South East Queensland
South East Queensland (SEQ) is a bio-geographical, metropolitan, political and administrative region of the state of Queensland in Australia, with a population of approximately 3.8 million people out of the state's population of 5.1 million. T ...
, Australia, and flows through the city of
Brisbane
Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...
, before emptying into
Moreton Bay
Moreton Bay is a bay located on the eastern coast of Australia from central Brisbane, Queensland. It is one of Queensland's most important coastal resources. The waters of Moreton Bay are a popular destination for recreational anglers and are ...
on the
Coral Sea
The Coral Sea () is a marginal sea of the South Pacific off the northeast coast of Australia, and classified as an interim Australian bioregion. The Coral Sea extends down the Australian northeast coast. Most of it is protected by the Fre ...
.
John Oxley
John Joseph William Molesworth Oxley (1784 – 25 May 1828)
was an explorer and surveyor of Australia in the early period of British colonisation. He served as Surveyor General of New South Wales and is perhaps best known for his two exp ...
, the first European to explore the river, named it after the
Governor of New South Wales
The governor of New South Wales is the viceregal representative of the Australian monarch, King Charles III, in the state of New South Wales. In an analogous way to the governor-general of Australia at the national level, the governors of the ...
, Sir
Thomas Brisbane
Major General Sir Thomas Makdougall Brisbane, 1st Baronet, (23 July 1773 – 27 January 1860), was a British Army officer, administrator, and astronomer. Upon the recommendation of the Duke of Wellington, with whom he had served, he was appoint ...
in 1823. The penal colony of Moreton Bay later adopted the same name, eventually becoming the present city of Brisbane. The river is a
tidal
Tidal is the adjectival form of tide.
Tidal may also refer to:
* ''Tidal'' (album), a 1996 album by Fiona Apple
* Tidal (king), a king involved in the Battle of the Vale of Siddim
* TidalCycles, a live coding environment for music
* Tidal (servic ...
estuary
An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environment ...
and the water is
brackish
Brackish water, sometimes termed brack water, is water occurring in a natural environment that has more salinity than freshwater, but not as much as seawater. It may result from mixing seawater (salt water) and fresh water together, as in estuari ...
from its mouth through the majority of the Brisbane metropolitan area westward to the
Mount Crosby Weir
The Mount Crosby Weir is a heritage-listed weir on the Brisbane River at Mount Crosby and Chuwar, both in City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The project was instigated by John Petrie at the end of the 19th century. The town of Brisbane wa ...
. The river is wide and
navigable
A body of water, such as a river, canal or lake, is navigable if it is deep, wide and calm enough for a water vessel (e.g. boats) to pass safely. Such a navigable water is called a ''waterway'', and is preferably with few obstructions against dir ...
throughout the Brisbane metropolitan area.
The river travels from Mount Stanley. The river is dammed by the Wivenhoe Dam, forming Lake Wivenhoe, the main water supply for Brisbane. The waterway is a habitat for the rare
Queensland lungfish
The Australian lungfish (''Neoceratodus forsteri''), also known as the Queensland lungfish, Burnett salmon and barramunda, is the only surviving member of the family Neoceratodontidae. It is one of only six extant lungfish species in the world. ...
,
Brisbane River cod
The Brisbane River cod was a unique form of ''Maccullochella'' cod that occurred naturally in the Brisbane River system, an east coast river system in south east Queensland, Australia. The Brisbane River Cod was known as the Bumgur (meaning blu ...
(extinct), and
bull shark
The bull shark (''Carcharhinus leucas''), also known as the Zambezi shark (informally zambi) in Africa and Lake Nicaragua shark in Nicaragua, is a species of requiem shark commonly found worldwide in warm, shallow waters along coasts and in riv ...
s.
Early travellers along the waterway admired the natural beauty, abundant fish and rich vegetation along its banks. From 1862 the Brisbane River has been dredged for navigation purposes. The river served as an important carriageway between Brisbane and
Ipswich
Ipswich () is a port town and borough in Suffolk, England, of which it is the county town. The town is located in East Anglia about away from the mouth of the River Orwell and the North Sea. Ipswich is both on the Great Eastern Main Line r ...
before a railway linking the towns was built in 1875. By the late 1920s, water quality in the river had significantly deteriorated.
Multiple major floods occurred in 1893. In 1974, the most damaging flood on record occurred, causing the 66,000-tonne vessel ''Robert Miller'' (largest ship ever built on the river) to break free from its mooring. Other major floods occurred in January 2011 and
February 2022
File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; 2022 Sri Lankan protests, Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretari ...
.
Extensive port facilities have been constructed on the Fisherman Islands, now known as the
Port of Brisbane
Port of Brisbane is the shipping port and coastal suburb of the City of Brisbane, on the east coast of Queensland, Australia. In the , Port of Brisbane had no residents living in the suburb. The port is the largest in the state of Queensland.
...
, located at the mouth of the river on
Moreton Bay
Moreton Bay is a bay located on the eastern coast of Australia from central Brisbane, Queensland. It is one of Queensland's most important coastal resources. The waters of Moreton Bay are a popular destination for recreational anglers and are ...
