Brisbane is named after theBrisbane River, which in turn was named afterSir Thomas Brisbane, thegovernor of New South Wales from 1821 to 1825.[27][28][29] The name is possibly derived from theScottish Gaelicbris, meaning'to break or smash' and theOld English wordban meaning'bone'.[30][31] Alternatively, the name could be derived from either "Braesbane" indicating white hills or "Braesburn" meaning a small rivulet from the hillside.[32] Popular nicknames for Brisbane includeBrissie (pronounced "Brizzie"),Brisvegas, andtheRiver City.[33][34]
Brisbane is also known asMeanjin,Magandjin and other spellings,[N 1] the Indigenous name likely originally forGardens Point.[41] There is a difference of opinion between local traditional owners over the spelling, provenance and pronunciation of indigenous names for Brisbane.[42] The daughter of early colonistTom Petrie recorded that the name "Mi-an-jin" or "Me-an-jin" referred to the area that Brisbane CBD now straddles.[43] Some sources state that the name means'place shaped as a spike' or'the spearhead' referencing the shape of theBrisbane River along the area of the Brisbane CBD.[44][36] A contemporary Turrbal organisation has also suggested it means'the place of the blue water lilies'.[39] Local Elder Gaja Kerry Charlton posits thatMeanjin is based on a European understanding of'spike', and that the phonetically similarYagara nameMagandjin — after the nativetulipwood trees (magan) atGardens Point — is a more accurate and appropriate Aboriginal name for Brisbane.[45]
TheBrisbane River (Maiwar) formed the heart of cultural, economic and ceremonial life, with major camps atBarambin (York's Hollow),Woolloon-cappem (Kurilpa) andMusgrave Park.The central city peninsula was traditionally known asMeeanjin.
Early drawing of the Moreton Bay settlement, withOld Tower Mill c.1835
Matthew Flinders charted parts ofMoreton Bay in 1799, followed byJohn Oxley in 1823, who located the Brisbane River with the help of castaways and recommended the area for apenal settlement.The first outpost was founded atRedcliffe in 1824 before relocating toNorth Quay in 1825.UnderCaptain Patrick Logan, the penal station gained a reputation as one of the harshest in New South Wales. The 1820s and 1830s saw the settlement experience recurrent conflict with neighbouring Indigenous tribes, including organisedmaize-field raids and the widerMoreton Bay Islands conflict.The settlement closed in 1842, opening the district to free colonisation.
Brisbane grew as a river port serving pastoral districts and theMoreton Bay islands, while German and Scottish migrants established early agricultural settlements, notably theZion Hill Mission atNundah in 1838 andFortitude Valley named after theFortitude.Brisbane became the capital of the newly separatedColony of Queensland in 1859. Civic development followed, including the construction ofParliament House and theTreasury Building, expanding wharves and new rail connections linking the town to surrounding pastoral districts.
From the 1860s, Brisbane became a keyWestern Pacific port in the trade ofblackbirded labour, serving as a major point of transit forSouth Sea Islander indentured labourers transported to plantation districts across Queensland, linking the city to the wider plantation economy of the colony. Although administered as an indenture system, many historians regard the trade as a form of slavery or slavery-like coercion, citing deceptive recruitment practices, restrictions on movement and widespread exploitation.
In the late 19th century, Brisbane had become unusually cosmopolitan for its size, as its Pacific-facing port and persistent labour shortages encouraged earlier and more varied migration streams than most other Australian colonial cities, including German farming families, substantial Scottish and Irish communities, a Chinese quarter atFrog's Hollow, a Jewish congregation, and one of Australia’s earliest Russian migrant groups.”[49][50][51][52]
Brisbane’s late 19th century development was repeatedly shaped by major natural disasters. The city sufferedtwo destructive fires in 1864, which destroyed much of the early commercial centre and led to new building regulations favouring brick over timber construction. Economic hardship in 1866 sparked the “Bread or Blood” protests outsideGovernment House, reflecting wider tensions during thefinancial crisis of the mid-1860s. Vulnerability to natural hazards continued into the 1890s, when theGreat Flood of 1893 inundated large areas of Brisbane, swept away the first Victoria Bridge and became one of the most significant floods in the city’s history.
