Brisbane is the capital city in the Australian state of Queensland.
It is situated inside a peninsula of the Brisbane River, about 15 kilometres (9 miles) from its mouth at Moreton Bay, a bay of the Coral Sea.
As of April 2020, the population of Brisbane is over 2.5 million people. It is the most populous city in Queensland and the 3rd most populus city in Australia (after Sydney and Melbourne).
The city covers a total area of 15,842 square kilometers (6,117 square miles).
The average altitude is 77 metres (253 feet) above sea level.
One of the oldest cities in Australia, Brisbane was founded upon the ancient homelands of the indigenous Turrbal and Jagera peoples.
The site, first explored in 1823 by John Oxley, was occupied in 1824 by a penal colony, which had moved from Redcliffe.
The early name, Edenglassie, was changed to honour Sir Thomas Makdougall Brisbane, governor of New South Wales (1821–25), when the convict settlement was declared a town in 1834.
Brisbane was chosen as the capital when Queensland was proclaimed a separate colony from New South Wales in 1859.
During World War II, Brisbane played a central role in the Allied campaign and served as the South West Pacific headquarters for United States Army General Douglas MacArthur.
More recently, Brisbane hosted the 1982 Commonwealth Games, 1988 World’s Fair (Expo ’88), and the 2001 Goodwill Games.
Today, Brisbane is a lively, cosmopolitan city that is well known for its distinct Queenslander architecture which forms much of the city’s built heritage.
South Bank is a cultural, social, educational and recreational precinct in Brisbane. Located on the southern banks of the Brisbane River, its 17 hectares (42 acres) of lush parklands, world-class eateries, stunning river views and hundreds of delightful events all year round make it the perfect place to relax and unwind.
The South Bank Parklands are located at South Bank. The parkland, on the transformed site of Brisbane’s World Expo 88, was officially opened to the public on 20 June 1992. It is one of Brisbane’s most popular tourist attractions.
Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary is an 18-hectare (44-acre) Koala Sanctuary in the Brisbane suburb of Fig Tree Pocket in Queensland. The sanctuary opened in 1927 to provide a safe refuge to sick, injured, and orphaned koalas, at a time when they were being killed for their fur. The founder of the sanctuary, Claude Reid, recognised the need to protect this unique species and initiated the protection of their habitat. It is the world’s oldest and largest koala sanctuary.
The Cathedral of St Stephen is the heritage-listed cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane and seat of its archbishop. The stones of St Stephen’s Cathedral are silent witnesses to the joy and hope, the grief and anguish of generations of Catholic families.
St John’s Cathedral is the Anglican cathedral of the Anglican Diocese of Brisbane and the metropolitan cathedral of the ecclesiastical province of Queensland. The church has been built in three stages over two centuries between 1906 and 2009. The cathedral is the second-oldest Anglican church in Brisbane, predated only by the extant All Saints church on Wickham Terrace (1862). It is also the only existing building with a stone vaulted ceiling in the southern hemisphere.
All Saints Anglican Church is a heritage-listed church at 32 Wickham Terrace, Spring Hill, City of Brisbane. First founded in 1862, the current building designed by Benjamin Backhouse was completed in 1869, making it the oldest Anglican church in Brisbane. For most of its history, it has been identified with the High Church or Anglo-Catholic tradition within Anglicanism. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.
Museum of Brisbane explores contemporary and historic Brisbane, Australia, and its people through a program of art and social history exhibitions, workshops, talks, tours and children’s activities. Located on level 3, of Brisbane City Hall in the city’s CBD, the Museum and its staff are highly regarded for their innovation and contemporary international practice across the museum and gallery sector.
The Queensland Art Gallery is an art museum located in the South Bank precinct of Brisbane. The gallery is part of the Queensland Cultural Centre. It complements the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) building, situated only 150 metres (490 ft) away.
The Story Bridge is a heritage-listed steel cantilever bridge spanning the Brisbane River that carries vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic between the northern and the southern suburbs of Brisbane. It is one of only three bridge climbs in the world (after Sydney and Auckland) and is the longest cantilever bridge in Australia.
The City Botanic Gardens is a heritage-listed botanic garden. The Gardens include Brisbane’s most mature gardens, with many rare and unusual botanic species. In particular the Gardens feature a special collection of cycads, palms, figs and bamboo.
Tourism plays a major role in Brisbane’s economy, being the third-most popular destination for international tourists after Sydney and Melbourne.
Indigenous Australians are believed to have lived in coastal South East Queensland for 22,000 years, with an estimated population between 6,000 and 10,000 individuals before white settlement.
The demonym of Brisbane is “Brisbanite”, whilst common nicknames include “Brissy”, “River City” and “Brisvegas”.