Queens park - Sitting in the Sun

Queens Park is a site that, being so integral to the early days of Brisbane, has a lot of history. The Anglican Parish of St John stood in this park from 1854 to 1904, and it became the pro-cathedral when the Diocese of Brisbane was created in 1859.

The gardens were originally called the Executive Gardens, after the Executive Building, but were renamed Queens Park when a statue was dedicated to Queen Victoria was erected.. The old Executive Building has been refurbished and is now the Conrad Treasury Hotel.  The gardens were renamed Queens Gardens, but known these days as Queens Park.

A statue of TJ Ryan, who was Premier of Queensland from 1915 to 1919 stands with his back to the Queen on the North West corner. The statue was sculpted by Bertram MacKennal and was commissioned by public subscription. It is situated at the entrance to the park on the corner of William St and Elizabeth St.

Queens Gardens was established in its present form in 1963, after the buildings which had occupied the area had been demolished. A statue of Queen Victoria, based on an original in Portsmouth and created by English sculptor Thomas Brock, was unveiled in 1906 in the gardens in front of the Lands Administration Building.
Also in the gardens is a  Royal Australian Air Force memorial and field gun.



Trophy of British Valour The trophy of British valour is a German World War I field gun located in a corner of the gardens. It was presented to Queensland by Lord Kitchener, on behalf of His Majesty King George V on 18 August 1917.

I sat in the sun on a park bench and looked across George Street, and a tiny Historical Building - Sutton House (1928) Nestled amoung the huge high rise buildings (Sketch number one)

Sketch number two, I turned towards the Treasury Hotel, and saw the "Tower of Power" peaking over the top.  This hug4e building is almost finished externally.