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South Bank Piazza

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71-764: The South Bank Piazza is a multipurpose venue located in the South Bank Parklands in Brisbane , Australia . The Courier-Mail was the naming rights sponsor of the venue from 2013, prior to which it was known as the Suncorp Piazza and is currently known as the South Bank Piazza. The venue is close to the South Brisbane railway station and the Cultural Centre Busway Station . The amphitheatre

142-743: A 15-minute ride with panoramic views of the South Bank Parklands, the Brisbane River , and the City . The Nepalese Peace Pagoda was originally located on the Expo site and was moved to its new South Bank Parklands riverfront location at the conclusion of the Expo after a successful government and private fundraising campaign to keep the Pagoda in Brisbane. It has traditional Nepali architecture and art work and features

213-447: A community day of celebration on 10 May. It featured entertainment from the Expo, fireworks, interpretive displays and themed walks , and a Suncorp Spirit of Expo Staff Breakfast, also attended by then Lord Mayor of Brisbane Sallyanne Atkinson , and Expo Chair and CEO Sir Llewellyn Edwards . 2013 saw commemorative activities which included a special retrospective exhibition on World Expo 88 entitled "Light Fantastic: Expo 88 Rewired",

284-475: A gold and copper dome black spire top, with a xenon laser beam eye that scanned the Brisbane horizons each Expo evening up to 60 kilometres (37 mi) away. The main entry gate was the Melbourne Street gate at the northern end of the campus, located on the current Grey Street alongside South Brisbane Station. A Von Roll MkII monorail was constructed for World Expo 88 to take visitors quickly around

355-408: A lagoon with enough water to fill five Olympic swimming pools, with sand beaches, palm trees, rocky creeks and subtropical trees and exotic plantings. The beach is named after the sponsor Streets Ice Cream, and was formerly known as Kodak Beach. The beach is patrolled year round by lifeguards. South Bank is a major dining precinct in Brisbane with many restaurants and cafes are situated inside

426-554: A meditation area. A major feature within the parkland is its man-made beach in the form of a lagoon , which is 2,000 square metres (22,000 sq ft) of free-formed concrete surrounded by 2,000 cubic metres (71,000 cu ft) of sand. The sand surrounding the beach is sourced from the Rous Channel in Moreton Bay and every year the beach is topped up with an additional 70 tonnes (69 long tons; 77 short tons) to ensure that it

497-481: A million spectators to the South Bank Parklands. The Parklands Underground Carpark has more than 800 car parking spaces. Access is via Tribune Street or Glenelg Street, off Little Stanley Street. Showers are located in Stanley Street Plaza and there are five bathroom facilities. Free Wi-Fi internet access is available inside the park. Users are able to connect for up to five hours. South Bank Parklands

568-565: A non-government not-for-profit commemorative entity for the Exposition was launched, named Foundation Expo '88. The Foundation based its activities at the Nepalese Peace Pagoda from the Expo, including a weekly Guided Tours program "Pagoda on Sundays", and hosting at the Pagoda first level a commemorative museum display of memorabilia from Expo, which is still maintained to this day. For the 10th Anniversary of Foundation Expo '88 in 2014,

639-506: A wide variety of international theatre, opera, and classical music at the adjoining (separate ticket admission) World Expo on Stage program at the Queensland Performing Arts Complex . The exposition averaged 100,000 visitors a day, with highest day of attendance being 184,000 visitors on 29 October 1988, the last day before the closing ceremony. Network Ten was the official television broadcast partner for Expo 88. At

710-594: A year after the Expo closed its doors. The site of World Expo Park was re-developed into the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre . The Queensland Pavilion was purchased by the Gateway Baptist Church, and now stands on their Mackenzie premises. The Victorian Pavilion was purchased privately and moved to 77 Shore St West, Cleveland , where it is known as Redland Trade Centre. On 30 April 2004, sixteen years after World Expo 88's official opening,

