126 BUILDING STONES OF QUEENSLAND. 



The practice of using granite as the base on which 

 to build, as in the Executive building and new Govern- 

 ment Savings Bank, is the most satisfactory method how- 

 ever. 



Pearsons Quarries. — These are situated to the north- 

 west of Helidon station on the same sandstone ridge as 

 Wright "s quarries. 



The same general remarks which ha^•e been made with 

 respect to the stone from Wrights quarries apply here, 

 and also to the stone from several other quarries at 

 Helidon. Pink, white, and brown stone has been quarried, 

 and probably the hard pink stone has the best weathering 

 properties. 



Sandstone from these quarries was used in the South 

 Brisbane Town Hall (1891) also in the retaining wall and 

 fence on to Vulture Street. Both brown and A^hite stones 

 were used and the stone in the retaining wall has 

 decayed rather Ijadly in jDlaces owing to moisture. 

 In the Albert railwaj- bridge (1893-95) at Indooroopilly, 

 all of the sandstone used, with the exception of some 

 large blocks of Sydney sandstone, came from here also. 

 Alternate courses of brown and white stone were used 

 in the Victoria Bridge (1894-97). The pink sandstone in 

 the Central Railway station (1901) came from here and it 

 constitutes about 30 per cent, of the stone in the building. 

 A small amount of Avhite stone was used in the newer 

 wing (1890-93) of the Treasury building. 



In connection with the Central Railwaj* Station the 

 Railway Department conducted a large number of tests, 

 and the average results of these on the different coloured 

 stones from Pearson's quarries are summarised below : — 



(Crushing re.<*is- 



,, -r- iTr • 1 4. • 11 Absorption tance in lbs. 



^ , Sd^ciiic vVeieht in lbs. ■ '^ . • r 



Colour. ?y i. I *<- in per cent. per sq. in. of 



Grivitv'. per cub. ft. ^ ^ • , . \ } 



•' ' of dry wei.Jnt. dry stone on 



bed. 



White 2.22 (3)* 139 (3) 3.53 (3) 5130 (5) 



Pink 2.32 (3) 145 (3) 3.34 (3) 0875 (n) 



Brown 2.24 (.3) 140 (3) 3.33 (3) 4300 (4) 



Purple 2.38 (1) 149 (1) 2.7 (1) 6700 (1) 



* The numbers in brackets represent the number of samples tested. 



