Brisbane Showgrounds

The hub of the Showgrounds is the Main Arena and surrounding grandstands located to the north of Gregory Terrace. Principal elements of cultural heritage significance include:[1]

Equestrian competitions in the main show ring, 2015

The Main Arena, an oval-shaped grassed area with a perimeter gravel track, is located in the centre of the Brisbane Showgrounds, on the northwest side of Gregory Terrace. It is surrounded by tiered seating stands, both open and covered, the exception being at the northeast end, where the marshalling yards give livestock and vehicle access directly to the ring. At the southwest end are the Council Stand (c. 1923) and Ernest Baynes Stand (1923); to the west the Members' Stand (1970s) and John MacDonald Stand (1906); to the north the open-air Machinery Hill Stands (1950s); to the northeast the Marshalling Yards and Stand (1950s); to the east and southeast a narrow band of open-air seating; and to the south is Heritage Hill, a grassed, informal seating area. Between the Ernest Baynes and Members' stands is a concrete ceremonial platform at the edge of the ring.[1]

The RNA Council Stand is located to the south of Show Ring No.1, adjacent to the Ernest Baynes Stand, overlooking the show ring. It is a three-storey brick building with a double hipped roof. There is also a small, hip-roofed tower at the southeast corner of the building. At some early period the northern end of the building has been extended to incorporate an entrance to the seating in front of the stand. There is a later two-storey extension on the southern side. The three earlier facades retain their face brickwork with decorative rendered bands.[1]

The building accommodates offices, meeting rooms, and Councillors' seating stand, with the main access to the stand being through the building, which is entered through a wide, centrally positioned entrance with a slate roof supported by double columns either side of the entrance. To the left of this entrance is a brass plaque bearing a dedication to military personnel stationed at the Exhibition Grounds during the first and second world wars. The middle level of the building contains a number of offices, including that of the President of the RNA and the Councillors' stand which is on the northern side of the building. This has timber seating tiers with timber seats, on the back rests of which are attached small metal ash trays at regular intervals. Cantilevered metal trusses carry the roof forward over the front seating. Photographic evidence suggests this is a replacement roof, the original being supported by front posts. The ceiling is lined with fibrous cement sheeting, sections of which have early timber cover- strips.[1]

Internal stairs lead from the middle level to a lower floor where the RNA Council Meeting Room is located, overlooking the arena. There is also access to open-air seating in front of the RNA Council Stand from this level. Another internal staircase, which is not original, leads from the entrance level to the upper floor, which contains offices. The interior has been refurbished.[1]

Ernest Baynes Stand, 2013

The Ernest Baynes Stand is a substantial brick structure located to the southwest of the Main Arena, adjacent to the Council Stand. It features face brickwork with decorative rendered panels along the parapet and in a broad band across the middle of the facade. At street level, offices open directly off the street. There is a later cantilevered awning with mock gabled roofs over the western end of this level. The eastern end is obscured by a set of concrete fire escape stairs with offices beneath. Cantilevered off the rear wall parapet are two small landings with later gabled roofs, which formerly serviced two rear staircases between the upper and lower seating tiers.[1]

The building has a skillion roof clad with later metal sheeting, supported by early steel girders (both uprights and trusses) and is lined with sheets of ripple iron. The original gambrel roof has been removed and the present roof follows the slope of the former upper seating tier, which has been removed. Along the ringside front of the roof are six mock dormers and a central pediment with the lettering: RNA EXHIBITION GROUNDS. Beneath this, at fascia level, is the lettering: ERNEST BAYNES STAND. Timber batten valances along the front and side of the roof are not original.[1]

The stand now comprises only one level of timber tiered seating (originally two), with slatted timber benches and back rests, supported on steel frames bolted to the floor. The seating is accessed via three sets of brick and concrete stairs at the front of the stand. These are located at either end of the structure and in the middle, the central stair having a double staircase. Set into the front brick wall of each staircase is an inscribed stone plaque. That at the southeast end reads: "This stone was laid by CE McDougall, President 18th Nov 1922 J Hutchinson, Builder." That in the centre stair reads: "This stone was laid by His Excellency, Sir Matthew Nathan PC, GCMG, Governor of Queensland 18th Nov 1922 Richard Gailey Jnr FOIA, Architect." That on the northwest stair reads: "This stone was laid by Ernest Baynes, Chairman, for and on behalf of the Council 18th Nov 1922." This stone also records the names of the 13 other RNA Councillors of the day and the Secretary. The front and staircase balustrades are of decorative cast iron with timber handrails, but the side balustrades are a later metal grille. At the top of the seating, later fire-exit doors have been cut in the brick rear wall at either end – these lead to fire-escape stairs.[1]