781-620: Is also the native floral emblem of Cairns. In 2009 as part of the Q150 celebrations, Expo 88 was announced as one of the Q150 Icons of Queensland for its role as a "Defining Moment". Celebrations for the 20th anniversary were held at South Bank Parklands during May 2008. Celebrations included a charity dinner on 9 May at the Great Hall of the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, and

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852-531: Is an open-air amphitheater which is frequently used for community events. It has a seating capacity of 2,158. When not in use, the Piazza displays news and sports on two suspended screens. The Wheel of Brisbane is a 60-metre (197 ft) tall Ferris wheel erected at the parklands in August 2008 to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of World Expo 88 and 150th Anniversary of Queensland 1859–2009. It carries 42 gondolas on

923-488: Is covered by a sound shell (designed by architectural firm Ark Atelier), and features a 5x4m suspended screen. The amphitheatre seating of the venue has a capacity of 2,158 people, while the floor space (which has an area of 513m) can accommodate either 750 people standing, or 532 people seated in temporary seating. In 2022, the Piazza was the location for the opening night of the Brisbane Festival . The Venue will host

994-560: Is kept in pristine condition. Almost half of the lagoon area sits on reclaimed land that was once the Brisbane River . The beach was designed by Desmond Brookes International and was constructed by Fletcher Jennings Construction and Water and Industrial Engineering. Construction commenced in February 1991 and was complete by June 1992. The lagoon contains chlorinated fresh water that is recirculated every six hours at up to 125 litres (27 imp gal; 33 US gal) per second. Water for

1065-599: Is now over, Expo '88 has come to a close.....Thank you for all that have contributed and may the light of World Expo 88 never really fade." . A massive fireworks display, the longest in Australia at the time, soon followed, with a burning icon of the World Expo 88 sun sails logo set alight on the Brisbane River. After the end of World Expo 88, various contingency plans were mooted as to possible future developments. One proposal

1136-425: Is one of five locations in Australia to hold the 2022/2023 Green Flag Award, an international accreditation given to the world's best green spaces. World Expo 88 World Expo 88 , also known as Expo 88 , was a specialised Expo held in Brisbane , the state capital of Queensland , Australia , during a six-month period between Saturday, 30 April 1988 and Sunday, 30 October 1988, inclusive. The theme of

1207-590: The 2000 Summer Olympics were held in Sydney, and Brisbane will be the 2032 Summer Olympics host city . Brisbane, under Premier Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen , then developed Maccomick's earlier proposal to host an international-scale exposition, however at no cost to the Australian taxpayer, a world's first 'free enterprise' World Exposition, which the Federal Government rubber stamped. With federal representation, at

1278-468: The 3x3 Basketball in the 2032 Olympic Games . This article about Brisbane is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . South Bank Parklands The South Bank Parklands are located at South Bank within the suburb of South Brisbane in Brisbane , Queensland , Australia. The parkland, on the transformed site of Brisbane's World Expo 88 , was officially opened to the public on 20 June 1992. The South Bank Parklands are located on

1349-646: The Gold Coast . The other three trains were bought back by Von Roll and are now running at the German theme park Europa-Park in Rust since 1995. A ticket to the fair allowed entry to the World Expo Park amusement park at the same location. Although originally intended to be a permanent feature, the park remained open for only one year after Expo had closed. The fair was open daily from 10am to 10pm. The Expo sunsails and

1420-626: The Kingdom of Thailand Pavilion, amongst others. The Australia Pavilion and Queensland Pavilion, side by side, were also custom-made, with the exterior of the Australia Pavilion notably in the shape and colours of Uluru (Ayers Rock). The Queensland Pavilion was designed by Robin Gibson. As well as the popular platypus mascot Expo Oz, designed by Disney's Imagineering Division, there were several themed initiatives that promoted World Expo 88, most notably

1491-740: The Queensland Art Gallery , the Queensland Museum , the Queensland Performing Arts Centre and State Library of Queensland (today it also includes the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art ). In 1988, Brisbane held a successful World Expo 88 , following which the Government intended to develop the site for commercial interests. However, a public campaign successfully lobbied for the site to be redeveloped as parkland for

