Treasury Building Brisbane is a huge sandstone government building at 21 Queen Street, in the heart of the CBD. It was built between 1886 and 1928, and Wikipedia, citing the Queensland Heritage Register, calls it the largest 19th-century government building in Australia by gross floor area.
For almost thirty years it was the Treasury Casino, so many Brisbane people know it only as a casino. The casino has gone and the building is waiting for its next chapter, and you can still walk around it and look at the stonework from the street.
A short history of the Treasury Building
Queensland’s colonial architect, John James Clark, designed the building as the New Public Offices, in an Italian Renaissance style with sandstone walls, arcades and a central courtyard. It was built in three stages.
- Stage 1: completed in September 1889, using Highfields sandstone.
- Stage 2: completed in February 1893.
- Stage 3: built in the 1920s using Helidon sandstone, and officially opened in 1928.
It fills the block bounded by Queen, George, Elizabeth and William Streets. Wikipedia records it as added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.
Who built it, and what it cost
Colonial architect John James Clark’s own design was chosen in 1883 over the competition-winning design by Grainger and D’Ebro, which was never built. Stage 1 was built by Phippard Bros and Co for about 94,700 pounds, with Thomas Pye supervising construction. Stage 2 was built by John Jude of Adelaide for 67,000 pounds. Stage 3 used day labour and cost 137,817 pounds.
The courtyard annex that came and went
A five-storey annex was built in the central courtyard in 1961 and demolished in 1987.
The casino years and what comes next
The Treasury Casino opened in the building in 1995. It closed on 25 August 2024.
Griffith University has announced that it is taking a lease on the building for a CBD campus with Business, Information Technology and Law, set to open in 2027. Griffith says it is committed to preserving the heritage nature of the building. Its announcement does not set out public access.
What you can see from the street
Reddacliff Place and the Queen Street front
The Treasury Building fronts Queen Street, and Reddacliff Place, the plaza at the base of Brisbane Square, is directly across the street. It is an easy spot to take in the width of the stone front, with its stacked arcades and the pedimented central section.
Walking the four streets
The building fills a whole block, so you can walk right round it along Queen, George, Elizabeth and William Streets. It costs nothing, and there is no ticket.
Is the Treasury Building open to visit?
No. The casino is closed, and no public opening hours or tours have been published. Treat it as a landmark to see from outside until Griffith’s campus opens.
If you are looking for the Treasury hotel, it is separate and has its own site, Treasury Brisbane, at 159 William Street. Its website says the hotel is still welcoming guests and that the casino has closed.
Planning your visit
- Cost: free from the street.
- Best time: daylight for the sandstone detail.
- Inside: not open to the public at the moment.
Getting there
The building is at 21 Queen Street in the Brisbane CBD. Plan a trip into the city with the Translink Journey Planner or call 13 12 30.
Nearby
- Queen Street Mall – Brisbane’s main shopping street.
- Brisbane Arcade – another of the city’s historic buildings.
- Old Government House – another historic Brisbane landmark.
- Brisbane City Botanic Gardens – gardens at the edge of the CBD.
- Anzac Square – a memorial park in the CBD.
Browse more history and landmarks or everything in Brisbane.
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Quick answers
Where is the Treasury Building in Brisbane?
It is at 21 Queen Street, on the block bounded by Queen, George, Elizabeth and William Streets in the CBD.
When was the Treasury Building built?
Between 1886 and 1928, in three stages. The first stage was finished in September 1889.
Is the Treasury Casino still open?
No. The casino closed on 25 August 2024.
What is happening to the Treasury Building now?
Griffith University has taken a lease for a CBD campus set to open in 2027.
Is the Treasury Building heritage listed?
Yes. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.
Is it free to look at?
Yes. You can walk round the outside for free. The inside is not open to the public.
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