FollowingFederation in 1901, Brisbane entered the new century as the capital of Queensland, marked by civic celebrations and the laying of the foundation stone forSt John’s Cathedral.
During theSecond World War, Brisbane became a major Allied headquarters and logistics centre in theSouth West Pacific. General Douglas MacArthur established his headquarters in the city atMacArthur Chambers, and large numbers of American and Australian personnel were stationed throughout the metropolitan area. Wartime conditions reshaped daily life, from rationing and rapid military construction to social pressures that culminated in incidents such as theBattle of Brisbane in 1942.
The post-war era broughtlarge-scale immigration, suburban expansion, and rising car ownership. Severe floods such as the1974 flood caused extensive damage and prompted major changes in water management, including the construction ofWivenhoe Dam.
Under the government ofJoh Bjelke-Petersen, Queensland experienced far-reaching restrictions on civil liberties, including the effective banning of street marches and extensive police enforcement, conditions that catalysed widespread civil rights protests and student activism. In response, an artistic counter-cultural movement took shape, and Brisbane’s cultural scene became one of theearliest punk rock centres.
Crowds atWorld Expo 88, the international exposition that transformed Brisbane’s South Bank precinct
The end of the Bjelke-Petersen era was followed by a period of civic and political renewal in Brisbane, as reforms arising from theFitzgerald Inquiry reshaped policing and governance in the city and supported the expansion of cultural institutions, heritage conservation and urban redevelopment. Following Expo 88, the South Brisbane riverfront was redeveloped into theSouth Bank Parklands, which opened in 1992 and became one of the city’s major cultural precincts.[53]
The early 21st century has seen sustained population growth, inner-city renewal and major transport investment, including theSouth East Busway,AirportlinkM7,Legacy Way andCross River Rail. Significant urban redevelopment occurred across the inner city, with expanding high-rise construction and new riverfront precincts such asHoward Smith Wharves and theQueen’s Wharf project.
The city also became increasingly multicultural, with sustained migration from Asia and the Pacific contributing to demographic growth in the outer suburbs and the emergence of new cultural and commercial districts across the metropolitan area.Cultural infrastructure grew with the opening of theGallery of Modern Art (GOMA) in 2006 and the redevelopment of theState Library of Queensland as part of the broader expansion of theQueensland Cultural Centre. Major flood events in the2011 and2022 floods renewed focus on resilience and river management, while the severe rainfall associated withCyclone Alfred in 2025 prompted further review of flood-mitigation planning.
Ongoing development acrossSouth Bank and the cultural precinct continued into the 2020s, and Brisbane’s selection as host of the2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games initiated long-term metropolitan planning and redevelopment.
Brisbane is in the southeast corner of Queensland. The city is centred along the Brisbane River, and its eastern suburbs line the shores of Moreton Bay, a bay of the Coral Sea. The greater Brisbane region is on the coastal plain east of theGreat Dividing Range, with theTaylor andD'Aguilar ranges extending into the metropolitan area. Brisbane's metropolitan area sprawls along the Moreton Bay floodplain between theGold andSunshine coasts, approximately fromCaboolture in the north toBeenleigh in the south, and across toIpswich in the south west.
