Excursion tour in Brisbane. Top architecture - monuments, castles, temples and palaces

» You can have a bird’s-eye view of the Australian city of Brisbane from the top of Brisbane City Hall. The building was opened in the 1920s.
»  A clock tower stretches for 91 metres towards the sky. It has 4 massive bells that weigh three tons. Tourists have an opportunity to get inside the gigantic clock face.
»  There’s a concert hall with an organ in the building. A circular hall often hosts mass events. There are also a gallery museum and an archive.
»  The first city hall building was erected in 1864. 18 years after, it became clear that the local council needs more space to fit everyone in. So, in 1917, a mayor signed an order to construct a new building.
»  According to a plan, a figure of an angel and sculptures of harnessed horses were installed on the clock tower and copper domes were added at each corner.
»  There were citizens that were against the construction, because it required a considerable amount of money and the area was too swampy, in their opinion. The construction plan was slightly amended and approved.
»  In 1927, the local council moved to the building that was still under construction.
»  A lift, made in 1930, gets people to an observation deck, which was visited by The Beatles, Queen Elizabeth, Princess Diana and Prince Charles, Dalai Lama.

» The 80-metre bridge has a panoramic view of the city. At night, the historic Story Bridge is illuminated.
»  There are pedestrian and bicycle lanes on both sides of it. The span structures of the construction hang outside the supports. It connects the banks of the river.
»  A new Brisbane bridge was designed according to a famous architect’s drawings. It is named after the early 20th century politician.
»  The foundation stone was laid by the city’s premier in May 1935. Some difficulties arose during the construction of the facility. The soft soil of the river bottom required additional installation supports.
»  The construction was done on a grand scale. It was being built day and night. In late October 1939, two banks of the river were connected. The bridge is 250 metres long. It takes 2.5 hours to cross the bridge.
»  The construction cost about 1.5 million pounds. The cantilever structure copies the famous bridge in Montreal. There are three lanes of traffic in each direction.
»  The traffic was temporarily stopped to celebrate the 50th anniversary. In 2005, a tradition of steel bridge climbs was started, and competitions have been regularly held since then. The winner gets an award certificate.

» The vast Brisbane Suncorp Stadium regularly hosts football matches and other sporting events. The fans of sports games came up with another name for the stadium – The Cauldron.
»  The Australian sports ground is rectangular in shape. The arena is designed to fit in up to 53,000 fans. Rugby union and rugby league (team game with an oval ball) competitions, football matches, and concerts take place here.
»  Suncorp is a world-class stadium. Local citizens consider it one of the sporting "temples".
»  Over a million spectators visit the stadium annually. It’s a home arena for many Australian teams from various types of sports.
»  A statue of Wally Lewis, a legendary rugby league player, is set on a pedestal before the entrance to the sports ground.
»  Guided tours are organized here.
»  There used to be a cemetery. Then Lang Park was built. After reconstruction, the place is occupied by a modern world-class stadium.
»  The area near the sports ground was originally inhabited by Europeans. Staff rooms can be accessed by media representatives and distinguished guests having special passes.

» The ground floor of Customs House is a glass floor with a panoramic view of the central district of Sydney, City. Customs House is marked with a red beam.
»  Customs House has a place for leisure, a cafe, free Wi-Fi, and a library. Customs House is located on the embankment.
»  Nowadays, the building of the old mansion belongs to the university.
»  It was built in 1886 and belonged to the local customs. The building was rented by the education institution in April 1988. It was being restored for three years.
»  In 1994, the building was opened again and complemented with new offices. About 8 millions in local currency were spent on the restoration of the building.
»  There is a restaurant within walking distance from it, in the same buildings. The basement is occupied by an art gallery. Concerts are often organized here.
»  There is also an outdoor patio. One of the spacious rooms is named “Long Room”. Today, lectures and gala dinners are held here.
»  The design of the building features a copper dome and Corinthian columns. There is the image of the shield, kangaroo, and emu, which are the symbols of Australia. The iron balustrade was made in England.

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Facts: » The first stone of the future Cathedral of St Stephen was laid in late December 1863, on the Christian Great Martyr Remembrance Day.
»  The construction began in 1874 thanks to donations from laymen. The chapel standing nearby was designed by another architect. The cathedral was constructed in 1922.
»  Tuff, sandstone and porphyry were the foundation stones. Everything has signs of the modern Catholic style elements. It can be noticed in the spire on the turret as well.
»  The stained glass windows on the east side were once delivered from Munich. One of the windows is known as the "Mayne" window. It was made by an Irish craftsman.
»  On sunny days, the colourful glass windows create a fancy pattern on the stone floor tiles and walls.
»  The temple seems small from the outside, while the internal layout looks spacious because of huge ceilings. Following the best English traditions, the chants to the sounds of a unique organ can be heard in the holy place. They are performed by male choirs on Catholic holidays.
»  Numerous buildings were gradually erected on the territory of the cathedral: a school, a bishop's house, business premises for the Metropolis, a meeting hall. They are all different in architectural style.