Brisbane tuff is a type of rock, [1] formed as a result of a volcanic eruption. As the name suggests, it is a type of tuff found in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. [2] It is a form of welded ignimbrite. [3] Brisbane tuff comes in a variety of colours: pink, green, blue (grey) and purple. [4] The different colours are due to the extent of oxidation of iron and manganese. [5]
Brisbane tuff began to be used during the period when Captain Patrick Logan was the commandant of the Moreton Bay penal colony. [6]
Brisbane tuff is found in various parts of Brisbane and was quarried extensively in the early history of Brisbane at the Kangaroo Point Cliffs and the (now) Windsor Town Quarry Park for use in construction of Brisbane's earliest buildings.
Brisbane tuff was formed by the welding and compaction of volcanic ash more than 226 million years ago. [7] It displays pyroclastic flows of rock fragments deposited as the volcanic ash was forming. Layers of Brisbane tuff can be over 50 metres (160 ft) thick. [6]
It is a form of welded ignimbrite. [3] Brisbane tuff comes in a variety of colours: pink, green, blue (grey) and purple. [4] The different colours are due to the extent of oxidation of iron and manganese. [5]
Brisbane tuff has been used in the construction of the following Brisbane buildings, many of them now heritage-listed:
Benedict stone is a mixture of cement and crushed Brisbane tuff used on building facades as an alternative to full stone construction. It was manufactured by Benedict Stone (Qld) Pty Ltd which was established by Roman Catholic Archbishop of Brisbane, James Duhig, to manufacture the stone required for the Holy Name Cathedral, Fortitude Valley. The product was developed at the turn of the twentieth century by American manufacturer, Benedict. Duhig obtained a licence from America and opened the Benedict Stone works at Bowen Hills on 9 August 1929. In February 1930 Colonial Mutual Life (CML) advanced Duhig a £ 70,000 mortgage on his properties which included the stone works. A mutually-dependent relationship developed between CML, Duhig and Jack Hennessey, architect. CML used Benedict stone to build a number of their Australian offices, ensuring some of their mortgage was repaid and employed Hennessey and Concrete Constructions (Qld) Ltd, Brisbane (Duhig's architect and contractor for the Holy Name Cathedral). [8]
The extent and hardness of Brisbane tuff deposits has often been a barrier to building tunnels in Brisbane due to its 100–150 megapascal strength. However, since 2007, advances in tunnel-boring equipment with tungsten carbide cutting heads has enabled a number of major tunnels to be constructed in Brisbane, e.g. the Clem Jones Tunnel which passes through the Kangaroo Point area. [9]
Tuff is a type of rock made of volcanic ash ejected from a vent during a volcanic eruption. Following ejection and deposition, the ash is lithified into a solid rock. Rock that contains greater than 75% ash is considered tuff, while rock containing 25% to 75% ash is described as tuffaceous. Tuff composed of sandy volcanic material can be referred to as volcanic sandstone.
Ignimbrite is a type of volcanic rock, consisting of hardened tuff. Ignimbrites form from the deposits of pyroclastic flows, which are a hot suspension of particles and gases flowing rapidly from a volcano, driven by being denser than the surrounding atmosphere. New Zealand geologist Patrick Marshall (1869–1950) coined the term ignimbrite from the Latin igni- [fire] and imbri- [rain].
Kangaroo Point is an inner southern suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, Kangaroo Point had a population of 8,063 people.
The Kangaroo Point Cliffs are heritage-listed cliffs located at Kangaroo Point just across the Brisbane River from the Brisbane CBD in Queensland, Australia. A popular recreation spot, especially for climbing and running, they are conveniently close to the city and the South Bank Parklands. It can be reached by the Pacific Motorway, South East Busway or a ferry to Thornton Street ferry wharf. The cliffs were formed after stone was quarried from the site and used in the construction of a number of local structures in the Moreton Bay penal settlement.
Windsor is an inner northern suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, Windsor had a population of 7,013 people.
The Holy Name Cathedral was a planned but never-built Roman Catholic cathedral for the city of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Designed by Hennessy, Hennessy & Co, initially in an English Baroque style inspired by St Paul's in London, it was intended to have been the largest church building of any Christian denomination in the Southern Hemisphere. James Duhig, the Archbishop of Brisbane, was the chief proponent of the project.