The structure takes advantage of the sloping site to include a sub-floor dining room which runs the length of the stand beneath the front seating. This is accessed via stairs at the front which lead to a number of sets of entrance doors just below ground level. This dining room has been refurbished, with new entrance doors, new leadlight windows and a false ceiling. Most of the original arched leadlight windows at each end have been sheeted over. Behind the dining room, cut into the slope of the land, is a long kitchen. At the southeast end of the kitchen is a store room and a steep timber stair leading up to the service entrance. There are also toilets at the sub-floor level, accessed externally. The men's toilet is located at the southeast end of the building and the women's at the northwest end.[1]

The Members' Stand is located on the western side of the Main Arena, just past the Ernest Baynes Stand and the Parenting Room. It is a concrete-framed structure with brick in-fill. The seating tiers are of formed concrete and seats are of formed plastic supported on metal framing. Steel framing supports a cantilevered awning roof. The roof and side and rear walls are clad with wide-profile metal sheeting. There is a metal sheeted balustrade along the sides and front. The sub-floor contains a bar and other members facilities.[1]

John MacDonald Stand, 2015

This is the earliest of the surviving ringside stands, located on the northwest side of the Main Arena. It is a substantial brick structure with a gambrel roof. In the centre of the roof is a large fleche with cupola and four-faced clock which can be seen from much of the showgrounds. The roof of the stand, which has been re-clad with a recent corrugated metal sheeting, is supported on early light steel trusses and round cast metal columns with cast-iron brackets and valances along the front and sides. Between the arc of the central bay is a large sign with the lettering: JOHN MACDONALD STAND. The sides and front of the stand have a decorative cast-iron balustrading.[1]

Timber tiers accommodate the seating, which is of slatted timber fixed on steel frames to the tiers. The seating is accessed from the front of the stand via three sets of brick and concrete steps, set symmetrically in the centre and toward either end, each of which has a double staircase. These have the same decorative iron balustrade as the main stand. Between the staircases at the front of the stand are concrete seating tiers with slatted timber benches. Behind the seating tiers the rear brick wall has arched openings with the same decorative metal balustrade as the stairs and front and sides of the stand. There is a rear promenade at this level, but several tiers of later timber seating have been installed here, restricting pedestrian circulation.[1]

Because the land is flat and the stand is so high, there is a very tall rear arcade promenade (traffic-able to vehicles and pedestrians) running the length of the stand beneath the upper seats and a huge sub-floor beneath the remainder of the stand. The brickwork in this section of the building is in red face brick, with decorative dark-glazed bricks to the arches along the arcade and supporting the upper seating tiers.[1]

The large sub-floor is divided into four main rooms, accessed mainly off the rear promenade. Each of these spaces has a ripple iron ceiling which follows the slope of the seating tiers above, a concrete floor a step or two below street level and windows and doors opening both to the promenade and to the front of the stand overlooking the arena. The northern room is utilised by the St John's Ambulance Service and has been divided by sheeted partitions into cubicles. Facilities include an early iron-framed, wheeled ambulance stretcher. The southern room has been converted into an English-style pub, complete with appropriately decorated entry. There are toilets located at each end of the subfloor, accessed from the front – the men's toilet at the southern end and the women's at the northern end. The men's toilet retains an early lead-light fanlight above the entrance door, but both facilities have been remodelled internally.[1]

Machinery Hill Stand, 2015

These consist of a number of uncovered stands, curved around the northern perimeter of the Main Arena, between the northeast end of the John MacDonald Stand and the Marshalling Yards at the northeast end of the arena. They are of concrete construction (concrete seating tiers supported on concrete piers), with brick or concrete in-fill to the sides. The seating consists of curved, slatted timber benches and is accessed via subways beneath the stands. The sub-floor beneath the northernmost stand provides kiosk space, with metal roller doors between the concrete piers opening to Ring Road. The sub-floor beneath the middle stand is utilised as the Cattleman's Bar. Sections of the seating on the northernmost of these open-air stands have been in-filled recently to provide access for horsemen entering the show ring for special display riding. There is a large sign at the back of the northern stand, with the lettering: MACHINERY HILL, which can be viewed from all over the show ring.[1]

At the northeast side of the Main Arena are the livestock marshalling yards. Above the yards is a substantial formed concrete stand with a raked, open-air seating area. Between the concrete piers which support this structure are sets of sheeted metal gates opening from the yards onto the arena. At the back of the concrete stand is a small, detached, two-storey brick office building.[1]

The Commentator's Building incorporates the Radio Broadcast Studio, Doctor's Office and Ringmaster's Office.

