Brisbane's transformational Queen Street Mall is celebrating a milestone this month, 40 years after it forever changed the city's retail heart.
What started as a dirt strip that housed horse and carriage traffic in the 1800 s had long housed iconic and fashionable brands, but it was not until August 8, 1982 that the two blocks between Edward and George streets were closed to traffic and officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II herself.
The opening of the Brisbane City Council, coinciding with the 1982 Brisbane Commonwealth Games, was an absolutely historic moment from Matilda winking at us right through to the closing ceremony. It was the first time that Brisbane considered, Hey, we can do this, and we are on the world stage'', said Krista Adams, chair of the 2032 Olympic and Commonwealth Games Committee.
Brisbanites came for lunch at Jimmy's on the Mall, met friends after school at Hungry Jack's or dared to take the dragon ride at the top of Myer Centre, Queen Street Mall has embedded itself in the urban life of Queensland's capital.
Ms Adams recalled coffee dates at Jimmy's on the Mall and watching people from JoJo's, as well as the terrifying sounds from the rollercoaster at Tops, an amusement venue in the Myer Centre.
It has been reinvented many times over - there has been the Wintergarden, the Myer Centre, Burnett Lane and the extension of the mall down Albert Street.
It has remained the most popular mall in the southern hemisphere, and the most successful in Australia, and has stood the test of time. Ms Adams says that the council has struggled to get pedestrians back into Queen Street Mall after COVID, but it is still home to more than 500 retailers including six major shopping centres.
The Queen Street Mall has hosted parades for athletes returning from Olympic and Commonwealth Games, live music performances and plenty of fashion parades, designed by late Robin Gibson, the architect behind the Queensland Art Gallery and later the Queensland Cultural Centre.
More than two decades ago, Hollindale Mainwaring Architecture took over the mall and described Queen Street as a proven exception, continuing its history of vibrant commerciality and increasing pedestrian usage in 2022, with pedestrian movements at 72 per cent of pre-COVID levels, and bolstering new CBD attractions and transport options, he said.
Queen Street Mall is at the centre of an exciting evolution that will drive visitation and renews popularity in the iconic precinct, with major transformations underway like Queen's Wharf and Waterfront Place. The brief was to promote the retailers and impress the shoppers with what was on offer, they weren't just entertainment, but of course the crowds stopped for 15 to 20 minutes and enjoyed, she said.
Another personal highlight was being invited to drive Brownlow Medallist Simon Black in a convertible car down the mall when the Brisbane Lions won the AFL Premiership in 2002. There will be two weeks of celebrations for Queen Street Mall's 40th birthday with pop up champagne bars and fashion shows.