The Brisbane River is a widetidalestuary and its waters throughout most of the metropolitan area arebrackish andnavigable. The river takes a winding course through the metropolitan area with many steep curves from the southwest to its mouth at Moreton Bay in the east. The metropolitan area is also traversed by several other rivers and creeks including theNorth Pine andSouth Pine rivers in the northern suburbs, which converge to form thePine River estuary atBramble Bay, theCaboolture River further north, theLogan andAlbert rivers in the south-eastern suburbs, andtributaries of the Brisbane River including theBremer River in the south-western suburbs,Breakfast Creek in the inner-north,Norman Creek in the inner-south,Oxley Creek in the south,Bulimba Creek in the inner south-east andMoggill Creek in the west. The city is on a low-lyingfloodplain,[54] with the risk of flooding addressed by various state and local government regulations and plans.[55]
Lightning over the Brisbane city centre, February 2020
Brisbane has ahumid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification:Cfa)[62] with hot, wet summers and moderately drier, mild winters.[63][64] Brisbane experiences an annual mean minimum of 16.6 °C (62 °F) and mean maximum of 26.6 °C (80 °F), making it Australia's second-hottest capital city afterDarwin.[65] Seasonality is not pronounced, and average maximum temperatures of above 26 °C (79 °F) persist from October through to April.
Due to its proximity to the Coral Sea and a warm ocean current, Brisbane's overall temperature variability is somewhat less than most Australian capitals. Summers are long, hot, and wet, but temperatures only occasionally reach 35 °C (95 °F) or more. Eighty percent of summer days record a maximum temperature of 27 to 33 °C (81 to 91 °F). Winters are short and warm, with average maximums of about 22 °C (72 °F); maximum temperatures below 20 °C (68 °F) are rare.
The city's highest recorded temperature was 43.2 °C (109.8 °F) onAustralia Day 1940 at the Brisbane Regional Office,[66] with the highest temperature at the current station being 41.7 °C (107.1 °F) on 22 February 2004;[67] but temperatures above 38 °C (100 °F) are uncommon. On 19 July 2007, Brisbane's temperature fell below the freezing point for the first time since records began, registering −0.1 °C (31.8 °F) at the airport station.[68] The city station has never dropped below 2 °C (36 °F),[69] with the average coldest night during winter being around 6 °C (43 °F), however locations in the west of the metropolitan area such asIpswich have dropped as low as −5 °C (23 °F) with heavy ground frost.[70]
In 2009, Brisbane recorded its hottest winter day (from June to August) at 35.4 °C (95.7 °F) on 24 August;[71] The average July day however is around 22 °C (72 °F) with sunny skies and low humidity, occasionally as high as 27 °C (81 °F), whilst maximum temperatures below 18 °C (64 °F) are uncommon and usually associated with brief periods of cloud and winter rain.[69] The highest minimum temperature ever recorded in Brisbane was 28.0 °C (82.4 °F) on 29 January 1940 and again on 21 January 2017, whilst the lowest maximum temperature was 10.2 °C (50.4 °F) on 12 August 1954.[66]
Sleet or snow is exceptionally rare in Brisbane. The Bureau of Meteorology has only three official records of snow in Brisbane: June 1927, June 1932 (witnessed by seven people), and September 1958 (light flakes were seen by four people at 5:15pm in Moorooka, Wooloowin, Bowen Hills and Taringa). Unofficial reports exist of earlier snowfalls, such as follows from July 1882:[This quote needs a citation]"The snow was most noticeable in Woolloongabba, but in Stanley Street, South Brisbane it was sufficiently heavy to allow of people wiping it from their clothing."In the vicinity of the museum the fall was, though very slight, plainly noticeable."It is said that snow fell in this city 35 years ago, and the summer following the period of the fall was remarkable for its excessive heat."[citation needed]
Annual precipitation is ample. From November to March, thunderstorms are common over Brisbane, with the more severe events accompanied by large damaging hail stones, torrential rain and destructive winds. On an annual basis, Brisbane averages 124 clear days, with overcast skies more common in the warmer months.[72] Dewpoints in the summer average at around 20 °C (68 °F); theapparent temperature exceeds 30 °C (86 °F) on almost all summer days.[69] Brisbane's wettest day occurred on 21 January 1887, when 465 millimetres (18.3 in) of rain fell on the city, the highest maximum daily rainfall of Australia's capital cities. The wettest month on record was February 1893, when 1,025.9 millimetres (40.39 in) of rain fell, although in the last 30 years the record monthly rainfall has been a much lower 479.8 millimetres (18.89 in) from December 2010. Very occasionally a whole month will pass with no recorded rainfall, the last time this happened was August 1991.[66] The city has suffered four major floods since its founding, inFebruary 1893,January 1974 (partially a result ofCyclone Wanda),January 2011 (partially a result ofCyclone Tasha) andFebruary 2022.
