Brisbane Architectural Landmarks

This segment lists some of Brisbane’s architectural and landmark attractions.

Little has heard to Brisbane's religious structures, although one really stood out - the Cathedral of St. Stephen. The cathedral was originally built in 1864, with reconstructions

done in 1922 and 1989. The large cathedral was the brainchild of Brisbane's first bishop, James Quinn. The chapel was designed by Benjamin Backhouse although a lot of the plans were downsized due to economic reasons. St. Stephen's Cathedral embodies gothic revival architecture comparable to Sir Christopher Wren's Tom Tower in Oxford, Strawberry Hill in London and Canterbury Museum in Christchurch, New Zealand. Much of the chapel's striking features are in the sandstone towers, stained-glass windows, the organ and the altar.

Another important architectural attraction is The Gabba which is a major sports stadium in Brisbane. The named is derived after the last two syllables of Woollongabba, which is actually where it's located. It was in 1895 when the land was first allotted as a cricket ground. December 19, 1896 marked the first cricket match in The Gabba, between the Parliament and the Press. The Gabba would then become a major host to various sports events which include athletics, baseball, cricket, rugby league, soccer, pony and greyhound racing. The landmark has also been a place of choice for other events such as concerts.

A refurbishment to The Gabba had been pushed through in 1974 which spanned to fifteen years until its completion in 1993. The improvement of the Gabba, which totaled to 128 million Australian Dollars, included the reconfiguration of the playing field resembling that of the Melbourne Cricket Ground, bringing up the seating capacity to 42,000 and installation of terrace setting, lights for night sport and new scoreboards.