At the southern end of the marshalling yards is another small, detached, two-storey brick building, which accommodates a radio broadcast studio on the upper floor and doctor's office and garage on the ground floor. This building appears to have been constructed in two stages. Attached to the southern end of this small building is a highset, steel-framed extension clad with fibrous cement boarding. This contains a number of offices, including that of the Ringmaster, accessed from a walkway at the rear.[1]

The Former Commonwealth Bank Building (now the Show Shop) is located to the south of the Main Arena, adjacent to the Council Stand. It is a rectangular, single-storey rendered brick building with a hipped, terracotta-tile roof. There is an early arched entrance on the eastern side, flanked by tall, arched, steel-framed windows with decorative keystones and false balustrades. The present entrance is via a recent, single-storey metal and glass extension at the southern end of the building. The north elevation has been modified at some period, with its earlier arched windows removed.[1]

Internally, the building comprises one main interior space (the former banking chamber), partitioned from a smaller space at the northern end, which is at a lower level, reflecting the slope of the land. There is also a later mezzanine storage area at the northern end. All bank fittings have been removed.[1]

Other structures/sites in Area 1 include:[1]

• Parenting Room (c. 1990s) – a small, single-storey, steel framed and metal clad building located between the Ernest Baynes and Members' stands
• QCWA Refreshment Rooms (c. 1970s) – a small, single-storey brick structure with metal-clad skillion roof located between the Members' Stand and the John MacDonald Stand
• Heritage Hill with its "lychgate" – a timber-framed, shingle-roofed structure resting on a foundation of rubble stone set in concrete.

This is the area to the southwest of the Main Arena, bound by the Ernest Baynes Stand, Gregory Terrace, the former Museum Reserve and the railway line. The principal elements of cultural heritage significance in this area include:[1]

Industrial Pavilion, 2021

The Industrial Pavilion, built in 1938–39 and later extended, is a large industrial structure with external brick walls and a saw tooth roof. It occupies the southwest corner of the site, with its southeast wall fronting directly onto Gregory Terrace.[1]

The external walls are red face brickwork with the main facade and the Gregory Terrace elevation designed with some of the characteristics of the stripped classical style. The main eastern facade and entrance to the building is from within the Showgrounds. This is a two-storey section which has food shops at ground level and offices and meeting rooms on the first floor level. The two principal entrances to the building are openings large enough to accommodate trucks and other vehicles. The entrances are emphasised by stylised columns, capitals and entablatures with balconies above. Sets of three French doors open onto the balconies. The food shops have metal security doors that open upwards. The first floor level is delineated on the facade by a rendered stringcourse. All the windows on the upper level have round headed windows containing steel framed eight pane casements. The panels below the windows contain a decorative pattern of brickwork. The building has been extended to the northwest and this extension is distinguished on the facade by mottled patterned brickwork, simplified detailing, large multi-paned window and corrugated metal sun shading.[1]

The facade along Gregory Terrace is a decorative composition of stepped parapets, patterned brickwork and round-headed window openings. There are a number of large arched openings with stylised keystones, which contain doorways into the building. In the parapet there is raised lettering with the words 'INDUSTRIAL, "ROYAL NATIONAL A & I ASSOCIATION", "PAVILION". The wall of the building forms part of the perimeter wall of the Showgrounds.[1]

Internally, the building is one large open space with the saw-tooth roof supported by steel trusses on I-section columns. Twelve sets of large skylights run at 45 degrees across the space providing natural light. The ceiling is lined with sheet material and the floor is bitumen. The building is mechanically ventilated.[1]

The Gregory Terrace Entry Building is a two-storey timber building with a brick extension, which forms part of the perimeter wall of the Showgrounds. The timber building has a gabled-hipped roof clad with corrugated metal sheet. It has undergone changes, in particular at the ground floor level, which is now used as a space to park cars. The northwest external wall has been removed and replaced with three steel posts. The area in which the cars are parked has a pressed metal ceiling. At the first floor level the northwest veranda has been enclosed and extended and the roofline has been altered. The first level contained one large room, which has been subdivided with partitions. This room has six sets of French doors, which open onto the enclosed veranda and six windows on the Gregory Terrace elevation. The room retains its pressed metal ceiling and fittings such as a row of coat hooks.[1]

At the northeast end of the building is a two-storey cream brick annexe (erected 1971), which is used by the police during the period of the Ekka. The building has a flat roof, with a large fascia and aluminium window frames.[1]

Other buildings in Area 2 include:[1]

• 11. RNA Administration Building (c. 1970) – a two-storey building constructed with a concrete frame and brick and sheet material infill panels. The building is designed as a series of vertical elements with a continuous band of windows at each level and a large projecting fascia concealing the roof. Internally the building contains offices.[1]
• 12. RNA Function Room – a single-storey brick building with a flat roof. On the eastern & southern elevations there are full-length glass windows, mosaic tiles on the columns and a deep fascia concealing the roof. Internally the building is one large room with attached kitchen facilities.[1]

This encompasses the area to the west of the railway which traverses the Showgrounds. The principal elements of cultural heritage significance in Area 3 include:[1]

Food stalls around the fig trees, 2015

Show Ring No.2 is located on the western side of the railway line, at the northeast end of the bitumen pavement to Sideshow Alley and separates the amusement section of the site from the Dairy, Pig and Goat Pavilions. It is a circular grassed area surrounded by a concrete apron. Seven mature fig trees pruned into cylindrical forms line the southern boundary of the show ring and one fig tree of a similar form is located to the north of the ring. Timber bench seats are located around the base of each tree.[1]

