Expo 88 icons
They were the sculptures, sun sails and statues that made Brisbane’s Expo 88 such a colourful and memorable event. But where have the well-known pieces of public art and architecture found new homes, 20 years on?
Sky Needle
The 88 metre high needle emitted a bright beam of light during Expo. It was saved by celebrity hairdresser Stefan who purchased the tower and relocated it to his South Brisbane headquarters at a cost of almost a million dollars, but the skyneedle is no longer lit. It was originally marked for sale to Tokyo Disneyland.
Nepalese Peace Pagoda
The Pagoda used to be part of the Nepalese Pavilion and sat near the Vulture Street end of Expo. The pavilions at the front sold yoghurt lati, samosas and other snacks and there was a teahouse upstairs. This three tiered wooden temple took over 160 Nepalese village families two years to build. To prevent it being moved to Japan, 90 000 people signed a petition to keep the Peace Pagoda in Brisbane and many donated money for its upkeep. It was moved to its current location near the rainforest of South Bank Parklands in 1991. It is free to visit and available to hire as a venue for functions.
Japan Pavilion Pond and Garden
Currently located at the Mount Coot-tha Botanical Gardens. Entrance to the Japanese garden is free and is open every day of the year.
Human Factor Statues
Originally made from fibreglass by John Underwood, the white sculptures of lifelike people were recreated in aluminium in 2005. They are now located in various locations throughout the CBD, including:
- ‘Timber Cutters’ - NAB Arcade, Queen St
- ‘Around the Camp Fire’ - Outside Department of Primary Industries Building, Ann St
- ‘The First Australian’ AMP Place Foyer
- ‘The Sculptor’ - The Executive building Annex Foyer Entrance
Man & Matter
The steel artworks painted with primary colours are located at Kangaroo Point Boardwalk, Lower River Terrace.
Australia lettering from Australia Pavilion
Currently resides on the side of the Bruce Highway at Burpengary.
Expo Monorail
The carriages were relocated to the Gold Coast where they became part of the Sea World Monorail system. Rumour has it that some of the track was incorporated into the Oasis monorail track which links the Oasis Shopping Centre with Conrad Jupiter’s Casino.
Collins Place Spaghetti House
Still located on Grey Street near the South Bank train station.
Expo Sun Sails from Vulture Street Entrance
Purchased by Griffith University, currently at their Nathan campus amphitheatre.
Expo fast facts
Colourful, buzzing, exciting, entertaining - Expo 88 burst onto the Brisbane scene with infectious energy and enthusiasm. It ran for just six months, but its impact is still being felt 20 years on. Discover some fascinating fast facts about the event that still looms larger than life in the memories of many Brisbanites.
- World Expo 88 theme was ‘Leisure in the Age of Technology’
- Expo was opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 30 April, 1988
- Opening ceremony was broadcast to an estimated television audience of 800 million people internationally
- 18.5 million people attended Expo over its six-month lifespan. The target attendance had been set at 7.8 million
- Largest daily attendance: 182,762
- World Expo accredited 24,000 staff
- Expo 88 was a $600 million event
- World Expo 88 benefited the community with an economic stimulus of up to $1,020 million
- The monorail system consisted of a 2km loop track
- There were four categories of tickets: Season Pass, Three-Day Ticket, Day Ticket and Evening Ticket
- During Expo there were more than 1.5 million visits by international tourists
- 20,000 hours of entertainment was planned for the six months of Expo
- A total of 175 sculptures were spread throughout the Expo 88 site - on the ground, water and in the air
- Expo 88 played host to thousands of VIPs from around the world. The Who’s
Who list of visitors included:
- Her Royal Majesty the Queen and her husband Prince Phillip
- The Duke and Duchess of Kent
- King Juan and Sophia of Spain
- The Prime Minister, Bob Hawke
- Britain’s Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher
That was then, this is now
Expo was huge, but what else was happening in Brisbane in 1988?
Expo 88 didn’t just loom large in Brisbane’s social and cultural calendar for much of 1988, it helped pave the way for the city’s transformation from “big country town” to sophisticated yet relaxed world-class capital. The event’s legacy can be seen everywhere: in today’s abundance of alfresco cafés and restaurants, world-class performing arts venues and acts, international dining scene and striking public artworks - to name but a few. But what was Brisbane like back then? Here’s a snapshot of Brisbane, circa 1988.
Retail therapy in the late ’80s
We’re all accustomed to today’s lengthy retail trading hours, which allow us to shop late each weekday night, right through weekends and over most public holidays - so convenient! But trading hours in 1988 were much shorter, with late-night shopping offered only on Thursdays and no Sunday trading. Imagine that!
The Myer Centre created retail history when it opened its doors in 1988 as Australia's largest CBD shopping complex. Twenty years on it remains Queensland's largest CBD retail centre with more than 170 specialty stores and the state's largest Myer department store.
Infrastructure
20 years ago Brisbane Airport handled just over 900,000 passengers a year. Today, the airport handles nearly 18 million passengers. More than 200 million passengers and 1.35 million aircraft have passed through the airport since it was opened on 19 March 1988 by (then) Prime Minister Bob Hawke, who described it as “state-of-the-art” and “ahead of its time.”
Sports
The Brisbane Broncos were born. The Brisbane-based club was founded in 1988 as part of the New South Wales Rugby League premiership’s national expansion. Now, 20 years on and six premierships later, the Broncos are one of the biggest success stories in Australian sport.
Fashion
- Trendy Brisbanites - male and female - were sporting acid-washed jeans and denim jackets.
- Blokes hung out in Hawaiian shirts (lovers of vintage fashion still do!).
- Leather jackets, popularised by celebrities like Michael Jackson, were often studded and left undone to create a messier look.
- Hair was big - and frequently frizzy. Enough said.
- Shoulder pads were a dominant force in fashion.
- Fishnet stockings and layers of beaded necklaces, à la Madonna, were popular at the time.
The big picture
1988 was also the bicentenary of Australia, celebrating 200 years of permanent white settlement. On Australia Day (26 January) 1988, some two million people flocked to the shores of Sydney Harbour to watch the arrival of Tall Ships from around the world and the First Fleet re-enactment.
