My Favourite Family Stays Near Ann Street

Ann Street is a street I love to walk slowly, an old photograph in my hand and a camera in the other.

I still stand where the first photographers stood and see what has stayed and what has gone. Then I look for a comfortable bed for the whole family.

What the old photographs saw here

Anzac Square opened on Armistice Day 1930, and its round Shrine of Remembrance is still there to be framed.

St John's Cathedral, further along Ann Street, was built in three stages between 1906 and 2009. That makes it a building that took a century to pose for its finished portrait!

My tip for children: one printed old photo, one patient pose, one treat afterwards.

If you want the whole city in view first, browse accommodation in Brisbane.

The vantage that still exists

Brisbane City Hall, finished in 1930, reopened in April 2013 after a three-year restoration. Its 87.5-metre clock tower is still the frame I trust most.

The tower and building tours are free, though the Clock Tower tour needs a booking and places are limited.

Older still are the Commissariat Store on William Street (1828-1829) and the Old Windmill on Wickham Terrace (1828), Queensland's oldest building. It is a ten-minute uphill walk from Anzac Square.

My favourite is the Windmill. A convict-built wall will hold still for your lens long after everything around it has moved on.

The Valley end of Ann Street

Follow Ann Street towards Fortitude Valley and the frames change. Chinatown Mall on Duncan Street opened on 29 January 1987, under gates guarded by stone lions.

Lunar New Year falls on Saturday 6 February 2027, and the lanes there fill with celebration.

One family note: venues like The Tivoli and Fortitude Music Hall run many over-18 nights, so check the licensing on any ticket.

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   The Alva Hotel Brisbane, Vignette Collection By Ihg

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   The Alva Hotel Brisbane, Vignette Collection By Ihg - my pick for the Valley end of Ann Street, where you trade a quiet riverbank for a rooftop pool, family rooms and a breakfast menu that covers vegetarian and gluten-free, plus kayaking nearby and Streets Beach 3 km away! Google Travel ↗

Sleeping inside the old frame

The Ekka has filled the Brisbane Showgrounds in Bowen Hills since 1876, so it is the longest-running photo subject I know.

The 150th show in 2026 drew more than 420,000 people. The 2027 show runs 7-15 August, with a Brisbane-only holiday on Wednesday 11 August.

The showbags and the chocolate Bertie Beetle bag are the stuff of family albums.

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   Rydges Fortitude Valley

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   Rydges Fortitude Valley (hotels in Fortitude Valley) - the best base when your plans are the Showgrounds, with RNA Showgrounds across the road and Story Bridge 1.4 km away, so you give up CBD streets for an outdoor pool, family rooms and a good breakfast!
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   Oaks Brisbane Mews Suites

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   Oaks Brisbane Mews Suites (see the suites ->) - my pick for families who want a kitchen and balcony, 10 minutes' walk from RNA Showgrounds and a 3-minute drive from the Valley, trading hotel-style dining for a pool, sauna and free BBQs to share!

The vantage that's gone, and its replacement

World Expo 88 ran from 30 April to 30 October 1988 and drew more than 15.7 million visits. Its riverfront became South Bank Parklands in 1992.

Streets Beach, a free lagoon patrolled by lifeguards all year, now sits where the crowds once queued. The Nepalese Peace Pagoda is the only international exhibit left.

Another old vantage is closing in. Victoria Park was a golf course from 1931 and is now a fenced Olympic construction site. The Centenary Pool shut to the public on 31 August 2026.

A base on the old Expo ground

On rainy afternoons, GOMA's Jim Henson Company exhibition runs until 18 April 2027, though it is ticketed. The Queensland Museum nearby has free dinosaurs.

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   Novotel Brisbane South Bank

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   Novotel Brisbane South Bank - the best base for the old Expo ground, 9 minutes' walk from Streets Beach, where you swap the Valley's late nights for a year-round outdoor pool, family rooms and a very good breakfast! Booking.com ->

Down the river to the Story Bridge

The Story Bridge was built from 24 May 1935 and opened on 6 July 1940. It is Australia's longest cantilever bridge.

Beneath it, Howard Smith Wharves went up in 1939-1942, sat derelict for decades, and reopened in late 2018. The Adventure Climb leaves from there.

The bridge closes to traffic from 27 December 2026 to 18 January 2027, though the eastern footpath stays open.

The Riverwalk then leads to New Farm Park, where the jacarandas bloom from mid-October to November.

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   View Brisbane

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   View Brisbane - my pick for the river reach at Hamilton, a 5-minute drive from the city centre, where you trade walkable streets for a resort-style pool, spa pool, sauna, family rooms and a riverside restaurant with a tour desk! View Hotels ↗

Then-and-now: making the comparison frame honest

Keep your height and angle the same as the old photo and let the changes show themselves.

On the dates: Anzac Day 2027 is Sunday 25 April, with the parade on Adelaide Street. Riverfire is Saturday 4 September 2027.

The Terracotta Warriors arrive at Queensland Museum in June 2027, a good indoor frame for hot days.

As a night auditor, the question I heard most after midnight was never about the view. It was whether a tired family could still get settled.

Call any front desk at booking and ask about cots and connecting rooms. I never treat a service as guaranteed until it is confirmed.

The pairings worth printing

I'd print Anzac Square beside your own shot, and the City Hall tower beside its 1930 self.

Print the Story Bridge at twilight next to the wharves it once stood over.

For a gentler search, Brisbane hotels and apartments lists plenty more. Prices and availability can change, so confirm when booking.

Then wander, camera in hand, and find your own favourite frames. I'd love to hear which ones you choose!