Difference between revisions of "Brisbane" - New World Encyclopedia

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It is situated on the [[Brisbane River]] on low-lying [[floodplains|Floodplain]] between [[Moreton Bay]] and the [[Great Dividing Range]] in [[South East Queensland|south-eastern Queensland]]. The city is centred around the Brisbane River, and its eastern suburbs line the shores of Moreton Bay. The greater Brisbane region is on the coastal plain east of the [[Great Dividing Range]]
 
It is situated on the [[Brisbane River]] on low-lying [[floodplains|Floodplain]] between [[Moreton Bay]] and the [[Great Dividing Range]] in [[South East Queensland|south-eastern Queensland]]. The city is centred around the Brisbane River, and its eastern suburbs line the shores of Moreton Bay. The greater Brisbane region is on the coastal plain east of the [[Great Dividing Range]]
  
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The urban area is partially elevated by two large hills reaching up to {{convert|300|m|ft|-1}}, [[Mount Coot-tha, Queensland|Mount Coot-tha]] and [[Mount Gravatt, Queensland|Mount Gravatt]] in the south. [[Mount Petrie]] at {{convert|170|m|ft|-1}} and the smaller rises of [[Enoggera Hill]], [[Highgate Hill, Queensland|Highgate Hill]], [[Mount Ommaney]], [[Stephens Mountain, Queensland|Stephens Mountain]], [[Toohey Mountain]] and [[Whites Hill, Queensland|Whites Hill]] are dotted across the city.  
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The urban area, of 5904.8 hectares, is partially elevated by two large hills reaching up to {{convert|300|m|ft|-1}}, [[Mount Coot-tha, Queensland|Mount Coot-tha]] and [[Mount Gravatt, Queensland|Mount Gravatt]] in the south. [[Mount Petrie]] at {{convert|170|m|ft|-1}} and the smaller rises of [[Enoggera Hill]], [[Highgate Hill, Queensland|Highgate Hill]], [[Mount Ommaney]], [[Stephens Mountain, Queensland|Stephens Mountain]], [[Toohey Mountain]] and [[Whites Hill, Queensland|Whites Hill]] are dotted across the city.  
  
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Brisbane has a [[humid 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 hail stones, torrential rain and destructive winds. Temperatures range from a maximum of 25.5
+
Brisbane has a [[humid 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 hail stones, torrential rain and destructive winds.  
  
−
mintemp = 15.7 The city's highest recorded temperature was {{convert|43.2|°C|°F|sigfig=3}} on [[26 January]] [[1940]].
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Temperatures range from a mean daily maximum in January (summer) of 84.2°F (29°C), and in July of 69.6°F (20.9°C). The city's highest recorded temperature was 109.76°F (43.2°C) on January 26, 1940. Mean annual total rainfall was 37.24 inches (946.1mm) in 2008.
−
|
 
−
| rainfall = 1146.4
 
  
 
Many suburban creeks criss-cross the city, increasing the risk of [[flooding]]. The city has suffered two major floods since colonisation, in 1893 and 1974.  
 
Many suburban creeks criss-cross the city, increasing the risk of [[flooding]]. The city has suffered two major floods since colonisation, in 1893 and 1974.  

Revision as of 20:53, 19 June 2008

Brisbane
Queensland
250px
Brisbane's location in Australia
Population:
• Density: 		1,857,594 (3rd)
918/km²
Established: 1824
Area: 5904.8 km²
Time zone: AEST (No Daylight Saving) (UTC+10)
Location: •793 km from Sydney
• 1425 km from Melbourne
• 1678 km from Adelaide
• 3723 km from Perth
LGA: Brisbane, Ipswich, Logan, Moreton Bay, Redland
County: Stanley
State District: various (38)
Federal Division: Blair, Bonner, Bowman, Brisbane, Dickson, Fadden, Forde, Griffith, Lilley, Longman, Moreton, Oxley, Petrie, Ryan
Mean Max Temp Mean Min Temp Rainfall
40.2 °C
104 °F		 8.8 °C
48 °F		 946.1 mm
37.2 in

Brisbane (pronounced /ˈbɹɪzbən/) is the state capital of Queensland, the third largest city in Australia.

The settlement at Brisbane developed after an abandoned initial penal colony settlement at Redcliffe, 28 kilometers (17 mi) north. The colony moved to the current location of the Brisbane central business district in 1825, and free settlers were permitted from 1842. It was chosen as the capital when Queensland was proclaimed a separate colony in 1859.