. There are 16 major bridges that cross the river. The
Clem Jones Tunnel
The M7 Clem Jones Tunnel (CLEM7), known during its development as the North-South Bypass Tunnel (NSBT), is a A$3.2 billion motorway grade toll road under the Brisbane River, between Woolloongabba and Bowen Hills in Brisbane, Queensland. T ...
, opened in 2010, is the river's first underground crossing for road transport. The
CityCat
RiverCity Ferries is a public transport company which commenced operating ferry services in Brisbane on 4 November 2020. It is a subsidiary of the Kelsian Group.
RiverCity Ferries operates 32 vessels serving 21 wharves on the Brisbane River un ...
ferry service collects and delivers passengers along the inner-city reaches of the river.
Name
According to
Archibald Meston
Archibald Meston (26 March 1851 – 11 March 1924) was an Australian politician, civil servant, journalist, naturalist and explorer.
Personal life
Archibald Meston was born at Towie, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, the son of Alexander Meston.
Mest ...
and
Tom Petrie
Tom or TOM may refer to:
* Tom (given name), a diminutive of Thomas or Tomás or an independent Aramaic given name (and a list of people with the name)
Characters
* Tom Anderson, a character in ''Beavis and Butt-Head''
* Tom Beck, a character ...
in 1901, the Aboriginal people of the Brisbane area did not have a single name for the river, but rather they named individual reaches and bends.
The use of the word ‘Maiwar’ for the river has now become widespread, to the extent that the Queensland Government used the name for a new electorate in 2017.
The river was named after
Governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
Thomas Brisbane
Major General Sir Thomas Makdougall Brisbane, 1st Baronet, (23 July 1773 – 27 January 1860), was a British Army officer, administrator, and astronomer. Upon the recommendation of the Duke of Wellington, with whom he had served, he was appoint ...
. The name is of Scottish origin, dating from at least 1643, from their family lands at Rothiebrisbane, Aberdeenshire.
Course
The Brisbane River East and West branches traditionally have their headwaters in the ranges east of
Kingaroy
Kingaroy is a rural town and locality in the South Burnett Region, Queensland, Australia. The town is situated on the junction of the D'Aguilar and the Bunya Highways, north-west of the state capital Brisbane and south west of Gympie. As a ...
. The two branches merge into a single watercourse south of Mount Stanley. Using an alternative modern definition, the
source
Source may refer to:
Research
* Historical document
* Historical source
* Source (intelligence) or sub source, typically a confidential provider of non open-source intelligence
* Source (journalism), a person, publication, publishing institute o ...
is located at the top of Fig Tree Gully in the
Bunya Mountains
The Bunya Mountains are a distinctive set of peaks forming an isolated section of the Great Dividing Range in southern Queensland. The mountain range forms the northern edge of the Darling Downs in the locality also called Bunya Mountains near ...
, which are the headwaters of the river's longest tributary Cooyar Creek. Water from the highest point in the catchment has fallen on the Bunya Mountains, 992m above sea level.
The junction of Cooyar Creek and Brisbane River is south of Avoca Vale, and the river then makes its way south past townships including Linville,
Moore
Moore may refer to:
People
* Moore (surname)
** List of people with surname Moore
* Moore Crosthwaite (1907–1989), a British diplomat and ambassador
* Moore Disney (1765–1846), a senior officer in the British Army
* Moore Powell (died c. 1573 ...
and
Toogoolawah
Toogoolawah ( ) is a rural town and locality in the Somerset Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Toogoolawah had a population of 1,279 people.
Geography
Toogoolawah is in South East Queensland. Toogoolawah is a centre for gliding and parach ...
before being joined by the Stanley River, just south of
Somerset Dam
The Somerset Dam is a mass concrete gravity dam with a gated spillway across the Stanley River in Queensland, Australia. It is within the locality of Somerset Dam in the Somerset Region in South East Queensland. The main purpose of the dam is ...
.
The river runs from there into
Lake Wivenhoe
Lake Wivenhoe is the name both a lake formed by the Wivenhoe Dam and the locality which contains it in the Somerset Region, Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Qu ...
, created by the Wivenhoe Dam. Beyond the dam, the river meanders eastward, meeting the Bremer River near
Ipswich
Ipswich () is a port town and borough in Suffolk, England, of which it is the county town. The town is located in East Anglia about away from the mouth of the River Orwell and the North Sea. Ipswich is both on the Great Eastern Main Line r ...
, then making its way through Brisbane's western suburbs, including Jindalee,
Indooroopilly
Indooroopilly is a riverside suburb 7km west of the Brisbane CBD, Queensland, Australia. In the , Indooroopilly had a population of 12,242 people.
Geography
Indooroopilly is bounded to the south and south-east by the median of the Brisbane Riv ...
and
Toowong
Toowong is a riverside suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the , Toowong had a population of 10,830 people.
Geography
Toowong is situated between Mount Coot-tha and the Brisbane River and is made up of rolling hills w ...
.
The Brisbane River then flows past wharves including
Pinkenba Wharf
Pinkenba Wharf is an Australian wharf, located within the Port of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is located adjacent to the former Pinkenba railway station.
