History of Brisbane
Encyclopedia
Brisbane's recorded history dates from the 1700s to the present day. The first European settlement in Brisbane, a penal colony for British convicts, occurred in 1825. In 1838, the region which was well-suited to colonisation, was opened to free settlement.
, Queensland
, Australia
, is named for Sir Thomas Brisbane
(1773–1860), British
soldier
and colonial administrator born in Ayrshire
, Scotland
. Sir Thomas Brisbane was Governor of New South Wales
at the time that Brisbane was named.
, the Brisbane region was occupied by Aboriginal
tribes, notably the Jagera and Turrbal Aboriginal clans. Before European settlement, the land, the river and its tributaries were the source and support of life in all its dimensions. The river's abundant supply of food included fish, shellfish, crabs and shrimps. The good fishing places became campsites and the focus of group activities. The district was characterized by open woodlands with rainforest in some pockets or bends of the Brisbane River.
Being a resource-rich area and a natural avenue for seasonal movement, it was already in much use by groups passing through on their way to ceremonies, fights and other events. Brisbane region had several large (200 - 600 person) seasonal camps, the biggest and most important being located on strings of waterholes directly north and south of the current city heart: Barambin or 'York's Hollow' camp (today's Victoria Park) and Woolloon-cappem (Woolloongabba/ South Brisbane) - also known as Kurilpa. These camping grounds continued to function well into historic times.
The region was first explored by Europeans in 1799, when Matthew Flinders
explored Moreton Bay during his expedition from Port Jackson
north to Hervey Bay
. He made a landing at what is now Woody Point
in Redcliffe
and also touched down at Coochiemudlo Island
and Pumicestone Passage
. During the 15 days he spent in Moreton Bay
, Flinders was not able to find the Brisbane River
.
A permanent settlement in the region was not founded until a quarter century later, when New South Wales Governor Brisbane was petitioned by free settlers in Sydney
to send the worst convicts elsewhere.
On 23 October 1823, Surveyor General John Oxley
set out with a party in the cutter "Mermaid" from Sydney
to "survey Port Curtis [now Gladstone
], Moreton Bay
and Port Bowen, with a view to forming convict settlements there". The party reached Port Curtis on 5 November. Oxley suggested that the location was unsuitable for a settlement, since it would be difficult to maintain.
As he approached Point Skirmish into Moreton Bay, he noticed several Indigenous Australians
approaching him, one whom they described as being 'much lighter in colour than the rest'. The white man turned out to be a shipwrecked timbergetter by the name of Thomas Pamphlett
who, along with John Finnegan
, Richard Parsons
and John Thompson
, had left Sydney on 21 March of the same year to sail south along the coast to bring cedar from Illawarra
but during a large storm were pushed north. Not knowing where they were, they attempted to get back to Sydney, eventually being shipwrecked on Moreton Island
on 16 April. They had been living with the Indigenous tribe for seven months.
After meeting with them, Oxley proceeded approximately 100 km up what he later named the Brisbane River
in honour of the then-Governor Brisbane. Oxley explored the river as far as what is now the suburb of Goodna
in the city of Ipswich
, about 20 km upstream Brisbane's central business district
. Several places were named by Oxley and his party including Breakfast Creek (at the mouth of which they cooked breakfast), Oxley Creek and Seventeen Mile Rocks
.
under Lieutenant Miller. Meanwhile, Oxley and Allan Cunningham
explored further up the Brisbane River in search of water, landing at the present location of North Quay
. Only one year later, in 1825, the colony was moved south from Redcliffe
to a peninsula on the Brisbane River
, site of the present central business district
, called "Mean-jin" by the local Turrbul inhabitants.
The official population of Brisbane at the end of 1825 was "45 males and 2 females". Until 1859, when Queensland
was separated from the state of New South Wales
, Moreton Bay
was used to describe the new settlement and surrounding areas. Edenglassie was the name first bestowed on the growing town by Chief Justice Francis Forbes
. It was formed as a portmanteau of the two Scottish
cities Edinburgh
and Glasgow
. The name soon fell out of favour with many residents and the current name in honour of Governor Thomas Brisbane
was adopted instead.
The colony was originally established as a "prison within a prison" - a settlement, deliberately distant from Sydney
, to which convicts who reoffended while serving their sentences could be sent as punishment. It soon garnered a reputation, along with Norfolk Island
, as being one of the harshest penal settlements in all of New South Wales.
Over twenty years, thousands of convicts passed through the penal colony. Hundreds of these fled the stern conditions and escaped into the bush. Although most escapes were unsuccessful or resulted in the escapees perishing in the bush, some (e.g. James Davies) succeeded in living as "wild white men" amongst the Aboriginal people.
During these decades, the local Aboriginal people tried to 'starve out' the settlement by destroying its crops - most notably at the "corn fields" - today's South Bank. In retaliation, guards shot and killed Aboriginal people entering the corn fields.
and increasing reliance on Australian wool as well as its distance from Sydney making administation costly and difficult, were the major factors contributing to the opening of the region to free settlement. In 1838, the area was opened up for free settlers, as distinct from convicts. An early group of Lutheran missionaries
from Germany
were granted land in what is now the northside suburb of Nundah
.
In 1839 the first three surveyors, Dixon, Stapylton and Warner arrived in Moreton Bay to prepare the land for greater numbers of European settlers. From the 1840s settlers took advantage of the abundance of timber in local forests. Once cleared, land was quickly utilized for grazing and other farming activities. The convict
colony was eventually closed.
The free settlers did not recognise the local aboriginal ownership and were not required to provide compensation to the Turrbul Aboriginal people. This resulted in some serious affrays and conflicts - most notably the resistance activities of Yilbung, Dundalli, Ommuli and others. Yilbung in particular sought to extract a regular rent from the white population from which to sustain his people, whose resources had been heavily depleted by the settlers. By 1869 many of the Turrbul people had died from gunshot or disease, but the Moreton Bay Courier makes frequent mention of local Indigenous people who were working and living in the district. In fact, between the 1840s and 1860s, the settlement relied somewhat on goods traded from Aboriginal peoples - firewood, fish, crabs, shellfish - and services they provided such as water-carrying, timber-getting, fencing, ring-barking, stock work and ferrying. Some Turrbul escaped the region with the help of a settler, Thomas Petrie
, (now associated with the suburb of Petrie in the Moreton Bay region, north of Brisbane).
On 6 September 1859, the Municipality of Brisbane was proclaimed. The next month, polling for the first council was conducted. John Petrie
was elected the first Mayor of Brisbane. Queensland was formally established as a self-governing colony of Britain separate from New South Wales
in 1859.
Originally the neighbouring city of Ipswich
was intended to be the capital of Queensland but it proved too far inland to allow access by large ships and so Brisbane was chosen as the capital instead. However it was not until 1902 that it was officially designated a city.
The 1893 Black February floods caused severe flooding in the region and devastated the city. Raging flood waters destroyed the first of several versions of the Victoria Bridge
. Even though gold was discovered north of Brisbane, around Maryborough
and Gympie
, most of the proceeds went south to Sydney and Melbourne. The city remained an underdeveloped regional outpost, with comparatively little of the classical Victorian architecture that characterized southern cities.
A demonstration of electric lighting of lamp posts along Queen Street
in 1882 was the first recorded use of electricity for public purposes in the world. The first railway in Brisbane was built in 1879 when the line from the western interior was extended from Ipswich to Roma Street Station
. First horse-drawn, then electric tram
s operated in Brisbane from 1885 till 1969. Tramway employees stood down for wearing union badges on 18 January 1912 sparked Australia's first General strike
, the 1912 Brisbane General Strike
which lasted for five weeks.
In an effort to prevent overcrowding and control urban development, the Parliament of Queensland
passed the Undue Subdivision of Land Prevention Act 1885
, resulting in Brisbane and other Queensland cities having very low population densities and covering large areas compared to similar Australian cities.
This legislation, together with the advent of efficient public transport in the form of steam trains and electric trams encouraged the spread of the city. Although the initial tram routes reached out into established suburbs such as West End
, Fortitude Valley, New Farm
and Newstead
later extensions and new routes encouraged housing developments in new suburbs, such as the western side of Toowong
, Paddington
, Ashgrove
, Kelvin Grove
and Coorparoo
.
This was a pattern of development to continue through to the 1950s, with later extensions encouraging new developments around Stafford
, Camp Hill
, Chermside
, Enoggera
and Mount Gravatt
. Generally the train lines linked established communities, although the Mitchelton
line (later extended to Dayboro
), (before being cut back to Ferny Grove
) did encourage suburban development out as far as Keperra
.
Subsequently, with the availability of affordable private motor cars, land between tram and train routes was developed for settlement, for example Ekibin, Tarragindi
, Everton Park
, Stafford Heights
and Wavell Heights
.
; the Towns of Hamilton, Ithaca, Sandgate, Toowong, Windsor and Wynnum; and the Shires of Balmoral, Belmont, Coorparoo, Enoggera, Kedron, Moggill, Sherwood, Stephens, Taringa, Tingalpa, Toombul and Yeerongpilly to form the current City of Greater Brisbane, now known simply as City of Brisbane
, in 1925.
To accommodate the new enlarged city council the current Brisbane City Hall
was opened in 1930. Many former shire and town halls became the nucleus of Greater Brisbane's public library network.
theatre of World War II
, the city played a prominent role in the defence of Australia. The city became a temporary home to thousands of Australian and American
servicemen. Buildings and institutions around Brisbane were given over to the housing of military personnel as required.
The present-day MacArthur Central
building became the Pacific headquarters of U.S. General Douglas MacArthur
, and
the University of Queensland
campus at St Lucia
was converted to a military barracks for the final three years of the war. St Laurence's College and Somerville House Girls' School in South Brisbane
were also used by American forces.
