Queen Street Mall: Brisbane's Shopping Centre
Brisbane's Queen Street Mall is a downtown city block that has been made 'pedestrians only'. Cars and buses can go around or, in the case of buses, under but not through. The pedestrian only area is bounded by Elizabeth Street to the east, Adelaide Street to the west, Edward Street to the north and George Street in the south. 
The easiest way to access the Queen Street Mall is by public
transport as parking is limited to two hours during peak
times and is generally impossible to find or extremely
expensive.
Queen St is served by the North Quay CityCat and City Ferry
terminal, and is an easy walk across the William Jolly
or Victoria bridges from the South Bank CityCat and City
Ferry terminals.
Queen Street Mall also has a large tourist information centre which can help you plan your stay in and around Queensland. If you get lost or need help figuring out the maze that is the Queen Street Mall there are also friendly information guides, identifiable by their blue and yellow ‘i’ badges, wandering around to help.
With over 26 million visitors each year this open air mall has perfected its craft and the outdoor style is a great way to take advantage of the beautiful weather. However, unlike most of the world the city of Brisbane hasn’t jumped into total convenience for the consumer so make sure you plan your journey between 9-5 as the stores all close around 5, except on Fridays which is late night shopping night.
The beautiful old treasury building, shown in the photo just above, flanks the approach to the mall from the river and CityCat dock.
Built in stages between 1886 and 1928 to house some of Queensland's government departments and its Treasury, the building was renovated and reopened in 1995 as the Conrad Treasury Casino and hotel. Money is still its raison d'etre, you could say. The mall is also within walking distance of the Central, Roma and South Bank and South Brisbane train stations. Just make sure when you’re crossing the streets around the mall that you obey the traffic signals as there are often officers out just waiting to give unsuspecting tourists a ticket for not crossing at the lights. Queen St Mall is a unique set up. The pedestrian only street is filled with stores however there are also nine different malls set back off the street that you can find yourself in (usually accidently). Each part of the mall has its own unique flavour and caters to a different clientele.
Broadway on the Mall is more for the young and contemporary. Just past the Brisbane Arcade, there are over 70 stores on the four levels and include Harvey Norman, Milque and Red Square. MacArthur Central is found at the end of the mall and features two big chains in Woolworths and Big W. In the area you can also find more high end fashion along Edward St including Polo Ralph Lauren and Watches of Switzerland. If it is sportswear you’re looking for then the Queen Adelaide Building is for you. This former convict barrack, located across from the Myer Centre, holds the Adidas Performance Centre as well as Rebel Sport and Amart All Sports. In 2008 David Jones opened its biggest one location store, with much celebration, in the QueensPlaza near the top of the Queen Street Mall. This section tends to hold the more prestigious fashion stores including Luois Vuitton and Tiffany & Co. It also has a Starbucks which is always full of people resting after a long day of shopping. One of the oldest sections of the mall is the Tattersall Arcade. Built in 1926 it was refurbished in 1997, holding on to many of the features that made it an exclusive Racing Club in its early beginnings. Here you will find many specialty stores, including Marcs and Hunt Leather. The largest mall along Queen Street is the Myer Centre. On 6 floors it houses 200 stores as well as a movie theatre. Here you can also find Target, Myer, a food court, and many other contemporary stores. Near the Hilton Brisbane Hotel you will find the Wintergarden mall. This mall holds over 90 stores including a health club, restaurants, R.M Williams, and Mambo. Near the centre of the Queen Street Mall, where it intersects Albert Street, is the Q&A Building which holds Guess and Aldo among others. The boundary streets also hold retail treasures from boutique
and specialty stores to delightful cafes to take a break from
a day of retail therapy.
If a break and some re-energizing is what you need there are
plenty of restaurants along the mall. Three 24 hour restaurants
run down the centre of the strip, The Pig and Whistle, Jimmy’s
on the Mall, and Milano’s. There are also food courts in many
of the malls the shoot off from the main strip. If you happen
to be there on a Wednesday there is a farmer’s market between
11am-6pm at the top of the mall.
Another great way to relax in the mall is to spend some time watching the entertainment. No matter when you go there is always something on even if it is just local buskers out doing their thing. An almost permanent fixture is the blind saxophonist who can regularly be spotted with his guide dog soothing stressed out shoppers. As well there are two stages which showcase musicians, dancers, fashion parades and other local and international talent. At Christmas time, as in the image above, there are concerts and local school performing Christmas classics starting from early December. Large sporting events are often show on huge TV’s just across George Street in the Brisbane Square. In the Brisbane Square you will also find one of the city’s libraries and more cafes. Other nearby shopping options, and well worth visiting, include
China Town.
or one of Brisbane's many outdoor
markets.
Return to Shopping in Brisbane
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There are also convenient bus terminals namely the
Cultural Centre bus terminal in South Bank and has the
large Queen St Mall bus terminal underneath the mall.
As well ‘The Loop’ is a free bus service that goes
around the downtown core of the city and includes the
Queen Street Mall in its service. Nightlink buses that
run late on Friday and Saturday also leave from the area
of the Queen St Mall and are usually filled with
'party-goers' making their way home after a long night out.
The Brisbane Arcade is a heritage listed building built
in 1923. Although slightly hidden it is worth walking
down simply for the stunning architecture and feeling
of being transported back in time. The stores in this
arcade reflect its grandeur and are more of the antique,
upscale and elegant designers and jewellery stores. Its
3 floors hold everything from clothes to house wares,
its major attractions being Bora and Tengdahl.
Brisbane Pictures