History
The railway was extended from Ascot railway station to Pinkenba in 1897 and ...
and
Portside Wharf
Portside Wharf is the international cruise terminal, residential and retail development at Hamilton, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
The Wharf is Brisbane's commercial international cruise terminal. It is also an upscale residential and retail ...
, past
Bulwer Island
Bulwer Island is a reclaimed tidal mangrove island at the mouth of the Brisbane River in the suburb of Pinkenba, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is named for Sir Edward Bulwer-Lytton, the British Colonial Secretary who separated Queensl ...
Port of Brisbane
Port of Brisbane is the shipping port and coastal suburb of the City of Brisbane, on the east coast of Queensland, Australia. In the , Port of Brisbane had no residents living in the suburb. The port is the largest in the state of Queensland.
...
and into southern
Bramble Bay
Bramble Bay is an embayment of Moreton Bay in South East Queensland, Australia. The Brisway map reference is 12 H5, or see page 91 G19 in Refidex.
The Houghton Highway, Hornibrook Bridge and Ted Smout Memorial Bridge span Bramble Bay, connectin ...
an embayment of
Moreton Bay
Moreton Bay is a bay located on the eastern coast of Australia from central Brisbane, Queensland. It is one of Queensland's most important coastal resources. The waters of Moreton Bay are a popular destination for recreational anglers and are ...
.
Kangaroo Point Cliffs
On the southern side of the river, opposite
Gardens Point
Gardens Point is a peninsula in central Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is located south of Alice Street and bounded by the Brisbane River on its other three sides.
The Brisbane CBD lies immediately to the north of the point. Gardens Point ...
, are the
Kangaroo Point Cliffs
The Kangaroo Point Cliffs are heritage-listed cliffs located at Kangaroo Point just across the Brisbane River from the Brisbane CBD in Queensland, Australia. A popular recreation spot, especially for climbing and running, they are convenientl ...
; made from
Triassic
The Triassic ( ) is a geologic period and system which spans 50.6 million years from the end of the Permian Period 251.902 million years ago ( Mya), to the beginning of the Jurassic Period 201.36 Mya. The Triassic is the first and shortest period ...
aged volcanic rock of
rhyolite
Rhyolite ( ) is the most silica-rich of volcanic rocks. It is generally glassy or fine-grained (aphanitic) in texture, but may be porphyritic, containing larger mineral crystals (phenocrysts) in an otherwise fine-grained groundmass. The mineral ...
composition called
Brisbane tuff
Brisbane tuff is a type of rock, formed as a result of a volcanic eruption. As the name suggests, it is a type of tuff found in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is a form of welded ignimbrite. Brisbane tuff comes in a variety of colours: pin ...
. The Kangaroo Point Cliffs were created by a quarrying operation that, according to Allan Cunninghams' Field Book, was underway prior to 1829 when he observed a ''"stone wharf presumably used for landing the blocks of stone ferried across the river for the construction of buildings in the settlement".'' This was in the vicinity of Edward Street ferry terminal. It was quarrying this volcanic rock that formed part of the hard labour undertaken by the convicts of the
Moreton Bay Penal Settlement
The Moreton Bay Penal Settlement operated from 1825 to 1842. It became the city of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
History
The Moreton Bay Penal Settlement was established on the Redcliffe Peninsula on Moreton Bay in 1824, under the instruct ...
, which not only provided the convicts with the punishment of hard labour but also provided the settlement with a useful building material. Many of the early buildings including the
Commissariat Store, Brisbane
Commissariat Store is a heritage-listed warehouse, storehouse at 115-127 William Street, Brisbane, William Street, Brisbane City, Queensland, Brisbane City, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is bordered by William Street, Queen's Whar ...
were built by convicts using tuff from this quarry. After the penal settlement was closed, the
Petrie
Petrie is a surname of Scottish origin which may refer to:
People
* Alexander Petrie (minister), Alexander Petrie (died 1662), Scottish minister
* Alistair Petrie (born 1970), English actor
* Andrew Petrie (1798–1872), Scottish-born builder, arc ...
family leased the cliffs and quarried the tuff for use in their construction projects, but ultimately quarrying this material became uneconomic without the free labour of the convicts.
The
volcanic rock
Volcanic rock (often shortened to volcanics in scientific contexts) is a rock formed from lava erupted from a volcano. In other words, it differs from other igneous rock by being of volcanic origin. Like all rock types, the concept of volcanic r ...
Ignimbrite
Ignimbrite is a type of volcanic rock, consisting of hardened tuff. Ignimbrites form from the deposits of pyroclastic flows, which are a hot suspension of particles and gases flowing rapidly from a volcano, driven by being denser than the surrou ...
which formed the cliffs was deposited in the
Triassic
The Triassic ( ) is a geologic period and system which spans 50.6 million years from the end of the Permian Period 251.902 million years ago ( Mya), to the beginning of the Jurassic Period 201.36 Mya. The Triassic is the first and shortest period ...
period about 220 million years ago. They currently form the banks of the Brisbane River.