During this time St Laurence's College was moved to Greenslopes
to continue classes. Newstead House
was also used to house American servicemen during the war.
Brisbane was used to mark the position of the "Brisbane Line
", a controversial defence proposal allegedly formulated by the Menzies
government, that would, upon a land invasion of Australia, surrender the entire northern part of the country. The line was, allegedly, at a latitude just north of Brisbane and spanned the entire width of the continent. Surviving from this period are several cement bunkers and gun forts in the northern suburbs of Brisbane and adjacent areas (Sunshine Coast/ Moreton Bay islands).
On 26 November and 27 November 1942, rioting broke out between US
and Australian servicemen
stationed in Brisbane. By the time the violence had been quelled one Australian soldier was dead, and hundreds of Australian and US servicemen were injured along with civilians caught up in the fighting. Hundreds of soldiers were involved in the rioting on both sides. This incident, which was heavily censored at the time and apparently was not reported in the US at all, is known as the Battle of Brisbane
.
Immediately after the war, the Brisbane City Council, along with most governments in Australia, found it difficult to raise finances for much-needed repairs and development. Even where funds could be obtained materials were scarce. Adding to these difficulties was the political environment encouraged by some aldermen, led by Archibald Tait, to reduce the city's rates (land taxes). Ald Tait successfully ran on a slogan of "Vote for Tait, he'll lower the rate." Rates were indeed lowered, exacerbating Brisbane's financial difficulties.
Although Brisbane's tram system continued to be expanded, roads and streets remained unsealed. Water supply was limited, although the City Council built and subsequently raised the level of the Somerset Dam on the Stanley River. Despite this, most residences continued to rely heavily on rainwater stored in tanks.
The limited water supply and lack of funding also meant that despite the rapid increase in the city's population, little work was done to upgrade the city's sewage collection, which continued to rely on the collection of nightsoil. Other than the CBD and the innermost suburbs, Brisbane was a city of "thunderboxes" (outhouse
s) or of septic tanks.
What finances could be garnered by the Council were poured into the construction of Tennyson
Powerhouse, and the extension and upgrading of the powerhouse in New Farm Park
to meet the growing demands for electricity. Brisbane's first modern apartment building, Torbreck at Highgate Hill, was completed in 1960.
Work continued slowly on the development of a town plan, hampered by the lack of experienced staff and a continual need to play "catch-up" with rapid development. The first town plan was adopted in 1964.
1961 saw the election of Clem Jones
as Lord Mayor. Ald Jones, together with the town clerk J.C. Slaughter sought to fix the long term problems besetting the city. Together they found cost-cutting ways to fix some problems. For example new sewers were laid 4 feet deep and in footpaths, rather than 6 feet deep and under roads. In the short term, "pocket" or local sewerage treatment plants were established around the city in various suburbs to avoid the expense of developing a major treatment plants and major connecting sewers.
They were also fortunate in that finance was becoming less difficult to raise and the city's rating base had by the 1960s significantly grown, to the point where revenue streams were sufficient to absorb the considerable capital outlays.
Under Jones' leadership, the City Council's transport policy shifted significantly. The City Council hired American transport consultants Wilbur Smith to devise a new transport plan for the city. They produced a report known as the Wilbur Smith "Brisbane Transportation Study" which was published in 1965. It recommended the closure of most suburban railway lines, closure of the tram and trolley-bus networks, and the construction of a massive network of freeways through the city. Under this plan the suburb of Woolloongabba
would have been almost completely obliterated by a vast interchange of three major freeways.
Although the trams and trolley-buses were rapidly eliminated between 1968 and 1969, only one freeway was constructed, the trains were retained and subsequently electrified. The first train line to be so upgraded was the Ferny Grove
to Oxley
line in 1979. The train line to Cleveland
, which had been cut back to Lota
in 1960, was also reopened.
s of the Brisbane River – in 1864, 1893, 1897, 1974 and 2011. A comprehensive flood mitigation scheme was instituted for the Brisbane River catchment area in the aftermath of the 1974 flood. Since then the city remained largely flood free, until January 2011.
in 1982 and the World's Fair
in 1988. Between the late 1970s and mid-1980s, Brisbane was the focus of early land rights protests (e.g. during the Commonwealth Games)and several well-remembered clashes between students, union workers, police and the then-Queensland government. Partly from this context, innovative Brisbane music groups emerged (notably Punk groups) that added to the city's renown.
Later in that decade, emission control regulation had a major effect on improving the cities air quality. The banning of backyard incinerators in 1987, together with the closure of two local coal
fired power station
s in 1986 and a 50% decrease in lead levels found in petrol, resulted in a lowering of pollution levels.
Etymology
BrisbaneBrisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, is named for Sir Thomas Brisbane
Thomas Brisbane
Major-General Sir Thomas Makdougall Brisbane, 1st Baronet GCH, GCB, FRS, FRSE was a British soldier, colonial Governor and astronomer.-Early life:...
(1773–1860), British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
soldier
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
and colonial administrator born in Ayrshire
Ayrshire
Ayrshire is a registration county, and former administrative county in south-west Scotland, United Kingdom, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine. The town of Troon on the coast has hosted the British Open Golf Championship twice in the...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. Sir Thomas Brisbane was Governor of New South Wales
Governors of New South Wales
The Governor of New South Wales is the state viceregal representative of the Australian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, who is equally shared with 15 other sovereign nations in a form of personal union, as well as with the eleven other jurisdictions of Australia, and resides predominantly in her...
at the time that Brisbane was named.
Aboriginal occupation & European exploration
Prior to European settlementColonisation
Colonization occurs whenever any one or more species populate an area. The term, which is derived from the Latin colere, "to inhabit, cultivate, frequent, practice, tend, guard, respect", originally related to humans. However, 19th century biogeographers dominated the term to describe the...
, the Brisbane region was occupied by Aboriginal
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
tribes, notably the Jagera and Turrbal Aboriginal clans. Before European settlement, the land, the river and its tributaries were the source and support of life in all its dimensions. The river's abundant supply of food included fish, shellfish, crabs and shrimps. The good fishing places became campsites and the focus of group activities. The district was characterized by open woodlands with rainforest in some pockets or bends of the Brisbane River.
Being a resource-rich area and a natural avenue for seasonal movement, it was already in much use by groups passing through on their way to ceremonies, fights and other events. Brisbane region had several large (200 - 600 person) seasonal camps, the biggest and most important being located on strings of waterholes directly north and south of the current city heart: Barambin or 'York's Hollow' camp (today's Victoria Park) and Woolloon-cappem (Woolloongabba/ South Brisbane) - also known as Kurilpa. These camping grounds continued to function well into historic times.
The region was first explored by Europeans in 1799, when Matthew Flinders
Matthew Flinders
Captain Matthew Flinders RN was one of the most successful navigators and cartographers of his age. In a career that spanned just over twenty years, he sailed with Captain William Bligh, circumnavigated Australia and encouraged the use of that name for the continent, which had previously been...
explored Moreton Bay during his expedition from Port Jackson
Port Jackson
Port Jackson, containing Sydney Harbour, is the natural harbour of Sydney, Australia. It is known for its beauty, and in particular, as the location of the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge...
north to Hervey Bay
Hervey Bay, Queensland
Hervey Bay is a city in Queensland, Australia. The city is situated approximately north of the state capital, Brisbane, and lies on the coast of a natural bay between the Queensland mainland and nearby Fraser Island. The local economy relies on tourism, for which whale watching, Fraser Island and...
. He made a landing at what is now Woody Point
Woody Point, Queensland
Woody Point is a residential suburb of the Moreton Bay Region at the south-east of the Redcliffe peninsula, approximately north-northeast of Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland, Australia. It was formerly a banana plantation.-Attractions and features:...
in Redcliffe
Redcliffe, Queensland
Redcliffe is a residential suburb of the Moreton Bay Region in the north-east of the Redcliffe peninsula, approximately north-northeast of Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland, Australia...
and also touched down at Coochiemudlo Island
Coochiemudlo Island, Queensland
Coochiemudlo Island is located near Brisbane, in Queensland, Australia.Coochiemudlo Island is a small island in the southern part of Moreton Bay, Queensland.The island is approximately 1 km from Victoria Point in Redland Shire....
and Pumicestone Passage
Pumicestone Passage
Pumicestone Passage, also known as the Pumicestone Channel, is a narrow waterway between Bribie Island and the mainland in Queensland, Australia...
. During the 15 days he spent in Moreton Bay
Moreton Bay
Moreton Bay is a bay on the eastern coast of Australia 45 km from Brisbane, Queensland. It is one of Queensland's most important coastal resources...
, Flinders was not able to find the Brisbane River
Brisbane River
The Brisbane River is the longest river in south east Queensland, Australia, and flows through the city of Brisbane, before emptying into Moreton Bay. John Oxley was the first European to explore the river who named it after the Governor of New South Wales, Thomas Brisbane in 1823...
.
A permanent settlement in the region was not founded until a quarter century later, when New South Wales Governor Brisbane was petitioned by free settlers in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
to send the worst convicts elsewhere.
On 23 October 1823, Surveyor General John Oxley
John Oxley
John Joseph William Molesworth Oxley was an explorer and surveyor of Australia in the early period of English colonisation.October 1802 he was engaged in coastal survey work including an expedition to Western Port in 1804-05...
set out with a party in the cutter "Mermaid" from Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
to "survey Port Curtis [now Gladstone
Gladstone, Queensland
- Education :Gladstone has several primary schools, three high schools, and one university campus, Central Queensland University. It is also home to CQIT Gladstone Campus.- Recreation :...
