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Built Australia
Every Australian state and territory has its own way of building, shaped by its weather, its stone and its history. Roo Road Rescue has one old and one new building from each. Drive past one and it goes into the Architecture pages of your Journey Book.
Every name in the game is made up, but each building is based on a real one or a real local style. The facts are about the real buildings.
- New South Wales
- Victoria
- Queensland
- Western Australia
- South Australia
- Tasmania
- Northern Territory
- Australian Capital Territory
New South Wales
Lace Terrace Row
Heritage · Inspired by Victorian terrace houses, Paddington, Sydney · In the game: Blue Mountains and Grand Pacific Drive trips
Paddington has one of the largest groups of Victorian terrace houses in the world, many with lacy cast-iron balconies.
Glass Wharf Tower
Modern · Inspired by New harbourside towers in Sydney · In the game: Grand Pacific Drive, leaving Sydney
Many new Sydney towers use glass fins and sunshades to keep the strong harbour sun off their windows.
Victoria
Clocks Station
Heritage · Inspired by Flinders Street Station, Melbourne, opened 1910 · In the game: Great Ocean Road trip, leaving Melbourne
"Meet me under the clocks" is a famous Melbourne saying. The clocks show the next trains at the station entrance.
Shard Square
Modern · Inspired by Federation Square, Melbourne, opened 2002 · In the game: Great Ocean Road trip, leaving Melbourne
Federation Square's walls are covered in triangle tiles of sandstone, zinc and glass, set in a pinwheel pattern.
Queensland
Sunshine City Hall
Heritage · Inspired by Brisbane City Hall, opened 1930 · In the game: Byron Bay trip, leaving Brisbane
Brisbane City Hall is built of sandstone, and for many years its clock tower was the tallest point in the city.
Surfside Skyscraper
Modern · Inspired by Gold Coast beachfront towers · In the game: Byron Bay trip, Gold Coast
Gold Coast towers are so tall that in the afternoon their shadows reach across the beach.
Western Australia
Golden Mile Hotel
Heritage · Inspired by Gold-rush hotels of Kalgoorlie · In the game: Nullarbor and Lucky Bay trips
Gold was found at Kalgoorlie in 1893, and its main street soon filled with grand hotels with two-storey verandahs.
Riverside Bell Spire
Modern · Inspired by The Swan Bells tower, Perth · In the game: Indian Ocean Drive, leaving Perth
Perth's Swan Bells tower holds old church bells that once rang in London.
South Australia
Bluestone Chapel
Heritage · Inspired by Adelaide, the "City of Churches" · In the game: Nullarbor trip, South Australia
Adelaide is nicknamed the City of Churches. Many of its old buildings are made of bluestone, a hard local rock.
Honeycomb Lab
Modern · Inspired by Adelaide's health research building, opened 2013 · In the game: Nullarbor trip, South Australia
Its spiky triangle panels shade the building from the sun. Locals call it "the cheese grater".
Tasmania
Wharfside Warehouses
Heritage · Inspired by Salamanca Place, Hobart, 1830s to 1840s · In the game: Cradle Mountain and Great Eastern Drive trips
These sandstone warehouses once stored whale oil and wool. Today they are full of cafés and galleries.
Cliffside Gallery
Modern · Inspired by MONA museum, Hobart, opened 2011 · In the game: Great Eastern Drive trip
Hobart's MONA museum is built mostly underground, dug into a sandstone cliff beside the river.
Northern Territory
Louvre House
Heritage · Inspired by Darwin's 1930s tropical houses · In the game: Uluru trip, Stuart Highway
These houses stand on stilts, and their louvred walls open to let every breeze through in the tropical heat.
Red Earth Centre
Modern · Inspired by Rammed-earth outback buildings · In the game: Uluru trip
Rammed earth walls are made by packing local soil into moulds. Thick earth walls keep a building cool in the desert.
Australian Capital Territory
White Assembly House
Heritage · Inspired by Old Parliament House, Canberra, opened 1927 · In the game: Snowy Mountains trip, leaving Canberra
Australia's Parliament met here from 1927. It was meant to be temporary, but it was used for 61 years.
Hill House
Modern · Inspired by Parliament House, Canberra, opened 1988 · In the game: Snowy Mountains trip, leaving Canberra
The new Parliament House is built into a hill, with grass growing over its roof and a giant flagpole on top.
Visiting the real ones? Many of these buildings are open to visitors. Park safely, and take a break on long drives: experts say to stop every 2 hours.
See the Big Things and town landmarks, learn the road signs in the road trip guide, or meet the wildlife.