Brisbane’s heritage-listed General Post Office is set for a commercial transformation after real estate investment firm Mackwell secured a 99-year lease over the Queen Street property. The agreement will allow the company to pursue retail and office uses within the historic building, while Australia Post continues serving customers at the site.
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The arrangement covers the General Post Office at 261 Queen Street in Brisbane CBD, a building dating back to 1872. Australia Post has confirmed that postal operations will remain, although details of the proposed redevelopment, including its construction timetable and future tenants, have not been announced.
Retail and Office Plans Under Long-Term Lease
Mackwell will take on the property under a leasehold arrangement rather than an outright purchase. The transaction follows Australia Post’s decision to offer the building to the market for a long-term lease for the first time in its history.
Retail tenancies and new office accommodation are proposed as part of the building’s future use. Australia Post says the plans will retain the property’s heritage character while introducing commercial activities alongside its existing postal function.
The Queen Street location places the building within Brisbane’s established central business and shopping district, near Queen Street Mall. Australia Post has positioned the project as part of the city’s development ahead of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, although no completion date has been confirmed.
Australia Post Group Chief Financial Officer Craig Roberts said the agreement aligned with the organisation’s strategy to obtain greater value from underused property assets. Revenue generated through such arrangements is intended to support reinvestment in its national network.
Mackwell Managing Director John Robson said the firm’s interest reflected the building’s age, character, and commercial location. The company has indicated that planning for the property’s next phase will follow the lease agreement.
CBRE Capital Markets – Offices, Queensland brokered the transaction. Australia Post’s announcement did not specify the lease’s financial terms, the extent of the proposed building works or whether development applications would be required.
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Brisbane GPO’s History Dates Back to 1872
The General Post Office was purpose-built for postal services in 1872, establishing a longstanding connection between the Queen Street property and Brisbane’s communications network. Its heritage-listed status is an important consideration as the new leaseholder develops plans for the site.
Scottish-born architect Francis Drummond Greville Stanley designed the building. His other Brisbane projects included the Queensland Club, Roma Street railway station and All Hallows’ School in Fortitude Valley.
The GPO’s architectural history links it to several prominent buildings across Brisbane’s inner suburbs. Unlike properties that have ceased their original functions, the Queen Street building will retain an operating post office under the new commercial arrangement.
Australia Post has confirmed that the Brisbane GPO Post Office will continue trading at its existing location, providing postal services to CBD residents, workers and visitors.
The lease establishes a long-term commercial arrangement for the property, but the timing and detailed design of the proposed retail and office redevelopment remain unconfirmed.
Published 27-October-2026