Brisbane is within the southern reaches of thetropical cyclone risk zone. Full-strength tropical cyclones rarely affect Brisbane, but occasionally do so, the most recent beingCyclone Alfred, making landfall as a category 1 around Bribie Island on the 8th of March, 2025, bringing destructive winds and causing significant flooding throughout parts of south-eastern Queensland and north-eastern New South Wales. The more common risk is from ex-tropical cyclones (tropical low systems), which typically bring destructive winds and flooding rains.[73]
The average annual temperature of the adjacent Moreton Bay ranges from 21.0 °C (69.8 °F) in July to 27.0 °C (80.6 °F) in February.[74]
At the broadest level, Brisbane's metropolitan area is informally divided into the northside and the southside, with the dividing line being theBrisbane River,[76] as crossing one of the 15bridges across the river is required to travel to the opposite side by land transport. Due to the river's winding trajectory, this results in many areas which are south of the CBD being classified as located in the northside, and vice versa. At a more specific level, the metropolitan area contains informal regions including the northern, southern, eastern and western suburbs, the bayside suburbs along the Moreton Bay coastline, and the Moreton Bay, Redland, Logan and Ipswich regions in the outer north, east, south and west respectively.
Greater Brisbane had a density of 159 inhabitants per square kilometre (410/sq mi) in 2021.[9] Like most Australian cities, Brisbane has a sprawling metropolitan area which takes in excess of one hour to traverse either north to south or east to west by car without traffic.
One of the oldest synagogues in the Queensland area is the Brisbane Synagogue located on Margaret Street in Brisbane city. This historic synagogue can be attributed as the "centerpiece of the Jewish community's presence in the state" It was established in 1866 and designed by architect Arthur Morry. Another architect by the name of Andrea Stombuco has also been credited as a designer of the synagogue by previous members of the community. The architectural design of this historic synagogue is in the style of Neo-Moorish also known as Byzantine style.[82]
Queenslander-style housing is common in Brisbane.[83] Queenslander homes typically feature timber construction with largeverandahs,gabled corrugated iron roofs, and high ceilings. Most of these houses are elevated on stumps (also called stilts), traditionally built of timber, which allow for a void under the houses which aids in cooling. 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.[citation needed] Early legislation decreed a minimum size for residential blocks leading to fewterrace houses being constructed in Brisbane.[citation needed] The high-density housing that historically existed came in the form of miniatureQueenslander-style houses which resemble the much larger traditional styles, but are sometimes only one-quarter the size.[citation needed] These houses are most common in the inner-city suburbs.
Brisbane is home to several ofAustralia's tallest buildings. All of Brisbane's skyscrapers (buildings with a height greater than 150 m (490 ft)) are located within the CBD, but the inner suburbs are also home to a number of high-density buildings,Torbreck being the first high-rise and mix-use residential development inQueensland. Brisbane's 91-metre City Hall was the city's tallest building for decades after its completion in 1930 and was finally surpassed in 1970, which marked the beginning of the widespread construction of high-rise buildings.[citation needed]
The 2021 census showed that 20.7% of Brisbane's inhabitants wereborn overseas and 25.2% of inhabitants had at least one parent born overseas.[86] Brisbane has the26th largest immigrant population among world metropolitan areas. Of inhabitants born outside of Australia, the five most prevalent countries of birth were New Zealand, England, India, mainland China and the Philippines. Brisbane has the largest community of New Zealanders outside of New Zealand.
