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Brisbane by night
Brisbane by day

Brisbane is the capital city of the state of Queensland, Australia. In IPA), the name of the city is pronounced (i /ˈbɹɪz.bən/. The City of Brisbane has approximately 957,010 inhabitants, within a greater metropolitan area of 1.77 million people, making it the third most populous metropolitan area in Australia. A resident of Brisbane is popularly known as a "Brisbanite." Affectionate nicknames for the city include "Brizzy" as well as "Bris Vegas" and to a lesser extent "Brisneyland".

Geography and climate

File:Austmap.png
Location of Brisbane in relation to other major cities
File:Brisbane sat.jpg
Landsat image of Brisbane Area

Brisbane is situated in the southeast corner of Queensland, an hour north of the Gold Coast by road or rail at a latitude and longitude of 27°28′S 153°02′E / 27.467°S 153.033°E / -27.467; 153.033. The city straddles the Brisbane River, and its eastern suburbs line the shores of Moreton Bay. The greater Brisbane region lies on the coastal plain east of the Great Dividing Range though the city is very hilly in some areas, and the urban area is punctuated by large hills reaching up to 300 metres such as Mount Coot-tha, Mount Gravatt, Whites Hill and Stephens Mountain.

One feature of Brisbane's urban geography is its lower population density compared to other Australian cities such as Sydney and Melbourne. There are very few terrace houses in Brisbane and apartments dating before 1970 are relatively rare. Most of Brisbane's housing stock consists of detached houses on large blocks of land featuring sub-tropical gardens. Pre-1950 housing stock is often built in a distinctive architectural style known as a Queenslander, featuring large verandahs and built upon stilts, in order to maximise the circulation of cool air during summer months.

Brisbane has a subtropical climate with hot, moist summers and mild, dry winters. Brisbane is subject to high humidity, mainly from November through to April. Summer thunderstorms are common, and Brisbane frequently experiences hailstorms, cyclonic winds and more recently severe drought during the summer months.

Climatic averages:

  • Mean January maximum temperature — 29°C (85°F)
  • Mean January minimum temperature — 21°C (69°F)
  • Mean July maximum temperature — 20°C (69°F)
  • Mean July minimum temperature — 10°C (49°F)
  • Mean annual rainfall — 1146 mm (45.1 inches)
  • Wettest month on average — January, 160 mm (6.3 inches)
  • Driest month on average — August, 46 mm (1.8 inches)

Historical extremes:

Demographics

The population of the City of Brisbane is estimated at 957,010 (as of June 2004). Together with six surrounding Local Government Areas, Brisbane has an estimated metropolitan population of 1,774,890 as of 2004. Brisbane City Council is the most populous Local Government Area in Australia and is one of the largest cities in the world in terms of geographic area. Brisbane boasts Australia's highest rate of capital city population growth. The metropolitan population reportedly grew by 11.5% between 1999 and 2004.

The Local Government Areas surrounding the City of Brisbane which are part of the Brisbane metropolitan area are:

  • Ipswich - A coal mining township and home of the Queensland Rail workshop. Ipswich's population has nearly doubled since 1994. Population: 135,500.
  • Logan City - A high-growth area in the Brisbane-Gold Coast corridor. Population: 173,300.
  • Redcliffe - Famous for brown sandy beaches and one of the longest bridges in the Southern Hemisphere which connects the outskirts of the city to the Redcliffe Peninsula. Population: 52,300.
  • Caboolture - A dairy farming region to the north of Brisbane characterised by recent residential development along the Bruce Highway. Population: 120,800.
  • Pine Rivers - Brisbane's northern shire. Population: 133,800.
  • Redland - A shire overlooking Moreton Bay on the east of Brisbane. Population: 127,700.

Economy

Brisbane has a diverse and vibrant economy with many sectors and industries represented in the city's total production of goods and services. Both white-collar and blue-collar industries are present, with white-collar industries such as information technology, financial services, higher education and public sector administration generally concentrated in and around the central business district and recently established office parks in the inner suburbs. Blue-collar industries such as petroleum refining, stevedoring, paper milling, metalworking and QR railway workshops tend to be located on the lower reaches of the Brisbane River and in new industrial zones on the urban fringe. Tourism is an important part of the Brisbane economy, both in its own right and as a gateway to other areas of Queensland.