Reaches
A number of the
reach
Reach or REACH may refer to:
Companies and organizations
* Reach plc, formerly Trinity Mirror, large British newspaper, magazine, and digital publisher
* Reach Canada, an NGO in Canada
* Reach Limited, an Asia Pacific cable network company
* ...
es of the Brisbane River are named, including the following listed below (from upstream to downstream), together with their location relative to tributaries of the river and
river crossings A river crossing is a means to get from one river bank to the other and may refer to:
* A ford (crossing)
* A bridge
* A tunnel
* Any type of ferry
** A cable ferry
** A reaction ferry
** A water taxi
* an overhead line crossing
See also
* River c ...
:
Tributaries
The following major tributaries flow into the Brisbane River from the north;
Breakfast Creek
The Breakfast Creek ( Aboriginal: ''Barrambin'') is a small urban stream that is a tributary of the Brisbane River, located in suburban Brisbane in the South East region of Queensland, Australia.
Course and features
Rising as the Enoggera Creek ...
,
Moggill Creek
Moggill Creek is a creek in Brisbane, the largest city in Queensland, Australia. The creek rises on the Taylor Range and runs in a south-easterly direction from the southern edge of Brisbane Forest Park in Kholo and Pullenvale, flowing through ...
Bulimba Creek
Bulimba Creek, originally known as Doboy Creek or Doughboy Creek, is a perennial stream that is a tributary of the Brisbane River, located in suburban Brisbane in the South East region of Queensland, Australia.
Course and features
The Bulimba C ...
Oxley Creek
The Oxley Creek ( Yagara: ''Benarrawa'') is a creek that is a tributary of the Brisbane River, located in suburban Brisbane in the South East region of Queensland, Australia.
Rising in the low hills in Scenic Rim Region, water from the large ...
Lockyer Creek
The Lockyer Creek is a creek located in South East Queensland, Australia. A tributary of the Brisbane River, the creek is a major drainage system in the Lockyer Valley. Rising on the eastern slopes of the Great Dividing Range, the creek flows ...
waterways enter the Brisbane River. The following smaller creeks also flow into the river; Cressbrook Creek, Cooyar Creek, Cubberla Creek, Black Snake Creek, Wolston Creek, Woogaroo Creek, Goodna Creek, Six Mile Creek, Pullen Pullen Creek and Kholo Creek.
History
Before European settlement, the Brisbane River was spiritually important and a vital food source for the Aboriginal people of the
Turrbal
The Turrbal are an Aboriginal Australian people from the region of present-day Brisbane, Queensland. The name primarily referred to the dialect they spoke, the tribe itself being alternatively called ''Mianjin/Meanjin''. Mianjin was the Turrbal ...
people, primarily through fishing in the tidal sections downstream, with fishing and firestick farming in the upper reaches where there was freshwater, depending on the season.
Four European
navigators
A navigator is the person on board a ship or aircraft responsible for its navigation.Grierson, MikeAviation History—Demise of the Flight Navigator FrancoFlyers.org website, October 14, 2008. Retrieved August 31, 2014. The navigator's primar ...
, namely
James Cook
James Cook (7 November 1728 Old Style date: 27 October – 14 February 1779) was a British explorer, navigator, cartographer, and captain in the British Royal Navy, famous for his three voyages between 1768 and 1779 in the Pacific Ocean an ...
,
Matthew Flinders
Captain Matthew Flinders (16 March 1774 – 19 July 1814) was a British navigator and cartographer who led the first inshore circumnavigation of mainland Australia, then called New Holland. He is also credited as being the first person to u ...
,
John Bingle
John Bingle (1796–1882) was an English-born sailor who became a businessman and landowner in Newcastle, New South Wales.
Early life
John Bingle was born on 15 May 1796 in Gillingham, Kent, England. He was the only surviving son of John Rayd ...
and William Edwardson, all visited Moreton Bay but failed to discover the river. The exploration by Flinders took place during his expedition from
Port Jackson
Port Jackson, consisting of the waters of Sydney Harbour, Middle Harbour, North Harbour and the Lane Cove and Parramatta Rivers, is the ria or natural harbour of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The harbour is an inlet of the Tasman Sea (p ...
north to
Hervey Bay
Hervey Bay () is a city on the coast of the Fraser Coast Region of Queensland, Australia. The city is situated approximately or 3½ hours' highway drive north of the state capital, Brisbane. It is located on the Hervey Bay (Queensland), bay of ...
in 1799. He spent a total of 15 days in the area, touching down at Woody Point and several other spots, but failed to discover the mouth of the river although there were suspicions of its existence. This is consistent with accounts of many other rivers along the east coast of Australia, which could not be found by seaward exploration but were discovered by inland travellers.
On 21 March 1823, four ticket-of-leave convicts sailing south from Sydney on a timber getting mission to Illawarra,
Thomas Pamphlett
Thomas Pamphlett (1788?–1838), sometimes Pamphlet, also known as James Groom, was a convict in colonial Australia. He is best known for his time as a castaway in the Moreton Bay area, halfway up the eastern coast of Australia, in 1823. He was mar ...