The Cathedral of St Stephen is the heritage-listed cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane and seat of its archbishop in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. St Stephen's was only meant to serve as a temporary seat for the archbishop, and plans for a replacement were made with the Holy Name Cathedral, however the cathedral was never built.
All Saints Anglican Church is a heritage-listed church at 32 Wickham Terrace, Spring Hill, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. First founded in 1862, the current building designed by Benjamin Backhouse was completed in 1869, making it the oldest Anglican church in Brisbane. For most of its history, it has been identified with the High Church or Anglo-Catholic tradition within Anglicanism. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.
St Brigid's Church is a heritage-listed Roman Catholic church located at 78 Musgrave Road, Red Hill, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Robin Dods and built from 1912 to 1914 by Thomas Keenan. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.
Manor Apartment Hotel is a heritage-listed former office building and now apartment hotel at 289 Queen Street, Brisbane City, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Hennessey, Hennessey & Co and built from 1930 to 1931 by Concrete Constructions (QLD) Limited. It is also known as Colonial Mutual Life Building and Newspaper House. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.
Commissariat Store is a heritage-listed storehouse at 115–127 William Street, Brisbane City, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is bordered by William Street, Queen's Wharf Road and the Brisbane River, and is the birthplace of Queensland. It was designed by William John Dumaresq and built from 1828 to 1913 by convict labour under the direction of Captain Logan as a permanent Commissariat Store for the Moreton Bay penal settlement. It is also known as Government Stores, State Stores Building, and Colonial Store. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.
Wheat Creek Culvert was a heritage-listed culvert at Adelaide Street, Brisbane City, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Christopher Porter and built in 1861 by H C Love. It is also known as Big Creek Culvert. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 24 January 2003, but was removed in June 2015 after it was destroyed to create the Inner Northern Busway. However, a short section was preserved as a feature in the King George Square busway station.
The Church of Saint Ignatius Loyola is a heritage-listed Roman Catholic church at 46 Grove Street, Toowong, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by architect Jack Hennessy, junior, and built from 1929 to 1936 by Concrete Construction (QLD) Limited. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 12 July 2005.
Old Bishopsbourne is a heritage-listed house at 233 Milton Road, Milton, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Benjamin Backhouse and built from 1865 to 1959. It is also known as St Francis Theological College and Bishopsbourne. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.
Old Bishopsbourne Chapel is a heritage-listed Anglican chapel at 233 Milton Road, Milton, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Robin Dods and built in 1912 by Hall & Myers. It is also known as St Francis' Theological College Chapel and Chapel of the Holy Spirit. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.
John Francis (Jack) Hennessy (1887–1955) was an Australian architect, with the same name as his architect father, John Francis Hennessy, with whom he was in partnership as Hennessy & Hennessy from 1912 to 1924. As principal of the firm after his father retired from 1924 to 1955, he was responsible for many major Art Deco office buildings in capital cities in Australia and New Zealand in the 1930s, as well as many projects for the Catholic Church in Queensland, and the Great Court of the University of Queensland.
Our Lady of Victories Church is a heritage-listed Roman Catholic war memorial church at 29 Cintra Road, Bowen Hills, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Hall & Prentice and built from 1919 to 1962. It is also known as White Temple of Peace. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 11 November 1996.
Corpus Christi Church is a heritage-listed Roman Catholic church at 65 Bage Street, Nundah, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Hennessey, Hennessey, Keesing and Co and built from 1925 to 1926 by Stanley Samuel Carrick. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 6 July 1995.
Hennessy & Hennessy was an architectural firm established in 1912 in Sydney, Australia that was responsible for a series of large scale office buildings in the 1930s in all capital cities in Australia, as well as New Zealand and South Africa, designed by John (Jack) Hennessy (1887–1955), described as Australia's first international architect.
The Range Convent and High School is a heritage-listed private school at 263 Agnes Street, The Range, Rockhampton, Rockhampton Region, Queensland, Australia. It was built from c.1880s to 1930s. It is also known as Our Lady of Good Counsel Convent and School and The Catholic College Residential. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.
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