The area now known as Brisbane was inhabited before European settlement by the Turrbul and Jagera people whose ancestors originally migrated to the region from across the Torres Strait. In 1823 an exploration party led by John Oxley explored Moreton Bay and sailed up the Brisbane River as far as Goodna, some 20 km upstream from what is now Brisbane central business district. Brisbane was named in honour of Sir Thomas Brisbane, who was the Governor of New South Wales.

In 1824, the colonial administration of New South Wales decided to establish a penal settlement at what is now Redcliffe, on the shores of Moreton Bay. This settlement was soon closed and moved to the present-day site of Brisbane. Non-convict European settlement of the Brisbane region commenced in 1838.

Queensland was proclaimed a separate colony in June 1859 and Brisbane was chosen as its capital. However, Brisbane was not incorporated as a city until 1902. Over twenty small municipalities and shires were amalgamated to form the City of Greater Brisbane, now known simply as the City of Brisbane, in 1925.

Due to Brisbane's proximity to the South West Pacific Area theatre of the Second World War, the city played a prominent role in the defence of Australia. The city became a temporary home to thousands of Australian and American servicemen. In addition to this, the AMP Building (later called MacArthur Central) was used as the headquarters of General Douglas MacArthur, the chief of the Allied Pacific forces.

Brisbane was host city for the very successful 1982 Commonwealth Games and for the equally successful World's Fair, Expo '88. These events in the 1980s were accompanied by a scale of public expenditure, construction and diplomacy not previously seen in the state of Queensland. In the decades since, the metropolis has become Australia's fastest growing city through migration from all continents and the Australian states and territories.

Brisbane has a strong cultural identity in art, sculpture, literature, poetry and music, which dates back to the late 1800s.

Brisbane also significantly raised its global profile as the host city of the 1982 Commonwealth Games and the very successful World Expo '88. The South Bank Parklands which were later established on the former Expo '88 site, are now an a thriving mix of Brisbane's relaxed lifestyle and culture.

Warana, is a former annual event which which began in 1961 and run by the council as a celebration of Brisbane, similar in many ways to Melbourne's Moomba. In 1996, Warana became the biennial Brisbane Festival, a lower key event with a focus on the performing arts.

Brisbane has many important and historical buildings and structures, some of which date back to colonial times. Brisbane also has many beautiful gardens and parklands.

For a listing of articles about Brisbane's landmarks, and also other articles about Brisbane, please click on the above title.

Popular with tourists are the rockclimbing cliffs which are located at the southern approach to the Story Bridge at Kangaroo Point, as well as the more than 27 km of bicycle pathways which line both sides of the river east and west of the city centre. Another new Brisbane attraction is the Story Bridge Adventure Climb ^[5]. The Story Bridge is one of only three legally climbable bridges in the world.

Also popular with tourists are the South Bank Parklands, which are located on the site of World Expo '88. The South Bank Parklands is famous for firework displays that attract thousands of spectators. Tourists and locals alike frequent the beautiful bougainvillea lined Riverside Walkway at all times of the year and flock to the area during music and arts festivals. Restaurants, Theatres and Beaches make South Bank a great place to spend a day just minutes away from public transport.

Other popular areas for tourism and recreation include the Roma Street Parkland, the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens (a colonial era botanic gardens founded in 1855 in the Brisbane CBD), and the Mount Coot-tha state forest (which includes a lookout over the city), the Brisbane Botanic Gardens (contemporary botanical gardens) and also the Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium. Also popular are Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary and Brisbane Forest Park.

Source: Wikipedia