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1562-665: The Riverwalk . Bicycle racks are located at the Visitors Centre in Stanley Street Plaza, Suncorp Piazza, The Boardwalk, Clem Jones Promenade and Little Stanley Street. The Arbour consists of 443 curling steel columns covered in bougainvilleas which flower throughout the year. The arbour stretches for 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) from Vulture Street to the Cultural Forecourt and is used as a pedestrian walkway. The South Bank Piazza (formerly Suncorp Piazza and Courier Mail Piazza)

1633-590: The South Bank busway station , as well as the South Brisbane railway station and South Bank railway station . There are three CityCat terminals on the Brisbane River , near the Victoria Bridge . Bicycles can access the Brisbane, South Bank Parklands from South Bank via Vulture Street, Little Stanley Street and the Cultural Forecourt; from Gardens Point via the Goodwill Bridge ; and from Kangaroo Point via

1704-604: The Space Shuttle and Apollo program , as well as the car KITT from the TV series Knight Rider . Also having its own pavilion was the official Australian TV partner of the Expo, Network Ten , via its Queensland station TVQ, whose news studios were located there for public tours and during the Expo also switched channel frequencies in September (from channel 0 to channel 10) in line with the other state channels. The most expensive pavilion

1775-523: The United Kingdom , Canada , Spain and Greece , as well as major Asian countries such as Singapore , Thailand , Nepal , Pakistan , China , Japan , Sri Lanka , South Korea , Indonesia , and the Philippines , and amongst others. Close neighbouring countries, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea were also represented. State-level and multi-lateral organisations included the six Australian states,

1846-688: The United Nations , the European Union , Vatican City , three American states ( Hawaii , California and Alaska ), one Japanese prefecture (sister state of Queensland, Saitama Prefecture ), and one Japanese city (Brisbane's sister city Kobe City). Corporate pavilions included IBM , Ford , Fujitsu , Queensland Newspapers , Australia Post , Cadbury Chocolate , Suncorp , and the Queensland Teachers Credit Union. NASA and Universal Studios hosted outdoor exhibits, with models of

1917-548: The Australia Pavilion at Expo '67 , Expo '70 and Expo '74 , was commissioned to do an urban renewal study for Kangaroo Point in the early 70s. It occurred to Maccormick that an exposition would be an ideal catalyst for such a redevelopment, and he later hosted meetings with prominent Queensland business persons and government representatives to discuss the idea. With the Australian Bicentenary looming in 1988, other Australian capitals sought means by which to celebrate

1988-521: The December 1983 Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) General Assembly, Brisbane won the right to hold the 1988 World Exposition, as a specialised international exposition. Immediately, the Brisbane Exposition and South Bank Redevelopment Authority was formed with Sir Llewellyn Edwards , State Deputy Premier, at the helm. Maccormick later was appointed as Joint Chief Architect of the Expo, under

2059-519: The Expo site as well as souvenirs, and a costume Expo Oz could be seen as part of the daily parades, shows, and other variety performances. Over 500 items of souvenir memorabilia were made using Expo Oz's image. Expo Oz also featured in extensive international tours in the lead-up to the Expo, to Europe, the US and Japan. The theme song of the Expo, 'Together We'll Show the World!' by Frank Millward and Carol Lloyd ,

2130-561: The Expo site. Costing A$ 12 million, it consisted of 2 stations at either end of the site, 2.3 kilometres (1.4 mi) of track and 4 nine-carriage trains. The route included going through the Queensland Pavilion, across the Pacific Lagoon and beside the Brisbane River. The system was able to carry 44,000 passengers per day. Following Expo, one of the trains and some track joined the existing Sea World Monorail System at Sea World on

2201-483: The Expo tower Night Companion can be seen clearly here, as well as the monorail. Some of the rides of the World Expo Park can be seen in the background. The 'cubistic flotilla' can be seen in the foreground. World Expo 88 was opened by Queen Elizabeth II on Saturday, 30 April 1988 to much fanfare. The fair attracted more than 18 million visitors, including staff and VIPs, more than double the predicted 7.8 million, and

