Queensland Art Gallery Presscuttings Book 9 : Construction of the cultural centre, 1977-1981

Industry April 1977 Brisbane's magnificent new mid-river floating fountain was activated by Her Majesty the Queen during her three day visit to the City last modth. And the event went off as planned - with push button precision. But the construction and commissioning of the fountain had posed some problems for three Brisbane firms, Fountain House, a division of L.P. Jensen and Sons Machinery Co.. of South Brisbane, Perrin Engineering Co. . Hemmant :ind O'Donnell Griffin Queensland. of Spring Hill. A special power cable, capable of withstanding all known river pollutants. had to be designed and permission obtained for two electricians to operate underwater on electrical installations. • Utmost Precision The 37-tonnc noating structure required a police escort for transportation by road through Brisbane; the 67-tonne concrete pontoon had to be launched and noated up river from Hemmant; and the highly involved design demanded the utmost in manufacturing precision. The noodlit fountain. designed by Robin Gibson ur Robin Gibson and Partners, Brisbane. forms part of the new Cultural Complex being built by the Queensland State Government on the south bank of the Brisbane River. When completed . the Complex will incorporate an art gallery. museum. performing arts centre. library, auditor– ium and II restaur11nt. The fountain forms part of stage one of the project. Believed to be the largest floating fountain, subject to tidal variation, in the world, it is sited on the up-stream side of Victoria Bridge. Its main jct soars 75 metres into the air - equivalent to the height of a 20-storey building. As an alternative, nine smaller jets, each with a maximum height of 30 metres, can be controlled to give varying heights and rhythms. Commissioning of the fountain was undertaken by Fountain House which . in recent years, has been responsible for the majority of Queensland's most spectac– ular fountains . The company itself supplied the electronic wind controls and interconnecting piping. And it bought and installed the special lights, jets, control valves, motor, pump and rubber hosing. Particular castings for the pump were produced by Suttons Foundry, Ipswich and the extensive rubber hosing required was obtained , from Rubber-to-Metal Engineering Pty. Ltd .. Moorooka, Bris– bane. Construction of the 37-tonne main foun – tain structure, the concrete pontoon and the steel walkway connecting the fountain with the river bank, was undertaken by Perrin Engineering Co.. of Hemmant. And the electrical work was carried out by O'Donnell Gritlin, Queensland . Pit·t11red above: Iler Majesty the Q11cc11 talks with Sir David Muir (left) chaim1a11 of the Queensland Cultural Complex planning and cstahlishment com• millce and the deputy premier and treasurer, Mr. Knox. after starting the mid-river fou111ai11. l\f Jfl- rlillll:I P l, ,, I ll th P Li \'CJ'f 0 ll• •w bu,lroo111 W,\. • 1 1 ' ill" 1110!-il trtfn rr Jti- •\.J-lltnr 11,u_ n; '' iJ I' • 1J h 11 f , h.. l;iur,.. ·ha tcd :ul1'1 1 " ~L J1~ \ UL ful fi r 1 Qut•en ~111.a.bew1 I-he IllSL, seco11 Llllrct prlJe- \\'II lll'J' the SIJ,cr Julnl~e ,·nmp,;t., 1011 ron,t h'll lJ1r Etlmllll 11 lJL J, 111('11 ~ lh ·t•ll j,,;h Qui 1 ,mn sl'J1,1<JI~. llLL I ,, '1(,IO(J Cl'lf ll ~. 'l 'hr.se fll\httln,:-s 111111•1~ (r11m Lhc 1•11 r11•tlllon "'Ill be dl51>l.1 111 t hn ttur.r.nsl1uul f,nll...-, rrom !\foi1d1u h.~onn, :.nd later n 111 UII 111111' t.n l hl! S L.ilr', j;luu.1.1 t.duc.-Llon l'f:1u, C' fbL.nc LILLle, 7, 1,