Traditionally, Brisbane was somewhat of a "branch office" city, with most major financial institutions having their headquarters in Sydney or Melbourne. To encourage diversification, during the late 1990s and early 2000s the Queensland state government has been developing technology and science industries in Queensland as a whole, and Brisbane in particular, as part of its "Smart State" campaign. The government has invested in several biotechnology and research facilities at several universities in Brisbane. The Institute for Molecular Bioscience at the University of Queensland (UQ) Saint Lucia Campus is a large CSIRO and Queensland state government initiative for research and innovation that is currently being emulated at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) Campus at Kelvin Grove with the establishment of the Institute for Health and Biomedical Innovation (IHBI). According to the state government this QUT facility is intended to cross-fertilise with the UQ facility and make Brisbane a science and research hub of Australia and the region.

Local Government

City Hall houses the Museum of Brisbane, as well as the Brisbane City Council.

Unlike most other Australian capital cities that have their urban areas controlled by dozens of different municipal authorities, Brisbane is controlled by the Brisbane City Council, the largest local government body (in terms of population) in Australia. The Council, formed by the merger of twenty smaller councils in 1925, has jurisdiction over most of the inner and outer suburbs, and borders the City of Redcliffe, Pine Rivers Shire, Esk Shire, the City of Ipswich, the City of Logan and Redland Shire.

The area of Brisbane city is split into 26 wards, each of which elect a council member as a representative. The Lord Mayor is also elected by a popular vote in which all residents must participate. Voting occurs every four years.

On 27 March 2004, former civil engineer Campbell Newman defeated incumbent Lord Mayor Tim Quinn in mayoral elections. Newman is a member of the Liberal Party and is only the second Liberal Lord Mayor of Brisbane.



State Government

Queensland Parliament House

The Queensland State Government is based in Brisbane. The head of the state government is Premier Peter Beattie.

The Parliament of Queensland meets at Queensland Parliament House, situated at the south-eastern end of George Street, next to the Queensland University of Technology and the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens.

Nearly all state government departments are headquartered in Brisbane, with many departmental headquarters found on George Street. The phrase "George Street" is often used in the media as as metonymy for the State Government as a whole.

More detailed information can be found in articles Queensland State Government and Queensland Legislative Assembly

Voting in state elections occurs every three years, although the Premier can call an election at an earlier date. The Queensland Government also determines the dates of elections of local councils in Queensland.

History

Main article about the history of Brisbane: History of Brisbane

The area now called Brisbane was inhabited since pre-English history by the Turrbul people whose ancestors migrated to the region from across the Torres Strait in ancient times. In 1823 armed Hanoverian soliders led by John Oxley claimed control of the region for the monarch who financed their voyage, Victoria of London, Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Empress of India.

In 1824, the colonial administration of New South Wales decided to establish a penal settlement at what is now Redcliffe, on the shores of Moreton Bay. This settlement was soon closed and moved to the present-day site of Brisbane. "Settlement" of the Brisbane region commenced in 1839 for people approved by the English monarch.

Queensland was proclaimed a separate colony in June 1859 and Brisbane was chosen as its capital. However, Brisbane was not incorporated as a city until 1902.

Twenty small municipalities and shires were amalgamated to form the City of Greater Brisbane, now known simply as the City of Brisbane, in 1925.

Due to Brisbane's proximity to the South West Pacific Area theatre of the Second World War, the city played a prominent role in the defence of Australia. The city became a temporary home to thousands of Australian and American servicemen, as well as the headquarters of General Douglas Macarthur.

Brisbane finally gained widespread recognition in the 1980s when it hosted two events of international importance - the 1982 Commonwealth Games and the Expo 88 World's Fair.

