Customs houses were built in all major Australian ports in the nineteenth century.
That’s because customs and excise duties were an important source of revenue that were levied on goods from overseas and in some cases from other colonies.
Designed by colonial architect Charles McLay and completed in 1889, the Brisbane Customs House is one of Queensland’s finest examples of the Victorian free classical style featuring grand colonnades, a portico, and a large dome.
The current Customs House was built as a replacement for an old one, a moderate red brick building.
A two-story facade fronts Queen Street while three stories can be seen on the river’s edge below.
The interior contains an elegant public space, known as the Long Room, which is crowned by a copper dome.
Nowadays, the building is considered one of Brisbane’s premier restaurant, events and heritage destinations.
The rest of the building accommodates University of Queensland activities.
Publicly accessible areas of Customs House are limited, but are open to the public and worth seeing.
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