Custom House

The Custom House, Victorian elegance by the river

The Brisbane audio-guided tour stops you before the Custom House, a former customs building that asserts its place in the city's heritage. Its Victorian appearance, with its colonnades, its portico and its great copper dome, takes the visitor back to the nineteenth century.

The Queensland customs building

In the nineteenth century, in full growth, Brisbane saw the Queensland Government replace the old customs building with a more massive edifice, close to the city centre, by the Brisbane River. The first, more modest customs house dated from 1849. The present Custom House illustrates the prosperity of the city in the colonial era, when river trade was flourishing.

What there is to see

The Custom House, heritage-listed, now houses a venue for dining, events and receptions. Its copper dome and its columned façade, which contrast with the neighbouring skyscrapers, make it an elegant landmark by the river. It is one of the finest witnesses of Victorian architecture in Brisbane.

Practical information

The Custom House is at 427 Queen Street, by the Brisbane River, in the city centre. A venue for dining and events, its interior follows its own schedule; the façade and the dome can be contemplated freely from the street and the quays.

What was the Custom House used for?

It was the customs building of Queensland, built in the nineteenth century by the Brisbane River, at a time when river trade was flourishing.

What is in the Custom House today?

Heritage-listed, it now houses a venue for dining, events and receptions, while keeping its Victorian architecture and its copper dome.