Who was Neville Bonner?

The short answer

Neville Bonner was Australia's first Indigenous parliamentarian. The Queensland Government's statement on the opening of the bridge describes him as a respected parliamentary figure, a role model and a trailblazer over his twelve years in the Senate, whose legacy is tied to the country's path towards reconciliation and equality. The precinct owner calls him the late Indigenous Senator Neville Bonner AO.

A building, then a bridge

Before Queen's Wharf, part of this site was occupied by the Neville Bonner Building. It was among the buildings demolished when work on the precinct began in 2017. The name moved across to the new pedestrian bridge, which opened on Thursday 29 August 2024 and links the precinct to the South Bank cultural forecourt.

The bust at the northern end

In the foyer of the old building stood an 80-kilogram cast bronze, the Bust of Neville Bonner, made more than twenty years ago by the late Brisbane sculptor John Elliott. During construction it was kept at Queensland Parliament House. It now stands at the northern end of the bridge, the Queen's Wharf end, and several plaques along the bridge commemorate him.

Finding it on a weekend

Start at The Terrace on Level 4, where our Sunday walk begins, and look for the bust at the city end before you set off. It takes a minute, and it changes how you see the rest of the crossing.