At the 2021 census, 77.3% of inhabitants spoke only English at home,[86] with the next most common languages beingMandarin (2.5%),Vietnamese (1.1%),Punjabi (0.9%),Cantonese (0.9%), andSpanish (0.8%).[86]
At the 2021 census, the most commonly cited religious affiliation was "No religion" (41.4%).Brisbane's most popular religion at the 2021 census wasChristianity at 44.3%, the most popular denominations of which wereCatholicism (18.6%) andAnglicanism (9.7%).Brisbane's CBD is home to two cathedrals –St John's (Anglican) andSt Stephen's (Catholic).
The most popular non-Christian religions at the 2021 census wereHindu (2%),Buddhist (1.9%), andMuslim (1.8%).[103]
Brisbane throughout its history has been one of Australia's most importantseaport cities. ThePort of Brisbane is located at the Brisbane River's mouth onMoreton Bay and on the adjacent Fisherman's Island, created by means ofland reclamation. It is the 3rd busiest port in Australia for value of goods.[106]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 reclaimedmangroves andwetlands. The Port is a part of theAustralia TradeCoast, which includes theBrisbane Airport along with large industrial estates located along both banks at the mouth of the Brisbane River.[107]
Blue-collar industries, including petroleum refining,stevedoring, paper milling,metalworking andQR railway workshops, tend to be located on the lower reaches of the Brisbane River proximal to thePort of Brisbane 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,[108] as isinternational education, with over 95,000 international students enrolled in universities and other tertiary education institutions in the centralCity of Brisbanelocal government area alone in 2018.[109]
Brisbane is home to several art galleries, the largest of which are theQueensland Art Gallery and theQueensland Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA), which is the largest modern art gallery in Australia. GOMA holds the Asia Pacific Triennial (APT) 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.
GOMA houses theAustralian Cinémathèque, a dedicated film facility offering a diverse program of screenings, including international cinema, influential filmmakers, rare prints, restorations and silent films with a live musical accompaniment. Screenings take place Wednesday and Friday nights, as well as matinees on weekends. Most screenings are free admission.[110]
Since the late 20th century, numerousfilms have been shot in Brisbane, and the popular children's animated television seriesBluey is produced and set in Brisbane.
The Royal Queensland Exhibition (known locally as theEkka), an agricultural exhibition held each August at theBrisbane Showgrounds inBowen Hills, is the longest-running major annual event held in Brisbane. A public holiday is held for eachlocal government area across Brisbane to enable widespread public attendance.
TheBrisbane Festival is held each September atSouth Bank Parklands, theCBD and surrounding areas. It includesRiverfire, one of the Queensland's largest annual fireworks displays, which is attended by hundreds of thousands of residents.
TheBrisbane International Film Festival (BIFF) is held in July/August each year in a variety of venues around Brisbane. BIFF features new films and retrospectives by domestic and international filmmakers along with seminars and awards.
TheBuddha Birth Day festival at South Bank parklands attracts over 200,000 visitors each year,[123][124] and is the largest event of its type in Australia.
Brisbane is notable for itsBrisbane Riverwalk network, which runs along much of theBrisbane River foreshore throughout the inner-city area, with the longest span running betweenNewstead andToowong. Another popular stretch runs beneath theKangaroo Point Cliffs betweenSouth Brisbane andKangaroo Point. Several spans of the Riverwalk are built out over the Brisbane River. Brisbane also has over 27 km (17 mi) of bicycle pathways, mostly surrounding theBrisbane River and city centre. Other popular recreation activities include theStory Bridge adventure climb and rock climbing at theKangaroo Point Cliffs.
Immediately to the south and north of Brisbane are theGold Coast andSunshine Coast respectively, which are home to several of Australia's most popular swimming and surfing beaches, and are popular day and weekend destinations for Brisbanites.
