Photos of Brisbane, the capital city of Queensland, Australia

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Brisbane, the capital city of Queensland

Brisbane is the capital of Queensland and the third largest city in Australia. With a population of well over 2 million people and a total area of almost 6,000 km², it is one of the world’s largest cities. Brisbane’s commercial centre lies along the meandering Brisbane River, about 15 kilometres from the Pacific Ocean. The city is an important industrial and service centre with a busy port. Since the mid-1900s, many new industrial and residential areas have been built in the suburbs.

Brisbane, Queensland
 
Brisbane suburbia
 
Brisbane, Queensland
 
Brisbane, Queensland
 
Tiller
 
Queen Street
 
Ann Street
 
CQ University, Brisbane
 
Brisbane, Queensland
 
Brisbane City Hall
 
Brisbane, Queensland
 
Petrie Tableau
 
Brisbane, Queensland
 
Brisbane, Queensland
 
Brisbane, Queensland
 
Roma Street Parkland
 
Old Kodak building
 
Manor Apartments, Queen Street
 
Brisbane, Queensland
 
Grazing Roo
 
Roo sculptures
 
Queen Victoria monument
 
The Mansions, Brisbane
 
The Mansions, Brisbane
 
Brisbane City Botanic Gardens
 
The Fairy Trees
 
Brisbane River
 
View Brisbane CBD
 
Brisbane, Queensland
 
Construction, Brisbane
 
Commemorative tablet in bridge gate
 
View of Brisbane CBD
 
Along the Brisbane River
 
Brisbane, Queensland
 
Brisbane, Queensland
 
South Bank Parklands, Brisbane
 
Nepalese Peace Pagoda
 
Brisbane, Queensland
 
Displays, Queensland museum
 
Australovenator wintonensis
 
Across the Brisbane River
 
Across the Brisbane River
 
Customs House and skyscrapers
 
Story Bridge, Brisbane River
 
Story Bridge, Brisbane River
 
Brisbane, Queensland
 
Brisbane view, from Indooroopilly
 
Brisbane River, Indooroopilly
 

The British explorer John Oxley was the first European to reach the area of the Yuggera Aboriginal people, where Brisbane now stands, in 1823. A year later, Sir Thomas Brisbane, the governor of New South Wales, established a prison settlement here, and the city that grew around it was later named after him. In 1839, the convicts were removed, and three years later, the area was opened to free settlers. In 1859, Brisbane became the capital of the colony of Queensland, and the city has been steadily growing since then.

Brisbane is now a thoroughly modern city, its central business district dominated by steel and glass office towers, with examples of earlier architecture still present among these. In 1988, the World Expo was held on the South Bank of the Brisbane River as part of Australia’s bicentennial celebration. After the fair, all structures were dismantled except for the exquisite Nepalese pavilion, and an attractive park was developed here, including a swimming lagoon.