It has become a heart of civic life for the people of Brisbane. Designed by architects of the firm Hall & Prentice and inspired by classical structures such as the Roman Pantheon, the building quickly came to symbolise both civic pride and public gathering, hosting concerts, political meetings, social events and civic ceremonies. Over the decades it earned the affectionate reputation as “The People’s Place.”
But its civic role went well beyond formal government functions — during times of crisis and community need, City Hall has become a hub of social support and volunteer-led action. During the Second World War, as Brisbane mobilised as a key Allied city, City Hall shifted to serve urgent wartime needs. From around 1940–41 it acted as the centre for civil defence planning for the city. In 1942, responding to the rising number of women entering war-time work and the need for childcare, the building opened a “Mother’s Room.”
That wartime legacy of civic care and volunteering finds a remarkable illustration in the story of Kindercraft. In 1943, a committee of voluntary workers (drawn from Mothercraft, Creche and Kindergarten groups) launched a fundraising appeal to establish a day nursery for working mothers. Their efforts, supported by local media and community backing, raised £3,200 in just over six weeks.
With demand overwhelming the first centre, in 1945 Kindercraft relocated to Level 3 of City Hall, becoming what is regarded as Australia’s first civic nursery largely staffed by volunteers. Over its early years, thousands of children were enrolled, a testament to both community need and the power of volunteer-led civic support.
Today, though City Hall has evolved, after a major restoration completed in 2013, it remains very much a civic landmark dedicated to community, culture and connection. The space on Level 3 once occupied by Kindercraft is now home to the Museum of Brisbane, continuing the building’s tradition as a public gathering place.
The long-standing history of Brisbane City Hall as a venue not just for civic ceremony but for volunteer-driven social support makes it especially fitting for the Queensland Volunteering Awards. The story of Kindercraft underlines how volunteering — grassroots, community-led, compassionate — has been woven into the fabric of Queensland’s civic heart.
Volunteering Queensland is the state peak body solely dedicated to advancing volunteering for the economic, social, cultural and environmental well-being of Queensland.
Volunteering Queensland acknowledges and recognises the Traditional Custodians of the land upon which we live and work, and we pay our respects to Elders past and present. We are committed to reconciliation with our First Nations People – Australia’s First Volunteers.
