Brisbane

Nestled on a bend of a snaking river, Brisbane was founded in 1825 as a small penal colony centred around what is now Queen and William Streets. Explorer, Lieutenant John Oxley, named the river after Sir Thomas Brisbane, the then Governor of New South Wales.

Situated 27 kilometres from the mouth of Moreton Bay, the site was chosen for its reliable water supply and because the upstream location would make escape difficult for the repeat offenders destined for the new colony.

More than 17 years later in 1842, the original penal colony was formally closed and Brisbane was officially opened up for free settlement.

Brisbane remained part of New South Wales for a further 17 years, before the self-governing colony of Queensland was created in 1859 and later that same year, the first election for Brisbane’s Municipal Council was held.

While Brisbane was designated the capital of the new Queensland colony, it did not receive official city status until 1902.  By then, the population of Brisbane had risen from 6,000 to just over 220,000.

The Brisbane River combined with other features of the natural environment to determine the shape of the city and the suburbs to follow. On the north-east, the Taylor Range provided a natural boundary and to the south Pine Mountain, Whites Hill, Tooheys Mountain, and Mount Gravatt defined the southern and south-eastern reaches of the city. The swampy land to the north was difficult to cross, with much of it eventually drained to form the Brisbane Airport, leaving the Boondall Wetlands as a reminder of the former landscape.

Brisbane played a crucial role during the Second World War, with General Douglas MacArthur directing the Allied war effort in the Pacific region from headquarters on the eighth floor of the AMP Building in Queen Street in the city – now known as MacArthur Chambers.

Following the conclusion of the war, more people were able to afford cars – leading to the rapid expansion of the city as residents relied less on public transport and moved further out from the city.

The city and suburbs have continued to grow rapidly, benefiting from an influx of post-war immigrants, and later from Vietnamese refugees in the 1980s.

Along the way, Brisbane has shed its reputation as a 'big country town' and emerged as a vital Australian city.

Today, Brisbane is renowned for its mild, subtropical climate and relaxed friendly atmosphere. Already home to more than 24% of Queensland’s total population, its annual growth is more than 2%.

Despite this rapid growth, Brisbane is still recognised as Australia’s most biologically diverse capital city, with 30% vegetation cover and air pollution levels much lower than Sydney or Melbourne.

Brisbane is also a multicultural city, with almost one quarter of the population born overseas and 20% of residents speaking a language other than English at home. This diversity is reflected in a calendar of festivals and events including RiverFestival, Brisbane Festival, Chinese New Year and Paniyiri.

For further information on the history of Brisbane and its suburbs, visit www.brisbites.com, or for more information on what’s happening around Brisbane today, visit www.ourbrisbane.com.au