Located on the southeast side of the show ring and set into the earth bank which rises up to the railway line is a toilet building. This houses female amenities and a baby change room. The walls are a combination of face brickwork and rendered masonry with high level fixed vent glass louvres. The roof consists of two intersecting gables and is clad with metal custom orb roof sheeting.[1]

Sideshow Alley at dusk, 2015

Sideshow Alley is located in the northwest corner of the exhibition grounds and is bound by Bowen Bridge Road on the west, Bowen Park on the northwest, Show Ring No.2 to the northeast and the railway line to the southeast. The site is enclosed by a combination of fencing types which include timber framed fencing with corrugated iron cladding to Bowen Park and the railway boundaries, masonry to the Bowen Bridge Road frontage and new infill sections of metal fencing to other areas. The sense of enclosure to this part of the site is further heightened by its sunken level, relative to its surrounds and the close proximity of the Old Museum Building, the John MacDonald Stand, the mature vegetation of Bowen Park and the towering structures of the neighbouring Royal Brisbane Hospital.[1]

Haunted hotel attraction, Sideshow Alley, 2013

Visitor entry to Sideshow Alley is via the Bowen Park Entry Building or, if within the showgrounds, through two subways beneath the railway line. The part of Sideshow Alley used for rides and other amusements consists of a large expanse of open, level bitumen pavement. Set at regular intervals in the pavement are electrical service boxes used at show time to provide power to the various amusements.[1]

Located in the western corner of the site adjacent to Bowen Park the building is a single-storey structure comprising two smaller elements separated by an access gate. The walls of the buildings are face brick and each has a hipped roof clad with metal custom orb sheeting. Recent additions to these structures appear to include the cement rendering of the brickwork to the Bowen Bridge Street facade and the installation of metal roller doors to the ticket issuing areas.[1]

The Dairy Cattle Pavilion is located at the northern boundary of the showgrounds fronting O'Connell Terrace. It is a timber framed single-storey structure, essentially comprising two rectilinear building masses, which gently follow the slope of the site. A saw tooth roof structure, clad with corrugated iron, covers the full extent of the building. Externally the walls are clad with timber weatherboards while the individual ends to the skillion roof forms are clad with a combination of FC sheeting and timber lattice. A concrete apron surrounds the whole building.[1]

Internally the building is broken up into a series of long narrow bays which follow the line of the saw tooth roof above. The high face of the saw tooth roof form in each bay is clad with timber lattice which allows the interior space to be naturally lit and ventilated. Entry to the pavilion is through chain wire gates located centrally at the end of each bay. In plan, each of bays is very similar in that it consists of a central passage flanked by open cattle pen space on either side and storage accommodation enclosures to each end of the bay. These storage/accommodation enclosures are clad with a combination of FC cladding and timber weatherboards. Walls between the bays are timber framed and clad to half height with the upper portion being finished with timber battens. The floor surface throughout the pavilions is concrete and generally follows the gentle slope of the site.[1]

The Dairy Goat Pavilion is located to the south of the Dairy Cattle Pavilion and to the north of Show Ring No.2. It is an elevated two-storey structure with an associated open concrete deck which overlooks the show ring and Sideshow Alley beyond. Storage areas and public amenities are located at the lower ground show ring level under the raised concrete deck while the structure itself is sited at the upper deck level. The building is of a simple rectilinear plan with a gable roof extending the full length of the building and being supported at its ends by concrete and steel columns. Both the walls and roof are clad with metal corrugated custom orb sheeting. Lining the perimeter of the concrete deck are a series of shade structures.[1]

East of the dairy pavilions and the railway line, in the area to the northeast of the Main Arena and bound by O'Connell Terrace, Brookes Street and Gregory Terrace, are the main livestock facilities. The principal elements of cultural heritage significance in this area include:[1]

Collecting manure, 2013

This is a large, rectangular, single-storey brick pavilion with sub-floor and a saw-tooth roof, located to the north of the Machinery Hill stands, with the rear wall erected along O'Connell Terrace. The front elevation, which faces south, has a centrally-positioned entrance with steel roller door on the upper level, accessed via a double stair. To either side of the front entrance are banks of hopper windows on both levels. The side and rear walls have less fenestration and there is a large rear entrance (another steel roller door) to O'Connell Terrace.[1]

The Stock Pavilion is on the eastern side of the Beef Cattle Pavilion. It has a series of skillion roofs set in a saw tooth pattern as the building follows the slope. They are clad with corrugated iron. The walls are weatherboard and the upper section is timber lattice. Doors on eastern side are sheet metal double doors, but two central doors now have steel roller doors.[1]

The area along the wall of the building from the eastern side has a narrow corridor flanked by "lockers" (small rooms with racks). The corridor wall is vertical beaded board, the floors are patched concrete and the outer wall is concrete. The building appears to have been built in two stages, the eastern section has timber trusses and timber frames to the tethering area and looks older than the western end which has steel trusses and partition frames. The tethering area consists of low walls running parallel along the length of the building, equipped with steel rings for tethering animals and hay racks for them above. When the place is occupied, rails are erected to separate each bay and sawdust and sand bedding is put down. Around most of the perimeter of the building are very basic sleeping quarters for people showing their animals at Ekka. There are a few animal pens under the women's sleeping quarters in the western section. These are for cows in calf or with new calves. In the northwest corner of the building is a room for preparing food used by those sleeping in the building. The building has a later brick extension.[1]