Events

Tourism

File:Brisbane city.jpeg
Story Bridge & Skyline

Popular areas for tourists in the city include the South Bank Parklands (the site of Expo 88) and the recently developed Roma Street Parklands and the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens. Major shopping precincts exist throughout the CBD, in the Queen Street Mall and in Fortitude Valley. Brisbane is also home to a colonial era botanic gardens in the CBD, rockclimbing cliffs at Kangaroo Point, an extensive riverside bikeway, and the Mount Coot-tha state forest which includes a lookout over the city, contemporary botanical gardens, and the Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium.


Landmarks

Brisbane is home to many traditional and modern landmarks. Here are some of the most notable:

  • Story Bridge - A cantilever bridge connecting Fortitude Valley to Kangaroo Point. Constructed, like the Sydney Harbour Bridge, as a public works program during the Great Depression, The bridge is the home of the River Festival and is lit up at night. Bridge climbs are becoming a major tourist attraction.
  • Brisbane City Hall - The Brisbane City Hall, with its imposing clock tower, was the most expensive building in Australia until the completion of the Sydney Opera House in 1971. Still the working headquarters of municipal government, the City Hall houses a museum of Brisbane history and opens its main towers to tourists during the day.
  • Queensland Parliament House, in George Street, Brisbane, is the site of Queensland State Parliament. It was built in in the 1880s during colonial times.
  • The Mansions - was a residential building which was built during colonial times in 1889. It is of the same vintage as the Queensland Parliament House building, and is located in the same vicinity. An early resident of The Mansions was Dr. Lillian Cooper, who was Queensland's first female doctor and Australia's first female surgeon.
  • The Windmill - built by convicts for grinding wheat during the 1820s.
  • General Post Office Building - was also built during the 1800s.
  • Treasury Building - For 70 years the seat of power for the Queensland Government Treasury, this Edwardian sandstone building at the top of the George Street government precinct is now the Conrad Treasury Casino.
  • State Law Building - With its post-modern design, the State Law Building is known locally as "Gotham Tower" (see Gotham City) or the "Batman Building" because of its distinctive top. The refurbishment was designed by a local architect from Conrad & Gargett.
  • The Law Courts Complex - Close to the State Law Building, the Law Courts Complex is home to the Queensland Supreme Court and the Queensland District Court.
  • Newstead House - Built for Queensland's first Governor on the Breakfast Creek bank of the Brisbane River, Newstead House has been the elegant private home of an army captain, a slave trader, an opera singer and a newspaper baron, and is now open to the public.
  • Suncorp Stadium (Originally Lang Park) - Suncorp Stadium is the home of Queensland Rugby League, the Brisbane Broncos and the annual State of Origin rugby league clash between Queensland (the Maroons) and New South Wales (the Blues). The original name of Lang Park was changed after recent major redevelopment.
  • The Gabba - The Brisbane Cricket Ground at Woolloongabba hosts domestic and international cricket matches, as well as Australian rules football. Home of the Queensland Bulls (Cricket) and the Brisbane Lions (Australian rules football), the Gabba hosted football matches for the Sydney 2000 Olympics and was the site of the famous tied test of 1960 between the West Indies and Australia.
  • Brisbane Exhibition Ground - Operated by the RNA (Royal National Agricultural and Industrial Association of Queensland), the showgrounds are home to the annual Royal Queensland Show, better known as the Ekka, which attracts more than 600,000 visitors every year.
  • ANZ Stadium - Formerly known as QE2 Stadium, the third largest sporting arena in Queensland. The stadium was built as a temporary venue for the 1982 Commonwealth Games but endured as home for the Brisbane Broncos rugby league team during the 1990s and hosted the 2001 Goodwill Games.
  • Queensland Museum - Brisbane is home of the Queensland Museum which is located at the South Bank Parklands.
  • The Skyneedle - Originally built for World Expo '88, the Skyneedle stands 88m from the ground and during special events beams light skywards with a visibility of more than 60km. The Skyneedle was to be relocated to Disneyworld in Tokyo after Expo '88 when hairdresser and local celebrity Stefan bought the rights and moved it 500m from its original location at South Bank.
  • AMP Place - Brisbane's first 'true' skyscraper at 130m was built in 1978.
  • Riparian Plaza - Brisbane's current tallest building reaching 200m/657 feet to roof and contains a spire that reaches 250m/820 feet. The 53 level mixed-use building was designed by Harry Seidler and completed in 2005.
  • Central Plaza 1 & 2 - Constructed in 1988 and designed by Japanese architect Kisho Kurokawa,it is modelled on a split shard of crystal.
  • Riverside Centre - A modern, heritage-listed building which hosts weekend markets and is also the location of several well-known restaurants, as well as the Brisbane Stock Exchange. Designed by Harry Seidler in 1986.

