Open House Sketchwalk - Brisbane

What a fun morning.  Six Brisbane Urban Sketchers came out and did the Brisbane Open House Sketchwalk.  We saw inside some amazing Historical buildings, The Albert Street Wesley Uniting Church, The Ann Street Presbyterian Church, The Masonic Lodge, The City Baptist tabernacle Church, and two of us got a sneak peak inside the United Services Club. (The Green house)

The church was built in 1888 and 1889 and was originally known as the Albert Street Methodist Church. It is a striking red brick structure  designed by GHM Addison

Ann Street Presbyterian Church was built in 1858, and is the oldest church built in Brisbane I was told.

We stopped outside the wonderful Grand central Station and sketched the Clock Tower. The first Central Station was built of wood and corrugated iron and opened in August 1889. It was the city’s second station, as Roma Street had opened in 1875.  A much more elegant station opened in 1899 with iron arches over the platforms and a portico out the front and then, in 1901, a handsome new entry was built of sandstone from nearby quarries, as well as the adjacent railway refreshment rooms.

The Baptist City Tabernacle was the second Baptist church built in the city. The first, built in 1859, was situated on the corner of Wharf and Adelaide Streets. However, as the local congregation grew, it became necessary to build another church. One of Brisbane’s most celebrated architects, Richard Gailey, was a member of the congregation and designed the imposing tabernacle in the late 1880s. 

 

This little sketch, is the back view if the amazing United Services Club (Green House) the architect was Claude William Chambers.  The building was built in 1910 The United Service Club was established in 1892 for officers of the Queensland Defence Force

 

My last sketch of the day was of the back view of the famous Platform 3 Roma Street Station. Brisbane terminal station, now Brisbane Roma Street, was the city's first railway station when it opened in 1875 and for 115 years was its major general freight terminal. It was designed by Superintendent of Public Buildings Francis Stanley.