The Commissariat Store Museum

The Commissariat Store Museum offers a focused look at Queensland’s history, with the building itself as its most significant exhibit. Located in South Bank, Brisbane, the museum is housed in a stone structure commissioned by Commandant Patrick Logan and completed in 1829. Its lower two floors were built by convicts in 1828 and 1829, making the site a direct link to Queensland’s early colonial and penal history.

The museum traces the building’s changing roles over time. The Commissariat Store originally procured, held and distributed provisions to military personnel, convicts and colonists, while also managing hospital supplies, customs and banking. After the penal settlement was effectively closed in 1839, the building became a land sales office and an accommodation depot for immigrants. It was later renamed the Colonial Stores, used in part as a police barracks, and eventually converted into government offices. A third storey, approached by a gangway from William Street, was added in 1913.

That layered history gives the museum a strong sense of place. Visitors can explore one of Queensland’s oldest habitable heritage buildings while considering the people who worked, lived and were held within the systems it supported. The story includes convicts, military personnel, colonists, immigrants, police and government workers, offering more than a single account of the site’s past.

The museum is an initiative of the Royal Historical Society of Queensland and is staffed by volunteers from the Society. It suits visitors interested in Brisbane, Queensland and Australian history, as well as anyone drawn to heritage architecture and the stories held within old civic buildings. It can work as a purposeful solo visit or a compact stop for couples, families and groups exploring the city. The museum is a short walk from North Quay ferry terminal, while Central Station, South Brisbane station and the Myer Centre provide public transport and parking access nearby.