Richard Parsons Richard Parsons may refer to:
* Richard Parsons (diplomat) (1928–2016), British ambassador to Hungary, Spain and Sweden
* Richard Parsons (businessman) (born 1948), former chairman of Citigroup and the former Chairman and CEO of Time Warner
* Ri ...
and John Thompson were blown north by a storm. They went 21 days without water, continuing north in the belief they had been blown south, during which time Thompson died. They landed on
Moreton Island
Moreton Island (Mulgumpin) is an island on the eastern side of Moreton Bay on the coast of South East Queensland, Australia. The Coral Sea lies on the east coast of the island. Moreton Island lies northeast of the Queensland capital, Brisbane. ...
on 16 April and made it to the mainland on the south of the Brisbane River. They immediately began trekking north in order to return to Sydney, still believing themselves to be somewhere south of Jervis Bay. Subsequently, they became the first known Europeans to discover the river, stumbling across it somewhere near the entrance. They walked upstream along its banks for nearly a month before making their first crossing at 'Canoe Reach', the junction of Oxley Creek. It was here they stole a small canoe left by the
Turrbal
The Turrbal are an Aboriginal Australian people from the region of present-day Brisbane, Queensland. The name primarily referred to the dialect they spoke, the tribe itself being alternatively called ''Mianjin/Meanjin''. Mianjin was the Turrbal ...
people of the region.
John Oxley was Surveyor General of
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
when, in the same year and under orders from Governor Brisbane, he sailed into Moreton Bay looking for a suitable new site for a convict settlement to be established. An entry in Oxley's diary on 19 November 1823 describes his surprise meeting with one of the shipwrecked men:
:"We rounded the Point Skirmish about 5 o'clock and observed a number of natives running along the beach towards the vessel, the foremost much lighter in colour than the rest. We were to the last degree astonished when he came abreast the vessel to hear him hail us in good English."
By that time Pamphlett and Finnegan were living with natives near
Bribie Island
Bribie Island is the smallest and most northerly of three major sand islands forming the coastline sheltering the northern part of Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia. The others are Moreton Island and North Stradbroke Island. Bribie Island is ...
. Parsons, who had continued to travel north in search of Sydney, was picked up by Oxley on 11 September 1824.
On 2 December 1823, Oxley and Stirling, with Finnegan as a somewhat reluctant guide, entered the river and sailed upstream as far as present-day
Goodna
Goodna is a suburb on the eastern edge of the City of Ipswich in Queensland, Australia. In the , Goodna had a population of 10,461 people.
Geography
Goodna is from the Brisbane central business district, being just outside the Brisbane City C ...
. Oxley noted the abundant
fish
Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish as well as various extinct related groups. Approximately 95% of li ...
and tall
pine tree
A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. The World Flora Online created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanical Garden accepts ...
s. Early European explorers marvelled at the sheer natural beauty they witnessed while travelling up the lower reaches.
Reports by early European explorers such as Allan Cunningham and Oxley indicate rainforest once fringed the Brisbane River and its major tributaries, especially on the broader floodplains such as
St Lucia
Saint Lucia ( acf, Sent Lisi, french: Sainte-Lucie) is an island country of the West Indies in the eastern Caribbean. The island was previously called Iouanalao and later Hewanorra, names given by the native Arawaks and Caribs, two Amerindia ...
Melaleuca
''Melaleuca'' () is a genus of nearly 300 species of plants in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, commonly known as paperbarks, honey-myrtles or tea-trees (although the last name is also applied to species of '' Leptospermum''). They range in size ...
woodlands in low lying, poorly drained coastal areas. When first described by Europeans, the lower reaches of the Brisbane River were fringed by a mosaic of open forest, closed forest and rainforest.
In the same year of 1823, the river was named after
Sir Thomas Brisbane
Major General Sir Thomas Makdougall Brisbane, 1st Baronet, (23 July 1773 – 27 January 1860), was a British Army officer, administrator, and astronomer. Upon the recommendation of the Duke of Wellington, with whom he had served, he was appoint ...
, the then
Governor of New South Wales
The governor of New South Wales is the viceregal representative of the Australian monarch, King Charles III, in the state of New South Wales. In an analogous way to the governor-general of Australia at the national level, the governors of the ...
. Upon the establishment of a local settlement in 1824, other explorers such as Allan Cunningham,
Patrick Logan
Captain Patrick Logan (1791 – October 1830) was the commandant of the Moreton Bay Penal Settlement from 1826 until his death in 1830 at the hands of Aboriginal Australians who objected to him entering their lands. As he had been hated by con ...
and
Major Edmund Lockyer
Edmund Lockyer, (21 January 1784 – 10 June 1860) was a British soldier and explorer of Australia.
Born in Plymouth, Devon, Lockyer was the son of Thomas Lockyer, a sailmaker, and his wife Ann. Lockyer began his army career as an ensign in ...
made expeditions and surveys further upstream, and, in May 1825, the Moreton Bay penal colony at Redcliffe under the command of Heny Miller relocated to North Quay.
The entrance to the Brisbane River was surveyed and marked with buoys in May 1825 by Pilot John M Gray sent from Sydney for the purpose by Governor Sir Thomas Brisbane. Gray also transferred the soldiers and convicts from the First Settlement at Redcliffe at this time. The first small private wharves were built on the river in about 1848. and the once popular, shark-proof river baths were first built in 1857 at Kangaroo Point. By 1850, nearly all the prime alluvial lands in the Brisbane River valley had been taken up by settlers.