To the south of the Stock Pavilion is a small park known as Stockmans Rest. It has topiaried trees with slat benches around them. (On one of the benches is located a figure of a seated swagman from Expo 88). Two modern telephone booths are situated across from the Stockmens Bar and Grill. There is a small pavilion which appears to be an earlier structure, with later cladding. It has had about a third of the area partitioned off by a wall towards the rear which has metal wall cladding made to look like weatherboard. The park is very popular for weddings and the Stockman's Bar is used for the reception. There is a small pond and fountain behind the pavilion and a plaque commemorating that the area was redeveloped as an initiative of the ground staff in 1994.[1]

In the northeast corner of the site there is an open area which functions as an exercise yard.[1]

Farrier competition making horseshoes, 2015

Lining the perimeter walls to Brookes Street and Gregory Terrace are horse stables. The stables are in long timber buildings with skillion roofs clad with corrugated iron. The buildings comprise back to back stalls and are arranged with narrow "lanes" between them. The holding capacity must be well over a hundred horses and the individual accommodation is fairly standard – each has a concrete floor, single door and window space filled with a metal grille. The concrete has been roughed up by stamping a rough lattice pattern into it over most areas. There is a horse washing area against the wall where the floor is rough concrete and pebble and the bays are divided by vertical corrugated metal panels.[1]

The Stock Agents' Offices is a single-storey, rectangular building with sub-floor, constructed in dark brick with stepped parapets. Three sides of the building are freestanding and these each have an entrance. The windows are casements in timber frames on the upper level. Panels of fixed timber louvres at ground level provide light and ventilation to the basement.[1]

The interior has a raised timber floor with a central hall and offices leading off it on both sides. The interiors of these vary in size, finish and layout. Where original ceiling is visible it is A/C and coverstrips. There are several bench seats in silky oak in the hall and the walls have notice boards. The Department of Primary Industries is present at every event where there are animals – this includes dairy and horse shows. Sales agents also have offices at the grounds for the yearling sales.[1]

The sub-floor has toilets and is mainly used for storing the props used for equestrian ring events such as hurdles, poles and jumps. It is known as the "carriage" and has brick walls, a concrete floor and a low ceiling of A/C.[1]

The Stockmen's Bar and Grill is a brick structure with a saw-tooth roof in three bays which run at right angles to the street. The facade has been painted and the roof is concealed at the front by a very plain stepped brick parapet. In the centre of the front elevation is a large roller door flanked by two similar smaller doors on the left hand side and a standard sized door and a pair of triple projecting windows on the right hand side. These are supported on small brackets and are shaded by sun hoods. A timber veranda has been added to the rear of the building on the upper section and has a wheelchair access ramp. The veranda roof is supported on timber posts and has a timber handrail and dowel balustrade. The wall to the rear of the veranda is clad with weatherboards.[1]

The rear is also accessed through a door at ground level which leads into a large room with concrete floor and brick walls. This leads into a large modern bar opening onto an outdoor area through several large steel roller doors. This area has an auxiliary bar and servery and looks onto Stockman's Rest. It is floored with brick pavers and shaded by a roof of corrugated steel supported on steel trusses. This is lined with a modern timber-look sheeting. The perimeter of this area has sections of heavy post and rails, some of which are decorated with cattle brands. A gateway also formed of heavy posts frame steps leading from the corner of the area down to the street.[1]

Located east of the Marshalling Yards is the Lady Forster Building, originally a creche erected in 1928 in Costin Street and moved in 1939 to its present position. It is a rectangular, high-set, timber framed, gable-roofed building with transverse gables at the southeast end. The roof is clad with corrugated iron and the exterior walls with fibrous-cement sheeting, cover-strips and weatherboards. There is a row of timber hopper windows high in the southwest, northwest and southeast walls. Because of the slope of the land, the northeast side of the building is at ground level and has a number of sliding aluminium doors and a skillion-roofed extension over cement paving. There is a small yard to the northeast of the building, with three mature Moreton Bay fig trees shading the whole of the yard. The sub-floor has been in-filled with brick and contains male and female toilets and a small electricity sub-station.[1]

The interior is lined with fibrous-cement sheeting and molded cover strips and is divided into numerous small rooms by fibrous-cement or later ply-wood sheeted partitions, only some of which are to full height. Some of these small rooms have early tongue-and-groove "stable" doors. The floor at the northwest end is of concrete and is higher than the timber floor of the southeast end of the building – probably to accommodate the men's toilets below.[1]