], Moreton Bay
Moreton Bay
Moreton Bay is a bay on the eastern coast of Australia 45 km from Brisbane, Queensland. It is one of Queensland's most important coastal resources...
and Port Bowen, with a view to forming convict settlements there". The party reached Port Curtis on 5 November. Oxley suggested that the location was unsuitable for a settlement, since it would be difficult to maintain.
As he approached Point Skirmish into Moreton Bay, he noticed several Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
approaching him, one whom they described as being 'much lighter in colour than the rest'. The white man turned out to be a shipwrecked timbergetter by the name of Thomas Pamphlett
Thomas Pamphlett
Thomas Pamphlett , sometimes Pamphlet, also known as James Groom, was a convict in colonial Australia. He is best known for his time as a castaway in the Moreton Bay area, halfway up the eastern coast of Australia, in 1823. He was marooned with two others, Richard Parsons and John Finnegan, until...
who, along with John Finnegan
John Finnegan
John Finnegan, a convict of the colony of New South Wales , was one of four men who set off on a timber getting mission from Sydney bound for Illawarra in 1823...
, Richard Parsons
Richard Parsons (convict)
Richard Parsons, a convict of the colony of New South Wales , was one of four men who set off on a timber getting mission from Sydney bound for Illawarra in 1823...
and John Thompson
John Thompson
-Academics:* Sir John Eric Sidney Thompson , English archeologist and Mayan scholar* John G. Thompson , mathematician* John Thompson , professor at Cambridge...
, had left Sydney on 21 March of the same year to sail south along the coast to bring cedar from Illawarra
Illawarra
Illawarra is a region in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is a coastal region situated immediately south of Sydney and north of the Shoalhaven or South Coast region. It encompasses the cities of Wollongong, Shellharbour, Shoalhaven and the town of Kiama. The central region contains Lake...
but during a large storm were pushed north. Not knowing where they were, they attempted to get back to Sydney, eventually being shipwrecked on Moreton Island
Moreton Island
Moreton Island is a large sand island on the eastern side of Moreton Bay, on the coast of south-east Queensland, Australia. Moreton Island lies 58 kilometres northeast of the Queensland capital, Brisbane. The island is 95% National Park and a popular destination for four wheel driving, camping,...
on 16 April. They had been living with the Indigenous tribe for seven months.
After meeting with them, Oxley proceeded approximately 100 km up what he later named the Brisbane River
Brisbane River
The Brisbane River is the longest river in south east Queensland, Australia, and flows through the city of Brisbane, before emptying into Moreton Bay. John Oxley was the first European to explore the river who named it after the Governor of New South Wales, Thomas Brisbane in 1823...
in honour of the then-Governor Brisbane. Oxley explored the river as far as what is now the suburb of Goodna
Goodna, Queensland
Goodna is a suburb on the eastern edge of the City of Ipswich in Queensland, Australia.It is bounded to the north by the Brisbane River. Founded in 1856 when the area was still part of New South Wales, it celebrated its 150 year anniversary in 2006. Its beginnings can be traced back further to...
in the city of Ipswich
Ipswich, Queensland
Ipswich is a city in South-East Queensland, Australia. Situated along the Bremer River Valley approximately 40 kilometres away from the state's capital Brisbane. The suburb by the same name forms the city's Central Business District and administrative centre...
, about 20 km upstream Brisbane's central business district
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
. Several places were named by Oxley and his party including Breakfast Creek (at the mouth of which they cooked breakfast), Oxley Creek and Seventeen Mile Rocks
Seventeen Mile Rocks, Queensland
Seventeen Mile Rocks is a suburb of Brisbane, Australia located south-west of the Brisbane CBD on the Brisbane River.Seventeen Mile Rocks is named after a collection of rocks that marked a distance of from the mouth of the Brisbane River...
.
1824 colony
In 1824, the first convict colony was established at Redcliffe PointRedcliffe, Queensland
Redcliffe is a residential suburb of the Moreton Bay Region in the north-east of the Redcliffe peninsula, approximately north-northeast of Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland, Australia...
under Lieutenant Miller. Meanwhile, Oxley and Allan Cunningham
Allan Cunningham (botanist)
Allan Cunningham was an English botanist and explorer, primarily known for his travels in New South Wales to collect plants.- Early life :...
explored further up the Brisbane River in search of water, landing at the present location of North Quay
North Quay, Brisbane
North Quay is a location in the Brisbane central business district and the name of street in the same area, running along the Brisbane River from an intersection near Makerston Street to the top of the Queen Street.-Location:...
. Only one year later, in 1825, the colony was moved south from Redcliffe
Redcliffe, Queensland
Redcliffe is a residential suburb of the Moreton Bay Region in the north-east of the Redcliffe peninsula, approximately north-northeast of Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland, Australia...
to a peninsula on the Brisbane River
Brisbane River
The Brisbane River is the longest river in south east Queensland, Australia, and flows through the city of Brisbane, before emptying into Moreton Bay. John Oxley was the first European to explore the river who named it after the Governor of New South Wales, Thomas Brisbane in 1823...
, site of the present central business district
Brisbane central business district
The Brisbane central business district , sometimes referred to as the city, is a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia and is located on a point on the northern bank of the Brisbane River. The triangular shaped area is bounded by the Brisbane River to the east, south and west...
, called "Mean-jin" by the local Turrbul inhabitants.
The official population of Brisbane at the end of 1825 was "45 males and 2 females". Until 1859, when Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
was separated from the state of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Moreton Bay
Moreton Bay
Moreton Bay is a bay on the eastern coast of Australia 45 km from Brisbane, Queensland. It is one of Queensland's most important coastal resources...
was used to describe the new settlement and surrounding areas. Edenglassie was the name first bestowed on the growing town by Chief Justice Francis Forbes
Francis Forbes
Sir Francis Forbes was a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Newfoundland, and the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New South Wales.-Early life:...
. It was formed as a portmanteau of the two Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
cities Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
and Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
. The name soon fell out of favour with many residents and the current name in honour of Governor Thomas Brisbane
Thomas Brisbane
Major-General Sir Thomas Makdougall Brisbane, 1st Baronet GCH, GCB, FRS, FRSE was a British soldier, colonial Governor and astronomer.-Early life:...
was adopted instead.
The colony was originally established as a "prison within a prison" - a settlement, deliberately distant from Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, to which convicts who reoffended while serving their sentences could be sent as punishment. It soon garnered a reputation, along with Norfolk Island
Norfolk Island
Norfolk Island is a small island in the Pacific Ocean located between Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia. The island is part of the Commonwealth of Australia, but it enjoys a large degree of self-governance...
, as being one of the harshest penal settlements in all of New South Wales.
Over twenty years, thousands of convicts passed through the penal colony. Hundreds of these fled the stern conditions and escaped into the bush. Although most escapes were unsuccessful or resulted in the escapees perishing in the bush, some (e.g. James Davies) succeeded in living as "wild white men" amongst the Aboriginal people.
During these decades, the local Aboriginal people tried to 'starve out' the settlement by destroying its crops - most notably at the "corn fields" - today's South Bank. In retaliation, guards shot and killed Aboriginal people entering the corn fields.
Free settlement
As a penal colony, private settlements near the area was forbidden for many years. As the inflow of new convicts decreased steadily, the population began to decline. From the early 1830s the British Government questioned the suitability of Brisbane as a penal colony. Alan Cunningham's discovery of a route to the fertile Darling Downs in 1828, the commercial pressure to develop a pastoral industryPastoral farming
Pastoral farming is farming aimed at producing livestock, rather than growing crops. Examples include dairy farming, raising beef cattle, and raising sheep for wool. In contrast, mixed farming is growing of both crops and livestock on the same farm. Pastoral farmers are also known as graziers...
and increasing reliance on Australian wool as well as its distance from Sydney making administation costly and difficult, were the major factors contributing to the opening of the region to free settlement. In 1838, the area was opened up for free settlers, as distinct from convicts. An early group of Lutheran missionaries
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
from Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
were granted land in what is now the northside suburb of Nundah
Nundah, Queensland
Nundah is an inner suburb in the city of Brisbane, Australia, located approximately 8 kilometers north-east of the Brisbane central business district, in the local government area of the City of Brisbane....
.
In 1839 the first three surveyors, Dixon, Stapylton and Warner arrived in Moreton Bay to prepare the land for greater numbers of European settlers. From the 1840s settlers took advantage of the abundance of timber in local forests. Once cleared, land was quickly utilized for grazing and other farming activities. The convict
Convict
A convict is "a person found guilty of a crime and sentenced by a court" or "a person serving a sentence in prison", sometimes referred to in slang as simply a "con". Convicts are often called prisoners or inmates. Persons convicted and sentenced to non-custodial sentences often are not termed...
colony was eventually closed.
The free settlers did not recognise the local aboriginal ownership and were not required to provide compensation to the Turrbul Aboriginal people. This resulted in some serious affrays and conflicts - most notably the resistance activities of Yilbung, Dundalli, Ommuli and others. Yilbung in particular sought to extract a regular rent from the white population from which to sustain his people, whose resources had been heavily depleted by the settlers. By 1869 many of the Turrbul people had died from gunshot or disease, but the Moreton Bay Courier makes frequent mention of local Indigenous people who were working and living in the district. In fact, between the 1840s and 1860s, the settlement relied somewhat on goods traded from Aboriginal peoples - firewood, fish, crabs, shellfish - and services they provided such as water-carrying, timber-getting, fencing, ring-barking, stock work and ferrying. Some Turrbul escaped the region with the help of a settler, Thomas Petrie
Thomas Petrie
Thomas Petrie was an Australian explorer, grazier and friend of Aboriginals.Petrie was born at Edinburgh, fourth son of Andrew Petrie and brother of John. His family travelled to Sydney, arriving in October 1831 and his father entered the government service as a supervisor of building...
