Brisbane

This article is about the Australian city. For other uses of Brisbane, see Brisbane (disambiguation)

Brisbane By Night

Brisbane is the capital city of the state of Queensland, Australia.

Table of contents

1 Geography
2 Weather
3 Demographics
4 Economy
5 Government
6 History
7 Events
8 Tourism
9 Entertainment
10 Sport
11 Colleges and universities
12 Sister cities
13 Airports
14 Suburbs
15 External links

Geography

Brisbane is situated in the southeast corner of Queensland at Latitude: 27° 28' S, Longitude: 153° 02' E. 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.

Weather

Subtropical climate with warm, mild winters and hot, bright summers. Brisbane is subject to humidity.

Demographics

The City of Brisbane has a population of 1,627,535 (census 2001). It is the largest city council in Australia (and is one of the largest in the world) and also boasts Australia's highest rate of population growth.

Government

Brisbane's former Lord Mayor, Jim Soorley, was elected for four terms and served in the office since 1991. He was replaced on May 20, 2003 by his deputy Tim Quinn.

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. Votes occur evey four years.

The city is named after Sir Thomas Brisbane (1773-1860), British soldier and colonial administrator born in Ayrshire, Scotland. In 1823, the explorer John Oxley discovered the Brisbane River and in 1824, the first convict colony was established at Redcliffe Point. Only one year later, the colony was moved from Redcliffe further upstream to North Quay, which is now part of Brisbane's CBD. In 1842, the area was opened for free settlement, while the convict colony was closed. When Queensland separated from New South Wales in 1859 and became a colony by itself, Brisbane was declared the state capital, but it was not until 1902 that Brisbane was officially declared a city. In 1924, the City of Brisbane Act was passed , which gave Brisbane a local government, which took up its work in 1925. During World War II, US troops were stationed in the city, and it became the headquarters for General Douglas MacArthur, the Allied Commander of the South-West Pacific region.

Brisbane has been inundated by two severe floods of the Brisbane River - one in 1893 and one in 1974.

Events

1982 Commonwealth Games.
1988 Expo 88.
1991 International Convention of Lions Clubs International.
2000 Goodwill Games
2003 International Convention of Rotary International.
2003 Hosted matches during Rugby Union World Cup
Annually - The Brisbane exhibition or "Ekka".

Tourism

Sights to see in the city's centre include Southbank Parklands (the site of Expo 88) and the recently developed Roma Street Parklands. The [CityCat] ferry service runs along the Brisbane River from the University of Queensland St Lucia campus to Brett's Wharf at Hamilton, and is an easy way to get from one side of town to the other. Brisbane is also home to:

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, which displays many native Australian animals, and will offer you the chance to have your photo taken with a Koala (Suburb: Fig Tree Pocket).
XXXX brewery, one of Australia's most famous beers (Suburb: Milton).
The Botanical Gardens near the Queensland University of Technology at Gardens Point.
Mount Coot-tha lookout with adjacent botanical gardens (differs from the one at Gardens Point).

Entertainment

Brisbane has a thriving performing arts culture, housed in theatres such as 'La Boite' in Milton (soon to close), the Optus Playhouse and Lyric theatre at Southbank, the Powerhouse theatre in New Farm Park and the recently opened 'Judith Wright Complex', also in New Farm.

Brisbane CBD (central business district), in particular the fashionable Queen Street Mall, has a wide range of restaurants, and shops selling clothes, music and souvenirs.