City Hall archaeological discoveries
In 2010, workers on the City Hall restoration uncovered an important archaeological discovery which pre-dated the building. As workers excavated up to five metres below the Main Auditorium to make way for the building's first kitchen, they found a cobblestone drain three metres into the dig.
The cobblestone drain and paving has been dated back to the late 1880s, when the site was converted from swamp land into Council yards.
During this time, some of the features on the site (including the cobblestone drain) were incorporated into access paths and driveways that allowed movement of stock, tools and equipment onto the site.
The site was also used to store various tools and equipment for the construction and maintenance of the city's infrastructure, including the storage of paving stones and kerbing used for Brisbane's early streets.
The cobblestone drain has been reinstated in the Enoggera Courtyard light-well inside City Hall.
Photo galleries
- View photos showing the history of City Hall's site in the History of the City Hall site Flickr album. Photos in this set were taken pre-restoration.
- View all City Hall photos in the Brisbane City Hall's Flickr account.