, (now associated with the suburb of Petrie in the Moreton Bay region, north of Brisbane).
Development in the early years of the colony of Queensland
John Petrie
John "Jocky" Petrie was a Scottish football player who played for Arbroath F.C..He holds the record for the most goals ever scored in a senior British football game with 13 goals. This occurred during Arbroath's famous 36–0 victory over Bon Accord F.C...
was elected the first Mayor of Brisbane. Queensland was formally established as a self-governing colony of Britain separate from New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
in 1859.
Originally the neighbouring city of Ipswich
Ipswich, Queensland
Ipswich is a city in South-East Queensland, Australia. Situated along the Bremer River Valley approximately 40 kilometres away from the state's capital Brisbane. The suburb by the same name forms the city's Central Business District and administrative centre...
was intended to be the capital of Queensland but it proved too far inland to allow access by large ships and so Brisbane was chosen as the capital instead. However it was not until 1902 that it was officially designated a city.
The 1893 Black February floods caused severe flooding in the region and devastated the city. Raging flood waters destroyed the first of several versions of the Victoria Bridge
Victoria Bridge, Brisbane
The Victoria Bridge is a vehicular and pedestrian bridge over the Brisbane River. The current bridge, opened in 1969, is the third permanent crossing erected at this location...
. Even though gold was discovered north of Brisbane, around Maryborough
Maryborough, Queensland
Maryborough is a city located on the Mary River in South East Queensland, Australia, approximately north of the state capital, Brisbane. The city is serviced by the Bruce Highway, and has a population of approximately 22,000 . It is closely tied to its neighbour city Hervey Bay which is...
and Gympie
Gympie
Gympie may refer to:* Gympie, a city in Queensland, Australia** Gympie Airport** Electoral district of Gympie** Gympie Region, its local government authority* Gympie Gympie , a stinging plant...
, most of the proceeds went south to Sydney and Melbourne. The city remained an underdeveloped regional outpost, with comparatively little of the classical Victorian architecture that characterized southern cities.
A demonstration of electric lighting of lamp posts along Queen Street
Queen Street, Brisbane
Queen Street in Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, Australia, is one of the city's major streets. It is the city's central road, partly covered by a pedestrian mall called the Queen Street Mall. Queen Street ends at the Victoria Bridge and is bounded by two of the Brisbane River's central reaches...
in 1882 was the first recorded use of electricity for public purposes in the world. The first railway in Brisbane was built in 1879 when the line from the western interior was extended from Ipswich to Roma Street Station
Roma Street railway station, Brisbane
Roma Street railway station is a major railway station in the Brisbane central business district, the state capital of Queensland, Australia. It was Brisbane's first railway station, opening in 1876...
. First horse-drawn, then electric tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
s operated in Brisbane from 1885 till 1969. Tramway employees stood down for wearing union badges on 18 January 1912 sparked Australia's first General strike
General strike
A general strike is a strike action by a critical mass of the labour force in a city, region, or country. While a general strike can be for political goals, economic goals, or both, it tends to gain its momentum from the ideological or class sympathies of the participants...
, the 1912 Brisbane General Strike
1912 Brisbane General Strike
The 1912 Brisbane General Strike in Queensland, Australia, began when members of the Australian Tramway Employees Association were dismissed when they wore union badges to work on 18 January 1912...
which lasted for five weeks.
In an effort to prevent overcrowding and control urban development, the Parliament of Queensland
Parliament of Queensland
The Parliament of Queensland is the legislature of Queensland, Australia. According to the state's constitution, the Parliament consists of the Queen and the Legislative Assembly. It is the only unicameral state parliament in the country, the upper chamber, the Legislative Council, having been...
passed the Undue Subdivision of Land Prevention Act 1885
Undue Subdivision of Land Prevention Act 1885
The Undue Subdivision of Land Prevention Act 1885 was a law passed by the Parliament of Queensland in that year to prevent overcrowding and urban degradation in cities and towns in Queensland, especially in Brisbane...
, resulting in Brisbane and other Queensland cities having very low population densities and covering large areas compared to similar Australian cities.
This legislation, together with the advent of efficient public transport in the form of steam trains and electric trams encouraged the spread of the city. Although the initial tram routes reached out into established suburbs such as West End
West End, Queensland
West End is an inner-city suburb of southern Brisbane.-History:West End was named by early English settlers who found the area reminiscent of the West End of London....
, Fortitude Valley, New Farm
New Farm, Queensland
New Farm is an inner suburb of Brisbane, Australia, located 2 km east of the Brisbane CBD on a large bend of the Brisbane River. New Farm is partly surrounded by the Brisbane River, with land access from the north west through Fortitude Valley and from the north through...
and Newstead
Newstead, Queensland
Newstead is a riverside suburb of the city of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is situated 3 km north of the Brisbane central business district...
later extensions and new routes encouraged housing developments in new suburbs, such as the western side of Toowong
Toowong, Queensland
Toowong is an inner suburb of Brisbane, Australia which is located 5 km west of the Brisbane CBD. At the centre of Toowong is a commercial precinct including Toowong Village and several office buildings...
, Paddington
Paddington, Queensland
Paddington is an inner suburb of Brisbane, Australia located 2 km west of the Brisbane CBD. As is common with other suburbs in the area, Paddington is located on a number of steep ridges and hills. It was originally settled in the 1860s. Many original and distinctive Queenslander homes can...
, Ashgrove
Ashgrove, Queensland
Ashgrove is an inner suburb of Brisbane in Queensland, Australia, located approximately 4 km north-west of the Brisbane CBD. Ashgrove is a leafy residential suburb, characterised by its hilly terrain and characteristic Ashgrovian houses built in the early 20th century...
, Kelvin Grove
Kelvin Grove, Queensland
Kelvin Grove is an inner northern suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia located approximately 3 km from the CBD. This hilly suburb takes its name from Kelvingrove Park in Glasgow, Scotland. It is primarily residential with tree-lined streets and some commercial and light industrial...
and Coorparoo
Coorparoo, Queensland
Coorparoo is a southern suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, located approximately four kilometres from the city. Surrounding suburbs include Camp Hill, Holland Park, Greenslopes, East Brisbane, Norman Park and Seven Hills.-Aboriginal history:...
.
This was a pattern of development to continue through to the 1950s, with later extensions encouraging new developments around Stafford
Stafford, Queensland
Stafford is a northern suburb of Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland, Australia.A predominantly residential suburb, including some original Queenslander-style homes and a significant number of post-war Queensland Housing Commission homes on quarter-acre blocks built around the 1940s and...
, Camp Hill
Camp Hill, Queensland
Camp Hill is a largely residential suburb in the south-east of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is located approximately 4 km from the Brisbane central business district and, as its name suggests, is elevated and commands fine views of the CBD. It has an area of 4.6 square...
, Chermside
Chermside, Queensland
Chermside is a suburb on the north side of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.Chermside is a key destination along Queensland Transport's future Northern Busway...
, Enoggera
Enoggera, Queensland
Enoggera is a suburb of Brisbane, in Queensland, Australia. The suburb is located 6 km north-west of the Brisbane CBD.-History:In 1845 John Brennan purchased six hectares of land in Enoggera. Six years later, Thomas Hayes moved to the area and bought thirty-three acres of land...
and Mount Gravatt
Mount Gravatt, Queensland
Mount Gravatt is the name of both a major suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia and a prominent hill in this suburb. The suburb is situated in the south-east of the city and was one of Brisbane's largest...
. Generally the train lines linked established communities, although the Mitchelton
Mitchelton, Queensland
Michelton is a suburb of Brisbane, in Queensland, Australia. The suburb is located 8 kilometres from the Brisbane central business district some areas of Mitchelton can be 6 km to the Brisbane central business district....
line (later extended to Dayboro
Dayboro, Queensland
Dayboro is a town in the Moreton Bay Region, approximately 46 km north-northwest of Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland, Australia.To the north of Dayboro lies the D'Aguilar Range and the mountain township of Mount Mee. Other nearby towns include Petrie and Samford. The land surrounding...
), (before being cut back to Ferny Grove
Ferny Grove, Queensland
Ferny Grove is a residential suburb in north-west Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It lies entirely within the Brisbane-metropolitan area administered by the Brisbane City Council.-General information:...
) did encourage suburban development out as far as Keperra
Keperra, Queensland
Keperra is a suburb in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia which is located approximately 9 kilometres north-west of the CBD. It has a deep and rich history, with some thinking that the name was based upon the Aboriginal term for “Kipper”...
.
Subsequently, with the availability of affordable private motor cars, land between tram and train routes was developed for settlement, for example Ekibin, Tarragindi
Tarragindi, Queensland
Tarragindi is a suburb on the southern side of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is represented through the Holland Park and Moorooka Ward councillors on the Brisbane City Council.-Origin of the name:...
, Everton Park
Everton Park, Queensland
Everton Park is a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.It is about eight kilometres north of the Brisbane CBD. The area is mainly residential, with a population of about 8000....
, Stafford Heights
Stafford Heights, Queensland
Stafford Heights is a suburb of Brisbane, Australia. It is 8 km north of the Brisbane central business district and is named after its neighbour Stafford.-External links:* *...
and Wavell Heights
Wavell Heights, Queensland
Wavell Heights is a Brisbane suburb located 9 km north of the Brisbane central business district. It is named after Field Marshal Lord Wavell who was the Commander-In-Chief of the Allied Forces in the Middle East during the Second World War....
.