Culture and entertainment

Brisbane has a modest performing arts culture, distributed throughout venues such as La Boite's Roundhouse Theatre in Kelvin Grove, the Queensland Performing Arts Complex (incorporating the Optus Playhouse, Lyric Theatre, Concert Hall and Cremorne Theatre) at Southbank, the Powerhouse in New Farm, the Brisbane Arts Theatre on Petrie Terrace and the recently opened "Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts" in Fortitude Valley.

Brisbane is home to several major performing arts companies including The Queensland Orchestra, Opera Queensland, Queensland Ballet and Queensland Theatre Company.

Brisbane's CBD, centred around the Queen Street pedestrian mall, offers a range of restaurants, award winning shopping centres, night clubs, music and souvenirs. Other popular restaurant districts across the city include Fortitude Valley, New Farm, Teneriffe, West End, Bulimba, Milton, Rosalie, Paddington and Sunnybank.

South Bank Parklands is built on the former World Expo site and is famous for firework displays that attract thousands of spectators. Tourists and locals alike frequent the beautiful bougainvillea lined Riverside Walkway at all times of the year and flock to the area during music and arts festivals.

Fortitude Valley, known popularly as 'the Valley' was zoned as an entertainment precinct in 2004. The Valley is home to pubs, bars, nightclubs, restaurants and cafés and to Brisbane's Chinatown precinct. The Brunswick Street mall hosts bustling pedestrian markets on Saturday and Sunday mornings.

Brisbane Bands and Musicians

Brisbane was the birthplace of some of Australia's best-known bands and contemporary musicians, including The Bee Gees, The Saints, The Go-Betweens, Powderfinger, Regurgitator, George, GANGgajang, The Sunnyboys, The Riptides, Tex Perkins, Custard and Savage Garden.

Close to Brisbane

  • The Gold Coast is about 70km south-east of Brisbane. It is a major tourist zone with approximately 40km of beaches, as well as theme parks, canals and mountain hinterland. Its population is approximately one quarter of Brisbane's.
  • The Sunshine Coast is a collection of beachside communities backed by a subtropical hinterland.
  • Toowoomba is a garden city located inland and 700m above sea level on the Great Dividing Range.
  • Ipswich is a satellite city located approximately 40km South-West of Brisbane. It well known for its Queensland Rail Workshop in the north of the town and RAAF Base Amberley to the south-west, as well as Queensland Raceway and the Willowbank drag strip.
  • Logan is a city roughly 27km south of Brisbane. It is known for being the "gateway" between the Gold Coast and Brisbane. Although Logan is its own city, it has no major commercial development, Logan is more like an extended suburb of Brisbane.

Media

Brisbane is served by seven broadcast television stations: ABC, ABC2 (digital), Seven, Nine, Ten, SBS, and community television station Briz 31.

In addition to the community radio stations 4ZZZ, BayFM 100.3, multicultural 4EB and the radio station for the print handicapped 4RPH, 98.9 FM for the Best Country (it was the first indigenous radio station in a capital city), 101FM (Logan), 4OUR (Caboolture), 997FM (Redcliffe), Switch 1197 AM, 96.5 FM Family, 4MBS Classic FM 103.7 and 4TAB (betting), there are these commercial radio stations in Brisbane: 4BC, 4BH, 4KQ, B105 FM, Triple M, NEW 97.3, River 94.9 and NovaFM.

