Unique Character
The Johnstone Gallery had a unique character. It was housed in a privately owned, purpose built, gallery in a large sub-tropical rainforest setting. Owners Brian and Marjorie Johnstone were extremely successful gallery curators and apart from having their own unique collection of Australian and overseas art, they managed to attract leading Australian artists such as Sir Sidney Nolan, Robert Dickerson, Lawrence Daws, Margaret Olley, Charles Blackman, Ray Crooke, Arthur Boyd, Donald Friend and many others to exhibit their artworks at special exhibitions.
The heyday of the Johnstone Gallery occurred in post-war Brisbane. Brisbane was sadly not known for great visual art offerings outside the Queensland Art Gallery.
Not content with just operating their gallery, Brian and Majorie Johnstone opened their sub-tropical rainforest garden for the staging of the theatre productions. Between 24–27 April 1962, Twelfth Night Theatre, then situated in inner city Wickham Terrace, staged Aristophanes' Lysistrata with the set and costumes designed by Quentin Hole. It was a unique moment in the history of theatre in Brisbane.
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