In 2015, a competition by travel guidebookRough Guides saw Brisbane elected as one of the top ten most beautiful cities in the world, citing reasons such as "its winning combination of high-rise modern architecture, lush green spaces and the enormous Brisbane River that snakes its way through the centre before emptying itself into the azure Moreton Bay".[129]
Unlike other Australian capital cities, a large portion of the greater metropolitan area, or Greater Capital City Statistical Area (GCCSA) of Brisbane is controlled by a singlelocal government area, theCity of Brisbane, which is the largest local government area (in terms of population and budget) in Australia, serving more than 40% of the GCCSA's population. It was formed by the merger of twenty smaller LGAs in 1925, and covers an area of 1,367 km2 (528 sq mi). The remainder of the metropolitan area falls into the LGAs ofLogan City to the south,City of Moreton Bay in the northern suburbs, theCity of Ipswich to the south west,Redland City to the south east, and into theSomerset,Scenic Rim andLockyer Valley regions on the urban periphery. Several of these are also among the nation's most populous LGAs.
Each LGA is governed under a similar structure, including a directly elected mayor (including theLord Mayor of Brisbane), as well as a council composed of councillors representing geographical wards.Brisbane City Hall is the seat of theBrisbane City Council, the governing corporation of the City of Brisbane LGA, and the bulk of its executive offices are located at theBrisbane Square skyscraper.
Brisbane has a diverse political climate. On the federal level, thecentre-leftLabor Party holds 11 Brisbane-based seats, while thecentre-rightLiberal National Party (LNP) and theleft-wingGreens each hold one (Bowman andRyan, respectively). On the state level, Labor holds the vast majority of Brisbane-based seats, while the LNP holds nine and the Greens hold one (Maiwar). On the local level, LNP hold the Lord Mayoralty of Brisbane (withAdrian Schrinner as Lord Mayor) and 18 of the 26 wards of the City of Brisbane, while Labor holds five, the Greens hold two and an independent hold one (Tennyson Ward).
Brisbane is a major destination forinternational students, who constitute a large proportion of enrolments in Brisbane's universities and are important to the city's economy and real estate market. In 2018, there were over 95,000 international students enrolled in universities and other tertiary education institutions in the central City of Brisbanelocal government area alone.[109] The majority of Brisbane's international students originate from China, India and other countries in theAsia-Pacific region.[133]
Brisbane has an extensive transport network within the city, as well as connections to regional centres, interstate and to overseas destinations. Like all Australian cities, the most popular mode of transport is private car.[137] Public transport is provided by rail, bus and ferry services and is coordinated byTranslink, which provides a unified ticketing and electronic payment system (known asgo card) forSouth East Queensland. The region is divided into sevenfare zones radiating outwards from theBrisbane central business district (CBD), with Brisbane's built-up area falling within zones 1–3. Bus services are operated by public and private operators whereas trains and ferries are operated by public agencies. The CBD is the central hub for all public transport services with services focusing onRoma Street,Central andFortitude Valley railway stations;King George Square,Queen Street andRoma Street busway stations; andNorth Quay,Riverside andQUT Gardens Point ferry wharves.
Brisbane also has a large network of major road tunnels under the metropolitan area, known as theTransApex network, which include theClem Jones Tunnel between the inner-north and inner-south, theAirport Link tunnel in the north-east and theLegacy Way tunnel in the south-west. They are the three longest road tunnels in Australia.
55 million passenger trips were taken across the network in 2018–19.[139]
Construction of the network began in 1865[140] and has been progressively expanded in the subsequent centuries.Electrification of the network was completed between 1979 and 1988.
TheCross River Rail project includes a twin rail tunnel (5.9 km (3.7 mi) long) which will pass under the Brisbane River to link two new railway stations atAlbert Street in the CBD andWooloongabba; it is under construction and scheduled to be completed in early 2025.[141]
There are also numerous suburban bus routes operating throughout the metropolitan area, including the high-frequency blue and maroonCityGlider routes which run betweenNewstead andWest End (blue), andAshgrove andCoorparoo (maroon) respectively.
