Thomas Joseph Ryan monument, Brisbane, Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

The Thomas Joseph Ryan monument stands in the Queens Gardens area of Brisbane City, close to Elizabeth Street. It honours Thomas Joseph Ryan, who served as Premier of Queensland from 1915 to 1919 and later moved into federal politics. It is an easy stop in the heart of the CBD, set among the lawns and old government buildings of one of the city's oldest public spaces.

The story behind it

The monument belongs to a place with a layered past. Before it was a garden, this corner of town was part of the convict-era settlement. The creators of our routes note that an Engineer's weatherboard cottage stood at the corner of Elizabeth and William Streets, and it is thought to have been the first sawn timber building in Brisbane. Most of the rest of the block was a lumber yard with the engineer's stores and workshops, which supplied timber for the colony's early buildings.

Queens Gardens was established in 1905 and takes its name from Queen Victoria. A statue of her was revealed on Empire Day in 1906 in front of the old Lands Administration Building, and it still anchors the square. Ryan's monument sits within this setting of colonial memory and civic pride, so it is worth reading it alongside the other commemorations around it.

What to look for

• Read the inscription on the Ryan monument itself to see how Brisbane chose to remember a Queensland premier.
• Look at the statue of Queen Victoria in the centre of the gardens, placed in front of the old Lands Administration Building.
• Stand at the corner of Elizabeth and William Streets and picture the small timber Engineer's cottage that once occupied the spot.
• Notice how the sandstone government buildings around the square contrast with the modern towers rising behind them.

Tips for your visit

• Allow 15 to 20 minutes to look around the monument and the gardens, longer if you want to read every plaque.
• The gardens are an open public space, so you can walk in and look around at any time of day. Morning light is good for photos.
• You are in the middle of the CBD, so the river, George Street and the Queen Street Mall are all a short walk away.
• Combine it with nearby colonial sites on foot, since much of early Brisbane sits within a few blocks.

See it on a quest

Murder Mystery: Death in the Shadows in CBD, Brisbane is a good way to see this corner of the city. You reach the monument on foot as one stop on a longer route through the CBD, the app tells you about each place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle on the spot. One ticket covers the whole group.

Colonial Brisbane: A Convict's Quest for Justice suits this site especially well, since the ground here belonged to the convict-era settlement. You walk between the old town's landmarks, hear about each one as you get there, and solve a puzzle in front of it. One ticket covers the whole group.

The Oz Escape: A Wicked Glitch in Brisbane takes a lighter approach to the same streets. You walk to the monument as part of a longer route, learn about it in the app, and solve a puzzle on the spot. One ticket covers the whole group.