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2272-580: The Expo was "Leisure in the Age of Technology", and the mascot for the Expo was an Australian platypus named Expo Oz. The A$ 625 million fair was the largest event of the 1988 Bicentennial celebrations of the arrival of the First Fleet in Sydney Harbour. Expo 88 attracted more than 15,760,000 visitors who bought tickets worth A$ 175 million. The event achieved both its economic aims and very good attendances,

2343-429: The Expo's two interchangeable brands (as noted above): one, a boomerang-styled '88' on a wire frame globe, and the colourful sunsails logo, which superimposed aspects of the Expo's entertainment on a relief of one of the Expo's popular sun sails (designed by Ken Cato, of Cato Purnell Partners). There was also a new weekly theme which allowed special-interest groups to entertain. The logos were used extensively throughout

2414-524: The Exposition due to domestic political measures, World Expo 88 attracted some 100 pavilions, from 52 governments, of which 36 were from international-level, and numerous corporate participants. Major western and European nations were represented such as the United States , the Soviet Union (last representation at a World Exposition), France , West Germany (also last representation at a World Exposition),

2485-509: The Exposition on the former site is the Nepalese Peace Pagoda , part of the Nepalese representation, a traditional three-storey handmade wooden replica of a Pagoda in Kathmandu. The popular boardwalk eateries at the southern end of the Expo 88 site were replaced by River Quay Green and modern restaurants in 2011. Two of the most popular performing arts venues from World Expo 88 took on a new form at

2556-507: The Foundation was re-branded into one new entity "Celebrate 88!". The Golden Penda tree ( Xanthostemon chrysanthus ) was selected as the theme plant for Expo 88. Cuttings of the tree, which is native to north Queensland, were taken from a superior form from a garden in Brisbane and planted in flower in Brisbane to create a 'Sea of Gold'. In late autumn, the tree can still be seen in flower in gardens and lining streets across Brisbane. The tree

2627-691: The Grand Arbour, the Courier Mail Piazza, the Nepalese Peace Pagoda , the Wheel of Brisbane , restaurants, shops and fountains. The parklands are also home to the Queensland Conservatorium . South Bank and its parklands are one of Brisbane's most important cultural precincts and they regularly host large scale festivals and events. An estimated 14 million people visit the parklands each year, making it Australia's most visited landmark. South Bank

2698-613: The Japanese Government Pavilion was gifted to the City of Brisbane at the end of the Expo and was re-located to the Mount Coot-tha Botanic Gardens . The colourful, large Australia Pavilion letters, designed by Australian artist Ken Done were synonymous with the success of the Expo, and were purchased by Shaftesbury Citizenship Campus at the end of the Expo, for their Burpengary Campus. The end of Expo till 2008

2769-550: The South Bank Parklands. Directly on Streets Beach, South Bank Surf Club was opened by celebrity chef Ben O'Donoghue, and features a seafood menu. Immediately adjacent is Live Fire Steak Bar, an al fresco restaurant and function space with modern décor and features craft beers. The South Bank Parklands host a number of annual cultural events and festivals including the Australia Day Festival, Riverfire and New Year's Eve celebrations. In 2009, Riverfire drew more than half

2840-520: The aborigines), Australian soprano Julie Anthony joined the group as the lead vocalist in her stead. During the events of the Expo's closing ceremony, the Night Companion's light beam was stilled. Sir Llewellyn Edwards concluded the Expo with the words "With the Prime Minister, Mr Premier, my Lord Mayor, distinguished guests, and ladies and gentlemen – as the Prime Minister indicated, the carnival

2911-435: The architectural firm Bligh Maccormick 88. World Expo 88 occupied a mixed usage 40-hectare (98.8 acres) resumed (acquired/taken, as in "Eminent Domain") parcel of land on the South Bank of the Brisbane River , opposite the city's central business district . For many years this mainly industrial area had been largely derelict. Stanley Street was permanently excised between Melbourne Street and Vulture Street while Grey Street