There are tourist passenger ferries that depart the Brisbane River atPinkenba toTangalooma on Moreton Island four times daily, and Micat 4WD car ferries that depart from thePort of Brisbane daily.[143]
An extensive network of pedestrian and cyclist pathways span the banks of theBrisbane River in the inner suburbs to form theRiverwalk network.[144] In some segments, the Riverwalk is built over the river. The longest span of the Riverwalk connectsNewstead in the east withToowong in the west.
Brisbane Airport (IATA:BNE,ICAO:YBBN) is the city's main airport, thethird busiest in Australia afterSydney Airport andMelbourne Airport. It is located north-east of the city centre on Moreton Bay and provides domestic and international passenger services. In 2017, Brisbane Airport handled over 23 million passengers.[145] The airport is the mainhub forVirgin Australia as well as a number of minor and freight airlines, and a focus city forQantas andJetstar. The airport is served by the Airtrain service which runs on theAirport line, providing a direct service to theCBD.
ThePort of Brisbane is located on the south side of the mouth of the Brisbane River onMoreton Bay and on the adjacent Fisherman's Island, anartificial island created byland reclamation. It is the third busiest port in Australia for value of goods.[106] The port is the endpoint of the main shipping channel across Moreton Bay which extends 90 kilometres north nearMooloolaba. The port has 29 operating berths including nine deep-water containerberths and three deep-water bulk berths as well as 17 bulk and general cargo berths.
There are twocruise ship terminals in Brisbane.Portside Wharf on the north side of the river atHamilton is an international standard facility for cruise liners. Due to the height of theGateway Bridge which must be passed to reach the terminal, the wharf services small and medium-sized cruise ships. TheBrisbane International Cruise Terminal at Luggage Point inPinkenba on the north side of the river opposite the Port of Brisbane is able to accommodate the largest cruise vessels in the world.[146]
Brisbane is also home to the headquarters of theQueensland Ambulance Service central executive, located at the Emergency Services Complex Kedron Park, along with the headquarters of theQueensland Fire and Emergency Services and the Queensland Emergency Operations Centre.
Water in Brisbane is managed by twostatutory authorities:Seqwater andUrban Utilities. Bulk water storage, treatment and transportation for South East Queensland is managed bySeqwater, withUrban Utilities (previously Brisbane Water) responsible for distribution to the greater Brisbane area. Water for the area is stored in three major dams to the north-west of the metropolitan area:Wivenhoe,Somerset andNorth Pine.
The provision of electricity in Brisbane is managed by government and private bodies. Generators (some private and some owned by the Queensland government) sell energy into the wholesale market for eastern Australia known as theNational Electricity Market. Transmission and distribution of electricity is managed by the Queensland government owned corporationsEnergex andPowerlink Queensland respectively.Private retailers then purchase electricity from the wholesalemarket and sell it to consumers, which have the ability to choose between different retailers in a partially de-regulated market.[149]
The supply ofgas to users is more heavily privatised, with the privateAPA Group distributing gas in Brisbane, which is then bought and sold by retailers (mainlyOrigin Energy andAGL Energy) in a partially de-regulated market.[150]
Metropolitan Brisbane is serviced by all major and most minor telecommunications companies and their networks, includingTelstra,Optus, andVodafone Australia.
TheBrisbane Times is Brisbane's second major local news source, owned byNine, and is online only. Its sibling papers,The Sydney Morning Herald and Melbourne'sThe Age are sometimes sold in print in Brisbane in small numbers. The national broadsheetAustralian Financial Review, also owned by Nine, is sold in print in Brisbane.
There are community and suburban newspapers throughout the metropolitan area, includingBrisbane News andCity News, many of which are produced byQuest Community Newspapers.
Brisbane is serviced by five major public radio stations including major commercial radio stations, includingABC Radio Brisbane (local news, current affairs and talk);ABC Radio National (national news and current affairs);ABC NewsRadio (national news);ABC Classic FM (classical music);Triple J (alternative music); andSBS Radio (multicultural broadcasting).