The city played a central role in the Allied campaign during World War II as the South West Pacific headquarters for General Douglas MacArthur. More recently, Brisbane hosted the 1982 Commonwealth Games, 1988 World's Fair (Expo '88), and 2001 Goodwill Games.

Geography

Satellite Image of Brisbane Metropolitan Area from Space-station.
Brisbane central business district
with New Farm Park in the foreground.

The city is named after Sir Thomas Brisbane, the Governor of New South Wales from 1821–1825. The local indigenous people knew the area as Mian-jin, meaning 'place shaped as a spike'.

It is situated on the Brisbane River on low-lying Floodplain between Moreton Bay and the Great Dividing Range in south-eastern Queensland. The city is centred around the Brisbane River, and its eastern suburbs line the shores of Moreton Bay. The greater Brisbane region is on the coastal plain east of the Great Dividing Range

The urban area, of 5904.8 hectares, is partially elevated by two large hills reaching up to 300 meters (980 ft), Mount Coot-tha and Mount Gravatt in the south. Mount Petrie at 170 meters (560 ft) and the smaller rises of Enoggera Hill, Highgate Hill, Mount Ommaney, Stephens Mountain, Toohey Mountain and Whites Hill are dotted across the city.

Brisbane has a humid 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 hail stones, torrential rain and destructive winds.

Temperatures range from a mean daily maximum in January (summer) of 84.2°F (29°C), and in July of 69.6°F (20.9°C). The city's highest recorded temperature was 109.76°F (43.2°C) on January 26, 1940. Mean annual total rainfall was 37.24 inches (946.1mm) in 2008.

Many suburban creeks criss-cross the city, increasing the risk of flooding. The city has suffered two major floods since colonisation, in 1893 and 1974.

Size – land area, size comparison Environmental issues Districts


The city's highest recorded temperature was 43.2 °C (110 °F) on 26 January 1940. On 19 July 2007, Brisbane's temperature fell below freezing point for the first time since records began, registering −0.1 °C (31.8 °F) at the airport.[1] Brisbane's wettest day was 21 January 1887, when 465 millimeters (18.3 in) of rain fell on the city, the highest maximum daily rainfall of Australia's capital cities. From 2006, Brisbane and surrounding temperate areas have experienced the most severe drought in over a century, with dam levels dropping below one quarter of their normal capacity. Residents have been mandated by local laws to observe level 6 water restrictions on gardening and other outdoor water usage. Per Capita water usage is below 140 litres per day, giving Brisbane one of the lowest per capita usages of water of any Western city in the world.[2]

Template:Climate table row headerTemplate:Climate table rowTemplate:Climate table rowTemplate:Climate table rowTemplate:Climate table rowTemplate:Climate table row headerTemplate:Climate table rowTemplate:Climate table rowTemplate:Climate table row
Source: Averages for BRISBANE AERO, 1994 - 2007, Bureau of Meteorology
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Notes: Temperatures are in degrees Celsius. Precipitation is in millimetres. Brisbane Airport Latitude: 27.39S Longitude: 153.13E Elevation: 4 m ASL


History

Queensland's first Government House located in the QUT Gardens Point Campus grounds.

Brisbane was inhabited before European settlement by the Turrbal people whose ancestors migrated to the region from across the Torres Strait. They knew the area as Mian-jin, meaning 'place shaped as a spike'.[3]

The Moreton Bay area was initially explored by Matthew Flinders, landing and naming "Red Cliff Point" – after the red-coloured cliffs visible from the bay, known today as Woody Point – on 17 July 1799.[4] In 1823, Governor of New South Wales, Thomas Brisbane, instructed that a new northern penal settlement be developed, and an exploration party led by John Oxley further explored Moreton Bay and sailed up the Brisbane River as far as Goodna, some 20 kilometers (12 mi) upstream from the Brisbane central business district.[5] Oxley recommended Red Cliff Point for the new colony, reporting that ships could land at any tide and easily get close to the shore.[6] The party settled in Redcliffe on 13 September 1824, under the command of Lieutenant Henry Miller with 14 soldiers, some with wives and children, and 29 convicts. However, this settlement was abandoned after one year and the colony was moved south to a site on the Brisbane River at North Quay, 28 kilometers (17 mi) south, that offered a more reliable water supply. Non-convict European settlement of the Brisbane region commenced in 1838.[7]

