Ministerial Statement: Free Q150 audio guide unlocks Brisbane city's heritage

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Minister for Public Works and Information and Communication Technology
The Honourable Robert Schwarten
12/05/2009


Free Q150 audio guide unlocks Brisbane city's heritage

A unique audio guide to Brisbane's historic Government precinct is now available for free download from the Internet to a personal MP3 player.

Public Works Minister Robert Schwarten and Climate Change and Sustainability Minister Kate Jones today launched the hi-tech guide, part of Queensland's 150th celebrations, at the Commissariat Store in William Street.

Mr Schwarten said the Colonial Brisbane Heritage Walk audio guide covered a string of historic locations in George, William and Alice Streets.

"This audio guide uses 21st-century technology to keep our city's history alive in cyberspace," Mr Schwarten said.

"The guide is free to download on the internet and you simply load it onto your MP3 player before embarking on the heritage walk.

"You can make your way along the mapped out route at your own pace, learning about some of our wonderful old buildings like the Commissariat Store, the old Treasury Building (now the casino), the origin al State Library and Old Government House.

"This is a project close to the hearts of Public Works staff, who take great pride in maintaining these historic buildings constructed by their former peers."

Ms Jones said the State Government had produced the audio guide through a partnership between the Department of Public Works and the Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM) with the support of local historical organisations.

"There isn't anything like this available for visitors and residents in Brisbane at present and we hope it sparks real interest in this historic part of our city," Ms Jones said.

"In our 150th anniversary year, the Queensland Government is delivering a number of Q150 projects to celebrate this historic occasion and protect our heritage for many generations to come.

"This audio guide's entertaining script was written by DERM staff with support from the Royal Queensland Historical Society, the National Trust of Queensland, the Queensland University of Technology and David Gibson from Newstead House.

"I urge everyone to download the guide and check it out for themselves."

The audio guide can be downloaded free at: www.publicworks.qld.gov.au/brisbaneheritagewalk

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