Brisbane is serviced by numerous major commercial and community radio stations including 4BC (local and national talk, news and current affairs);SENQ (sport);4BH (classic hits);KIIS 97.3 (pop);B105 (pop);Nova 106.9 (top 40);Triple M (rock);96five Family FM (Christian/pop);Radio TAB (betting); and4MBS (classical).
^In accordance with the Australian Bureau of Statistics source,England,Scotland,Mainland China and the Special Administrative Regions ofHong Kong andMacau are listed separately.
^The Australian Bureau of Statistics has stated that most who nominate "Australian" as their ancestry are part of theAnglo-Celtic group.[85]
^Those who nominated their ancestry as "Australian Aboriginal". Does not includeTorres Strait Islanders. This relates to nomination of ancestry and is distinct from persons who identify as Indigenous (Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander) which is a separate question.
^Indigenous identification is separate to the ancestry question on the Australian Census and persons identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander may identify any ancestry.
^Moore, Bruce (2008).Speaking Our Language: The Story of Australian English. Oxford University Press. p. 132.Early demonyms such as 'Brisbaner' were occasionally used in colonial Queensland but are unattested in surviving print; 'Brisbanite' became the established form by the early twentieth century.
^"About South Bank".Visit Brisbane, Australia.Archived from the original on 31 January 2024. Retrieved6 March 2024.
^"Brisbane River History".Brisbane Australia.Archived from the original on 3 January 2023. Retrieved3 January 2023.It was then that he named the river after Sir Brisbane, the Governor of NSW.
^"Go back in time when Brisbane was named after a river".Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art. 10 October 2023.Archived from the original on 29 March 2025. Retrieved9 March 2025.200 years ago when the explorer John Oxley visited Moreton Bay in 1823, he named the river Brisbane in honour of the then Governor of New South Wales, Sir Thomas Makdougall Brisbane (1773-1860). Later, in 1825, a settlement on its banks to house Sydney's most unruly convicts was called Brisbane.
^Heydon, J. D. (1966)."Sir Thomas Makdougall Brisbane (1773–1860)".Australian Dictionary of Biography.1.Archived from the original on 15 July 2024. Retrieved23 July 2024.The city of Brisbane, Queensland's capital since 1859, was founded as a convict settlement in 1824, and it and its river were named for the governor at the suggestion of the explorer Oxley, the first European to survey the area.
^Charlton, Gaja Kerry (15 June 2023)."Makunschan, Meeanjan, Miganchan, Meanjan, Magandjin".Meanjin.Archived from the original on 6 February 2024. Retrieved6 February 2024.In 1843, [Ludwig Leichhardt ] was given two names:Makandschin from an original Brisbane man andMegandsin from an original speaker from a different country...Meston listedMagoo-jin thenMagandjin, based onMagan, the name of the Tulipwood tree, from elderlyGoori [Aboriginal] speakers who asserted they were 'Brisbane natives'... From a Goori knowledge base the names based on the Tulipwood tree fits best for the original Goori name. The suffix -djin indicates plural, e.g. people, district, river. TheMigan-dar-gu-n (Mi'andjan) version describes the use of a sharp tool, possibly ground being dug up, likely the first convict garden, which thePetrie map shows multiplied across the whole of the promontory. Another explanation of this name is 'land shaped like a spike'. Both these are based onDugai [European] activity andDugai lens...Magandjin fits as the original word for an area of what is now called Brisbane.Migandjan refers to digging the ground—either gardens or buildings. However, the termMigandjan spread. As demonstrated, language repatriation is a work in progress.
^Tapper, Andrew; Tapper, Nigel (2006). "Sub-Synoptic-Scale Processes and Phenomena". In Gray, Kathleen (ed.).The weather and climate of Australia and New Zealand (Second ed.). Melbourne, Australia: Oxford University Press. p. 346.ISBN978-0-19-558466-0.
^Linacre, Edward; Geerts, Bart (1997)."Southern Climates".Climates and Weather Explained. London: Routledge. p. 379.ISBN0-415-12519-7.Archived from the original on 17 January 2023. Retrieved25 November 2020.
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