In Brisbane’s Wintry sunshine, Vida Lahey (26 August 1882-1968) has captured the Albert Street Methodist Church and the Central Methodist Mission’s Albert Hall in 1931-32, both casting dramatic shadows across the foreground of the painting. In 1936, the painting was included in an exhibition of Lahey’s work, with the critic for the Courier-Mail remarking on its ‘shadow pools’ and the artist’s capacity to depict ‘shade in exact relationship with brilliant lighting and architectural composition’.
During the early 1930s Lahey was absorbed by sites around Brisbane and in 1931 had also painted Sultry noon [Central Station] (illustrated) focusing on the architecture of Brisbane’s Central Railway Station and recording the buildings in the distance. In Wintry sunshine (illustrated), Lahey is familiar with the structures surrounding the Albert Street Church as she had painted them grouped to the right in Sultry noon, however looking south rather than north.
Like a window into the past, part of the joy when looking at paintings is taking a moment to try and identify the architectural landmarks represented, and hopefully they’re still standing. Here, we have taken a closer look into Brisbane’s past to point out some of the buildings in Wintry sunshine, if you can identify more, let us know.
Vida Lahey ‘Wintry sunshine’ 1931-32
Vida Lahey ‘Sultry noon [Central Station, Brisbane]’ 1931
The artist’s viewpoint
Originally, Albert Street extended from the Botanic Gardens past the Methodist Church up to Wickham Terrace, Spring Hill, with the original city markets located between Adelaide and Ann Streets, known then as Albert Square, this area eventually became the site of the Brisbane City Hall completed in 1930. In 1936, the square was widened to include the area that had been Albert Street, and was renamed King George Square in honor of the late king, however in 1931-32, at the time Lahey painted Wintry sunshine, her raised viewpoint would only have been possible from the newly completed City Hall (illustrated), as anywhere in between would have been impeded by traffic.
Albert Street in front of Brisbane City Hall 1935
City Hall construction with the view along Albert Street c.1928
The buildings in ‘Wintry sunshine’
The red brick church that now sits across King George Square and Brisbane’s City Hall opened on 8 November 1889, just 30 years after Brisbane became a municipality. At the time, the church’s spire with a height of 42 metres, was the tallest built structure (illustrated), and remains a defining feature of the city, though overshadowed by the City Hall’s clock tower at 92 metres high (with an observation platform at 76 metres) when it opened in 1930. In 1977 when congregations merged together to create the Uniting Church in Australia, its name changed to the Albert Street Uniting Church.
Brisbane’s central business district c.1895
The building in the foreground (illustrated) is the First Trades and Labour Hall on Turbot Street, erected in 1891 (demolished 1967). The Albert Street Methodist Church can be seen to its right before Albert Hall was built, its church spire the tallest structure in the city. You can recognise the First Trades Hall painted behind the church spire in Wintry sunshine with the Second Trades Hall represented behind.
Brisbane’s central business district c.1934
Albert Street Methodist Church
Designed in the Victorian Gothic Revival style the Albert Street Church is one of the major works by architect GHM (George Henry Male) Addison (1857–1922), who also designed the Exhibition Building on Gregory Terrace (illustrated). From 1931 the Queensland Art Gallery relocated to the former Concert Hall in the Exhibition Building (Old Museum Building) until the Gallery moved to temporary premises in the MIM building, Ann Street before relocating to South Bank.
GHM Addison Architect’s drawing of Exhibition Building, Gregory Terrace c.1890
The church is climatically adapted with a front porch and surrounded by enclosed cloisters to shade the wall from the sun and keep the interior cool, the aim was to create a ‘light cool and cheerful mood to counter the inconvenience of a semi-tropical climate’. The stained glass windows are designed by RS (Robert Skerrett) Exton and Gough, renowned painters, decorators and glaziers, their reputation for high quality work saw commissions for prestigious projects.