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2982-561: The beach is pumped through two large sand filters and chemically treated before being pumped back into the pools. Dredge pump and self-propelled sifting machines clean the adjoining pools. The beach has received awards including the 1999 Moreton Bay region's cleanest beach in the Keep Australia Beautiful Council's Clean Beach Challenge and the 2001 Environmental Protection Agency's Keep Australia Beautiful Clean Beach Challenge, Friendliest Beach Award. The beach area comprises

3053-473: The canals were removed as part the 1998 redevelopment. Our World Environment was a walk through attraction that included a recreation of Mawson's Huts . It closed in 1994. There were also a wildlife refuge called Gondwana Rainforest Sanctuary as well as a Butterfly House. In January 1998, Gondwana Rainforest Sanctuary was closed down and the animals relocated. In April 1998, the Butterfly and Insect House

3124-413: The canals. In 1998, a major redevelopment was announced that included the Goodwill Bridge , Grey Street, Grand Arbour and improvements to accessibility via removal of the canals and associated pathways. In 2009, as part of the Q150 celebrations, South Bank Parklands was announced as one of the Q150 Icons of Queensland for its role as a "location". The popular Boardwalk restaurants clustered at

3195-605: The city today, most notably Gidon Graetz 's work Mirage in the Brisbane Arcade and American sculptor Jon Barlow Hudson 's work Morning Star II located in the City Botanic Gardens . A sectional model or maquette of Jon Barlow Hudson's artwork Paradigm is on display outside State Library of Queensland . One can view and take part in a Heritage Walk of some of the major works at the World Expo 88 Art Heritage trail at Celebrate 88. The Japan Pond and Garden from

3266-568: The closing ceremony of World Expo 88 at the River Stage, a concert showcased all the Expo's entertainers singing and dancing. The concert finished up with the Australian pop-folk band, The Seekers , singing one of their songs " The Carnival Is Over " at the very end of the celebrations, in what has become an Australian tradition. As Judith Durham refused perform for the Expo '88 Closing Ceremony celebrations (due to her sentiments of what happened to

3337-485: The commercial tenants, the carpark and the renewal planning. The South Bank Parklands can be accessed from South Bank via Vulture Street, Little Stanley Street and the Cultural Forecourt; from the City via the Victoria Bridge ; from Gardens Point via the Goodwill Bridge ; and from Kangaroo Point via the Riverwalk . The South Bank Parklands are within walking distance of the Cultural Centre busway station and

3408-611: The conclusion of the Expo as Riverstage (at the new venue in the City Botanic Gardens ), and the Courier Mail Piazza (formerly called the Suncorp Piazza) at the South Bank Parklands . These two outdoor performing arts venues today welcome visitors to a variety of performing arts genres. The Skyneedle (or "Night Companion") is 88 m (289 ft)-high and beams light skywards with a visibility of more than 60 km (37 mi) during special events. The Skyneedle, which

3479-525: The country had ever hosted. Sixteen pieces were commissioned for the event, while others were on loan. Also the 88-strong white fibreglass 'Human Factor' sculpture series which captured the whimsy of persons in day-to-day life, were also put up for private sale, with many of them being purchased for shopping centres and arcades. Some of the works that were for sale have been purchased by the Brisbane City Council and are on display at various places in

3550-483: The enjoyment of people in Brisbane. In 1989, the South Bank Corporation, a Queensland Government statutory body, was established to oversee the development and management of the new South Bank Parklands. When South Bank Parklands were developed following World Expo 88 , there was a system of canals and bridges. Southship operated small boats which travelled along the canals. They stopped operating in 1997 and

3621-533: The event, including hosting of a Universal Exposition or the Summer Olympic Games . Sydney and Melbourne both made representations to the Federal Government for matching dollar for dollar funding for a Universal Exposition in the 1988 bicentennial year, however, citing the costs of the new Parliament House in Canberra, also to be opened in the same year, these proposals were knocked back. But 12 years later

