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Brisbane is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, and is the third largest city in Australia, with a population of over 1.77 million. It is a city set close to the Pacific Ocean, and is situated beside the Brisbane ... more »
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Airports Brisbane is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, and is the third largest city in Australia, with a population of over 1.77 million. It is a city set close to the Pacific Ocean, and is situated beside the Brisbane River on plains between Moreton Bay and the Great Dividing Range in south-eastern Queensland.
Named in honour of Sir Thomas Brisbane, the city grew from a harsh penal colony established by New South Wales at Redcliffe in 1824. It was chosen as the capital of Queensland when it was proclaimed a separate colony in 1859. The city developed slowly until after World War II, when it played a central role in the Allied campaign as the South West Pacific headquarters for General Douglas MacArthur. Brisbane staged a successful Commonwealth Games in 1982 and World's Fair in 1988. In the new millennium, it is one of Australia fastest growing cities.
Brisbane city centre is situated in the southeast corner of Queensland, Australia, at a latitude and longitude of 27°28'S 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, although the urban area is dotted by large hills reaching up to 300 metres such as Mount Coot-tha, Mount Gravatt, Whites Hill and Stephens Mountain. Generally, the city is a low-lying floodplain and susceptible to severe flooding. Many suburban creeks also criss-cross the city increasing the risk of localised flooding.
Brisbane's economy has white-collar and blue-collar industries. White-collar industries include information technology, financial services, higher education and public sector administration generally concentrated in and around the central business district and recently established office areas in the inner suburbs. Blue-collar industries include 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.
Things to do
Brisbane also has many beautiful gardens and parklands.
Popular with tourists are the rock-climbing cliffs which are located at the southern approach to the Story Bridge at Kangaroo Point, as well as the more than 27 km of bicycle pathways which line both sides of the river east and west of the city centre. Another new Brisbane attraction is the Story Bridge Adventure Climb. The Story Bridge is one of only three legally climbable bridges in the world.
Also popular with tourists are the South Bank Parklands, which are located on the site of World Expo '88. The South Bank Parklands 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. Restaurants, Theatres and Beaches make South Bank a great place to spend a day just minutes away from public transport.
Other popular areas for tourism and recreation include the Roma Street Parkland, the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens (a colonial era botanic gardens founded in 1855 in the Brisbane CBD), and the Mount Coot-tha state forest (which includes a lookout over the city), the Brisbane Botanic Gardens (contemporary botanical gardens) and also the Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium. Other popular tourist areas are Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary and Brisbane Forest Park.
As the state capital and largest city, Brisbane has an extensive transportation network which connects the city with other regional centres within Queensland, with other states, and connections to the rest of the world.
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Brisbane is served by two main airports. Brisbane Airport the city's main Brisbane's main airport is the third busiest in the country. It is located north-east of the city centre and provides domestic and international passenger services to major Australian cities as destinations in Asia, Oceania, and the Middle East. The airport also handles freight services and is a base for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. Archerfield Airport is located in Brisbane's southern suburbs and is a general aviation airport. Other smaller general aviation airports are located at Caboolture and Redcliffe.
Public Transport in Brisbane is provided by bus, rail and ferry services. Bus services are operated by public and private operators whereas trains and ferries are operated by public agencies. The Brisbane central business district (CBD) is the central hub for all public transport services with services focusing on Queen Street Bus Station, Roma Street and Central railway stations, and various city ferries wharves. Brisbane's CityCat high speed ferry service, popular with tourists and commuters, operates services along the Brisbane River and in this regard is unusual among Australian cities.
The CityTrain urban rail network consists of 7 suburban lines and covers mostly the west, north and east sides of the city. It also provides the route for an AirTrain service between the City and Brisbane Airport (the AirTrain, itself, is owned by a company). Since 2000, Brisbane has been developing a network of busways to provide faster bus services. "TransLink", an integrated ticketing system operates across the public transport network. Two major cab companies operate in Brisbane; Yellow Cabs and Black and White Cabs. Both companies offer same rate service (regulated by the government and Taxi Council) and pickup from anywhere in the metropolitan and regional areas of Brisbane via bookings or permanent cab ranks.
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The area now known as Brisbane was inhabited before European settlement by the Turrbul and Jagera people whose ancestors originally migrated to the region from across the Torres Strait. In 1823 an exploration party led by John Oxley explored Moreton Bay and sailed up the Brisbane River as far as Goodna, some 20 km upstream from what is now Brisbane central business district.
In 1824, the colonial administration of New South Wales established a penal settlement at what is now Redcliffe, on the shores of Moreton Bay. However, the Redcliffe settlement was abandoned after only one year and the colony was moved south to a peninsula on the Brisbane River (today the Brisbane CBD), which offered a more reliable water supply. Non-convict European settlement of the Brisbane region commenced in 1838.
Queensland was proclaimed a separate colony in June 1859 and Brisbane, which was named in honour of Sir Thomas Brisbane (the, then, Governor of New South Wales), was chosen as its capital. However, Brisbane was not incorporated as a city until 1902. Over twenty small municipalities and shires were amalgamated, in 1925, to form the City of Greater Brisbane, now known simply as the City of Brisbane.
During World War II, Brisbane played a central role in the the Allied campaign when the AMP Building (now called MacArthur Central) was used as the South West Pacific headquarters for General Douglas MacArthur, the chief of the Allied Pacific forces.
Brisbane staged a successful Commonwealth Games in 1982 and World's Fair in 1988. These events in the 1980s were accompanied by a scale of public expenditure, construction and diplomacy not previously seen in the state of Queensland.
In the decades since, the metropolis has become one of Australia fastest growing cities through migration from all continents and the Australian states and territories. In the new millennium, it is one of Australia fastest growing and most multicultural centres.
* Brisbane has a typical subtropical climate with hot, humid summers and dry, mild winters. From late Spring through to early Autumn, thunderstorms are common over the greater Brisbane area, with the more severe events accompanied by large damaging hailstones, torrential rain and destructive winds.
Temperature - Yearly Average
The city's highest recorded temperature was 43.2 °C (109.8 °F) on the 26 January 1940, while the lowest temperature of 2.3 °C (36.1 °F) was recorded on 12 July 1894 and 2 July 1896. Brisbane's wettest day was 21 January 1887, when 465 mm (18.3 in) of rain fell on the city, the highest maximum daily rainfall of any of Australia capital cities.
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Distances are calculated as the crow flies, and are provided as an aid in planning only.
* This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
It uses material from the Source wikipedia.
