Walk to the talk about Brisbane’s good-old, bad-old days
Brisbane’s convict past comes to life in a new walking tour from the folk at the Museum of Brisbane.
The Olympic City has a rather dark past – and it’s something international visitors might be interested in. But there’s a lot to learn for Australian visitors and locals, too, which is something Museum of Brisbane is keen to promote.
MoB is unlocking the secrets of Brisbane City’s penal colony past on the new Convict Brisbane Walking Tour, a guided 90-minute exploration of Brisbane’s colonial roots through historic landmarks, interwoven with Indigenous Australians’ enduring connection to Country.
This walking tour invites history buffs and the culturally curious to journey into Brisbane’s rich and layered past, starting at the heritage-listed Old Windmill Tower and ending at The Commissariat Store, Queen’s Wharf.
The Convict Brisbane Walking Tour explores the evolution between 1823 and 1842 from a remote penal colony to a thriving township, through the City’s architectural landscape and historic landmarks. Through convict-built structures and remnants, the tour brings the early settlement into focus, spotlighting the social fabric and living conditions of the time.
Discover Queensland’s oldest convict-built building, the Old Windmill Tower, as well as The Brisbane Crest, The Petrie Tableau, Miller Park and The Commissariat Store, the state’s second-oldest surviving colonial building, on a city street walk that’s suitable for most fitness levels.
Expert Museum of Brisbane guides share intriguing tales of convicts and commandants in the British settlement, revealing how harsh punishment, hard labour and strict authority ruled and shaped daily life in the penal colony.
Along the way, you’ll gain insights into Indigenous peoples’ responses to British settlement and the Frontier Wars that followed. Together, these intersecting stories offer an in-depth understanding of Brisbane’s complex and fascinating history.
Museum of Brisbane CEO and director Zoe Graham says the new tour offers an interactive journey into Brisbane’s rich cultural history, complementing the popular program of guided city walking tours.
“Our newest walk expands on Museum of Brisbane-themed tours introduced in 2020, presenting everything from pre-colonial history to cutting-edge contemporary art to thousands of visitors,” Ms. Graham says. “At a street level and a slower pace, the Brisbane Convict Walking Tour allows you to notice the small details you may have hurried past in the City that reveal deeper layers of history and cultural context.”
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Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner says the new tour brings Brisbane’s history to life, showcasing the moments that shaped the city.
“Museum of Brisbane does an outstanding job helping people see the City in new ways, using our streets and landmarks to tell the story of how Brisbane came to be,” he says. “These tours dive deeper into our past while highlighting the people, places and events that helped define Australia’s lifestyle capital.”
Convict Brisbane Walking Tours run on select Saturdays, 10.30am-noon (tickets $35/$30). The tour departs Old Windmill Tower, 226 Wickham Tce, Spring Hill, and ends at The Commissariat Store, 115 William St, Brisbane City. Museum of Brisbane, Level 3, Brisbane City Hall, 10am-5pm daily (free).
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