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3692-503: The former State Government Minister Sir Llewellyn Edwards , was appointed in February 1984. The General Manager was Bob Miniken and the Entertainment Director was Ric Birch (who would soon become one of the greatest experts in Olympic ceremonies and large-scale events in the world). Landscaping at the site was done by Brisbane landscape architect Lawrie Smith . The landscaping was based on nine precincts and used more than 150,000 temperate and tropical plants. Despite late entrants into

3763-443: The letters could be viewed along the Bruce Highway near Burpengary as one approached Brisbane City, a reminder of their successful role at World Expo 88. In 2018, the letters were restored and placed at the Caboolture Historical Village. World Expo Park , the Expo's theme park located adjacent to the Expo site, was intended to be a permanent legacy of the Expo at its conclusion. Citing lack of patronage, however, it closed down just

3834-609: The popular evening fireworks and large-scale laser show, set to music, each Expo evening at 10 pm. Big international and Australian names were a feature at World Expo 88. Perennial Australian favourites such as Icehouse , Little River Band , Mental as Anything , The Cockroaches , Joe Camilleri and the Black Sorrows , John Farnham , Julie Anthony , Simon Gallaher , Wickety Wak and Jon English , were regular performers, as well as concerts by international artists such as Jerry Harrison (of Talking Heads ), Julio Iglesias , John Denver , Donny Osmond , Cher , Phyllis Diller , and

3905-406: The present and the future; Japan with its Japan Pond and Garden and hi-tech displays; Switzerland , with its artificial snow ski slope and cable car ride; and Nepal , with its 3-level hand-crafted Nepalese Peace Pagoda . For the most part, pavilions were housed in pre-fabricated units constructed by the expo authority, with the exception of the Nepalese Peace Pagoda , of Nepal , and aspects of

3976-408: The river and attain higher ground. This is where the Brisbane central business district still stands today. This began the decline of South Bank, and the area became home to vaudeville theatres, derelict boarding houses, and light and heavy industry. The 1970s marked the beginnings of a new era, with parkland reclaimed along the river bank, and the Queensland Cultural Centre was built which included

4047-399: The site to provide shade from the hot Queensland climate. These became an icon of the Expo, becoming an element of Expo's sun-sails logo. Two thousand kilometres of telecommunication wire were laid during construction of the site. A A$ 4.5 million 88-metre (289.37911 feet) symbolic tower for the Expo was constructed, called The Night Companion (also known as "The Skyneedle"), which featured

4118-403: The southern bank of the Brisbane River , at South Bank , directly opposite the City . The parklands are connected to the City by the Victoria Bridge at the northern end, and to Gardens Point by the Goodwill Bridge at the southern end. The parklands consist of a mixture of rainforest, water, grassed areas and plazas as well as features such as the riverfront promenade, the Streets Beach,

4189-453: The southern end of the grounds, built for Expo 88, were demolished between 2009-13 and replaced with other restaurants along Clem Jones Promenade near the Goodwill Bridge. In 2013, the South Bank Corporation contracted the Brisbane City Council to provide maintenance services and to manage the public green spaces, while Brisbane Marketing (a subsidiary of the council) manages the marketing and events. The Corporation retains responsibility for

4260-888: The word Australia in an Australia Pavilion Entrance set, and Exit set, with the entrance set a stack of nine, 3x3, some 2.1 metres high each, and the exit set, in a line of nine letters, some 5.6 metres high each. These letters became a very popular photo opportunity for the Expo, and the theme was also found on the brightly coloured Australia Pavilion uniforms also. 5 heritage-listed buildings in South Brisbane were refurbished and repurposed for Expo 88. They were retained after its closure and can still be seen today: Plough Inn, Ship Inn, Central House, Collin's Place Spaghetti House, and South Brisbane Municipal Library. The Expo House building on Sidon Street, which housed 'Club 88' and administrative offices, has been incorporated into today's Griffith University South Bank Campus. The $ 38 million entertainment program featured acts from all over Australia and