Amalgamation of Local Government Areas
In 1924, the City of Brisbane Act was passed by the Queensland Parliament, amalgamating the City of Brisbane and the City of South BrisbaneCity of South Brisbane
The City of South Brisbane was a municipality on the southern side of the Brisbane River, Queensland, Australia. It was established in 1888 and existed until 1925 when it was amalgamated into the City of Greater Brisbane...
; the Towns of Hamilton, Ithaca, Sandgate, Toowong, Windsor and Wynnum; and the Shires of Balmoral, Belmont, Coorparoo, Enoggera, Kedron, Moggill, Sherwood, Stephens, Taringa, Tingalpa, Toombul and Yeerongpilly to form the current City of Greater Brisbane, now known simply as City of Brisbane
City of Brisbane
The City of Brisbane is the Local Government Area that has jurisdiction over the inner portion of the metropolitan area of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia...
, in 1925.
To accommodate the new enlarged city council the current Brisbane City Hall
Brisbane City Hall
Brisbane City Hall, in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, is the seat of the Brisbane City Council. It is located adjacent to King George Square, where the rectangular City Hall has its main entrance. The City Hall also has frontages and entrances in both Ann Street and Adelaide Street...
was opened in 1930. Many former shire and town halls became the nucleus of Greater Brisbane's public library network.
Brisbane during the Second World War
Due to Brisbane's proximity to the South West Pacific AreaSouth West Pacific Area
South West Pacific Area was the name given to the Allied supreme military command in the South West Pacific Theatre of World War II. It was one of four major Allied commands in the Pacific theatres of World War II, during 1942–45...
theatre of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the city played a prominent role in the defence of Australia. The city became a temporary home to thousands of Australian and American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
servicemen. Buildings and institutions around Brisbane were given over to the housing of military personnel as required.
The present-day MacArthur Central
MacArthur Central, Brisbane
MacArthur Central is an English Renaissance styled building located on the north-east corner of Queen Street and Edward Street in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia...
building became the Pacific headquarters of U.S. General Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur
General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
, and
the University of Queensland
University of Queensland
The University of Queensland, also known as UQ, is a public university located in state of Queensland, Australia. Founded in 1909, it is the oldest and largest university in Queensland and the fifth oldest in the nation...
campus at St Lucia
St Lucia, Queensland
St Lucia is an inner suburb of Brisbane, Australia located 4 km south-west of the Brisbane CBD. The suburb is bordered on three sides by the Brisbane River and is dominated by the main campus of the University of Queensland.-History:...
was converted to a military barracks for the final three years of the war. St Laurence's College and Somerville House Girls' School in South Brisbane
South Brisbane, Queensland
South Brisbane is an inner city suburb of Brisbane, Australia located on the southern bank of the Brisbane River, directly connected to the central business district by the Kurilpa, Victoria and Goodwill bridges....
were also used by American forces.
During this time St Laurence's College was moved to Greenslopes
Greenslopes, Queensland
Greenslopes is a moderately sized suburb of the city of Brisbane, state capital of Queensland, Australia."Greenslopes" is also the name of a Queensland state electorate. The electorate contains only a small fraction of the suburb of the same name...
to continue classes. Newstead House
Newstead House, Brisbane
Newstead House is Brisbane’s oldest surviving residence and is located on the Breakfast Creek bank of the Brisbane River,in the northern Brisbane suburb of Newstead, in Queensland, Australia...
was also used to house American servicemen during the war.
Brisbane was used to mark the position of the "Brisbane Line
Brisbane Line
The "Brisbane Line" was a controversial defence proposal allegedly formulated during World War II to concede the northern portion of the Australian continent in the event of an invasion by the Japanese...
", a controversial defence proposal allegedly formulated by the Menzies
Robert Menzies
Sir Robert Gordon Menzies, , Australian politician, was the 12th and longest-serving Prime Minister of Australia....
government, that would, upon a land invasion of Australia, surrender the entire northern part of the country. The line was, allegedly, at a latitude just north of Brisbane and spanned the entire width of the continent. Surviving from this period are several cement bunkers and gun forts in the northern suburbs of Brisbane and adjacent areas (Sunshine Coast/ Moreton Bay islands).
On 26 November and 27 November 1942, rioting broke out between US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Australian servicemen
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
stationed in Brisbane. By the time the violence had been quelled one Australian soldier was dead, and hundreds of Australian and US servicemen were injured along with civilians caught up in the fighting. Hundreds of soldiers were involved in the rioting on both sides. This incident, which was heavily censored at the time and apparently was not reported in the US at all, is known as the Battle of Brisbane
Battle of Brisbane
The "Battle of Brisbane" was violence between United States military personnel on one side and Australian servicemen and civilians on the other, in Brisbane, Australia on 26–27 November 1942, during World War II. Australia and the US were Allies at the time...
.
Post-War Brisbane
Although Brisbane's tram system continued to be expanded, roads and streets remained unsealed. Water supply was limited, although the City Council built and subsequently raised the level of the Somerset Dam on the Stanley River. Despite this, most residences continued to rely heavily on rainwater stored in tanks.
The limited water supply and lack of funding also meant that despite the rapid increase in the city's population, little work was done to upgrade the city's sewage collection, which continued to rely on the collection of nightsoil. Other than the CBD and the innermost suburbs, Brisbane was a city of "thunderboxes" (outhouse
Outhouse
An outhouse is a small structure separate from a main building which often contained a simple toilet and may possibly also be used for housing animals and storage.- Terminology :...
s) or of septic tanks.
What finances could be garnered by the Council were poured into the construction of Tennyson
Tennyson, Queensland
Tennyson is a suburb of Brisbane, Australia. It is 7 km south of the CBD on the Brisbane River.The area was originally named Softstone by James Strong, one of the original settlers, but by 1897 the name was changed to Tennyson. Tennyson is named after the British poet Alfred Tennyson.The...
Powerhouse, and the extension and upgrading of the powerhouse in New Farm Park
New Farm Park, Brisbane
New Farm Park is a significant historic park in the suburb of New Farm, Brisbane, Australia, located at the southern end of the New Farm Peninsula on the Brisbane River. It covers , and it currently includes grounds, tennis courts, and basketball courts...
to meet the growing demands for electricity. Brisbane's first modern apartment building, Torbreck at Highgate Hill, was completed in 1960.
Work continued slowly on the development of a town plan, hampered by the lack of experienced staff and a continual need to play "catch-up" with rapid development. The first town plan was adopted in 1964.
1961 saw the election of Clem Jones
Clem Jones
Clem Jones AO a surveyor by profession, was the longest serving Lord Mayor of the city of Brisbane, Australia, representing the Australian Labor Party from 1961 to 1975.-Public life:...
as Lord Mayor. Ald Jones, together with the town clerk J.C. Slaughter sought to fix the long term problems besetting the city. Together they found cost-cutting ways to fix some problems. For example new sewers were laid 4 feet deep and in footpaths, rather than 6 feet deep and under roads. In the short term, "pocket" or local sewerage treatment plants were established around the city in various suburbs to avoid the expense of developing a major treatment plants and major connecting sewers.
They were also fortunate in that finance was becoming less difficult to raise and the city's rating base had by the 1960s significantly grown, to the point where revenue streams were sufficient to absorb the considerable capital outlays.
Under Jones' leadership, the City Council's transport policy shifted significantly. The City Council hired American transport consultants Wilbur Smith to devise a new transport plan for the city. They produced a report known as the Wilbur Smith "Brisbane Transportation Study" which was published in 1965. It recommended the closure of most suburban railway lines, closure of the tram and trolley-bus networks, and the construction of a massive network of freeways through the city. Under this plan the suburb of Woolloongabba
Woolloongabba, Queensland
Woolloongabba is an inner suburb of Brisbane, Australia located 4 km south of the Brisbane CBD.Experts are divided regarding the Aboriginal meaning of the name, preferring either 'whirling waters' or 'fight talk place'...
would have been almost completely obliterated by a vast interchange of three major freeways.
Although the trams and trolley-buses were rapidly eliminated between 1968 and 1969, only one freeway was constructed, the trains were retained and subsequently electrified. The first train line to be so upgraded was the Ferny Grove
Ferny Grove, Queensland
Ferny Grove is a residential suburb in north-west Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It lies entirely within the Brisbane-metropolitan area administered by the Brisbane City Council.-General information:...
to Oxley
Oxley, Queensland
Oxley is a south-western suburb of Brisbane located approximately 11 km from the Brisbane CBD. It was named after the early Australian explorer John Oxley. The suburb supports a mix of residential, retail and industrial land use....
line in 1979. The train line to Cleveland
Cleveland, Queensland
Cleveland is a suburb located approximately east-south-east of Brisbane, the capital of the Australian state of Queensland, and is the council seat for the Redland City local government area...
, which had been cut back to Lota
Lota, Queensland
Lota is an outer suburb of Brisbane, Australia. It is 17 km east of the CBD.Most of the land of Lota was originally owned by William Duckett White, who settled in 1862...
in 1960, was also reopened.
Brisbane floods
Brisbane has been inundated by five severe floodFlood
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
s of the Brisbane River – in 1864, 1893, 1897, 1974 and 2011. A comprehensive flood mitigation scheme was instituted for the Brisbane River catchment area in the aftermath of the 1974 flood. Since then the city remained largely flood free, until January 2011.
