Having been seen as something of an underdog in the Australia’s cultural scene for many years, Brisbane has undergone a massive revamp with the birth of the new Cultural Precinct. Situated in a pretty riverside location, the precinct spans the Brisbane River from the Kurilpa Bridge to the Victoria Bridge.
Firstly, there’s the newly founded Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA), which is home to a collection of Aussie and international paintings, sculptures, decorative art objects and works on paper. Then there’s the Queensland Art Gallery, which has been named the state’s premier visual arts institution. Add to that the Queensland Museum, where you can find natural history, cultural heritage, science and human achievement. Another very popular addition is the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC), which hosts big name acts in a variety of genres including dance, theatre, drama, comedy and more.
Sometimes you just want to sit down with a good book. And that’s where the State Library of Queensland comes in handy, which along with a wide variety of fiction and non-fiction has an impressive collection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander books.
But that’s not to say that there was no culture at all preceding the Cultural Precinct. Founded in 1936, the Brisbane Arts Theatre is the oldest independent theatre company in Brisbane. Here, you can see Broadway musicals, the work of Aussie playwrights and community performances.
Queensland in general is also rich in Indigenous culture, and Brisbane is no exception. Dandiiri Maiwar is a hands-on exhibition that lets you explore a huge collection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artifacts – one of the largest in Queensland.