There is a c. 1930s toilet block between the gate to O'Connell Terrace and the Stock Pavilion. It is constructed of brick and concrete and has a rough stucco finish in places. The roof is gabled and is clad with corrugated iron. There are square panels of fixed timber louvres in pairs under the eaves (similar to the louvred panels set at ground level in the Stock Agents' Offices).[1]

Other structures in Area 4 include:[1]

• 25. Affleck House (not the 1918 building) – a two-storey, light-coloured brick building adjacent to the railway line, housing a cafe at the southwest end
• Brick toilet block attached to the southwest end of Affleck House
• Railway platforms southwest of Affleck House and toilets

A large number of pavilions are located to the southeast of Gregory Terrace. The principal elements of cultural heritage significance in the area bounded by Gregory Terrace, Exhibition Street, St Paul's Terrace and Alexandria Street include:[1]

These buildings together create a long rectangular exhibition pavilion extending between Gregory and St Paul's Terraces, with the front elevation to Alexandria Street. It is a single-storey structure comprising adjoined buildings from different periods and constructed from different materials. All the buildings are connected internally, allowing free passage through the length of the structure.[1]

The entrances to each building are from Alexandria Street. The entrances to Buildings Nos.8–10 have a constructed gabled portico with signage identifying the building. The entrance to Building No.11 is slightly obscured behind a constructed restaurant that extends from the front of the building towards Alexandria Street[1]

The building closest to Gregory Terrace is referred to as "No.8 The Avenue." Its frontage to Gregory Terrace consists of a face brick wall with rectangular casements of narrow metal louvre ventilators and a large central steel roller door providing access from the street. The gabled roof structure is visible from Gregory Terrace. The gable nearest Alexandria Street is of a different design to the two gables at the rear and possibly constitutes the earliest part of the building, the outer part being an addition. The earliest part of the building most probably dates from the late 1920s. There is evidence of this earlier smaller timber structure in the timber wall separating buildings Nos.8 and 9 that only extends across half the breadth of the current interior space. The rear of this building is clad with metal sheeting with the same casements of narrow metal louvres. The interior is a large space with numerous supporting posts and exposed roof trusses. There are entrances from the rear, the side and front and a through way in the dividing wall between this building and the adjacent Building No.9. Building No.8 is wider than the other buildings.[1]

Buildings No. 9 and 10 are of the same construction and compose the midsection of the entire structure. The commencement of Building No.9 is evidenced by the stepped-back join between it and Building No.8. Buildings No. 9 and 10 are clad in weatherboard with a front and rear entrance to each. At the rear of these buildings is a weatherboard toilet structure. Internally the buildings are divided by a wall with a large opening for through passage.[1]

Building No.11 is another weatherboard structure. It was most likely built after the two adjoining buildings to fit into the prescribed space.[1]

This building is located adjacent to Expo Place along Exhibition Street and is used for dormitory style accommodation for rural school children. It is a single-storey, "L-shaped" timber building, high-set on square concrete pillars, with an enclosed undercroft. The building has a corrugated iron gabled roof with a projecting gable at the northwest end. The exterior is clad in weatherboard with no verandas. The front elevation displays symmetrically spaced, small, rectangular window openings with glass louvres and a centrally placed door accessed by a set of stairs. There is another stair at the southeast end of the building and another to the transverse wing at the northwest end. The undercroft has been enclosed to accommodate male and female toilets, a bathroom and several other rooms. The interior of the upper floor is lined with fibrous cement sheeting and is divided by partitions into three main sections as well as smaller sections within these for adult accommodation.[1]

Expo Place is a large exhibition space sheltered by two late 20th century, open-air pavilions. It is bound by Gregory Terrace to the west, Exhibition Street to the north, the Show Camp Building to the east and the pavilion referred to as "The Avenues No.8 " to the south. A set of gates provide access to this area from Gregory Terrace and there are three mature fig trees on the northern side of these gates, on the footpath.[1]

The northernmost structure was constructed in honour of "World Expo 88." It is a steel-framed structure with two roof sections; one stepped back from the other forming an 'L'-shape. The roof is supported by cylindrical reinforced concrete pillars with space-frames and triangulated steel trusses. There is no ground cover underneath the shelter and there are no walls.[1]

On the eastern side of the 1988 structure is a later steel-framed structure with a multi-gabled, corrugated iron roof. There is one long, rectangular gable roof along the length of the structure, at the rear, with four gable roofs at the front, at right-angles to the main roof. These four interconnected structures are staggered in length creating a tiered effect along the front elevation.[1]

The structure is supported on cylindrical reinforced concrete pillars. The gabled roof and corrugated iron awnings run the lengths and breadths of the shelter. There is a gallery at the rear, accessed by a set of stairs on the eastern side. The ground is covered in bitumen.[1]

The principal elements of cultural heritage significance in the area bound by Gregory Terrace, Alexandria Street, St Paul's Terrace and the Main Arena include:[1]

This pavilion was erected in 1904 in Toowoomba and moved to Showgrounds in 1917.[1]

