Opened in several stages in the early 1980s and previous to the launch of World Expo '88, the multi-million dollar flag-ship of the Arts in Queensland - the award winning Queensland Cultural Centre by prominent Brisbane architect Robin Gibson - also played a pivotal role in celebrating bicentennial Australia during World Expo '88.

First opening in 1982 with the Queensland Art Gallery, and later with the Queensland Museum, the Queensland Performing Arts Complex - comprising of the 2,000 seat Lyric Theatre; the 1,750 seat Concert Hall; and the 225-seat Cremorne Theatre, and the State Library of Queensland, these venues played host to a World Expo and Bi-Centennial Australia cultural program beyond the scope of the World Expo '88 admission, where the 'World Expo on Stage' program at the Queensland Performing Arts Complex brought to Brisbane the best in the international performing arts; and specially loaned whole galleries of priceless works of art were displayed at the Queensland Art Gallery, Queensland Museum and State Library of Queensland - on the 'other side' of the Victoria Bridge that connected the Expo site with the central part of the Brisbane CBD.

Highlights of the 'World Expo on Stage' program were:

• At the Queensland Performing Arts Complex 'World Expo on Stage' program - Aida and Die Fledermaus - Lyric Opera of Queensland (Australia); Lazar Berman (U.S.S.R.); Meryl Tankard (Australia); The Flying Karamazov Brothers (U.S.A.); Messaien Festival (France); Cosmic Odyssesy Nippon (Japan); Boojum (Australia); the 32 Beethoven Piano Sonatas - Roger Woodward (Australia); Antologia de la Zarzuela (Spain); the Texas Boys' Choir Show (U.S.A.); Mummenschanz (Switzerland); The Knee Plays - Robert Wilson and David Byrne (U.S.A.); Kabuki - featuring Living National Treasure of Japan Utaemon Nakamura (Japan); the Peking Opera Troupe of China (People's Republic of China); Michel Lemieux (Canada); the Mormon Tabernacle Choir (U.S.A.); Gabrieli String Quartet with Stephen McIntyre (U.K.); Yehudi Menuhin (U.K.); the 1988 International Theatre Sports Festival (U.K., U.S.A., Canada, Sweden, New Zealand, Denmark, Australia); the World Brass Band Championships; the Royal Ballet (U.K.); the 1988 Australian Fashion Awards (Australia); Kiri Te Kanawa (New Zealand); International Festival of Youth Orchestras (U.K., Japan, U.S.A., Federal Republic of Germany, New Zealand, Australia); Borodin Trio with Eleanora Turovsky (U.S.A.); the World Drum Festival (Indonesia; Canada; Japan; Sri Lanka; Papua New Guinea; Kenya; Ghana; U.S.A., India; Republic of Korea; New Zealand; Australia); Grips Theater (Federal Republic of Germany); the Australian Opera (Australia); Asian Deance Festival (Indonesia, Malaysia, Republic of Korea); the Siberian Cossack Dance Company (U.S.S.R.); the complete War of the Roses cycle, English Shakespeare Company (U.K.); NIDA (Australia); 1000 Airplanes - Philip Glass Ensemble (U.S.A.); Comédie Française (France); the Original Monterey Jazz Festival 'Down Under' (U.S.A.); Aristophanes - Amphi-Theatre (Greece); Italy on Stage (Italy); Bennelong (Aiustralia); the Australian Ballet (Australia); the Bolshoi Opera (U.S.S.R.); Siamsa Tire and the Chieftans (Ireland); World Expo on Stage Finale (Australia et al).