The ABC transmits all five of its radio networks to Brisbane: Radio National, Triple J, Newsradio, ABC Classic FM and 612 ABC Brisbane, part of the ABC Local Radio network. SBS also broadcasts its national radio network to Brisbane. WorldAudio National Radio 2 transmits on 1620AM (City) and 1629AM (North). Radio Brisvaani provides a voice to the Indian community with Hindi language service on 1701AM.

Brisbane has only one daily newspaper, The Courier-Mail, and one Sunday paper, The Sunday Mail, both owned by News Corporation. There are numerous community and suburban newspapers throughout the metropolitan area.

Transport

Brisbane has a comprehensive public transport system, with high frequencies in the inner city but poor service levels in many outer suburbs. There are several electric suburban rail lines operated by CityTrain, a division of Queensland Rail. Buses within the City of Brisbane are operated by Brisbane Transport, a business arm of Brisbane City Council, as are ferries and CityCats (catamaran ferries) on the Brisbane River. Buses outside the City of Brisbane boundaries are operated by private sector companies contracted by the State Government. Two busways have opened in recent years in Brisbane - the South-East Busway and the Inner-Northern Busway, with two more busways and new rail lines planned. Services and fares are co-ordinated by Translink, a State Government agency.

Brisbane has one of the most complete systems of motorways of any Australian city, including several cross-suburban high-speed roads. The twisting Brisbane River is crossed by seven road bridges, two railway bridges and two pedestrian bridges. Route signage is achieved by means of a system of Metroads, consisting of the most important arterial roads in metropolitan Brisbane including most motorways, and less important State Routes.

Brisbane's massive population growth has seen great strains placed upon South East Queensland's transport system. The State Government and Brisbane City Council have responded with infrastructure plans and increased funding for transportation projects, such as the South-East Queensland Infrastructure Plan and Program.

Brisbane has two major airports - Brisbane International Airport to the north-east of the city with frequent domestic and international passenger and freight flights, and Archerfield Airport in Brisbane's southern suburbs and used only by light aircraft and general aviation. Other local airports can be found at Caboolture and Redcliffe.

Brisbane has excellent and modern port facilities, located at or near the mouth of the Brisbane River on both banks. Container freight, sugar, grain, coal and bulk liquids all pass through the Port of Brisbane. These port facilities are less than three decades old and some are built on reclaimed mangroves and wetlands. Historically, Brisbane's port facilities were located as far upstream as the central business district.

The economic region near the river mouth including the port, airport and refineries is known as the Australia TradeCoast. It is anticipated that 8% or more of Brisbane's jobs will be located here in coming years.

Sport

Brisbane's local sporting teams are:

Besides spectator sport and sports teams, Brisbane hosts several mass participation events each year, including the Bridge to Brisbane fun run each year in August and the Brisbane Marathon in April each year.

Colleges and universities

A number of tertiary education institutions have campuses in Brisbane, or in the surrounding areas:

Sister cities

Notable Brisbanites

Suburbs

See the list of Brisbane suburbs.

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Brisbane Skyline from Brisbane suburb of Kelvin Grove

Interesting facts

Originally the neighbouring city of Ipswich was intended to be the capital of Queensland but Ipswich proved too far inland to allow access by large ships and so Brisbane was chosen as the capital instead. Ipswich as the Capital of Queensland was chosen after Charters Towers in North Queensland. Construction and planning to make Charters Towers the state's capital was well under way when the Gold Mining boom suddenly ran dry, which shocked and dismayed many people as the estimated reserve of gold was put close to 150 years. Ipswich was then chosen and rejected because of the transportation problems involved; in the 1800's transportation was a primary consideration in locating many of the Capital cities.

Within the Brisbane CBD, the central streets are named for members of the House of Hanover. Streets named after female members (Adelaide, Alice, Ann, Charlotte, Elizabeth, Margaret and Mary) run parallel to Queen Street, and perpendicular to streets named after male members (Albert, Edward, George, and William). See Streets of Brisbane.

See also

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