The John Reid Pavilion consists internally of a large central space with a gable roof, surrounded on three sides by subsidiary aisles under a lower skillion roof. The main roof has iron roof trusses with a small gable-roof central clerestory. The clerestory windows have been covered and clear roof panels have been inserted into the main roof and aisle roof. Louvres have been added to the wall between the aisle roof and the main roof. Iron columns, stamped with the words "Toowoomba foundry", divide the main space from the aisles. The wall to Alexandria Street is constructed of timber with loading docks accessible from the street. The other side wall of brick, with openings that have been filled in, abuts the Dairy Industry Hall. A steel framed awning has been added to the Gregory Terrace facade.[1]

The John Reid Pavilion forms part of a complex of buildings, which have been joined over time. These buildings include the John Reid Annexe, the Sugar Hall, and Building No.7. These pavilions have been sited so that the public can move freely from one to another. The adjacent Dairy Industry Hall also forms part of the complex, but has been designed as a separate entity and is inaccessible from the other pavilions. The TAB building is situated at the front of the John Reid Pavilion and is also utilised as a separate structure.[1]

The John Reid Annexe is situated directly behind the John Reid Pavilion with the ridge of the Annexe roof at 90 degrees to the main ridge of the John Reid Pavilion. The Annexe is of single-skin timber construction, clad externally with chamferboards, with horizontal boarding on some interior walls. It has a corrugated iron gable roof supported by hardwood timber trusses. The Annexe can be accessed at both ends via steel roller doors and the doors lead through to the John Reid Pavilion to the northwest and Building No.7 to the southeast.[1]

The Dairy Industry Hall is a long, narrow, two-storey building constructed along the southwest side of the John Reid Pavilion. The facade to Gregory Terrace is of face brick with the words "Dairy Industry Hall" in steel lettering. The most noticeable features of the building include the zigzag roof structure and glazed south wall. The building consists of three solid walls with the remaining long side-wall completely glazed to allow southern light to flood the internal spaces. This glazed wall is protected by the roof extending to form an arcade along the side. The structural system of the building is expressed, with the concrete structural beams and columns painted externally and in-filled with panels of face brick. The steel roof beams are exposed on the upper floor ceiling.[1]

The ground floor consists of one open space with access provided by a series of recent aluminium-framed doors with fixed glass panels in between. Stairs lead up to the first floor at each end of the building. These stairs incorporate heavy timber treads and fine steel sections, which run vertically from floor to ceiling and act as a screen and a support for the balustrade. The end of one of the staircases is expressed to form a decorative zigzag pattern. The first floor ceiling lining follows the zigzag line of the roof, exposing the steel roof structure. This floor contains the original steel framed hopper windows and fixed glass panels along the south wall. The flooring is of mixed hardwood. An elevated link joins this building to the neighbouring Commerce Building and Meat Hall.[1]

The Sugar Hall is located between the Dairy Industry Hall and the John Reid Pavilion Annexe. It is a small timber-framed building with a rendered masonry facade. A roller door joins this building to the John Reid Annexe.[1]

Building No.7 is a larger pavilion which runs parallel to the John Reid Annexe. It is also of single-skin timber construction with chamferboard cladding. The southern side wall has diagonal timber lattice at the top, which has been covered in fibrous-cement sheeting. Some internal walls have horizontal boarding. The gable roof is corrugated iron supported on hardwood rafters. A single line of square timber columns runs down the centre of the building. It has an early roof construction.[1]

At the rear of the John Reid Pavilion complex, to the east along Alexandria Street, is the RNA Workshop (Bdg No.43) with an early brick toilet block (Bdg No.43A) situated at the front.[1]

The earliest sections of the RNA Workshop may date back to 1925.[1] This building operates as a workshop and is used to store supplies and machinery. It is a combination of three buildings, with the largest single-storey building at the rear of the complex with two smaller single-storey, gable roof buildings set at 90 degrees to it at the front. The front facades of the two smaller buildings are clad in weatherboards, with the side and rear walls of all buildings clad in corrugated iron. Mezzanines have been inserted in parts of the building and there have been many changes to most internal areas.[1]

This is one of a series of brick toilet blocks located throughout the site thought to be built between World War I and World War II. It has been refurbished, extended to the rear and none of the original fittings remain. The female toilets are housed partly in a concrete block extension and the male toilets are located in the original low-set brick building. The original part of the building contains glazed face-brick walls with feature panels of roughcast render. Set symmetrically above the rendered panels are fixed timber louvres for ventilation. The roof is hipped, clad in short sheets of corrugated iron. Screen walls of concrete block and ribbed steel, with a skillion roof above, have been added to the front of the building.[1]

Addressing Gregory Terrace is Gregory Rest, a grassed area shaded by three large Weeping Fig trees which have been trimmed to a formal shape. This area also contains the School Band Stand, a modern steel structure with twin semi-circular roofs. The fig trees and the continued use of this site for school band performances are significant.[1]

Other structures in Area 6 include:[1]

