Queen Victoria Building. Shop and dine amongst Victorian elegance on your Sydney Bus Tour
Queen Victoria Building was designed to be a hub for shopping, eating and entertainment. Thanks to a lavish renovation it’s back to its former glory, with dazzling colour schemes, vibrant shop-fronts and most of its unique original features retained, including stained glass, columns and statues.
Fancy a bit of serious retail therapy? Hop off our Sydney bus tour to visit the high-end fashion houses here, along with a few more down-to-earth stores. There are plenty of cafes and restaurants too. So if the shopping gets too much for you, just stop for refreshments and recharge the batteries.
A helping hand
Queen Victoria Building was constructed during a severe recession. The Council saw it as a way to give employment to craftsmen, stonemasons and plasterers who needed work. That’s probably one of the reasons why it’s so ornate.
Royal connections
Affectionately known as the QVB, the building was built to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897. But another Queen has associations with the building. On display you can see a sealed letter from Queen Elizabeth II to the citizens of Sydney. This letter will be opened and read in the year 2085.
Other interesting facts about Queen Victoria Building:
- In 1959 the building was threatened with demolition
- The building fills a whole city block, measuring 30 metres (98 feet) by 190 metres (623 feet)
- The architect George McRae submitted 4 separate designs – the Council chose the Romanesque one
- The building has 4 main floors, with a large tea room at the top
