MacArthur Central, Brisbane

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The original AMP Society Building in 1898 on the same site — photo taken from Edward Street

MacArthur Central is a building located on the north-east corner of Queen Street and Edward Street in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is notable for its wartime association with General Douglas MacArthur, who used the building as the Allied forces' South West Pacific Area Headquarters from July 1942 to November 1944.^[1]^[2]^[3]

The building was constructed between 1930 and 1934 and with the exception of the war years was the Queensland headquarters of the AMP Society until 1988 when that organisation moved to new premises in Creek Street. The AMP Society has subsequently demutualised, becoming a company known as AMP Limited.

A feature of the building (and until recently of all buildings owned by the AMP Society) is a three figure statue above the portico entrance of the Queen Street façade of the building, representing: "Strength, Plenty, Production and Growth".

Below the statue is the Latin motto of the AMP Society -

"AMICUS CERTUS IN RE INCERTA" -- or in English:

"A SURE FRIEND IN UNCERTAIN TIMES"

— which also seems appropriate considering the use of the building by American forces during the war.

The building replaced a smaller 3 storey building also owned by the AMP Society which had been constructed in the 1890s. It also featured the "trademark" AMP Society three figure statue.

After the AMP Society vacated the building it continued to be leased for office accommodation, with small shops on the ground and basement floors. The building and sites adjacent to the building were subsequently redeveloped in the 1990s.

Today the building, which is now called "MacArthur Central", is a thriving commercial shopping complex, which includes restaurants, a medical centre, pharmacy, newsagency, book shop, and supermarket. As of late 2002, the building is part of the Macarthur Central shopping complex, which consists of Australia's first inner-city Big W discount department store, as well as Woolworths, Crazy Clark's, Dymocks Booksellers and approximately 40 specialty stores.

[edit] MacArthur Museum

The MacArthur Museum (to commemorate General MacArthur's association with Brisbane), was opened by members of the General Douglas MacArthur Brisbane Memorial Trust in 2002.^[4]

Visitors are able to visit General Douglas MacArthur's office. Also on display is movie footage of the Second World War and all the front pages of "The Courier-Mail" from September, 1939 to August, 1945.

The entrance to both the museum and the MacArthur Chambers Hotel are on Edward Street.

A notice (featured at right) about the MacArthur Museum is placed at the Edward Street entrance to the hotel and museum at the MacArthur Central building, on the days the MacArthur Museum is open to the public.