BRISBANE GENERAL POST OFFICE
261 Queen Street

Brisbane General Post Office (GPO)

The original Brisbane GPO opened on 28 September 1872. John Petrie won the tender to build the first wing nearest Creek Street in 1871 for a price of £7,450. It was built to the left of the then Police Court. In 1879, John Petrie again won a tender for £19,000 to build the new Telegraph Wing on the site of the Police Court, adjacent to the later Commonwealth Bank building. The works also included the central archway between the two wings and the clock tower. The two buildings extended half way back to Elizabeth Street. Stables were built behind the Telegraph Wing to stable horses used by Telegram messengers to deliver Telegrams.

In 1908 the brick building facing Elizabeth Street and the back of the then Mail Exchange Branch were added at the rear of the Brisbane GPO. The building was also extended down Edison Lane towards Creek Street. The Telephone Exchange building in Elizabeth Street was then erected in 1928.

The Queen Street site for the Brisbane GPO was formerly occupied by a Jail (prison) which opened in January 1850. It occupied the converted Female Factory which had been built in 1829 as part of the old Moreton Bay Penal Settlement. The Brisbane Jail closed in September 1860 after a new Jail opened in Petrie Terrace.

Female Factory in Queen Street in about
1850. St. Stephen's Church can be seen
behind it in Elizabeth Street prior to the
construction of St Stephen's Cathedral.

The Queensland Museum was located in the Brisbane GPO buildings from 1873 to 1879 and then moved to William Street.

Use this pedestrian crossing to walk
through Post Office Square to Anzac Park

Now cross Queen St. via the pedestrian crossing in front of GPO and walk through Post Office Square and use overhead pedestrian walkway (keep to left) across Adelaide Street to get to Anzac Square. Now close this window, & click on the place mark for Anzac Square War Memorial.