Queensland Parliament, Brisbane — Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

Queensland Parliament House has one of the most dramatic construction stories of any government building in Australia. When the colony was established in 1859, work began with confidence on a grand new legislature. Then disaster struck. In May 1866, the colony's main lender, Agra and Masterman, collapsed, triggering a financial panic that froze public works across Queensland. The Parliament House crane sat idle so long that a company offered just 40 pounds to buy it for scrap. Salvation came from an unexpected source. The discovery of gold at Gympie in late 1867 revitalized the colony's fortunes and allowed construction to finally resume. Without that gold rush, Queensland's Parliament might never have been finished. The building challenges did not end there. Architect Tiffin struggled to source the distinctive sandstone blocks that now define the facade. The prefabricated zinc roof, imported from Britain, arrived damaged and did not meet specifications, requiring extensive rework. Members initially moved in with old furniture salvaged from the former convict barracks on Queen Street. New pieces were not approved until the 1870s, when John Petrie supplied tables and chairs in Queensland yellowwood and cedar. Remarkably, much of that original furniture remains in use today. One memorable moment in the building's history came in 1966, when Mrs Ellen "Vi" Jordan, only the second woman elected to Queensland Parliament, successfully demanded her right to dine in the exclusively male Members Dining Room, breaking an unofficial gender barrier. A Questo quest through Brisbane brings you past this landmark, where gold, determination, and a few spectacular setbacks built a seat of government.