4331-412: The world at a variety of custom-made performance venues on the World Expo 88 site from the 10,000-seat spectacular open-air River Stage (for national day events, opening and closing ceremonies and large-scale events), the 850-seat piazza for circus, marching band, acrobatics, magic and mime, and the smaller-scale amphitheatre for national day ceremonies and laser shows. The River Stage was also the venue for

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4402-402: Was Japan (A$ 26 million), followed by the Queensland Pavilion (A$ 20 million) and the Australia Pavilion (A$ 18 million). The largest Pavilions were also Queensland, followed by Australia then Japan. High-definition television received its Australian premiere at the Japan Pavilion, and the text-based Internet at the Swiss Pavilion. At the University pavilion the world's longest lab experiment

4473-403: Was also an important rallying point in promoting the Expo in the lead-up to and during phases of the fair, and captured a sense of the excitement of the Expo. The colourful theme for the Australia Pavilion, which became synonymous with the hosting of the Expo with Australia as host nation, was designed by prominent Australian artist Ken Done , and featured huge playful colourful letters making up

4544-440: Was considered a turning point in the history of Brisbane, which had recently successfully hosted the 1982 Commonwealth Games . With Expo 88 Queensland had transformed itself from a northern backwater into Australia's "most progressive state". The Commissioner General for World Expo 88 was Sir Edward Williams (who was also the Chairman for the also very successful 1982 Commonwealth Games). The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer,

4615-450: Was for a second central business district area to be developed, however this proposal was rejected. A second proposal, incorporating extensive parklands, boutique retail, as well as low-medium residential development, was later accepted, and four years after the closure of World Expo 88, the site was reopened as South Bank Parklands , which is managed by the South Bank Corporation , a State Government corporation. The only remaining trace of

4686-449: Was on display. The pitch drop experiment , which features tar pitch slowly dripping through a funnel at a rate of nine drops in 81 years, actually made an unseen drop while on display. The most popular pavilion was New Zealand with its animated Footrot Flats show and glow worm cave followed by Australia , with its special effects 'Dreamtime Theatre'; Queensland , with its popular 180-metre long people mover ride through Queensland of

4757-415: Was originally a meeting place for the traditional landowners, the Turrbal and Yuggera people and, in the early 1840s it became the central focus point of early European settlement. From the 1850s, South Bank Precinct was quickly established as the business centre of Brisbane. However, this was all disrupted when the 1893 Brisbane floods forced the central business district to shift to the northern side of

4828-436: Was originally built for World Expo 88, was to be relocated to Tokyo Disneyland after the Expo. Hairdresser and local celebrity Stefan bought the rights and moved it 500 m (1,600 ft) from its original location at South Bank to his corporate headquarters in South Brisbane, where it remains a local landmark. During World Expo 88, the park was filled with 90 sculptures , one of the largest and most prestigious displays

4899-407: Was reinstated after the showground was demolished. The creation of Expo, along with the recent construction of the Queensland Cultural Centre , helped to revive the area. Construction was coordinated by Brisbane-based Thiess Contractors Pty Ltd. Around 100 works of sculpture were either commissioned, purchased or borrowed for World Expo 88 at a cost of $ 25 million. Large sun sails were erected over

4970-428: Was renamed as South Bank Wildlife Sanctuary, with the introduction of other wildlife. In the latter half of 2005, the South Bank Wildlife Sanctuary was closed and dismantled and an office and retail store were built on the South Bank Wildlife Sanctuary's former location. Visitors were originally able to hire golf carts to tour the grounds as well. This attraction was also phased out with Gondwana Rainforest Sanctuary and

5041-446: Was successfully used to promote Queensland as a tourist destination and it spurred a major re-development at the South Brisbane site. The core feature of the site were the international pavilions. Many of the exposition's sculptures and buildings were retained by various entities around the state and are still in use or on display today. The first thoughts of a world expo for Brisbane began soon after James Maccormick , architect for

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