 An old photo of North Quay, coloured for a postcard | |
 Interactive map of North Quay | |
| Location | Brisbane central business district |
|---|---|
| South-east end | Queen Street |
| Major junctions |
|
| North-west end | Saul Street /William Jolly Bridge |
| East | George Street /Roma Street |
| West | Riverside Expressway |
North Quay is a location in theBrisbane central business district and the name of a street in the same area, running along theBrisbane River from an intersection near Makerston Street to the top of theQueen Street mall, linking theVictoria Bridge and theWilliam Jolly Bridge along the river's northern bank. It was the site ofBrisbane’s initial settlement, at a point where a stream flowing fromSpring Hill provided fresh water, later collected in a reservoir on Tank Street.
The precise bounds of this small locality are debatable. By one opinion, it is about seven blocks long, covering the northerly bank of the Brisbane River between theVictoria Bridge and theWilliam Jolly Bridge; another opinion gives it roughly the area of four city blocks in length, fromAnn Street north ofBrisbane Square toQueens Gardens, including theConrad Treasury Casino. By either opinion it is little more than a single block in width, extending North only to George Street and Roma Street.
The location has an historical record inQueensland because it was a landing point during the first European exploration of the river in 1823 and later in 1825, theMoreton Bay penal colony atRedcliffe relocated here, establishing the first permanent European settlement in what was to become the state of Queensland.[1]
CaptainHenry Miller was responsible for the settlement transfer, which was due to armed resistance by local Aboriginal groups, biting insects and a lack of reliable fresh water at Redcliffe. Although North Quay is most likely not the exact location selected byJohn Oxley and SirThomas Brisbane during scouting expeditions in November 1824, the high banks at North Quay proved to be highly suitable, well above the flood levels that plagued Brisbane in subsequent years.[1]
A riverside bikeway leading to theUniversity of Queensland and the western suburbs from theVictoria Bridge has been built on the river at North Quay.
North Quay was historically and remains the centre of Queensland's legal infrastructure:
The road can be congested on week days with traffic fromCoronation Drive using part of the street to enter the city. The road also feeds traffic on to theRiverside Expressway, one end of thePacific Motorway.
Towards the easterly end, North Quay leads intoWilliam Street and the government precinct further east along the river. Since 2021, works associated with construction of the Adelaide Street tunnel connexion to theKing George Square busway station have created chaotic traffic conditions, especially during peak commuting times, along North Quay between Ann street and theVictoria Bridge, also affecting the southern end of Adelaide Street from its intersection with George Street.[3] The lack of alternative routes, combined with poor site planning, results ingridlock conditions on a daily basis.
North Quay has a number ofheritage-listed sites, including:
 | This article contains a bulleted list or table of intersections whichshould be presented in a properly formatted junction table. Please consultthis guideline for information on how to create one. Pleaseimprove this article if you can.(December 2021) |
Media related toNorth Quay, Brisbane at Wikimedia Commons
27°28′08.34″S153°01′09″E / 27.4689833°S 153.01917°E /-27.4689833; 153.01917
