Brisbane City Hall, Brisbane — Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

Brisbane City Hall took a full decade to build, opening on April 8, 1930, as one of Australia's most expensive construction projects of its era, second only to the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The result was worth every penny and every year of effort. The building draws on some of the grandest architecture in the world. Its copper dome spans 31 meters, the largest in Australia, while the design borrows from the Roman Pantheon and Venice's St Mark's Campanile. Fourteen-meter-high Corinthian columns frame the main entrance, giving it a presence that dominates King George Square. The Clock Tower rises 87.47 meters and was Brisbane's tallest structure until 1967. Inside it hang four chime bells weighing three tonnes each and a master bell at 4.3 tonnes. The tower has welcomed some remarkable visitors over the years, including The Beatles, Queen Elizabeth, Princess Diana, and the Dalai Lama. Hidden in the basement lies one of the building's most moving secrets: a heritage-listed signature wall covered with the names and enlisted numbers of soldiers from various nationalities stationed in Brisbane during World War II. Before City Hall was built, the site had a wonderfully eclectic history. It hosted horse stables, a roller-skating rink, circuses, animal sales yards, a council depot, and even Brisbane's first roller coaster. Today the Museum of Brisbane occupies Level 3, and guided tours reveal the building's rich stories. A Questo quest through Brisbane brings you past this landmark with clues and challenges that reveal the stories most visitors never hear.