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The first customs officer arrived to the free settlement of Moreton Bay in June 1846. A small cottage was originally allocated for customs in Brisbane which was extended in 1872. Conditions were so cramped that the cellar of the Old Town Hall in upper Queen Street had to be used as an office.
In November 1884, the Treasurer issued instructions to prepare plans for a new Customs House that would “combine convenient facilities with a beautiful appearance from Queen Street as well as the river.”
The magnificent new Customs House, built by Queensland settler, John Petrie, was opened in August 1889, complete with five Corinthian columns and a dome similar to St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. Customs House was later renovated in 1950 prior to its acquisition by the University of Queensland in 1991.
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 | Architectural plan for the construction of Queensland’s first permanent Customs House, c 1888
Queensland State Archives Item ID 1110685, Digital Image ID 2578 Mines and Works Department
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 | 1889 Eiffel Tower opened | |
1889 First jukebox played | |
1890 Corrugated cardboard boxes invented | |
1890 Vincent van Gogh died |
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