History of Brisbane

About 6000 years ago a marine-littoral economy settled near the coast and a terrestrial-riverine economy further inland.

Brisbane was named after the Governor of New South Wales, Thomas Brisbane in 1823 when surveyor General John Oxley found the river after a tip-off from some ex-convicts who had found their way to the region and had been mixing with the local Aborigines.

The town was conceived initially as a penal colony for British convicts sent from Sydney. In 1842 free settlement began in Brisbane. The usual assortment of entrepreneurs and ex-convicts quickly followed and the town began to grow around the river. The town became a municipality in 1859 and a consolidated metropolitan area in 1924.

Brisbane now delivers distinctive 'Big-city' excitement to residents and visitors alike.