From 1862 the Brisbane River has been dredged for navigation purposes. Throughout much of the 20th century large quantities of
sand
Sand is a granular material composed of finely divided mineral particles. Sand has various compositions but is defined by its grain size. Sand grains are smaller than gravel and coarser than silt. Sand can also refer to a textural class of s ...
and
gravel
Gravel is a loose aggregation of rock fragments. Gravel occurs naturally throughout the world as a result of sedimentary and erosive geologic processes; it is also produced in large quantities commercially as crushed stone.
Gravel is classifi ...
were extracted from the estuary of the river. Since the rate of materials being deposited is not as high as that which was removed, the river has acted as a subaqueous
mine
Mine, mines, miners or mining may refer to:
Extraction or digging
* Miner, a person engaged in mining or digging
*Mining, extraction of mineral resources from the ground through a mine
Grammar
*Mine, a first-person English possessive pronoun
...
.
In 1865, water police were stationed on board ''Proserpine'', a hulk moored at the mouth of the Brisbane River.
In 1866, there was a
breakwater
Breakwater may refer to:
* Breakwater (structure), a structure for protecting a beach or harbour
Places
* Breakwater, Victoria, a suburb of Geelong, Victoria, Australia
* Breakwater Island
Breakwater Island () is a small island in the Palme ...
built at the junction of the Bremer and Brisbane rivers that was designed to stop shingle from blocking the access to the Bremer's boat channel. The first pile light using
kerosene
Kerosene, paraffin, or lamp oil is a combustible hydrocarbon liquid which is derived from petroleum. It is widely used as a fuel in aviation as well as households. Its name derives from el, κηρός (''keros'') meaning "wax", and was regi ...
was built in 1882. The
steel
Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...
framed light also served as an early port
signal station A signal station is a form of Aids to Navigation that is defined by the IHO simply as "A signal station is a place on shore from which signals are made to ships at sea". While this broad definition would include coastal radio stations and fog signa ...
.
In February 1896, one of the river’s worst disasters occurred with the capsize of the ferry ''Pearl'' (which struck the anchor chain of the government yacht '' Lucinda'') with the loss of around 40 lives.
20th century
By 1928, due to the early settlement of Brisbane, the water quality had deteriorated to the point where several
public bath
Public baths originated when most people in population centers did not have access to private bathing facilities. Though termed "public", they have often been restricted according to gender, religious affiliation, personal membership, and other cr ...
s had to cease sourcing water from the river. Yet even up to the 1930s, the water was said to be very clear, with reports of people seeing the river bed below the surface. Swimming was once popular at Oxley Point under the
Walter Taylor Bridge
The Walter Taylor Bridge is a heritage-listed suspension bridge crossing the Brisbane River between Indooroopilly and Chelmer in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is shared by motor traffic and pedestrians and is the only habitable bridge in ...
. In the middle tidal reaches in more recent times, visibility has been about . As Brisbane grew, the condition of the river worsened until at its worst it was no more than an open sewer and waste dump. The banks were cleared of timber and introduced animals and plants rapidly changed the river's ecology to its detriment.
On 25 March 1941, a USA goodwill
flotilla
A flotilla (from Spanish, meaning a small ''flota'' (fleet) of ships), or naval flotilla, is a formation of small warships that may be part of a larger fleet.
Composition
A flotilla is usually composed of a homogeneous group of the same class ...
arrived in the city docking at wharves along the River and built
Naval Base Brisbane
Naval Base Brisbane was a major United States Navy base built in the early part of World War II at Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. At first, operated as a base for patrol aircraft and convoy escort aircraft to protect the last leg of the Pacific ...
. The largest ship built on the river was the ''Robert Miller''. Construction was near complete when the 66,000 tonne vessel became un-moored in the
1974 Brisbane flood
In January 1974 a flood occurred in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia after three weeks of continual rain. The Brisbane River, which runs through the heart of the city, broke its banks and flooded the surrounding areas. The cyclone that produ ...
. In 1977,
Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...
switched on the Jubilee Fountain positioned in front of the proposed
Queensland Cultural Centre
The Queensland Cultural Centre is a heritage-listed cultural centre at Grey Street, South Brisbane, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is part of the South Bank precinct on the Brisbane River. It was built from 1976.
The major compone ...
. The jets pushed the floodlit river water up to in the air. The floating fountain sank late on the 31 December 1984. 1987 was proclaimed the "Year of the River" by the
Lord Mayor of Brisbane
The Lord Mayor of Brisbane is the chief executive of the City of Brisbane, the capital of the Australian state of Queensland, and the head of the Brisbane City Council. Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner of the Liberal National Party was sworn in on ...
at the time,
Sallyanne Atkinson
Sallyanne Atkinson AO (born 23 July 1942) was Lord Mayor of Brisbane from 1985 to 1991 in Queensland, Australia. She is the only woman to have held the position. As of 2017, she was Chairman of the Museum of Brisbane, President of the Council ...
.