German missionaries settled at Zions Hill, Nundah, as early as 1837, five years before Brisbane was officially declared a free settlement. The band consisted of two ministers, Christopher Eipper (1813-1894) and Carl Wilhelm Schmidt, and lay missionaries whose names were Haussmann, Johann Gottried Wagner, Niquet, Hartenstein, Zillman, Franz, Rode, Doege and Schneider[8]. They were allocated 260 hectares and set about establishing the mission, which became known as German Station.[9] Free settlers entered the area over the following five years and by the end of 1840 Robert Dixon began work on the first plan of Brisbane Town in anticipation of future development.[10]

Queensland was proclaimed a separate colony on 6 June 1859 [11] with Brisbane chosen as its capital, although it was not incorporated as a city until 1902. Over twenty small municipalities and shires were amalgamated in 1925, to form the City of Brisbane which is governed by the Brisbane City Council.[12][13]

The Windmill in Wickham Park in Brisbane. Built by convicts in 1828, it is one of the oldest buildings in Brisbane with the Old Commissariat Store on William Street.
File:American Army - Brisbane - 1941 102768b.jpg
American Fleet Marching Down Queen Street, Brisbane, March 1941

The Windmill in Wickham Park and the Old Commissariat Store on William Street are considered to be the oldest surviving buildings in Brisbane. Both were built by convict labour in 1828.[14] The Windmill was originally used for the grinding of grain and a punishment for the convicts that manually operated the grinding mill. The Windmill tower’s other significant claim to fame, largely ignored, is that the first television signals in the southern hemisphere were transmitted from it by experimenters in April 1934—long before TV commenced in most places. These experimental TV broadcasts continued until World War II.[citation needed]

The Old Commissariat Store, originally used partly as a grainhouse, has also been a hostel for immigrants and used for the storage of records. Built with Brisbane tuff from the nearby Kangaroo Point Cliffs and sandstone from a quarry near today's Albion Park Racecourse, it is now the home of the Royal Historical Society of Brisbane. It contains a museum and can also be hired for small functions.[15][16][17]

Anzac Square and the Shrine of Remembrance, Brisbane (date unknown)

The Shrine of Remembrance, in ANZAC Square, is Brisbane's main war memorial. The Shrine was dedicated at 11:00 am on 11 November 1930.[18]

During World War II, Brisbane became central to the Allied campaign when the AMP Building (now called MacArthur Central) was used as the South West Pacific headquarters for General Douglas MacArthur, chief of the Allied Pacific forces. MacArthur had previously rejected using the University of Queensland complex as his HQ, as the distinctive bends in the river at St Lucia could have aided enemy bombers. Also used as a Headquarters by the American troops during World War II was the T & G Building.[19] Approximately 1,000,000 US troops passed through Australia during the war, as the primary coordination point for the South West Pacific.[20] In 1942 Brisbane was the site of a violent clash between visiting US military personnel and Australian servicemen and civilians which resulted in one death and several injuries. This incident became known colloquially as the Battle of Brisbane.[21]

Brisbane staged the successful Commonwealth Games during 1982, and World's Fair (known locally as Expo '88) during 1988. These events were accompanied by a scale of public expenditure, construction and development not previously seen in the state of Queensland.[22][23]

Administration

Brisbane City Hall houses the Museum of Brisbane and offices of the Brisbane City Council.


xxxfrom intro A large portion of Brisbane is controlled by the Brisbane City Council and also covers parts of several adjoining local government areas. In 1925, the City of Brisbane Act was passed by the Queensland Government, abolishing 20 local government authorities in the city and forming the largest local authority in Australia, covering 1,200 square kilometers (460 sq mi).[24] xxx

Unlike other Australian capital cities, a large portion of the greater metropolitan area of Brisbane is controlled by a single local government entity, the Brisbane City Council. Since the creation of the Brisbane City Council in 1925 the urban areas of Brisbane have expanded considerably past the City Council boundaries.[25]

The City of Brisbane is divided into 26 wards, with each ward electing a Councillor as their community representative. The Lord Mayor of Brisbane and Councillors are elected every four years by popular vote, in which all residents must participate. The current Lord Mayor of Brisbane is Campbell Newman, who was elected to the position in March 2004[26] and re-elected in 2008.[27]

Brisbane City Council is the largest local government body (in terms of population and budget) in Australia. The Council, formed by the merger of twenty smaller councils in 1925, has jurisdiction over an area of 1367 km². The Council's annual budget is approximately $1.6 billion, and it has an asset base of $13 billion.[28]

The Brisbane metropolitan area now covers parts of several adjoining local government areas including Moreton Bay, Ipswich City, Logan City and Redland Shire.[29][30]

Economy

Brisbane city by night, looking north along the Brisbane River towards the CBD.
Queen Street Mall, Brisbane CBD.

