Overview & visitor information
A great second hand bookstore with over a million titles.
Phone: (07) 3221 0491 Location: 40 Charlotte Street
Shopping
Archives Fine Books
A great second hand bookstore with over a million titles.
City guide
More shopping spots in Brisbane
Keep exploring Brisbane.
brisbaneQueensland Aboriginal Creations
If its Aboriginal art you’re after than is the place to go to. Here you’ll find authentic arts and crafts including didgeridoos, boomerangs, paintings and prints plus clothing.
brisbaneAustralian Geographic
Another great store for Australian souvenirs you’ll find everything from mugs, calendars, and Aussie slang kits to more stuff dedicated to the Aussie flag than you can poke a stick at!
brisbaneRM Williams
Modest dress
One of the best known and iconic makers of Australian gear, this store is great for clothes including oilskins, boots, moleskins and flannelette shirts. The best souvenir you can buy from here though is the iconic Australian hat – the Akubra.
brisbaneRiverside Craft Markets
Market
One of the city’s first markets, you find over 150 stalls selling everything from leatherwork, glassware, clothing and local and imported handicrafts.
brisbaneValley Markets
Market
If fashion, art and jewellery are what you want then these markets are noted among locals and tourists alike. There are also card readers and clairvoyants and in Chinatown you can indulge in a massage after shopping.
brisbaneWest End Markets
Market
A cosmopolitan mix of stalls with jewellery, African crafts, handmade craft, organic produce, coffee and fresh seafood.
brisbaneWestfield Chermside
Plaza
Brisbane’s biggest shopping centre and popular with teenagers due to its Megaplex Movie Cinema. Shops include Jag, Supre, Colorado, JB HI-FI and Tarocash among others plus Kmart, Big W and Harris Scarfe retailers.
brisbaneQueen Street Mall
Plaza
If you want designer shops then you find them all here at one of Brisbane’s biggest and well-known shopping precincts. There are over 700 stores on offer with Louis Vuitton, Tiffany and Co, Hermes, Australian designer sass & bide... the list is endless! Be aware though that the shops of Queen St Mall are broken up into areas and buildings: QueensPlaza, Wintergarden, Elizabeth Arcade, Brisbane Arcade, Queen Adelaide Building and MacArthur Central and the Myer Building.
More places in Brisbane
Keep exploring Brisbane.
brisbaneWhat to do with Children in Tow
Activity
One of the best places to bring the children to is the Queensland Cultural Centre which has the Queensland Museum and the Sciencentre which has great hands-on activities for them to be pre-occupied for hours. Another great place is Hands On Art (07 3876 5077, www.handsonart.org.au 150 Enoggera Terrace) which is a non-for-profit organization that arranges all sorts of art workshops for kids with clay modeling, painting, dancing and more. Bookings are essential so always check for availability. The Roma St Parkland is great if you want to get your children outdoors, as is the South Bank Parklands.
brisbaneNewstead House
House
This house was built in 1846 and is Brisbane’s best known heritage site. Inside you’ll find period antiques, Victorian furnishings, clothes and displays.
brisbaneQueensland Maritime Museum
Museum
Located on the Western Bank promenade, this museum is dedicated to Brisbane’s history as a maritime area. One highlight is the massive map that plots the 1500 shipwrecks (mostly along the Reef) in Queensland’s seas since 1791. There is a life size navy frigate the HMAS Diamantina which you can climb aboard, or you can look at the display of the sinking of the Pandora, a ship that was sent to retrieve the mutineer from Captain Cook’s Bounty.