• 36. Commerce Building and Meat Hall – a two-storey concrete building with a twin gable roof
• 37. Building No.4 – a pavilion open on two sides to the street, with a steel framed roof supported on brick piers and enclosed by brick walls on two sides
• 38. Building No.6 – a recent concrete block structure with a flat roof
• 39. Frank Roberston Pavilion – a recent concrete block building with twin barrel-vaulted roof (demolished c. 2010 in the redevelopment project.)
• 40. TAB Building (c. 1970s) – a small, single-storey concrete building constructed in the Brutalist style, located at the front of the John Reid Pavilion on Gregory Terrace
• 41. Royal Snack Bar – a food outlet, located at the side of the Information Technology Building
• 42. Main Parade Food Stall and 51 Show Time Snack Bar – simple brick and concrete block buildings with serving counters addressing the street (demolished c. 2010 as part of the redevelopment project)
• 43. Agricultural Street Bar – a c. 1950s brick wall and toilet block with a bar and steel shade structure (demolished c. 2010 as part of the redevelopment project)
• 44. Machinery Street Fish Place – a c. 1970s brick snack bar (demolished c. 2010 as part of the redevelopment project)
• 45. Industry Street Food Bar – a fibrous-cement clad addition at the rear of Building No.7
• 46. Police Exhibit – a flat-roof concrete block building located at the end of Main Parade (demolished c. 2010 as part of the redevelopment project)

The principal elements of cultural heritage significance in the area between Costin Street and Main Parade, to the south of Gregory Terrace, include:[1]

Queensland foods exhibits in the Exhibition building, 2015

The Exhibition Building is a two-storey, concrete block building, with steel framed windows with large panes of glass. The main entrance is located at the corner of Gregory Terrace and Costin Street. The ground floor is a large, open space with concrete floors and concrete piers supporting the concrete floor above. The first floor has a two-storey volume space and numerous skylights. The building has a suspended ceiling which houses a ducted air-conditioning system.[1]

The Walter Burnett building was a two-storey brick and concrete structure with first floor access to the adjacent Frank Nicklin Pavilion. The building had a concrete ramp and concrete stairway accessing the first floor. A large entry foyer with floor to ceiling windows was located at the front of the building with three hallways leading to the auditorium located at the rear of the building towards Costin Street. The ground floor comprised a large, open space with concrete floor and concrete pillars, with floor to wall windows located along the southern and eastern sides of the building. The building was demolished c. 2010 as part of the redevelopment project.[1]

The Frank Nickin Pavilion was a two-storey brick building located adjacent to the Walter Burnett Building, the latter accessible from the first floor of the Frank Nicklin Pavilion. On the upper level, the building had horizontal fenestration along the eastern elevation and vertical fenestration along the southern elevation. The building was demolished c. 2010 as part of the redevelopment project.[1]

ANZAC centenary commemorative display of fruit and vegetables from the Darling Downs, 2015

These buildings were built in 1963 with further 1968 & 1977 extensions to the Douglas Wadley Pavilion.

The original section of the Agricultural Hall and Douglas Wadley Pavilion was a low-pitched, double-gabled steel-framed structure clad with corrugated, galvanized iron. The words "AGRICULTURAL HALL" AND "DOUGLAS WADLEY DOG PAVILION" were located on the eastern elevation. Internally, the Agricultural Hall section comprised a two-storey volume space with a concrete floor and a steel-trussed ceiling. The 1968 extensions included the addition of a two-storey brick and steel-framed section with a concrete floor and concrete pillars. The large, open space had seating located around the main show area. Stalls for the animals were located on the ground and first floors. The 1977 addition was a two-storey brick section. Part of this addition was the "Henry Phillips Council Room" located on the first floor of the brick addition. These buildings were demolished c. 2010 as part of the redevelopment project.[1]

This consists of the railway corridor through the Showgrounds. The principal elements of cultural heritage significance in Area 8 include:[1]

• the Railway Corridor – which dates to 1881
• the stone cuttings on the northwest side of the line, near Sideshow Alley
• the bridge/sub-way giving access from the John MacDonald Stand to Show Ring No.2 and associated masonry viaduct.[1]

The following table summarises the Test centuries scored at Brisbane Exhibition Ground.

No.	Score	Player	Team	Balls	Inns.	Opposing team	Date	Result
1	169	Patsy Hendren	England	314	1	Australia	30 November 1928	Won
2	109	Bill Ponsford	Australia	NA	1	West Indies	16 January 1931	Won
3	223	Don Bradman	Australia	NA	1	West Indies	16 January 1931	Won
4	102*	George Headley	West Indies	NA	1	Australia	16 January 1931	Lost

This Wikipedia article incorporates text from "The Queensland heritage register" published by the State of Queensland under CC-BY 3.0 AU licence (accessed on 7 July 2014, archived on 8 October 2014). The geo-coordinates were computed from the "Queensland heritage register boundaries" published by the State of Queensland under CC-BY 3.0 AU licence (accessed on 5 September 2014, archived on 15 October 2014).