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| General Information |
 | | Like so many other places in Australia, Brisbane began its existence as a penal colony.
Residents are still trying to break out. Break out from their small town roots and attitudes and into the big time, that is. You'll probably agree - they're doing a fantastic job.
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| Brisbane was first settled in 1824, but it took over one hundred years (1925) before several municipalities were incorporated into the city you see today. In spite the slow start, the Brisbane has been making up for lost time; there are plenty of impressive sights. The skyline that presents itself to the first time visitor is imposingly modern, with one skyscraper after another marching in a row along the Brisbane River. Yet you still have a considerable number of older sites to visit, all engaging and worth your while.
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| To get a sense of Brisbane's roots, you can visit the only two surviving buildings of the original settlement, The Windmill Observatory (which never worked as a windmill), and The Old Commissariat Store, with stone walls up to four feet thick. It now houses the Royal Historical Society.
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 | | To see other historic structures, there's the City Center Historic Buildings walk. Just follow the yellow brick road! Well, almost. Golden arrows set into the footpath lead you to The Mansions, six ornate, 19th century townhouses. Renovated to reflect their original elegance, they are now home to interesting shops (antiquarian print gallery, bookshop, antique shop, the National Trust of Queensland Gift Shop) and a restaurant with views. Views? Yes, views! You'll be impressed with what you see: the Botanical Gardens; The Old Government House, an impressive Classical Revival building from 1862; The Parliament House, a grand edifice, that took thirty years to complete, in an unusual French Renaissance style; and the old Italianate Treasury building that is now the Conrad Treasury Casino.
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| The Brisbane City Hall is a modern building, but you'd never know it. Built in the English neoclassical style, it uses local materials with remarkable skill to achieve Old World charm on an impressive scale. And the Customs House, prominent on the river, boasts solid Corinthian columns and an imposing green copper dome, magnificently Victorian. To round out your historical overview, the Queensland Maritime Museum offers displays of charts, model ships, engines, and an "on the water" display of WWII vessels.
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| Experience Brisbane's outdoor beauty with a visit to one of its wonderful parks. The City Botanical Gardens blanket acre after acre along the river. Spread out over the gentle hills, the gardens are an unabashed showpiece for the town. You should definitely take some time to stroll along this riverbank. The climate is subtropical and the soil rich, so the beds are always lush and fragrant (think frangipani, orchids, and jasmine).
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| On Mount Coot-tha, ten minutes from the city center, is the Mount Coot-tha Botanical Gardens and Reserve, home to Australia's largest display of plants. One hundred and fifty acres of lakes, ponds, and streams frame the exhibit. The Japanese Garden is particularly delightful, and the Exotic Rainforest fascinating. At the top of the hill there is an observation point overlooking the city, with panoramic views.
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| Want a taste of the fair dinkum (genuine, true), outdoor, Aussie life? The Australian Woolshed is waiting a 9-mile train ride from the city center. When you get off you'll be in the middle of a family-friendly "outback experience": sheep shearing, wool spinning, a fauna park with koalas to hug and kangaroos to feed, and the "ram show," when eight trained rams are put through their paces by a flock of savvy sheepdogs.
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| For a more active taste of Brisbane life, head to The Cliffs, on one bank of the river for some rock climbing and rappelling. North Stradbroke Island, an hour away, offers lovely beaches and scenery for a bushwalk. You may see porpoises, dolphins, and manta rays from some parts of the headland.
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| Brisbane offers shopping venues consistent with what you'd expect from any good-sized town. The Queen Street Mall, a multistory enclosed structure, stretches for city blocks. Street entertainers perform for the entertainment of shoppers. Off the Mall are several shopping arcades, the largest being Myer Center, which boasts department stores, a dining court, and a food hall. Queen Adelaide Building is the place to go for upscale, designer boutiques and souvenir shops, and Broadway on the Mall has more than 150 shops whose focus is fashion.
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| The dining options in this vigorous, cosmopolitan city are as numerous as the shopping. Brisbane offers tastes of many different cuisines: Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese, and, of course, European. Of course, native Australian delicacies, such as crocodile and kangaroo meats, are widely available. And the restaurants run the gamut from five-star to brasserie to cafe. Tourists don't starve in Brisbane!
Brisbane: beautiful, bold, and sometimes brash. Take a look. | |
| General Information |
| POPULATION
1,600,000.
PORT
Brisbane, Australia's third largest capital city port.
CLIMATE
Subtropical and dry. BYO-SPF! Highs in summer range from the 70s to the 90s.
LANGUAGE
Aussie (pronounced "Ozzie"), mate!
CURRENCY
Australian dollar. | |
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