brisbaneQueensland Art Gallery (QAG) - Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA)
Gallery
These two institutions are located 150m apart from each other. QAG houses a great permanent collection of mostly local and European art. The first floor is dedicated to Australian artists so you can see some masterworks from famous artists such as Sir Sydney Nolan, Arthur Boyd and William Dobell. GoMA is dedicated to more contemporary Australian and Pacific art including Indigenous artists. Phone: 3840 7303 Website: www.qag.qld.gov.au Location: Stanley Place, South Brisbane Admission: free opening Times: Mon-Fri 10am-5pm, Sat & Sun 9am-5pm
brisbaneQueensland Museum
Museum
Here you’ll find all sorts of curiosities here with Queensland’s own dinosaur skeleton the Muttaburrasaurus and the Avian Cirrus – the tiny plane that Bert Hinkler made the first England to Australia flight in 1928. Upstairs there are exhibits on endangered species and reconstructions on the giant mammoths that roamed Brisbane’s shores 100,000 years ago. Temporary exhibits are also held. There is also the Sciencentre (http://www.sciencentre.qm.qld.gov.au, 9:30am-5pm, adult/child $12/$9) which has interactive displays, optical illusions and regular film shows.
brisbaneRiverside Centre and Eagle Street Pier
Plaza
These two commercial complexes are home to restaurants and shops. A good time to visit is Sunday when there is a craft market. There are ferry terminals at both ends.
brisbaneCustoms House
Building
This building was originally where all ships entering Brisbane Harbour were required to pay duties for almost a century. The University of Queensland now leases the building for private gatherings and fundraisers which is not surprising given its beauty. The ground floor has a free gallery that displays diverse exhibits.
brisbaneCity Botanic Gardens
Garden
Bigger than the Roma St Parklands, here you’ll find expansive lawns, macadamia trees, tropical flora and the famous Moreton Bay fig trees. There are lots of trails that draw everyone for quiet respites and there is the Mangrove Boardwalk: a wooden walkway that skirts the riverbank on the eastern rim. Here is where you’ll attend the Moonlight Cinema if you’re so inclined.
brisbaneParliament House
Building
Occupying a regal position overlooking the City Botanic Gardens, Brisbane’s Parliament House is arguably the most gorgeous piece of architecture. Dating from 1868, the sandy façade has a roof crafted from copper from Mt Isa. The tours are run on demand unless parliament is in session, in which case you can sit in the public gallery and watch the politicians, which can be as exciting as watching the grass grow.
brisbaneTreasury Casino to Queensland University of Technology
Building
Overlooking the river is this Italian Renaissance-style building which houses Conrad’s 24hr casino. The lavish portico includes commanding balconies and columns which are well worth a look if the casino hasn’t already commanded your attention. Conrad also occupies the equally lavish, former Land Administration Building which has been converted into a five star hotel (see Hotels). There is also the Commissariat Stores Building (3221 4198 115 William St, adult/child $4/$2 Tue-Fri & Sun 10am-4pm) which was originally built in 1829 to be used as a government store house (it ceased to be in 1967). Now it stands as a museum that follows the development of the Morton Bay settlement which would eventually become Brisbane.
More restaurants in Brisbane
Keep exploring Brisbane.
brisbaneAzra Pizza and Kebabs
Turkish cuisine is the order of the day here and it has been halal certified by the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils.
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Chopan Charcoal Restaurant
This place serves Middle Eastern cuisine and has been halal certified by the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils.
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Satay Club Noodle House
The cuisine here is Malay.
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Indian Odyssey
Located in the Myer centre, two stalls down from Nando’s, this place specializes in north Indian cuisine. It has been halal certified by the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils.
brisbaneNando’s
location 1: 91 Queen Street Brisbane QLD Australia Opening Time: 11am – 10pm phone: (07) 3210 1438
brisbaneLa Dolce Vita
The menu is pure Italian here and is quite delicious despite the shabby interior.
brisbaneVeg Out
A canteen-style place, Veg Out has a great variety of organic and vegetarian food with Asian, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean flair.
brisbaneMain Squeeze
A chic café that serves a variety of foods including chickpea burgers, chargrilled sirloin and Asian dishes.
brisbaneMetro Café
One of the most popular cafes in the city, you’ll get your money’s worth in food here. Mountainous breakfast dishes, burgers and kebabs, and dozens of fresh sandwiches.
brisbanePancake Manor
Quite a favourite for Brisbanites, this place is great for quality food and hospitality. The cuisine is simple with nachos, garlic bread, chips, and salads and of course, the famous pancakes which come in single and multiple stacks. Location: 18 Charlotte Street Brisbane City Phone: 07 3221 6433 Website: www.pancakemanor.com.au