Over the 20th century, enough obstacles, sand and gravel had been removed from the river that its channel depth increased the tidal flow and tidal range upstream.
21st century
On 9 August 2020, it was discovered that
Google Maps
Google Maps is a web mapping platform and consumer application offered by Google. It offers satellite imagery, aerial photography, street maps, 360° interactive panoramic views of streets ( Street View), real-time traffic conditions, and rou ...
accidentally changed the Brisbane River name to
Ithaca Creek
Ithaca Creek is a waterway in the Enoggera Creek catchment, in the western suburbs of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It arises in the Taylor Range at the Mount Coot-tha forest with two streams, one arising at J C Slaughter Falls, the other a ...
after a complaint that Ithaca Creek was incorrectly named Brisbane River.
Floods
The Brisbane River floods frequently, although the occurrence and magnitude of flooding has diminished following the construction of the Wivenhoe Dam on the upper reaches of the River.
Past floods have resulted in both deepening and reduction in river depth, creation of new
sand bank
In oceanography, geomorphology, and geoscience, a shoal is a natural submerged ridge, bank, or bar that consists of, or is covered by, sand or other unconsolidated material and rises from the bed of a body of water to near the surface. It o ...
s and
shoal
In oceanography, geomorphology, and geoscience, a shoal is a natural submerged ridge, bank, or bar that consists of, or is covered by, sand or other unconsolidated material and rises from the bed of a body of water to near the surface. It ...
s as well as increased transport of suspended sediment from upstream. Before the invention of modern
dredging
Dredging is the excavation of material from a water environment. Possible reasons for dredging include improving existing water features; reshaping land and water features to alter drainage, navigability, and commercial use; constructing da ...
techniques the
sediment
Sediment is a naturally occurring material that is broken down by processes of weathering and erosion, and is subsequently transported by the action of wind, water, or ice or by the force of gravity acting on the particles. For example, sand an ...
deposited by flooding created
hazard
A hazard is a potential source of harm
Harm is a moral and legal concept.
Bernard Gert construes harm as any of the following:
* pain
* death
* disability
* mortality
* loss of abil ity or freedom
* loss of pleasure.
Joel Feinberg giv ...
s to ships navigating the river. Even medium-sized vessels no longer travel up the Brisbane River beyond the city reach, and dredging of the upper reaches has ceased, allowing the river to recover substantially from the fine silt dislodged by gravel and sand extraction.
Significant floods have occurred several times since the European settlement of Brisbane. There have been 12 Major flood peaks (over 3.5m) recorded at the Brisbane gauge since records began in 1841, including:
* 14 January 1841, with a maximum river level of 8.43m at the gauge, the highest flood level recorded to date
*10 January 1844, 7.1m flood peak at Brisbane.
*Feb 1863, 3.8m flood peak
*Jan 1887, 3.8m flood peak
*July 1889, 3.8m flood peak
*Mar 1890, 5.3m flood peak
* February 1893, a sequence of flood peaks (8.35 metres and 8.09 metres) over two weeks saw the highest recorded flood level in the Brisbane
central business district
A central business district (CBD) is the commercial and business centre of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides with the "city ...
. Seven lives were lost in the Eclipse Colliery at
North Ipswich
North Ipswich is a suburb of Ipswich in the City of Ipswich, Queensland, Australia. In the , North Ipswich had a population of 4,515 people.
Raymonds Hill is a neighbourhood within the suburb of North Ipswich.
Geography
The southern bound ...
as a direct result of the flooding. Several other people drowned as well.
* Jun 1897, 5.0m flood peak
* Feb 1907, 3.6m flood peak
* 27 January 1974, the largest flood to affect Brisbane City in the 20th Century, with a level of 5.45 metres
Post construction of Wivenhoe Dam
* 11 January 2011 with a level of 4.45 metres
* 28 Feb 2022, 4.0m flood peak
Flooding along the Brisbane River has the potential to be devastating, as documented in 1974, 2011 and 2022. For much of the river's length its banks are relatively high, but topped by a broad plain. The river's meandering course means that flood waters from upstream cannot be quickly discharged into Moreton Bay. Thus higher than normal flows cause river levels to rise rapidly and once the top of the banks are breached the floodwaters can spread over wide areas of the city.
Navigation
There has been much dredging and widening work done over the years to allow
ships
A ship is a large watercraft that travels the world's oceans and other sufficiently deep waterways, carrying cargo or passengers, or in support of specialized missions, such as defense, research, and fishing. Ships are generally distinguished ...
to transport
cargo
Cargo consists of bulk goods conveyed by water, air, or land. In economics, freight is cargo that is transported at a freight rate for commercial gain. ''Cargo'' was originally a shipload but now covers all types of freight, including trans ...
to and from Brisbane the river is no longer dredged. The river served as an important carriageway between Brisbane and Ipswich before a
railway
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
linking the towns was built in 1875. By early 1825
buoy
A buoy () is a floating device that can have many purposes. It can be anchored (stationary) or allowed to drift with ocean currents.
