Queen Street Mall marks 40th anniversary amid major developments

Brisbane’s iconic Queen Street Mall celebrates its 40th anniversary after decades of transformations. SEE THE PICS

Forty years since Brisbane’s main street was transformed into its main pedestrian destination, the iconic Queen Street Mall is preparing for a boost from other nearby developments.

With today marking the 40th anniversary of the mall’s opening, Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said it now attracted more than a million pedestrian movements a week.

“The mall has continued to evolve over the decades, with attractions like Wintergarden, the Myer Centre and Burnett Lane fighting off competition to ensure it remained popular amid the rise of major suburban shopping centres,” he said.

“The mall is now bouncing back after visitor numbers were decimated during the global pandemic.”

Mr Schrinner said foot traffic was now at 72 per cent of pre-Covid-19 levels, with future investments including Queen’s Wharf and Waterfront Place set to return the hotspot to its post-pandemic prime.

“Adelaide St is also set to be rejuvenated, with the introduction of the Brisbane Metro helping to revive this major thoroughfare with wider footpaths, new seating and greenery,” he said.

Throughout the four decades, the mall has been visited by a range of famous faces including Queen Elizabeth II, a number of US presidents, jazz musician James Morrison and The Ten Tenors.

The Mall at 40: Queen St through the ages

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But it’s the more than 500 retailers and six major shopping centres that keep Queenslanders coming back each day.

Renowned fashion stylist Dianne Cant said the Queen Street Mall had also long held the title as the city’s prime fashion destination since the very first fashion parade in 1982.

“The brief back then was to promote the retailers and impress the shoppers with what was on offer; they weren’t just entertainment but of course, the crowds stopped for 15 to 20 minutes and enjoyed,” she said.

“Every parade week brought such a lovely stylish vibe but the highlights for me were when we conducted the preliminary judging for the RAQ Fashion Design Awards in the mall which literally stopped everyone in their tracks – there could be up to 100 models with their designers appearing in the different categories.

“Another personal highlight was being invited to drive Brownlow Medallist Simon Black in a convertible car down the mall when the Brisbane Lions won the AFL Premiership in 2002.”

Fortieth anniversary celebrations will continue throughout the month, culminating with a street party on August 26.

Hannah and James White from longtime Queen Street Mall traders Robert White Jewellers in the Brisbane Arcade with former mall stylist Di Cant. Picture: Steve Pohlner

MALL MILESTONES

1982: Queen Street Mall opens (August 9)

1982: Queen Elizabeth II visits the mall during the Commonwealth Games (October 7)

1982: Wintergarden opens

1988: Myer Centre opens

1994: Safety initiative CitySafe introduces closed circuit television to the mall

1999: Queen Street Mall is refurbished

2005: Queen’s Plaza opens

2009: Burnett Lane integrated

2011: Queen Street Mall goes smoke-free

2012: Winter Garden refurbished

2013: Myer Centre facade refurbished

2014: Wi-Fi introduced in CBD

2015: Queen Street Mall revitalisation

2021: Construction on Queens Wharf and William Street precinct