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, including 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.[31]

Since 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" initiative.[32] 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 of Health and Biomedical Innovation (IHBI).[33]

The Port of Brisbane is on the lower reaches of the Brisbane River and on Fisherman's Island at the rivers mouth, and is the 3rd most important port in Australia for value of goods.[34] Container freight, sugar, grain, coal and bulk liquids are the major exports. Most of the port facilities are less than three decades old and some are built on reclaimed mangroves and wetlands. The Port is a part of the Australia TradeCoast, the country's fastest-growing economic development area.[35] Geographically, Australia TradeCoast occupies a large swathe of land around the airport and port. Commercially, the area has attracted a mix of companies from throughout the Asia Pacific region.[35]

Brisbane is one of the major business hubs in Australia.[36] Most major Australian companies, as well as numerous international companies, have contact offices in Brisbane, while numerous electronics business haves distribution hubs in and around the city. DHL Global's Oceanic distribution warehouse is located in Brisbane, as is Asia Pacific Aerospace's headquarters.

Home grown major companies include Suncorp-Metway Limited, Flight Centre, Sunsuper, Orrcon, Credit Union Australia, Donut King, Wotif.com, WebCentral, PIPE Networks, Krome Studios, Mincom Limited and Virgin Blue.

Brisbane has a range of retail precincts, both in the central business district and in the suburbs. The Queen Street Mall has restaurants, cinemas, souvenir outlets and shopping centres, including: Wintergarden, Broadway on the Mall, QueensPlaza, Brisbane Arcade and The Myer Centre.

The majority of retail business is done within the suburbs of Brisbane in shopping centres which include major department store chains. There are 3 major Westfield shopping centres in Brisbane located in the suburbs of Chermside, Mt Gravatt and Carindale.[37] Other large shopping centres exist at Indooroopilly, Toombul, Mitchelton and Stafford.


CityCat catamaran ferry on the Brisbane River.
A view of the Brisbane CBD and Story Bridge
File:VictoriaBridge.jpg
Victoria Bridge, Brisbane

Early transport developed along dirt roads that are now replaced with paved roads and via the Brisbane River with various ferry services. Trams serviced the city between 1885 and 1969, while railway networks spread across Brisbane into the expanding nearby regions during the 1870s. Today, as Queensland's largest city and state capital, Brisbane has an extensive transportation network within the city, as well as connections to regional centres, interstate and to overseas destinations.

The use of urban public transport is still only a small component of total passenger transport, the largest component being travel by private car [38].

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 between the University of Queensland and Brett's Wharf.

The Citytrain urban rail network consists of 10 suburban lines and covers mostly the west, north and east sides of the city. It also provides the route for an Airtrain service under joint public/private control between the City and Brisbane Airport. Since 2000, Brisbane has been developing a network of busways, including the South-East Busway and the Inner-Northern Busway, to provide faster bus services. "TransLink", an integrated ticketing system operates across the public transport network.

The Brisbane River has created a barrier to some road transport routes. In total there are six road bridges, mostly concentrated in the inner city area. This has intensified the need for transport routes to focus on the inner city. There are also three railway bridges and one pedestrian bridge. The Eleanor Schonell Bridge (originally named The Green Bridge) between the University of Queensland and Dutton Park is for use by buses, pedestrians and cyclists. There are currently multiple tunnel and bridge projects underway as part of the TransApex plan. For further information about Brisbane's bridges, see the article Bridges of Brisbane.

An extensive network of pedestrian and cyclist pathways have been created along the banks of the Brisbane River to form a Riverwalk network.[39]

Brisbane is served by several freeways. The Pacific Motorway connects the central city with the Gold Coast to the south. The Ipswich Motorway connects the city with Ipswich to the west via the southern suburbs, while the Western Freeway and the Centenary Freeway provide a connection between Brisbane's inner-west and the outer south-west, connecting with the Ipswich Motorway south of the Brisbane River. The Bruce Highway is Brisbane's main route north of the city to the rest of the State. The Bruce Highway terminates 1700 km away in Cairns and passes through most major cities along the Queensland coast. The Gateway Motorway is a private toll road which connects the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coasts by providing an alternate route avoiding Brisbane's inner city area. The tollroad crosses the Brisbane River to the east of the city over the Gateway Bridge. The Gateway Motorway connects with Bruce Highway and the Pacific Motorway. A duplicate of the bridge is planned to be built in parallel to cope with the area's growing population. The Port of Brisbane Motorway links the Gateway to the Port of Brisbane, while Inner City Bypass and the Riverside Expressway act as the inner ring freeway system to prevent motorists from travelling through the city's congested centre.[40]

Brisbane's population growth placed strains on 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. Most of the focus has been placed on expanding current road infrastructure, particularly tunnels and bypasses, as well as improving the public transport system.

