Brisbane sign to live on after G20

Queensland families will have a new permanent attraction to visit, with the iconic Brisbane sign that was made to celebrate the city ahead of the G20 Summit to remain as a new city landmark.

Arts Minister Ian Walker said the current sign would stay until February then a permanent replacement would be located at South Bank.

“The Brisbane sign was one of the most popular elements of the G20 Cultural Celebrations, with an estimated 25,000 people visiting and taking photos,” Mr Walker said.

“It was constructed by eight branches of the Queensland Men’s Shed Association and decorated by different community groups, but it wasn’t built to last forever.

“So, in conjunction with Council, we will replace this sign with a new version that families can visit for years to come.

“It will become an important symbol for Queensland and a legacy of the G20 Summit that will keep drawing tourist and locals to South Bank as well as boost local businesses.”

Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said the permanent Brisbane sign would be a colourful welcome to the South Bank Parklands for both residents and visitors to the city.

“South Bank Parklands is already one of our premier tourist destinations, attracting more than 10 million visitors each year,” Cr Quirk said.

“This new permanent Brisbane sign will encourage even more visitors to South Bank as it becomes an internationally-recognised part of our city’s landscape.

“It will complement the recently launched permanent colourful LED lighting display at City Hall, another ongoing G20 legacy for our city, which follows on from the highly popular Story Bridge Lights.”

Mr Walker said the State Government was also considering ways to continue the popular Colour Me Brisbane lighting display.

“Around 95,000 people saw the lights and more than 10,000 took part in the interactive display,” he said.

“We’re keen to see it continue in some form and would like to know what Queenslanders think.”

It is estimated that approximately 280,000 people attended the G20 Cultural Celebrations with other highlights including:

• 9,000 people attending Queensland Ballet’s free performance of Coppelia and another 5,000 at the World According to Brass concert
• 20,000 people attending more than 50 free music events
• An estimated 30,000 people taking part in Brisbane On Parade

 G20 Cultural Celebrations Director Athol Young said the Brisbane sign was a personal favourite.

“We wanted to create something that was a clear representation of our city and something that would put us on the world map and I think we’ve definitely achieved that,” Mr Young said.

“I am immensely proud of what we created and the hundreds of thousands of Queenslanders and visitors who attended the G20 Cultural Celebrations is a testament to what a community can do when it comes together to create something positive.”

Colour Me Brisbane Creative Director Jono Perry said he was very humbled by the way the public interacted with and enjoyed Colour Me Brisbane. 

“The city looked fantastic for 24 days and it was great that so many people were able to paint their own palette of Brisbane and feel very proud of our great city.”

[ENDS] 20 November 2014

Media contact:             Minister Walker – Monica Rostron 0409 126 332

                                    Lord Mayor’s Office – Amanda Templeton 0403 614 799

About Queensland’s Men’s Shed Association:

Queensland Men’s Shed Association (QMSA) is the association representing Queensland Men’s Sheds.  Men’s Sheds are community based voluntary organisations which aim to advance the well-being and health of men by providing a safe and friendly environment for all men to work on projects at their own pace in their own time in the company of other men. There are currently 161 registered Men’s Sheds in Queensland.

The Brisbane Sign Community Group Decoration