Queensland's National Trust has accused the Defence Department of allowing one of Brisbane's most famous military heritage sites to fall into disrepair after November's savage hail storm.
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Building commenced on Victoria Barracks in 1860. Located on Petrie Terrace and next door to the prominent "The Barracks" redevelopment, the site was very badly damaged during the hail storm.
In the early 1900s it was the home to Queensland's Defence Forces.
After community complaints that repairs had stalled on the site – which is partly used as a military base – senior executives from Queensland's National Trust went on a public tour to quietly view the damage.
Now they believe the Defence Department may be on a "go slow" mission with the repairs because they plan to sell the prominent site which overlooks the Brisbane CBD.
Queensland's National Trust executive director Stewart Armstrong toured the site and said the Trust was shocked by the damage.
"There are obviously lots of broken windows, but there is also roof damage that is letting water in," Mr Armstrong said.
"We understand it got damaged, but our concern is there doesn't seem to be much urgency around to repair all of this damage," he said.
"They have done some blocking of windows and there are some tarps and things, but that is only partially successful."
He said National Trust staff could not get a detailed look at worsening problems.
A large collection of memorabilia from the Army's involvement in the Boer War and World War 1 and 11 are understood to be in a storeroom.
"But there are other things there that look like leaning walls that have been propped up," Mr Armstrong said.
"There are other things that make it look like the Department of Defence have decided not to spend money on maintenance.
"And we presume that is because they are trying to dispose of the property."
Mr Armstrong said the National Trust wrote to the Defence Minister at the end of 2014 seeking assurances the buildings would be repaired.
"We received a very non-committal sort of reply," he said.
He said they now believed some buildings were beginning to deteriorate.
"And in the worst case scenario you could get to the end of the scenario where a developer buys it and says 'You can't fix these buildings any more, they are too badly deteriorated'," he said.
He said the National Trust was not opposed to the site being sold for sensitive redevelopment – including a museum - but was very opposed to the buildings being allowed to deteriorate.
Dr Ian Galloway, Queensland president of the National Trust, said he had received many complaints.
"The National Trust has received many community enquiries asking why the precinct's many historically important buildings are not being maintained or cared for by its owners, the Australian Government," Dr Galloway said.
"This place has such a rich history as an early home of Queensland's defence force, as a Police Barracks, a military hospital and a mental hospital, so it deserves to be respected and cared for as part of Queensland's rich heritage."
Dr Galloway said Victoria Barracks was "irreplaceable" and could become a "distinctive heritage and cultural tourism precinct" for Brisbane.
He said he the National Trust were worried the Defence Department were ignoring the damage.
"There are many rumours that the Australian Government is planning to sell this large and valuable inner-city site for redevelopment, which could explain why little or no maintenance has been undertaken in recent years," he said.
"One concern is that many important buildings could be lost because their condition has so deteriorated that developers will argue they can't be restored.
"The other is that a redevelopment might overcrowd the site and it will lose its special character."
Victoria Barracks in Brisbane was first called the "Green Hills Barracks", because it was built on the hill overlooking the fledgling Brisbane settlement.
It housed the British Army's 12th East Suffolk Regiment of Foot, a military hospital, and a military magazine.
At one stage it was also home to the 50th (Queen's Own) Regiment of Foot, then the Queensland and military police from 1870 until 1885.
It was then re-classified as a military base, renamed Victoria Barracks in honour of Queen Victoria and set as the Queensland Defence Force headquarters.
The Department of Defence said they would not be able to answer questions about the future of the site until Monday afternoon.
