The founding of Brisbane started with a castaway sailor.
In 1823, explorers scouted locations north of Sydney for a new jail for notorious convicts (criminals deported from Britain to Australia). Sailing into a potential site, Lieutenant John Oxley was stunned to find a white man signalling from the beach.
Shipwrecked seven months earlier, Thomas Pamphlett was living with the local Jagera and Turrbal peoples. He led Oxley to a large river, which they followed to find bountiful trees, grazing land and fresh water.
Oxley named the Brisbane River after the Governor of New South Wales but favoured nearby red cliffs for the jail. Not surprising, settlement at this barren location lasted less than a year before moving to the fertile river.
Moreton Bay housed Australia’s most ruthless prisoners for 17 years before the jail closed in 1842 and the town changed its name to Brisbane. Gold rushes and maritime activity attracted free settlers, and within 30 years grand homes and public buildings replaced most evidence of its convict past.
Brisbane continued to boom in the 20th century, becoming General Douglas MacArthur’s headquarters for the Pacific campaign in World War II.
Devastating floods in 1974 brought death and A$300 million in damage. Brisbane didn’t just recover — it rebuilt itself into a world-class city and hosted the 1982 Commonwealth Games and the 1988 World Exposition.
Al fresco dining on succulent seafood and tropical produce or adventures at nearby beaches and rainforests — modern Brisbane charms visitors with its sultry climate and enviable outdoor lifestyle.
