Go back in time to the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Fountain

We consider a seem back again at a dropped but not neglected Brisbane landmark — The Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Fountain — having said that the installation of a fountain in the Brisbane River in entrance of the Queensland Artwork Gallery was not element of the initial options for the Queensland Cultural Centre.

When the Queensland Govt turned knowledgeable that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was to visit the point out in 1977 as aspect of her Jubilee celebrations, the Governing administration was keen to have her check out the Cultural Centre internet site even while only preliminary web-site will work would have been concluded.

Queensland Cultural Centre model

Queensland Cultural Centre Design featuring the Jubilee Fountain exterior the Queensland Artwork Gallery, 1977 / Picture courtesy: QAGOMA Investigate Library

It was thought that the Queen would be hesitant to just lay a foundation stone at the web site of the future art gallery, so Cultural Centre architect Robin Gibson proposed a significant fountain in the river in time for the Queen’s pay a visit to. Queen Elizabeth II activated the Jubilee Fountain on 11 March 1977 and laid the Foundation Stone right before a crowd of official attendees and the general public, surrounded by a flotilla of pleasure craft.

The Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Fountain celebrations

The Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Fountain celebrations at the Queensland Art Gallery South Financial institution site, 11 March 1977 / Impression courtesy: Sunday Mail, Brisbane / Assortment: QAGOMA Exploration Library
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II during the Silver Jubilee pay a visit to which marked the completion of the preliminary growth of the web page, 11 March 1977 / Graphic courtesy: Sunday Mail, Brisbane / Selection: QAGOMA Exploration Library
Sir David Muir, Chairman of the Queensland Art Gallery Cultural Centre Belief (still left), with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II all through the Silver Jubilee go to which marked the completion of the preliminary development of the internet site, 11 March 1977 / Image courtesy: Sunday Mail, Brisbane / Selection: QAGOMA Investigate Library

The Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Fountain celebrations at the Queensland Art Gallery South Bank web site, 11 March 1977 / Graphic courtesy: QAGOMA Study Library

Silver Jubilee Fountain

The Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Fountain was intended as a tetrahedron, a pyramid of three triangles of equivalent proportions, that sat previously mentioned the drinking water line with 30 huge hidden pipes that shot water significant into the air, and at evening it lit up the city skyline with extra than 90 lights.

The Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Fountain / Courtesy: Queensland Art Gallery pamphlet, 1979 / Photograph: D McCarthy / Impression courtesy:: QAGOMA Research Library

The Jubilee Fountain became a Brisbane landmark and marked the situation of the future long-lasting residence of the Queensland Artwork Gallery right until its opening some 5 decades afterwards. The connection of the Brisbane River to the Gallery was bolstered with water factors inside of its interior, supplying both of those a bodily link and serving as a parallel reflection of the river. When the Gallery opened at South Bank on 21 June 1982, the most notable and hanging characteristic of the inside was its central Watermall, a perfect companion to the exterior river fountain.

The Watermall also prolonged outside of the Gallery’s inside from five forged bronze Pelicans by Queensland sculptors Leonard and Kathleen Shillam from the japanese-aspect to the Dandelion Fountains established by revolutionary fountain designer Robert Woodward (acknowledged for his fountain at Kings Cross in Sydney) as a result of to the Gallery’s Sculpture Courtyard pond and waterfall to the west.

The Fountain malfunctioned consistently, the pumps owning to not only contend with the river’s tidal estuary and brackish water, but the sand and mud silt flowing through the river. Regretably Brisbane’s one of a kind landmark in front of the Queensland Art Gallery was only savored for yet another a few many years following the Gallery’s opening prior to it was decommissioned in 1985. 

DELVE Deeper: The history of the Queensland Art Gallery

Max Dupain, Australia 1911-1992 / Hunting throughout the river toward the Queensland Artwork Gallery 1982 / Assortment: QAGOMA Investigate Library
Queensland Artwork Gallery and the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Fountain, June 1982 / Picture courtesy: QAGOMA Study Library / Photograph: Richard Stringer

https://www.youtube.com/observe?v=sVWjlOvWKAw

Additional exploration and supplementary material by Elliott Murray, Senior Electronic Promoting Officer, QAGOMA, sourced from the QAGOMA Analysis Library Particular Collections.

Highlighted image: Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II all through the Silver Jubilee pay a visit to which marked the completion of the preliminary development of the internet site, 11 March 1977 / Image courtesy: Sunday Mail, Brisbane
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