Fora details for the Celebrity Speakers Forum were:

• At the Concert Hall Celebrity Speakers Forum a selection of the World's most distinguished scientists, academics and adventurers discussed the world of the future in six forums at the Concert Hall of the Queensland Performing Arts Complex. General Admission only $AUD 10.00 - full time students $AUD 5.00! 20 June 1988 Modern-Day Adventure and Exploration Chairman: Simon Balderstone - Journalist and Scientific Author Speakers: Dr Arlene Blum - American Adventurer, Tim Macartney-Snape - Adventurer, Robert Swan - British Antarctic Explorer 26 June 1988 Technology and Sport Chairman: Dr Ian Jobling - Chairman of The Oceania Olympic Authority Speakers: Professor John Lucas - Associate Director of the U.S. Olympic Academy, John Landy - Australian Athlete; Dr Frank Pyke - President of the Australian Sport Association; Diane Jones-Konihowski  20 July 1988 Technology and its effect on the Social Fabric of Society Chairman: Sir James Killen, Barrister and former Liberal Minister Speakers: The Honourable Gough Whitlam - former Prime Minister of Australia, Mr S K Jain - International Labour Office (Geneva), Mr K E Ejiri - President - Mitsui, Sir Ronald Trotter - Chairman - Fletcher Challenge (New Zealand)  15 August 1988 The Role of Technology in the Exploration of Earth and Space Chairman: Professor Brian Wilson, Australian Physicist and Vice-Chancellor of the University of QueenslandSpeakers: Sir Edmund Hillary Mountaineer, Explorer, and Author, Mr James Irwin - American Astronaut, Dr Patrick Moore - British Astronomer and Author 28 August 1988 The Marine Environment, Marine Archaeology, Technology and Leisure Chairman: Mr Graeme Kelleher - Chairman of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority Speakers: Dr Margaret Rule - British Marine Archaeologist, Jean-Michel Cousteau - Producer of Adeventure and Marine Films, Dr Kenton Miller - World President - International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources 19 September 1988 Michelangelo's Return to Glory : The Restoration of the Vatican Speaker: Dr Walter Persagati - Secretary and Treasurer of the Vatican Museums  3 October 1988 Advances in Technology and their influence on Longevity, Post-Retirement, and Leisure Chaiman: The Honourable Sir Walter Campbell, Governor of Queensland Speakers: The Right Honourable Sir Zelman Cowen - former Governor General of Australia, Dr Percival McCormack, Professor Michel Philibert - President of the French Society of Gerontology.

The exhibitions at the Queensland Art Gallery, Museum and State Library of Queensland were:

• At the Queensland Art Gallery 31 March - 31 October 1988 The Inspired Dream: Life as art in Aboriginal Australia Presented by the Northern Territory Museum of Arts and Sciences, in association with the Queensland Art Gallery Admission Free   14 April - 31 July 1988 Masterpieces from the Louvre: French Bronzes and Paintings from the Renaissance to Rodin A French Government contribution to the Bicentenary, organised by the Queensland Art Gallery and sponsored by Channel 9. Domestic air carriage by Australian Cargo. Admission: Adults $5.00 Concessions: $2.50   17 May - 17 July 1988 The Great Australian Art Exhibition 1788-1988  Organised by the Art Gallery of South Australia  Sponsored by Boral Limited  Presented by the Australian Bicentennial Authority in association with the International Cultural Corporation of Australia. Indemnified by the Australian Government through the Department of Arts, Sport, the Environment, Tourism and Territories. Admission: Adults $6.00 Concessions: $2.50  August and October 1988 Japanese Ceramics from the Idemitsu Museum of Arts, Tokyo  Sponsored by Arco Coal Australia, Inc. Organised by the Queensland Art Gallery  Admission: Adults $5.00  Concessions: $2.50   23 September - 6 November 1988 A Study of Genius: Master drawings and water colours from the Collection of Her Majesty the Queen. Sponsored by British Airways  Organised by the Art Gallery of New South Wales Indemnified by the Australian Government through the Department of the Arts, Sport, the Environment, Tourism and Territories. Admission: Adults $5.00  Concessions: $2.50 
   
• At the Queensland Museum  20 July - 4 September 1988  First Impressions: The British Discovery of Australia
  
  
• At the State Library of Queensland  11 April - 20 May 1988 Selections from the James Hardie Library of Fine Arts   2 June - 9 June 1988 Ashton-Scholastic: Dromkeen Children's Literature Travelling Exhibition   20 June - 22 July 1988  From Tablet to Terminal - History of the Written Word   1 June - 30 June 1988  The Art of the Illuminated Address