When was customs house built

Conscious of the heritage value of the House, the Commonwealth government negotiated a lease with the University of Queensland which agreed to restore the property, generously supported by donations. Customs House re-opened in October and the building now serves as a downtown presence for many university activities. Its magnificent Long Room and other public rooms are available for a variety of cultural, community and business functions. Its role as a Customs House can still be seen in a number of historical displays and in the layout and fabric of the building itself.

Customs House with its magnificent architecture and stunning location is the most romantic setting for a wedding reception. Brisbane QLD Toggle Navigation. In , the original wooden eagle was replaced with a fiberglass replica. After undergoing several years of conservation work, the original wooden eagle is on display inside the Custom House. Today, the U. Custom House in Salem contains exhibits on the tools of the Custom Service, the work of the Customs inspectors, and the office of Nathaniel Hawthorne, the famous American author whose three-year-long stint in the Salem Custom House inspired his classic novel, The Scarlet Letter.

You Might Also Like. The siting of the original building and the alignment of the streets surrounding it limited the way extensions could proceed. The floor space of Customs House was increased by keeping the central wing and adding projecting wings to east and west.

The height of the building was increased by one level, and a portico was added to the front of the Lewis wing. In effect, the building was reconstructed, and the only remnant of the Lewis building that remained was the Long Room.

The work was completed by the late s. A new wing was added to the southern elevation of the central block, and the building was increased to five storeys throughout. Although central customs operations were moved to Melbourne, Sydney's Customs House was heavily used for much of the twentieth century as it was the headquarters of customs in NSW.

The customs function of the building ceased and the federal government leased the Customs House to the City of Sydney Council in , for use as a public building.