Over the past few years Joanne Heath and Virginia Russell roamed the streets of Brisbane to uncover a surprising number of interesting brick buildings. In an area more usually known for its gracious Queenslanders of timber and corrugated iron, Heath and Russell show a different side to the iconic city. The result is a photographic celebration entitled Brisbane Bricks. Heath’s father was a bricklayer, and Russell worked for many years as an architect. Their collaboration has resulted in a distinctive and eclectic photographic narrative of around 200 images, which they hope will be inspirational as well as nostalgic.
Heath and Russell say their goal was to not only reinforce the public’s knowledge and recognition of Brisbane’s heritage-listed buildings, but also foster an appreciation of new and current brick buildings. Bricks are beginning to be incorporated into buildings in innovative and interesting ways and they hoped that this distinctive and eclectic photographic narrative would be inspirational as well as nostalgic. While roaming the streets of Brisbane, Heath and Russell captured some old favourites and discovered the new and the unusual. The resultant collection is not all embracing–it was just not possible to include everything. But they feel they have uncovered a few hidden gems worthy of a second look, and will awaken a renewed interest in the city’s built environment.
In his foreword Professor Michael Keniger, a past president of the Australian Institute of Architects, writes: “Through their shared insights and skilful photographic studies [the authors] have drawn together the visual essay offered by Bricks of Brisbane to reveal the remarkable variety of ways with which brick has been used to underpin and enrich the robust character of the city.” Accompanying the photographs are quotes from famous architects, Heath’s haiku poems and some interesting stories and information about the buildings. The final chapter is a brief history of brick making in Brisbane written by Magnus Eriksson.
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