1980s
Brisbane hosted the Commonwealth Games1982 Commonwealth Games
The 1982 Commonwealth Games were held in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia from 30 September–9 October 1982. The Opening Ceremony was held at the QEII Stadium , in the Brisbane suburb of Nathan. The QEII Stadium was also the venue which was used for the athletics and archery competitions during the...
in 1982 and the World's Fair
Expo '88
World Expo 88, also known as Expo '88, was a World's Fair held in Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland, Australia, during a six-month period between Saturday, 30 April 1988 and Sunday, 30 October 1988...
in 1988. Between the late 1970s and mid-1980s, Brisbane was the focus of early land rights protests (e.g. during the Commonwealth Games)and several well-remembered clashes between students, union workers, police and the then-Queensland government. Partly from this context, innovative Brisbane music groups emerged (notably Punk groups) that added to the city's renown.
Later in that decade, emission control regulation had a major effect on improving the cities air quality. The banning of backyard incinerators in 1987, together with the closure of two local coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
fired power station
Power station
A power station is an industrial facility for the generation of electric energy....
s in 1986 and a 50% decrease in lead levels found in petrol, resulted in a lowering of pollution levels.
Brisbane's historical timeline
- 1770 Captain James CookJames CookCaptain James Cook, FRS, RN was a British explorer, navigator and cartographer who ultimately rose to the rank of captain in the Royal Navy...
sails up Queensland coast with botanist Joseph BanksJoseph BanksSir Joseph Banks, 1st Baronet, GCB, PRS was an English naturalist, botanist and patron of the natural sciences. He took part in Captain James Cook's first great voyage . Banks is credited with the introduction to the Western world of eucalyptus, acacia, mimosa and the genus named after him,...
; names Cape MoretonCape MoretonCape Moreton is a rocky headland located at the north eastern tip of Moreton Island in South East Queensland, Australia. The surrounding area is part of the Moreton Island National Park. 5 km north-west of Cape Moreton is Flinders Reef....
, Point LookoutPoint Lookout, QueenslandPoint Lookout is a headland and small coastal village located on the eastern coast of North Stradbroke Island. To the north lies Cape Moreton and to the south the next major headland is Point Danger on the New South Wales/Queensland border. The other towns on the island are Dunwich and Amity Point....
and Glass House MountainsGlass House Mountains National ParkGlass House Mountains National Park is a national park in Queensland , north of Brisbane. It consists of a flat plain punctuated by rhyolite and trachyte volcanic plugs, the cores of extinct volcanoes that formed 27 million to 26 million years ago. The mountains would once have had...
. Takes possession of eastern Australia, naming it New South WalesNew South WalesNew South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
. - 1799 Captain Matthew FlindersMatthew FlindersCaptain Matthew Flinders RN was one of the most successful navigators and cartographers of his age. In a career that spanned just over twenty years, he sailed with Captain William Bligh, circumnavigated Australia and encouraged the use of that name for the continent, which had previously been...
explores MoretonMoreton BayMoreton Bay is a bay on the eastern coast of Australia 45 km from Brisbane, Queensland. It is one of Queensland's most important coastal resources...
and Hervey bays; names Red Cliff Point (now RedcliffeRedcliffe, QueenslandRedcliffe is a residential suburb of the Moreton Bay Region in the north-east of the Redcliffe peninsula, approximately north-northeast of Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland, Australia...
), Pumice-stone River (now Pumicestone PassagePumicestone PassagePumicestone Passage, also known as the Pumicestone Channel, is a narrow waterway between Bribie Island and the mainland in Queensland, Australia...
). Also lands on Coochiemudlo Island. - 1823 Emancipated convicts John Finnegan, Richard Parsons and Thomas PamphlettThomas PamphlettThomas Pamphlett , sometimes Pamphlet, also known as James Groom, was a convict in colonial Australia. He is best known for his time as a castaway in the Moreton Bay area, halfway up the eastern coast of Australia, in 1823. He was marooned with two others, Richard Parsons and John Finnegan, until...
shipwrecked off Moreton Is while looking for timber (a fourth person, John Thomson, died at sea). Following a quarrel, Parsons continues north while others stay on the island. - 1823 Surveyor-general John OxleyJohn OxleyJohn Joseph William Molesworth Oxley was an explorer and surveyor of Australia in the early period of English colonisation.October 1802 he was engaged in coastal survey work including an expedition to Western Port in 1804-05...
arrives at Bribie IslandBribie Island, QueenslandBribie Island, 34 kilometres long and 8 kilometres at its widest, is the smallest and most northerly of three major sand island forming the coastline sheltering the northern part of Moreton Bay, Queensland. The others are Moreton Island and North Stradbroke Island...
to evaluate Moreton BayMoreton BayMoreton Bay is a bay on the eastern coast of Australia 45 km from Brisbane, Queensland. It is one of Queensland's most important coastal resources...
as a site for penal settlement. Discovers Finnegan and Pamphlett who guide him to the Brisbane RiverBrisbane RiverThe Brisbane River is the longest river in south east Queensland, Australia, and flows through the city of Brisbane, before emptying into Moreton Bay. John Oxley was the first European to explore the river who named it after the Governor of New South Wales, Thomas Brisbane in 1823...
; names Peel IslandPeel IslandPeel Island is a small island located in Moreton Bay, east of Brisbane, Queensland, in Australia.During the mid-19th century Peel Island was used as a quarantine station for the colony of Brisbane. Sailing ships would anchor to the north of the Island, the passengers would disembark on Peel Island...
, Pine RiverPine River (Queensland)Pine River continues after the convergence of North Pine and South Pine rivers at Lawnton in Queensland, Australia, continuing into Bramble Bay. The Brisway map reference is 440 D10.-Geographical characteristics:...
and Deception BayDeception Bay, QueenslandDeception Bay is a suburb north of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Its Local Government Area is the Moreton Bay Region and is located approximately 32 km north of Brisbane in the south-eastern corner of the bay of the same name which separates the Redcliffe peninsula and Bribie...
. - 1824 Oxley discovers Parsons and returns him to Sydney.
- 1824 First commandant Lt. Henry Miller arrives at Red Cliffe Pt from Sydney with soldiers, a storekeeper and their families, John Oxley, botanist Allan CunninghamAllan Cunningham (botanist)Allan Cunningham was an English botanist and explorer, primarily known for his travels in New South Wales to collect plants.- Early life :...
, stock and seeds. - 1824 First settler born in colony named Amity Moreton Thompson.
- 1825 Shipping channel via South Passage found; settlement moves to Brisbane River; first convict buildings built along William St.
- 1825 Edmund LockyerEdmund LockyerEdmund Lockyer, – 10 June 1860) was a British soldier and explorer of Australia.Born in Plymouth, Devon, Lockyer was son of Thomas Lockyer, a sailmaker, and his wife Ann, née Grose. Lockyer began his army career as an ensign in the 19th Regiment in June 1803, was promoted lieutenant in early 1805...
of 57th Regiment explores Brisbane River. Notes flood debris 100 feet above river levels at Mount CrosbyMount Crosby, QueenslandMount Crosby is a mountain and outer suburb of Brisbane, Australia located south-west of the Brisbane CBD.-Geography:The Brisbane River, Mount Crosby and the adjoining State Forest are the dominant natural features of the area.-History:...
, finds first coal deposits. Names RedbankRedbank, QueenslandRedbank is a suburb of Ipswich, Queensland, Australia.The origin of the suburb name is from a description of the area provided by Major Edmund Lockyer whilst exploring in a boat along the Brisbane River...
after soil colour. - 1826 Captain Patrick LoganPatrick LoganCaptain Patrick Logan was the commandant of the Moreton Bay penal colony from 1826 until his death in 1830. He is thought to have been killed by Aboriginal Australians who objected to him entering their lands...
takes over as commandant of colony. Achieves extensive stone building program using convict labour. Discovers SouthportSouthport, Queensland-Sport:The Southport Sharks Australian rules football club has a presence in the area, including a club and function centre.-Transport:The Broadwaterway is a foreshoreway that encourages pedestrians and cyclists to travel along the Broadwater foreshores of Southport.A ferry terminal is planned for...
bar and Logan RiverLogan RiverThe Logan River is a river in South East Queensland. The catchment is dominated by urban and agricultural land use. Near the river mouth are mangrove forests and a number of aquaculture farms.-History:... - 1827 Allan Cunningham leaves Hunter ValleyHunter ValleyThe Hunter Region, more commonly known as the Hunter Valley, is a region of New South Wales, Australia, extending from approximately to north of Sydney with an approximate population of 645,395 people. Most of the population of the Hunter Region lives within of the coast, with 55% of the entire...
to seek link via New England Tableland to Darling Downs. - 1827 IndigenousIndigenous AustraliansIndigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
resistance leader "Napoleon" exiled to St Helena IslandSt Helena Island National ParkSt Helena Island is an island in Queensland, Australia, 21 km east of Brisbane in Moreton Bay. Originally used as a prison, it is now a national park. Named Noogoon by the Australian Aborigines, it was renamed St Helena after an aboriginal named Napoleon was exiled there in 1826. The island...
. Aborigines raid maize plots, resist advances. Frequent conflict until 1840s. - 1828 Cunningham discovers gap in Great Dividing RangeGreat Dividing RangeThe Great Dividing Range, or the Eastern Highlands, is Australia's most substantial mountain range and the third longest in the world. The range stretches more than 3,500 km from Dauan Island off the northeastern tip of Queensland, running the entire length of the eastern coastline through...
, providing access from Moreton Bay to Darling Downs. Also explores Esk-Lockyer basin and upper Brisbane Valley in 1829. - 1829 Moreton Bay Aborigines seriously affected by smallpox.
- 1830 Captain Logan mysteriously murdered near EskEsk, QueenslandEsk is a town in the West Moreton region of South East Queensland, approximately 90 km northwest of Ipswich on the Brisbane Valley Highway. It was named after the River Esk in Scotland and England. It is the administrative centre of the Somerset Region...
