“25 Years, One Partnership”
The Origin Story
In 2001, Brisbane City Council had an idea: connect Brisbane's small museums and heritage places into one network. Twenty-five years and more than 90 member organisations later, that idea is Brisbane Living Heritage — and Council has been beside us the whole way.
The spark was simple. Brisbane was home to dozens of small, independent museums and heritage sites, each doing valuable work largely on their own. Thanks to an initiative by Council historian Helen Taylor, Council saw the value in connecting them — helping them promote what they do, share resources, and raise awareness of the stories they protect.
During her fourteen years as a historian at Brisbane City Council (1990–2004), Helen Taylor became known as "the people's historian," combining scholarly rigour with a gift for bringing history to life. It was in this role that she founded what would become Brisbane's Living Heritage Network.
That initial network has grown into what BLH is today: a charity representing more than 90 member organisations across Greater Brisbane. But the foundation Council laid in 2001 is still the foundation we stand on.
OUR FIRST MEMBERS
Brisbane City Hall
Brisbane City Gallery – now Museum of Brisbane
Cathedral St Stephen
Botanic Gardens Bris city
Parliament House
QUT Art Museum
Old Government House
Anzac Square Memorial
St Johns Cathedral
Commissariat Store
Qld Maritime Museum
John Oxley Library SLQ
Qld Museum
Qld Police Museum
Victoria Barracks
Miegunyah
Newstead House
Telstra Museum- now communications Museum
Brisbane Tramway Museum
University of Qld
Wolston House
Fort Lytton
and
Boggo Road Gaol Museum
Cremorne Gallery
Customs House
Musgrave Park Cultural Centre
Qld Energy Museum
Qld Military Memorial Museum
The Naval Stores
From the Archives
Above: examples of our very first POSTCARD INVITATION to the Brisbane City Council Launch of Brisbane Living Heritage. On the right is examples of the first Heritage Guides showcasing our first Memberships.
Below: a selection of very early publications and flyers, created as a collaboration between Brisbane City Council and Brisbane Living Heritage Network.
2026 marks 25 years of Brisbane City Council & Brisbane Living Heritage.
What began in 2001 as a Brisbane City Council initiative to connect Brisbane's small museums and heritage places into one network has grown into a charity representing more than 90 member organisations across Greater Brisbane — from historic houses to historical societies, galleries to graveyards. A quarter-century on, that founding vision is still at the heart of everything we do.
To celebrate this milestone, we're inviting our members and the wider community to join us for a special end-of-year celebration this November — an evening to look back on 25 years of Brisbane's living heritage, and to thank the people, places, and partners who've made it possible.
As part of the celebration, we're also collecting your stories. Whether you're a long-standing member, a volunteer, or someone who's simply visited one of our member sites and been moved by what you found there, we'd love to hear what Brisbane Living Heritage has meant to you. Your memories will help us tell the story of these 25 years — and shape the next chapter. Share your story here.