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The Skyneedle is a prominent feature of the Brisbane skyline which was constructed specially for World Expo 88.
The 88 m landmark was earmarked for relocation to Tokyo Disneyland (following the completion of Expo '88). However, hairdresser Stefan Ackerie stepped in and purchased the Skyneedle, which was then relocated to the Stefan HQ at South Brisbane. After purchase, Stefan added his firm's signature rainbow rings logo to the top of the tower. [1]
The Skyneedle's light, which is capable of emitting a beam of light that may be seen 60 kilometres (37 mi) away, is rarely seen except on special occasions, because of safety concerns for flight paths around Brisbane Airport.
On 4 November 2006, the Skyneedle caught fire due to an electrical fault, [2] this incident being the second of its kind after a similar fire had broken out in 1988. Subsequent investigations have found that the fault was most likely caused by bird droppings. Ackerie has stated that it will be restored to its former glory. On 5 November 2006, Ackerie revealed that the Skyneedle will be technologically overhauled with the additional feature of a sound system.
On 14 March 2009, the top 22-metre section of the Skyneedle was removed. Stefan announced that the section was being rebuilt with new laser technology. [3] The Skyneedle, with its new technology, made its debut on Thursday 23 April 2009 but was officially activated on Friday 1 May by Stefan and Channel Nine weatherman Garry Youngberry on the 6pm news. The new lightshow includes an RGB LED display strip from Italy and a powerful set of German-made spotlights. [3] As of 2019 however, the Skyneedle's light system has once again stalled.
In April 2015 Ackerie announced that he was selling the Skyneedle and the surrounding land to Pradella Group who planned to incorporate the tower into a 12-storey residential apartment complex. [4] This development was granted approval by the Brisbane City Council in August 2015 with Lord Mayor Graham Quirk announcing that the Skyneedle would be integrated into the development with a café being opened underneath it. [5]
A world's fair, also known as a universal exhibition or an expo, is a large global exhibition designed to showcase the achievements of nations. These exhibitions vary in character and are held in different parts of the world at a specific site for a period of time, typically between three and six months.
The Space Needle is an observation tower in Seattle, Washington, United States. Considered to be an icon of the city, it has been designated a Seattle landmark. Located in the Lower Queen Anne neighborhood, it was built in the Seattle Center for the 1962 World's Fair, which drew over 2.3 million visitors. It is also near KOMO Plaza, the Studios of KOMO-TV (ABC), and KUNS-TV.
World Expo 88, also known as Expo 88, was a specialised Expo held in Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland, Australia, during a six-month period between Saturday, 30 April 1988 and Sunday, 30 October 1988, inclusive. The theme of the Expo was "Leisure in the Age of Technology", and the mascot for the Expo was an Australian platypus named Expo Oz.
Q1 Tower is a 322.5-metre (1,058 ft) supertall skyscraper in Queensland, Australia. The residential tower on the Gold Coast was the world's tallest residential building from 2005 to 2011. As of 2023, it is the tallest building in Australia, the second tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere, and the third-tallest free-standing structure in the Southern Hemisphere, behind the Autograph Tower in Jakarta, Indonesia, and the Sky Tower in Auckland, New Zealand. The Q1 officially opened in November 2005.
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Riparian Plaza is a 53-storey skyscraper located in the central business district of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The building stands at 250 m (820 ft) in height to its communications spire and 200 m (660 ft) to its roof. It was Brisbane's tallest building until it was surpassed by Aurora in 2006 and is a particularly iconic building on the Brisbane skyline. It is a mixed use building, with 11 car park levels from the ground up, 25 commercial levels, and 12 residential levels originally housing 50 penthouse apartments.
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Riverside Centre is a heritage-listed office building at 123 Eagle Street, Brisbane CBD, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Harry Seidler. and was built in 1986. Completed in 1986, it contains 40 storeys and rises 146 metres (479 ft) above ground. The building is owned by General Property Trust. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 1 December 2023.
The Cloudland Dance Hall, originally called Luna Park, was a famous entertainment venue located in Bowen Hills, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was demolished in 1982 and the site was subsequently developed into an apartment complex.
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Mater Group was formed in 2016 by aligning Mater Health, Mater Education, Mater Research and Mater Foundation under a single, unified banner. Mater provides care for some 500,000 patients each year. Mater was established in 1906 by the Sisters of Mercy. In 2002, Mater became an incorporated body, charged with the responsibility to continue the Mission of the Sisters of Mercy to "offer compassionate service to the sick and needy".
4BC is a radio station in Brisbane, Queensland, owned by Nine Entertainment. It broadcasts on 882 kHz AM and is Brisbane's only commercial talkback station.
Stefan Ackerie, usually known by the mononym Stefan, is a businessman who owns a chain of hairdressing salons in Brisbane, Australia.
Moreton Bay Pile Light was a pile lighthouse positioned at the mouth of Brisbane River, in Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia, marking the entrance to the port of Brisbane. The light's early history was closely related to the dredging of the Brisbane River. It was established in 1884 as a result of a new channel that was cut, and relocated in 1913 due to another change in the channels. The structure was badly damaged by a barge in 1945 and finally destroyed when hit by a tanker in 1949. An automated light operated on the ruins until 1966–1967 when it was removed.
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The State Government Insurance Office Theatre, was a 600-seat proscenium theatre built within the SGIO office building at 179 Turbot Street, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.