, commemorated in folk song Convict's Lament. - 1831 Moreton Bay settlement population reaches 1241, including 1066 convicts.
- 1833 Ship Stirling Castle wrecked on Swain Reef; first of many ships to wreck on Queensland coast over next 40 years.
- 1836 Quaker missionaries report Moreton Bay Indigenous population infected with venereal disease from American whalersWhalingWhaling is the hunting of whales mainly for meat and oil. Its earliest forms date to at least 3000 BC. Various coastal communities have long histories of sustenance whaling and harvesting beached whales...
. - 1837 Brisbane's pioneering Petrie family arrives in Moreton Bay. Andrew PetrieAndrew PetrieAndrew Petrie was a builder, architect and Australian pioneer.Petrie was born in Fife, Scotland and trained as a builder in Edinburgh, where he married Mary Cuthbertson in 1821. John Dunmore Lang brought him, his wife and four sons to Sydney in 1831 with other Scottish mechanics to form the...
(builder and stonemason) is clerk of government works; stays on with wife Mary and five children after penal settlement closes. Son John PetrieJohn PetrieJohn "Jocky" Petrie was a Scottish football player who played for Arbroath F.C..He holds the record for the most goals ever scored in a senior British football game with 13 goals. This occurred during Arbroath's famous 36–0 victory over Bon Accord F.C...
becomes Brisbane's first mayor; other son Tom writes sympathetically about local Indigenous people. - 1839 Calls to cease convict transportation successful; Moreton Bay is closed as a penal settlement. 2062 men and 150 women served sentences at the settlement, half of them being IrishIrish peopleThe Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
; 10 percent died, 700 fled, 98 never recaptured. - 1840 Escaped convict John Baker surrenders after 14 years of living with Indigenous Australians.
- 1841 Indigenous people Merridio and Neugavil are executed at Wickham Terrace windmill for the murderMurderMurder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
of surveyor Stapylton and his assistant in Logan. - 1842 New South WelshNew South WalesNew South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
Governor George GippsGeorge GippsSir George Gipps was Governor of the colony of New South Wales, Australia, for eight years, between 1838 and 1846. His governorship was during a period of great change for New South Wales and Australia, as well as for New Zealand, which was administered as part of New South Wales for much of this...
proclaims Moreton Bay a free settlement. Land is offered for sale from Sydney. - 1846 Squatter and entrepreneur Evan Mackenzie succeeds in making Brisbane a port independent from Sydney.
- 1846 Recorded population of Moreton Bay area is 4000 Aborigines and 2257 migrants.
- 1848 First 240 government-assisted BritishUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
migrants arrive in Brisbane. First ChineseChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
labourers arrive. - 1849 Rev Dr J.D. Lang, local clergyman and journalist, brings his first English, Irish, Welsh and Scottish migrants with unauthorised promise of land grants. Government rations issued to prevent starvation. Lang envisages a colony of self-sufficient, thrifty and hard-working farmers, workers and artisans.
- 1849 Brisbane School of Arts established.
- 1849 William PettigrewWilliam PettigrewWilliam Pettigrew was an alderman and mayor of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia and a Member of the Legislative Council of Queensland, Australia.- Personal life :...
arrives in colony. He later becomes the mayor of Brisbane in 1870 and is a member of the Queensland Legislative AssemblyQueensland Legislative AssemblyThe Queensland Legislative Assembly is the unicameral chamber of the Parliament of Queensland. Elections are held approximately once every three years. Voting is by the Optional Preferential Voting form of the Alternative Vote system...
between 1877-94. - 1850 Areas beyond inner Brisbane suburbs, such as BulimbaBulimba, QueenslandBulimba is an inner suburb of Brisbane, Australia. It is 4 kilometres south-east of the CBD, and is located on the southern bank of the Brisbane River...
, CoorparooCoorparoo, QueenslandCoorparoo is a southern suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, located approximately four kilometres from the city. Surrounding suburbs include Camp Hill, Holland Park, Greenslopes, East Brisbane, Norman Park and Seven Hills.-Aboriginal history:...
, EnoggeraEnoggera, QueenslandEnoggera is a suburb of Brisbane, in Queensland, Australia. The suburb is located 6 km north-west of the Brisbane CBD.-History:In 1845 John Brennan purchased six hectares of land in Enoggera. Six years later, Thomas Hayes moved to the area and bought thirty-three acres of land...
, NundahNundah, QueenslandNundah is an inner suburb in the city of Brisbane, Australia, located approximately 8 kilometers north-east of the Brisbane central business district, in the local government area of the City of Brisbane....
, SherwoodSherwood, QueenslandSherwood is a suburb of Brisbane, Australia. It is 9 km south west of the CBD and borders the Brisbane River. The suburb is mostly low and medium density housing with a retail strip centered along Sherwood Road.-Open Space:...
and StaffordStafford, QueenslandStafford is a northern suburb of Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland, Australia.A predominantly residential suburb, including some original Queenslander-style homes and a significant number of post-war Queensland Housing Commission homes on quarter-acre blocks built around the 1940s and...
are used for agriculture and grazing until the 1880s. - 1850 Displaced Aborigines from Bribie Island, Redcliffe peninsula and Wide Bay make gunyah camps in Breakfast Creek/Eagle Farm region (until 1860s).
- 1850 Arthur LyonArthur LyonArthur Lyon was an American Olympic fencer. He won a bronze medal in the team foil event at the 1920 Summer Olympics.-References:...
sends sample of cotton from New FarmNew Farm, QueenslandNew Farm is an inner suburb of Brisbane, Australia, located 2 km east of the Brisbane CBD on a large bend of the Brisbane River. New Farm is partly surrounded by the Brisbane River, with land access from the north west through Fortitude Valley and from the north through...
to The Great ExhibitionThe Great ExhibitionThe Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of all Nations or The Great Exhibition, sometimes referred to as the Crystal Palace Exhibition in reference to the temporary structure in which it was held, was an international exhibition that took place in Hyde Park, London, from 1 May to 15 October...
in London. - 1851 InfluenzaInfluenzaInfluenza, commonly referred to as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae , that affects birds and mammals...
epidemic hits Brisbane (lasting in 1852). - 1855 Nearly 1000 GermanGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
migrants arrive in Brisbane after political unrest and the introduction of compulsory military training; most settle in the NundahNundah, QueenslandNundah is an inner suburb in the city of Brisbane, Australia, located approximately 8 kilometers north-east of the Brisbane central business district, in the local government area of the City of Brisbane....
area. - 1855 (5 January) Aboriginal resistance leader Dundalli hanged near current Post Office. Large-scale protests by Indigenous tribes.
- 1862 Old Government HouseOld Government House, QueenslandQueensland's first Government House is located at Gardens Point in the grounds of the Queensland University of Technology at the end of George Street in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia...
is completed. - 1866 11 September, food riots that were instigated by the recently retrenched workers.
- 1867 Parliament HouseParliament House, BrisbaneParliament House in Brisbane is the home of the Parliament of Queensland, housing the Legislative Assembly. It is situated on the corner of George Street and Alice Street...
opens. - 1885 Horse drawn tram system commences operation.
- 1893 Brisbane flood1893 Brisbane floodThe 1893 Brisbane flood, occasionally referred to as the Great Flood of 1893 or the Black February flood, occurred when the Brisbane River burst its banks on three occasions in February 1893. It is the occurrence of three major floods in the same month that saw the period named "Black February"....
. - 1897 Electric trams introduced.
- 1899 Queensland MuseumQueensland MuseumThe Queensland Museum is the state museum of Queensland. The museum currently operates four separate campuses; at South Brisbane, Ipswich, Toowoomba and Townsville.The museum is funded by the State Government of Queensland.-History:...
leaves the old State Library BuildingThe old State Library Building, BrisbaneThe old State Library Building is situated immediately opposite Queens Gardens in William Street, Brisbane, Australia.The building was originally constructed for the Queensland Museum, which stayed in the building for 20 years ....
to move into "Exhibition Hall" (later called the Old MuseumOld Museum Building, BrisbaneThe Old Museum Building is a performance venue in Bowen Hills, Brisbane, Australia.-History:The Old Museum was originally called the Exhibition Building and Concert Hall. It was built in 1891 for the Queensland National Agricultural and Industrial Association after Brisbane's first exhibition...
), at Gregory Terrace, Bowen HillsBowen Hills, QueenslandBowen Hills is an inner suburb of Brisbane, Australia, located 3 km northeast of the Brisbane CBD. It was named after a Governor of Queensland, Sir George Ferguson Bowen.-History:...
. - 1901 Celebrations held to mark FederationFederation of AustraliaThe Federation of Australia was the process by which the six separate British self-governing colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia formed one nation...
, on New Year's Day. - 1901 Fire alarms and pillar hydrants introduced to Brisbane city streets.
- 1902 Central Railway StationCentral railway station, BrisbaneCentral railway station is, as the name suggests, the central railway station for the Queensland Rail City network in the Brisbane central business district, the state capital of Queensland, Australia...
in Ann Street, BrisbaneBrisbaneBrisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
completed. - 1902 Brisbane officially designated city status by the Government of QueenslandGovernment of QueenslandThe Government of Queensland is commonly known as the "Queensland Government".The form of the Government of Queensland is prescribed in its Constitution, which dates from 1859, although it has been amended many times since then...
