Brisbane Community Arts Centre ( Now Metro Arts)
VENUE
Brisbane Community Arts Centre
ARTISTS
Gallery, Studios, Workshops, Cinema, Theatre, Events
DESIGNER
Unknown
DOB
PLACE OF BIRTH
Brisbane, Queensland.
PROVENANCE
From the Paul ANDREW Collection
DATE
1988
RELATIONSHIPS
Community Run, Community Access
CONTEXTUAL INFO
From 1985- 1989 (circa) the BCAC produced the post-punk cut copy past style zine PIVOT as a free community media resource.
LOCI
109 Edward Street, Brisbane.
MEDIA
Printed flyer
RELEVANT ATTRIBUTION
Kindly reproduced
NOTES
HISTORY OF BRISBANE COMMUNITY ARTS CENTRE
On May 25, 1975 The Courier Mail reported Coronation House, an ‘ageing’ five-storey building in Edward Street, had been suggested as ‘a community youth centre with art as the main interest’. According to the paper, the Commonwealth Government’s Australia Council was considering a proposal for the government-owned building. The committee championing the idea responded to the story, saying a detailed proposal had been under consideration for ‘some time’ to renovate Coronation House as an arts centre ‘for use by the whole community, not just youth’. In December of that year, the building’s conversion as a joint project between the Queensland Festival of the Arts Society and the Australia Council was announced.
Earlier records show that a hairdresser’s shop, a billiards saloon and an oyster saloon stood at the location in 1879. The building at 109 Edward Street was erected in 1889 as a warehouse for importer and merchant, George Myers. An active worker for community and charitable projects, and a founding member of the Brisbane Synagogue, Myers had moved to Brisbane and opened a general merchant’s store in 1863. In 1902, much of the building was damaged by fire and subsequently remained empty for some time. In 1907, Myers sublet part of the building to a Toowong biscuit manufacturer, George Hiron and Son, and to the Standard Shoe and Leather Company. Both tenants moved out soon afterwards, followed by Myers in 1931.
The building remained empty from 1931 to 1937. Named Coronation House in 1938, a number of small businesses occupied the building through the 1930s and1940s. These offices included Ground-Wisehart (manufacturing agents), Moreton Underwear, Morey Millinery, and Ayres and James (importers).
The Commonwealth Government bought Coronation House in 1948 for office accommodation for various government departments, including Customs, Patents and Trademarks, Employment and Industrial Relations, the Narcotics Department of the Federal Police and the Electoral Office. By 1974, much of the building had been vacated following the construction of the Commonwealth Government Centre in Ann Street. The last government tenant moved out in 1976.
LINKS
http://www.metroarts.com.au/history/
PERMALINK
https://ariremix.com.au/portfolio_page/flyer-brisbane-community-arts-centre/