One of the many excellent free cultural attractions in Brisbane's Southbank cultural precinct, the joint attraction of the Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art encompasses an extensive variety of artistic forms including paintings, pottery, sculpture and glasswork. Both of the buildings - GOMA is located roughly 150m away from the QAD - are wonderful examples of architecture and works of art in their own right, constructed with a modern and discerning eye that emphasises creative use of both empty space and natural light.
The Queensland Art Gallery features exhibits with an extensive collection of Australian art dating from the country's European occupation and the early 1800's through to more modern times, in addition to a surprisingly diverse amount of international items as well. Exhibits here are well laid out and change on a regular basis to keep repeated visits possible, and many of them come with curated descriptions in both "adults" and "kids" language so that little ones can take something away from the artwork too - a nice touch.
Kids in general are well catered for at the Queensland Art Gallery; in addition to the curation, there's a dedicated kids activity area that encourages creativity which sits next to the gallery's cafe. Food at the cafe is also impressive and of a high quality. With a great riverside location and easily accessible via multiple forms of public transport, the Queensland Art Gallery is one of Brisbane's best free things to do for all ages, and a welcome spot to visit to escape on a hot day.