. - 1909 Government HouseGovernment House, QueenslandGovernment House, or 'Fernberg', is located in the Brisbane suburb of Paddington, in Queensland, Australia.Government House is the official residence of the Governor of Queensland, and is commonly known as 'Fernberg'. The Governor of Queensland is the representative of Queen Elizabeth II in...
opens at BardonBardon, QueenslandBardon is an inner suburb of Brisbane, Australia located approximately 5 km west of the Brisbane CBD. Bardon is a leafy residential suburb, much of which nestles into the foothills of Mount Coot-tha.-History:... - 1909 University of QueenslandUniversity of QueenslandThe University of Queensland, also known as UQ, is a public university located in state of Queensland, Australia. Founded in 1909, it is the oldest and largest university in Queensland and the fifth oldest in the nation...
opens near Parliament House. - 1922 Queensland Government purchases privately owned tram system and establishes the Brisbane Tramways Trust.
- 1925 Amalgamation of 25 local government areas to form the City of Greater Brisbane.
- 1925 Queensland Government transfers responsibility for the tram system from the Brisbane Tramways Trust to the Brisbane City Council.
- 1927 Lone Pine Koala SanctuaryLone Pine Koala SanctuaryLone Pine Koala Sanctuary is located in the Brisbane suburb of Fig Tree Pocket in Queensland, Australia.Founded in 1927, it is the world's oldest and largest Koala Sanctuary.-History:...
founded - 1928 Sir Charles Kingsford SmithCharles Kingsford SmithSir Charles Edward Kingsford Smith MC, AFC , often called by his nickname Smithy, was an early Australian aviator. In 1928, he earned global fame when he made the first trans-Pacific flight from the United States to Australia...
lands in Brisbane, from San Francisco, USA, after the first flight across the Pacific Ocean. - 1930 Brisbane City HallBrisbane City HallBrisbane City Hall, in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, is the seat of the Brisbane City Council. It is located adjacent to King George Square, where the rectangular City Hall has its main entrance. The City Hall also has frontages and entrances in both Ann Street and Adelaide Street...
opened. - 1939 Forgan Smith building completed at the St. Lucia campus of the University of Queensland. (Forgan Smith building was named after the, then, Premier of QueenslandPremiers of QueenslandBefore the 1890s, there was no developed party system in Queensland. Political affiliation labels before that time indicate a general tendency only. Before the end of the first decade of the twentieth century, political parties were more akin to parliamentary factions, and were fluid, informal and...
) - 1940 Story Bridge completed.
- 1942 General Douglas MacArthurDouglas MacArthurGeneral of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
arrives in Brisbane and takes offices in the AMP building (later called MacArthur CentralMacArthur Central, BrisbaneMacArthur Central is an English Renaissance styled building located on the north-east corner of Queen Street and Edward Street in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia...
) for the Pacific campaign during World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis... - 1946 Following a delay caused by World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the University of QueenslandUniversity of QueenslandThe University of Queensland, also known as UQ, is a public university located in state of Queensland, Australia. Founded in 1909, it is the oldest and largest university in Queensland and the fifth oldest in the nation...
began its move from George Street, Brisbane, to its St LuciaSt Lucia, QueenslandSt Lucia is an inner suburb of Brisbane, Australia located 4 km south-west of the Brisbane CBD. The suburb is bordered on three sides by the Brisbane River and is dominated by the main campus of the University of Queensland.-History:...
campus, which it completed in 1972 - 1964 Adoption of first Brisbane Town Plan
- 1965 Queensland Institute of Technology (later Queensland University of TechnologyQueensland University of TechnologyQueensland University of Technology is an Australian university with an applied emphasis in courses and research. Based in Brisbane, it has 40,000 students, including 6,000 international students, over 4,000 staff members, and an annual budget of more than A$750 million.QUT is marketed as "A...
) established - 1968 Brisbane City Council announces conversion of tram and trolley-bus systems to all-bus operations
- 1969 Tram and trolley bus systems close, new Victoria BridgeVictoria Bridge, BrisbaneThe Victoria Bridge is a vehicular and pedestrian bridge over the Brisbane River. The current bridge, opened in 1969, is the third permanent crossing erected at this location...
opened - 1974 Brisbane RiverBrisbane RiverThe Brisbane River is the longest river in south east Queensland, Australia, and flows through the city of Brisbane, before emptying into Moreton Bay. John Oxley was the first European to explore the river who named it after the Governor of New South Wales, Thomas Brisbane in 1823...
flooding1974 Brisbane floodThe 1974 Brisbane flood occurred in January 1974 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, when waterways in the city experienced significant flooding...
, the result of continual heavy rain from "Cyclone Wanda", causes major damage across city - 1982 Commonwealth Games1982 Commonwealth GamesThe 1982 Commonwealth Games were held in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia from 30 September–9 October 1982. The Opening Ceremony was held at the QEII Stadium , in the Brisbane suburb of Nathan. The QEII Stadium was also the venue which was used for the athletics and archery competitions during the...
- 1984 Queensland Performing Arts CentreQueensland Performing Arts CentreThe Queensland Performing Arts Centre is part of the Queensland Cultural Centre and is located on the corner of Melbourne Street and Grey Street in Brisbane's South Bank precinct....
opened at the Queensland Cultural CentreQueensland Cultural CentreThe Queensland Cultural Centre is a multi-venue centre located at South Bank, Brisbane, capital city of Queensland. It consists of the Queensland Performing Arts Centre , the Queensland Museum, the State Library of Queensland , the Queensland Art Gallery and the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art... - 1986 Queensland MuseumQueensland MuseumThe Queensland Museum is the state museum of Queensland. The museum currently operates four separate campuses; at South Brisbane, Ipswich, Toowoomba and Townsville.The museum is funded by the State Government of Queensland.-History:...
moves to the Queensland Cultural CentreQueensland Cultural CentreThe Queensland Cultural Centre is a multi-venue centre located at South Bank, Brisbane, capital city of Queensland. It consists of the Queensland Performing Arts Centre , the Queensland Museum, the State Library of Queensland , the Queensland Art Gallery and the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art... - 1986 TennysonTennyson, QueenslandTennyson is a suburb of Brisbane, Australia. It is 7 km south of the CBD on the Brisbane River.The area was originally named Softstone by James Strong, one of the original settlers, but by 1897 the name was changed to Tennyson. Tennyson is named after the British poet Alfred Tennyson.The...
and BulimbaBulimba, QueenslandBulimba is an inner suburb of Brisbane, Australia. It is 4 kilometres south-east of the CBD, and is located on the southern bank of the Brisbane River...
coal-fired power station closed down - 1986 Gateway Bridge completed.
- 1988 State Library of QueenslandState Library of QueenslandThe State Library of Queensland is a large public library provided to the people of the State of Queensland, Australia, by the state government. Its legislative basis is provided by the Queensland Libraries Act 1988...
leaves the old State Library BuildingThe old State Library Building, BrisbaneThe old State Library Building is situated immediately opposite Queens Gardens in William Street, Brisbane, Australia.The building was originally constructed for the Queensland Museum, which stayed in the building for 20 years ....
to move to the Queensland Cultural CentreQueensland Cultural CentreThe Queensland Cultural Centre is a multi-venue centre located at South Bank, Brisbane, capital city of Queensland. It consists of the Queensland Performing Arts Centre , the Queensland Museum, the State Library of Queensland , the Queensland Art Gallery and the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art... - 1988 World Expo 88 held at reclaimed industrial land at South BrisbaneSouth Brisbane, QueenslandSouth Brisbane is an inner city suburb of Brisbane, Australia located on the southern bank of the Brisbane River, directly connected to the central business district by the Kurilpa, Victoria and Goodwill bridges....
- 1989 Queensland Institute of Technology changed status to Queensland University of TechnologyQueensland University of TechnologyQueensland University of Technology is an Australian university with an applied emphasis in courses and research. Based in Brisbane, it has 40,000 students, including 6,000 international students, over 4,000 staff members, and an annual budget of more than A$750 million.QUT is marketed as "A...
. - 1995 Treasury Casino opens
- 2001 Commonwealth Heads of Government MeetingCommonwealth Heads of Government MeetingThe Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, , is a biennial summit meeting of the heads of government from all Commonwealth nations. Every two years the meeting is held in a different member state, and is chaired by that nation's respective Prime Minister or President, who becomes the...
(CHOGM), scheduled for Brisbane, but postponed after heightened security concerns resulting from terrorist attacks on New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Instead it was heldCommonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2002The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2002 was the seventeenth Meeting of the Heads of Government of the Commonwealth of Nations. It was held in Coolum, Australia, between 2 March and 5 March 2002, and hosted by Prime Minister John Howard....
in Coolum in early 2002 - 2001 Goodwill GamesGoodwill GamesThe Goodwill Games was an international sports competition, created by Ted Turner in reaction to the political troubles surrounding the Olympic Games of the 1980s...
- 2011 Brisbane River flooding
See also
- History of QueenslandHistory of QueenslandThe human history of Queensland encompasses both a long Aboriginal Australian presence as well as the more recent European settlement. Before being charted and claimed for England by Lieutenant James Cook in 1770, the north-eastern Australian region was explored by Dutch, Portuguese and French...
- History of association football (soccer) in Brisbane, Queensland
Further reading
- J.R. Cole, Shaping a City: Greater Brisbane 1925-1985, Brisbane 1984
- G. Greenwood and J. Laverty, Brisbane 1859-1959, BCC, 1959
External links
- Our Queensland: The Great Unknown Comprehensive local newspaper outline of regional history.
- Australian Heritage Historical Towns Directory -- Brisbane
- Brisbane Tramway Museum
- QM Supply in the Pacific During WWII
- Sharing the Burden: Women in Cryptology during World War II
- The Home Front - World War 2
- Brisbane’s role in WWII focus of new book regarding Brisbane as a large submarine base in World War II
- Portfolio of Photographs of the City of Brisbane and Suburbs, 1860 - 1902 - digitised and held by John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland.