GSA Guide - Commissariat Store Claimed
URPoint Details
This URP is provided and maintained by members of the Geological Society of Australia as a geo-located community knowledge service.
History:
The Commissariat Store, built when Brisbane was a convict settlement, is the second oldest (surviving) structure in the CBD.
Moreton Bay Penal Settlement was established at Redcliffe in 1824 for secondary punishment for New South Wales convicts. Brisbane Town was founded on the north bank of the Brisbane River in 1825 and this building, built in 1828-1929 (with the third floor being constructed between 1911 to 1913), was one of four that housed the military personnel and convicts’ food, clothing and other goods.
Building of the Commissariat Store began with excavation of the riverbank and construction of a retaining wall. Skilled convicts undertook masonry and construction work, supervised by Lt Bainbridge who was sent from Sydney specifically for this task, which was completed in 1829.
After closure of the Moreton Bay Penal Settlement in 1839 and the opening of Brisbane Town to free settlers, the Commissariat Store continued to be used as a government store. In the 1850s the first floor was used intermittently for immigrants.
The Store was renamed 'Colonial Store' in 1860 following creation of the Colony of Queensland, with the first floor being
- Type:
- Landmark