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Brisbane is a land of contrasts and a fascinating destination to visit. Being the capital of Queensland, Brisbane is also Australia's third largest city.

The region now called Brisbane was previously inhabited by the Turrbul and Jagera people whose ancestors are thought to have migrated to the region from across the Torres Strait. For over 40,000 years, the Brisbane region was inhabited by these Aboriginal tribes. Brisbane was named in honour of Sir Thomas Brisbane, who was the Governor of New South Wales.

Following the region’s exploration by Briton, John Oxley, in the 1820s, the city started out as a penal colony which grew and flourished as a result of the discovery of gold around Queensland. In 1859, the state of Queensland became a separate colony with Brisbane as its capital. In the decades which have elapsed since then, the city has continued to thrive. It is now home to approximately 1.7 million people, the third largest population in Australia.

Brisbane gained widespread recognition in the 1980s when it hosted two events of international importance - the 1982 Commonwealth Games and the Expo '88 Fair.

Brisbane is a city of smiles with many world-class shopping centres, superb restaurants, fine weather, glorious sandy beaches, and a state-of-the-art airport. This sprawling city is also within locality to the spectacular Great Barrier Reef. Architecture throughout Brisbane is varied with a number of impressive, historic buildings dating back to the early 19th century, as well as modern, towering skyscrapers. This combination of old and new makes Brisbane's skyline breathtaking, particularly at night when the lights on the tallest buildings are reflected onto the water.

Brisbane City Facts

Brisbane Population: 1,769,000 (Source: UN Population Estimate Revision 2003)
Australia’sPopulation: 20,090,437 (Source: The World Fact Book July2005 Estimate)Currency: Australian Dollar (AUD)Time Zone: In Australia there arethree time zones - Eastern StandardTime is UTC +10, Central Time is UTC+9.5, and Western Time UTC +8Languages: English, Aboriginal languagesas well as other internationallanguages