Brisbane Airport (IATA code: BNE) is the city's main airport, the third busiest in Australia after Sydney Airport and Melbourne Airport respectively. It is located near Eagle Farm, north-east of the city centre and provides domestic and international passenger services. Archerfield Airport (in Brisbane's southern suburbs) acts as a general aviation airport.

Demographics

At the 2006 census the population of Brisbane was 1,763,131, making it the third largest city in Australia.[41] Brisbane recorded the largest growth rate of all capital cities in the last Census, with an annual growth rate of 2.2%[42]

Brisbane has a lower inner city population density than Australia's two largest cities, Sydney and Melbourne, although constant population growth is closing that gap.[43] The lower population density reflects the fact that most of Brisbane's housing stock consists of detached houses.

The city has a density of 379.4 people per square kilometre, which is comparable to that of Sydney. Recently the density of the city and inner city neighbourhoods has increased with the construction of apartments, with the result that the population of the central business district has doubled over the last 5 years.

The Australian Census in 2006 showed that 1.7% of Brisbane's population were of indigenous origin and 21.7% were born overseas, Of those born outside of Australia, the three main countries of birth were New Zealand, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. Approximately 16.1% of households spoke a language other than English, with the most common being Mandarin, Vietnamese and Cantonese. The median population age across the city was 35 years.[44]

The Forgan Smith Building and the Great Court University of Queensland.

Brisbane has multi-campus universities and colleges including the University of Queensland (a member of the Group of Eight and Universitas 21), Queensland University of Technology and Griffith University. Other universities which have campuses in Brisbane include the Australian Catholic University, Central Queensland University, James Cook University, the University of the Sunshine Coast and the University of Southern Queensland.

There are three major TAFE colleges in Brisbane; the Brisbane North Institute of TAFE, the Metropolitan South Institute of TAFE, and the Southbank Institute of TAFE.[45] Brisbane is also home to numerous other independent tertiary education providers, including the Australian College of Natural Medicine, the Brisbane College of Theology, QANTM, as well as Jschool: Journalism Education & Training.

The majority of Brisbane's preschool, primary, and secondary schools are run under the jurisdiction of Education Queensland, a branch of the Queensland Government.[46] There are also a large number of independent and Roman Catholic run schools.

Culture

Architecture and housing Early legislation decreed a minimum size for residential blocks resulting in few terrace houses being constructed in Brisbane. The high density housing that existed came in the form of miniature Queenslander-style houses which resemble the much larger traditional styles but are sometimes only one quarter the size. These miniature Queenslanders are becoming scarce but can still be seen in the inner city suburbs. Multi residence accommodations (such as apartment blocks) are relatively new to Brisbane, with few such blocks built before 1970, other than in inner suburbs such as New Farm. Pre-1950 housing was often built in a distinctive architectural style known as a Queenslander, featuring timber construction with large verandahs and high ceilings. The relatively low cost of timber in South-East Queensland meant that until recently most residences were constructed of timber, rather than brick or stone. Many of these houses are elevated on stumps (also called "stilts"), that were originally timber, but are now frequently replaced by steel or concrete.

Parks

Museums and art galleries

Restaurants

Performing arts

Sports

Arts and entertainment

Fireworks over the South Bank Parklands man-made beach
File:Brisbanegalleryofmodermart.jpg
Queensland Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA), located in South Bank

Brisbane has a growing live music scene, both popular and classical. The Queensland Performing Arts Complex consists of the Lyric Theatre, a Concert Hall, Cremorne Theatre and the Playhouse Theatre. The Queensland Ballet, Opera Queensland, Queensland Theatre Company and other performance art groups stage regular performances in the different venues. The La Boite Theatre Company performs at the Roundhouse Theatre at Kelvin Grove. The Powerhouse complex, Twelfth Night Theatre and Brisbane Arts Theatre also stage productions throughout the year.

Along with Beijing, Berlin, Birmingham and Marseille, Brisbane was nominated as one of the Top 5 International Music Hotspots by Billboard in 2007. There are also popular entertainment pubs and clubs within both the City and Fortitude Valley.[47][48]

The Queensland Museum is located at South Bank. The Queensland Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA), opened in December 2006, is one of the latest additions to the South Bank area and houses some of the most well-known pieces of modern art from within and outside Australia. GOMA is the largest modern art gallery in Australia. GOMA holds the Asia Pacific Triennial (ATP) which focuses on contemporary art from the Asia and Pacific in a variety of media from painting to video work. In Addition, its size enables the gallery to exhibit particularly large shows — the Andy Warhol exhibition being the largest survey of his work in Australia. GOMA also boasts Australia's largest purpose-built Cinémathèque. The Gallery of Modern Art is located next to the State Library of Queensland and the Queensland Art Gallery.

The Brisbane Powerhouse in New Farm and the Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts on Brunswick Street in Fortitude Valley also feature diverse programs featuring exhibitions and festivals of visual art, music and dance.

Annual events

File:Rf06w.jpg
Riverfestival 2006 fireworks

Major cultural events in Brisbane include the Ekka (the Royal Queensland Show), held each August, and the Riverfestival, held each September at South Bank Parklands and surrounding areas. Warana, (meaning Blue Skies), was a former spring festival which began in 1961 and was held in September each year. Run as a celebration of Brisbane, Warana was similar to Melbourne's Moomba festival. In 1996 the annual festival was changed to a biennial Brisbane Festival.[49]

The Brisbane International Film Festival (BIFF) is held in July/August in a variety of venues around Brisbane including the Regent Cinema in Queen Street Mall. BIFF features new films and retrospectives by domestic and international filmmakers along with seminars and awards.

The Paniyiri festival at Musgrave Park (corner of Russell and Edmondstone Streets, South Brisbane) is an annual Greek cultural festival held on the first weekend in May. The Brisbane Medieval Fayre and Tournament is held each June in Musgrave Park.

The Valley Fiesta is an annual three-day event organised by the Valley Chamber of Commerce. It was launched by Brisbane Marketing in 2002 to promote Fortitude Valley as a hub for arts and youth culture. It features free live music, market stalls, food and drink from many local restaurants and cafés, and other entertainment.

The Bridge to Brisbane fun run has become a major annual charity event for Brisbane.

Tourism and recreation

Popular recreation areas in Brisbane include the South Bank Parklands, Roma Street Parkland, and City Botanic Gardens. The suburb of Mount Coot-tha is home to a popular state forest, and the Brisbane Botanic Gardens which houses the Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium and the "Tsuki-yama-chisen" Japanese Garden. Brisbane has over 27 km (16.8 mi) of bicycle pathways, mostly surrounding the Brisbane river and city centre, extending to the west of the city.[50] Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary and Brisbane Forest Park, located in the city, are popular tourist destinations alongside the Story Bridge adventure climb and Portside Wharf.

Sport

Suncorp Stadium, aligned for an NRL game

Brisbane has hosted several major sporting events including the 1982 Commonwealth Games and the 2001 Goodwill Games. The city also hosted events during the 1987 Rugby World Cup, 1992 Cricket World Cup, 2000 Sydney Olympics, the 2003 Rugby World Cup and will host the Grand Final of the 2008 Rugby League World Cup. In 2005, then Premier Peter Beattie announced plans for Brisbane to bid to host the 2024 Olympic Games.[51]

Two of the city's major sporting venues are the Sleeman Centre at Chandler, and the stadium facilities of the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre in Nathan. With the closure of the Milton Tennis grounds in 1994, Brisbane lacks a major tennis facility. In 2005, the State Government approved the State Tennis Centre a new A$65 million tennis stadium. Construction of the Tennis Centre was started in May 2006, with a completion date scheduled for December 2008.[52] Brisbane has teams in all major interstate competitions, including:


Media

Brisbane has only one daily newspaper, The Courier-Mail, and one Sunday paper, The Sunday Mail, both owned by News Corporation. Brisbane receives the national daily, The Australian, and the Weekend Australian, together with Fairfax papers Australian Financial Review, the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. There are community and suburban newspapers throughout the metropolitan and regional areas, including Brisbane News and City News, many of which are produced by Quest Newspapers. mX, a free daily commuter newspaper, was launched in 2007, following the newspaper's success in Melbourne and Sydney. In 2007, Fairfax launched the Brisbane Times, an online news site.

Brisbane is served by all five major television networks in Australia, which broadcast from the summit of Mount Coot-tha. The three commercial stations, Seven, Nine, and Ten, are accompanied by two government networks, ABC and SBS, with all five providing digital television. 31, a community station, also broadcasts in Brisbane. Optus, Foxtel and Austar all operate PayTV services in Brisbane, via cable and satellite means.

The ABC transmits all five of its radio networks to Brisbane; 612 ABC Brisbane, ABC Classic FM, ABC NewsRadio, Radio National, and Triple J. SBS broadcasts its national radio network. Brisbane is serviced by major commercial radio stations, including 4KQ, 4B.C.E., 4BH, 97.3 FM, B105 FM, Nova 106.9, and Triple M.

Infrastructure

Health

Brisbane is covered by Queensland Health's "Northside" and "Southside" health service areas.[53] Within the greater Brisbane area there are 8 major public hospitals, 4 major private hospitals, and smaller public and private facilities. Specialist and general medical practices are located in the CBD, and most suburbs and localities. Private hospitals in Brisbane include Greenslopes Private Hospital, Redlands Private Hospital, Mater Private Hospital, Brisbane Private and RBH Private.

Utilities

Water storage, treatment and delivery for Brisbane is handled by SEQ Water, which sells on to Brisbane Water for distribution to the greater Brisbane area. Water for the area is stored in one of three dams; Wivenhoe, Somerset and North Pine. As of 13 May 2005, Brisbane has enforced water restrictions due to drought.[54] This has also led to the State Government announcing that recycled sewage will be pumped into the dams once the pipeline is complete in 2009.[55]

Electricity and gas grids in Brisbane are handled by Energex (electricity), and Origin Energy (gas), with each company previously holding a monopoly on domestic retail supply. Since July 1, 2007 Queensland regulation changes have opened up the retail energy market, allowing multiple companies to resell both gas and electricity.[56]

Metropolitan Brisbane is serviced by all major and most minor telecommunications companies and their networks. Brisbane has the largest number of enabled DSL telephone exchanges in Queensland. An increasing number are also enabled with special hardware (DSLAMs) which enable high speed ADSL2+ internet access. The Brisbane CBD also features a complete underground fibre optics network, with numerous connections to the inner suburbs provided by various service providers.

Telstra and Optus provide both high speed internet as well as Pay TV through their cable services for the bulk of the city's metropolitan area. Both of these providers also host wireless networks with hotspots within both the inner and suburban areas. In addition, 3 Mobile, Telstra, Optus and Vodafone all operate both 2.5G, 3G and 3.5G mobile phone networks citywide.[57]

See also

Portal Brisbane Portal
  • List of Brisbane-related topics
  • Greater Brisbane Area

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  1. ↑ Daniel Sankey and Tony Moore (19 July 2007). Coldest day on record for Brisbane. The Brisbane Times. Retrieved 2008-01-05.
  2. ↑ Brisbane residents best water savers in world: Newman. ABC News. Retrieved 2008-03-19.
  3. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named mian-jin
  4. ↑ "Redcliffe", Travel, The Sydney Morning Herald, 8 February 2004. Retrieved 2008-05-17.
  5. ↑ Steele, John Gladstone (1983). The Explorers of the Moreton Bay District, 1770-1830. Brisbane: University of Queensland Press. ISBN 0702206970. 
  6. ↑ Potter, Ron. Place Names of South East Queensland. Piula Publications. Retrieved 2008-05-17.
  7. ↑ About Redcliffe. Redcliffe City Council. Retrieved 2007-12-01.
  8. ↑ Lybaek, Lena and Konrad Raiser, Stefanie Schardien. Gemeinschaft der Kirchen und gesellschaftliche Verantwortung, p114. ISBN 978-3825870614. 
  9. ↑ Christopher Eipper (1813 - 1894). Street Signs - And What They Mean. Pelican Waters Shire Council. Retrieved 2007-12-20.
  10. ↑ de Strzelecki, Paul Edmond (1845). Physical Description of New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land: Accompanied by a Geological Map, Sections, and Diagrams. London, United Kingdom: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans. 
  11. ↑ http://www.nrw.qld.gov.au/museum/articles_complete/surveying/border.html
  12. ↑ Organisation chart. Brisbane City Council. Retrieved 2007-12-20.
  13. ↑ Jolly, William Alfred (1881 - 1955). Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 2007-12-20.
  14. ↑ TimeWalks Brisbane - Windmill. Queensland Government (24 March 2008). Retrieved 2008-04-10.
  15. ↑ Statham-Drew, Pamela. The Origin of Australia's Capital Cities. Cambridge University Press, p257. ISBN 978-0521408325. 
  16. ↑ Pike, Jeffrey. Australia. Insight. ISBN 978-9812347992. 
  17. ↑ The Commissariat Stores. Retrieved 2008-02-24.
  18. ↑ Brisbane. ANZAC Day Commemoration Committee (Qld) Incorporated (1998). Retrieved 2007-12-28.
  19. ↑ Peter Dunn (2 March 2005). Hirings Section. Australia @ War. Retrieved 2008-01-07.
  20. ↑ QM Supply in the Pacific during WWII. Quartermaster Professional Bulletin (Spring 1999). Retrieved 2008-01-07.
  21. ↑ Peter Dunn (27 August 2005). The Battle Of Brisbane — 26 & 27 November 1942. Australia @ War. Retrieved 2008-01-07.
  22. ↑ ACGA Past Games 1982. Commonwealth Games Australia. Retrieved 2007-12-28.
  23. ↑ Rebecca Bell. Expo 88 / Brisbane. OZ Culture. Retrieved 2007-12-28.
  24. ↑ Brisbane since pre-European times. Retrieved 2008-02-24.
  25. ↑ Brisbane City Council. NetCat. Retrieved 2007-12-28.
  26. ↑ Greatest Assets: People. 2007 & Beyond. Queensland Events. Retrieved 2007-12-28.
  27. ↑ Time for Newman to deliver. Courier Mail. Retrieved 2008-03-19.
  28. ↑ Annual Report and Financial Statements. Brisbane City Council. Retrieved 2008-01-05.
  29. ↑ Brisbane Metropolitan Area. Queensland Government. Retrieved 2007-12-29.
  30. ↑ Brisbane Suburbs Index. OurBrisbane. Retrieved 2007-12-29.
  31. ↑ Department of Tourism, Regional Development and Industry (14 December 2007). Brisbane's business visitors drive $412 million domestic tourism increase. Brisbane Marketing. Retrieved 2007-12-29.
  32. ↑ What is the Smart State. Queensland Government. Retrieved 2007-12-29.
  33. ↑ Peter Beattie (4 December 2007). Brain power drives Smart State. The Courier Mail. News.com.au. Retrieved 2007-12-29.
  34. ↑ Brisbane Container Terminal, Australia. Port Technology. Retrieved 2007-12-29.
  35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 About Us. Australia TradeCoast. Retrieved 2008-01-13.
  36. ↑ Brisbane business visitor numbers skyrocket. Brisbane Marketing Convention Bureau. e-Travel Blackboard (3 January 2008). Retrieved 2008-01-13.
  37. ↑ History. Westfield Group. Retrieved 2007-12-29.
  38. ↑ Year Book Australia, 2005. ABS accessdate=2008-02-19.
  39. ↑ About RiverWalk. Brisbane City Council. Retrieved 2008-01-05.
  40. ↑ The upgrade. Gateway Upgrade Project. Retrieved 2008-01-05.
  41. ↑ Template:Census 2006 AUS
  42. ↑ Template:Cite url
  43. ↑ Indicator: HS-06 Population density patterns in major cities. Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts. Government of Australia. Retrieved 2008-01-12.
  44. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named abs
  45. ↑ TAFE Queensland. Queensland Government. Retrieved 2007-12-02.
  46. ↑ Education Queensland. Queensland Government. Retrieved 2007-12-02.
  47. ↑ Billboard Loves Brisbane. Music News. Triple J. Retrieved 2007-11-15.
  48. ↑ Beijing, Berlin among music hot spots in 2007. Music News. Reuters (1 January 2007). Retrieved 2007-12-29.
  49. ↑ History. Brisbane Festival. Retrieved 2008-03-02.
  50. ↑ Cycling in Brisbane. OurBrisbane. Retrieved 2008-01-12.
  51. ↑ Eleanor Hall (1 April 2005). Brisbane keen to bid for 2024 Olympics. The World Today. ABC. Retrieved 2008-01-05.
  52. ↑ Frequently Asked Questions. Department of Local Government, Sport and Recreation. Retrieved 2008-03-21.
  53. ↑ Profiles - Hospitals. Queensland Health. Retrieved 2008-03-26.
  54. ↑ Emma Chalmers, Jeremy Pierce and Neil Hickey (8 February 2008). Queensland Water Commission retain restrictions. The Courier Mail. news.com.au. Retrieved 2008-03-02.
  55. ↑ Peter Beattie. SEQ WILL HAVE PURIFIED RECYCLED WATER BUT NO VOTE: PREMIER (Ministerial media statement). Queensland Government. Retrieved 2008-02-29.
  56. ↑ Full Retail Competition. Queensland Department of Mines and Energy. Retrieved 2008-03-02.
  57. ↑ Roland Tellzen (1 April 2008). Mobile broadband takes off. The Australian. news.com.au. Retrieved 2008-04-17.

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