only the maxi– mum phyJlcal comtort while side of bhe river, . v:llltl111r the ptlery. but alao t'he rt11ht to expect llbrarl~ ample study rooms, print and dr.awllli rooms, lecture halls · and auditoriums. <He jllso wants to make the , m0&t or the river; with ter– ~aced lalt'na. tree-lined tow path& and Jeltles ·tor river trafllo and1 tranaporl. He In– tends koe.Plnr thllllf• to a hum'an scale, llnkln1 the 1JU'ta or Lhe complex with walkways and cauaaways. It .aeema that •the trallery P!Rn has no fixed circulation pattern. The architect's aim has ~n to open the Interior s pBCC Ill much Ill ,.osslble and ·thw prevent any reell!Jtr of 1 enflosure which tie thinka Is the major ca111e of "gallery fatigue.'' . Jn t his way the gallery ts I not only trustee ,for a collec– tion but exercises e. tonnattye Influence on the art, cl'itlclam, education a:id baste of &OClety In trcnerol. · . His reelln11 about • •the restorative and regenerative powers of water, both sight and sound, has resulted In a water mall fiowlng t hroutrh the gallery's lower level. 'l'hL~ houses Lhe 'ry exhibi- tion spnc . t he store rooms nnd . from bhc upper 11nd ' a.11ery le"vcl by means open floor well " This mnln gallery haa a Por lnstnnce, I bhlnk It Is a 1>lty that the only auditorium In lihe complex Is 9ne which sew 500 pcoPlti and Is for ~he use of the entire complex. Wlbhout any · measurement, Indicated It Is dUflcult to llitl– mate size. However, the study a nd llbrnry facilities seem to me rather too .sma ll for a· State gnll_ery. Although I may have cer- 1,aln tears -for some aspects of this complex, I have no rears l or Its success on a communi– ty level. It Is a n easy and pleasant w11lk rrom the city centre and Its lawns, res– murnnt.s and paved plams wlll provide 1L splendid and lively community centre. THI COUIIR-M By th • -Ali ,..,. • ..,.: ....... Mem Mr. I ::~~ spo r which ernme the po fl',h 0 01' preaen auccee .proval Centi' s propoi turat South The hej/ to val or ,ta cards