Albert Street Methodist Church 1934
Albert Street Uniting Church 2024
The buildings next to the church on the left, located on the corner of Turbot and Albert Streets is Albert Hall (1901) (illustrated), and the former Main Roads offices (illustrated), both demolished for Brisbane’s first skyscraper and tallest building, the 26 story State Government Insurance Office (SGIO) building, including the SGIO Theatre, completed in late 1970 (illustrated). The new building incorporated a 600-seat theatre which replaced Albert Hall, opened in 1969.
Main Roads building 1920s
SGIO building viewed across King George Square 1978
Albert Hall
The medium-sized Albert Hall, Brisbane’s new church hall and theatre was built in 1901 primarily to accommodate the Sunday school scholars and for other church purposes, before becoming a popular concert venue for musicians, the local performing arts scene, and a range of diverse community events.
View over Albert Street Methodist Church c.1931
Albert Hall 1967
First Trades and Labour Hall 1891
Among the buildings in the background is the original Trades and Labour Hall building (1891) in Turbot Street (illustrated). By the 1920s the trade union required larger premises and a new site was chosen not far north on the same street at the intersection of Upper Edward Street. Both buildings can be seen behind the church spire.
Second Trades Hall building c.1928
Turbot Street
Opposite the old Trades Hall building is the YMCA Sailors Department building (illustrated) and the Brisbane Gymnasium (illustrated) above the high rock cutting to the west of King Edward Park and Jacob’s Ladder — the steep set of steps beside the new Trades Hall Building.
The Sailors building was primarily for the use of sailors visiting the port of Brisbane, and was also at the disposal of the men of the Naval Brigade every day. Entertainment was organised by the YMCA, the only lament was that the institution was not nearer the wharves.
The Gymnasium was housed in the building from the late 1880s until the late 1920s when it closed, then demolished in 1938 when a government proposal in the 1930s involved the redevelopment of Wickham Park fronting Turbot Street with an ambitious project of three new public buildings: a Dental Hospital, new premises for the National Art Gallery and Public Library. The Dental Hospital (1941) was built but not the Art Gallery and Library (illustrated).
YMCA Sailors Department
Looking across the First Trades & Labour Hall building 1933
Redevelopment of Wickham Park 1938
City block bounded by Ann, Edward, Turbot and Albert Streets 1938
Central Railway Station 1930
The Central Railway Station, the subject of Lahey’s painting Sultry noon [Central Station] 1931 (illustrated) was opened in 1889 — the same year as the Albert Street Church — as part of the connection of Roma Street through Central to Brunswick Street, Bowen Hills and Mayne. The station was the second inner-city station after Roma Street which had served as Brisbane’s main terminus from 1875. The new centrally-located station on the corner of Ann and Edward Streets opened with a timber and galvanised iron building, the building that Lahey painted was completed in 1901, the Ann Street facade remains intact today.
In the distance along Ann Street can be seen the Albert Street Church spire, and to the right of the Station clock tower is the First Trades and Labour Hall opposite the Brisbane Gymnasium.
In the distance
Further in the distance to the left of Wintry sunshine, other discernible landmarks include the eight-storyed Spanish Mission style ‘Craigston’ (illustrated), Brisbane’s first multi-storeyed apartment block at Wickham Terrace, Spring Hill, built for a group of medical practitioners in 1927 along the city’s medical precinct, it comprised professional suites on the ground floor and residential apartments on the levels above.
The Observatory (illustrated) — previously known as The Windmill — in Observatory Park nearby is a Brisbane landmark that was constructed in 1828 to process wheat and corn crops for the penal settlement, the mill ceased grinding grain in 1845 and the treadmill was removed by 1849, by 1855 the mill was converted to a signal station.
Craigston apartments & Observatory
St Pauls Presbyterian Church 1890
Built in nineteen months, St Paul’s Presbyterian Church (1887-1889) is a stone, Gothic Revival-styled building complete with buttresses, belltower and a spire rising 46 metres. Of the three distinct types of stone used in the construction, notable is the rough dressed ‘Brisbane tuff’, probably from the Spring Hill and Windsor quarries. The spire can be identified in the far right of Wintry sunshine.
Curatorial extracts, research and supplementary material compiled by Elliott Murray, Senior Digital Marketing Officer, QAGOMA
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