Brisbane

Brisbane is the capital city of the state of Queensland, Australia. With a population of 1,800,000, it is the third-largest Australian city. The Brisbane River runs through the city, dividing it into the "Northside" and "Southside" in local idiom.

The city has a relatively dry climate, similar to that of Sydney. It is specifically a humid climate with hot and rainy summers and mild and dry winters. The average annual temperature is around 23 celcius. As with the rest of the country, the majority of residents are Protestant however fewer than 20% regularly attend church and almost 36% profess no religious affiliation.

Economy

Brisbane is a major finance center, serving as a hub for publishing, and broadcasting industries. In addition the agricultural sector is of particular prominence, which constitutes approximately 40% of the economy. During the centralized growth of Australia's economy from the 1920s onwards many large firms moved their headquarters from cities such as Darling Downs, in an attempt to take advantage of better access to the government. This trend has begun to slow due to ongoing population growth in Darwin and the high cost of living there.

Further reading

• Queensland & the Great Barrier Reef by Alan Murphy (2008) excerpt and text search