Types
Navigational buoys
* Race course marker buoys are used for buoy racing, the most prevalent form of yac ...
s were being laid along the South Passage and shortly after that the first pilots were commissioned to guide ships entering from Moreton Bay and another service for those travelling upstream. Flying boats used the waters of the river in
Pinkenba
Pinkenba is a town and eastern coastal suburb within the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the , Pinkenba had a population of 368 people.
Geography
Pinkenba is a long narrow strip of land on the northern side of the Brisbane River ...
, to take-off for domestic and international destinations in the 1930s.
The river depth was progressively increased and narrow points widened to allow larger vessels into the river and further upstream. For navigation and safety reasons the Seventeen Mile Rocks were completely removed in 1965 after numerous partially successful attempts in the past. The northern river bank at the mouth of the river has undergone reclamation projects over the years, especially in the suburbs of
Hamilton Hamilton may refer to:
People
* Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname
** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland
** Lord Hamilt ...
and
Pinkenba
Pinkenba is a town and eastern coastal suburb within the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the , Pinkenba had a population of 368 people.
Geography
Pinkenba is a long narrow strip of land on the northern side of the Brisbane River ...
. More recently, extensive facilities for the
Port of Brisbane
Port of Brisbane is the shipping port and coastal suburb of the City of Brisbane, on the east coast of Queensland, Australia. In the , Port of Brisbane had no residents living in the suburb. The port is the largest in the state of Queensland.
...
have been constructed on Fisherman's Island which has also seen significant
land reclamation
Land reclamation, usually known as reclamation, and also known as land fill (not to be confused with a waste landfill), is the process of creating new land from oceans, seas, riverbeds or lake beds. The land reclaimed is known as reclamati ...
into the bay.
Early rivers crossings were made using small oared boat
ferries
A ferry is a ship, watercraft or amphibious vehicle used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water bus or water tax ...
, beginning in 1843, followed by steam ferries. In 1865 the first
Victoria Bridge Victoria Bridge may be a reference to:
Bridges
;Australia
* Victoria Bridge, Brisbane, a road bridge across the Brisbane River in Brisbane
* Victoria Bridge, Devonport a road ridge across the Mersey River in Devonport, Tasmania
* Victoria Bridge, M ...
, later destroyed in a flood, was built across the river. Professor
Hawken
The surname Hawken comes from the Nordic given name '' Haakon'', the name of seven Norwegian kings. The given name evolved to ''Hakon'', and variations include: Håkon, Haakon, Horken, Hörken, Hawkin, Hawkins, and Hawken. Hawken is a possible v ...
of the
University of Queensland
, mottoeng = By means of knowledge and hard work
, established =
, endowment = A$224.3 million
, budget = A$2.1 billion
, type = Public research university
, chancellor = Peter Varghese
, vice_chancellor = Deborah Terry
, city = B ...
undertook a study in 1914 to identify the future crossing points for the river.
Historically, the Brisbane River contained upstream bars and shallows and had a natural tidal limit of only . The current tidal limit now extends upstream due to continual channel dredging.
Crossings
The first bridge built across the Brisbane River was the original timber
Victoria Bridge Victoria Bridge may be a reference to:
Bridges
;Australia
* Victoria Bridge, Brisbane, a road bridge across the Brisbane River in Brisbane
* Victoria Bridge, Devonport a road ridge across the Mersey River in Devonport, Tasmania
* Victoria Bridge, M ...
, opened in 1865 between Brisbane and South Brisbane. The current concrete Victoria Bridge is the 4th to be built on the site, the original bridge collapsed after marine borers weakened its timber piles, and the second was destroyed in the 1893 flood.
the Brisbane River is crossed by 16 major bridges (counting the new second Gateway, now Sir Leo Hielscher Bridge), including the historic 1940
Story Bridge
The Story Bridge is a heritage-listed steel cantilever bridge spanning the Brisbane River that carries vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic between the northern and the southern suburbs of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is the long ...
and the tolled
Sir Leo Hielscher Bridges
The Sir Leo Hielscher Bridges are a side-by-side pair of road bridges on the Gateway Motorway (M1), which skirts the eastern suburbs of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The western bridge carries traffic to the north and the eastern bridge car ...
. There are two other major bridges upstream (west) of Brisbane, on the
D'Aguilar Highway
The D'Aguilar Highway is a two-lane highway linking the Bruce Highway near Caboolture with Kingaroy in the state of Queensland, Australia. Major towns along the route include Woodford, Kilcoy, Blackbutt, Yarraman, Nanango and Kingaroy. The hig ...
and the
Brisbane Valley Highway
The Brisbane Valley Highway is a state highway in Queensland, Australia. It links the Warrego Highway near Ipswich and the D'Aguilar Highway about north of Harlin. Its direction follows the approximate course of the Brisbane River. It is part ...
. The
Clem Jones Tunnel
The M7 Clem Jones Tunnel (CLEM7), known during its development as the North-South Bypass Tunnel (NSBT), is a A$3.2 billion motorway grade toll road under the Brisbane River, between Woolloongabba and Bowen Hills in Brisbane, Queensland. T ...
, opened in 2010, is the river's first underground crossing for road transport.
The Moggill Ferry continues to provide a crossing for vehicles northeast of
Ipswich
Ipswich () is a port town and borough in Suffolk, England, of which it is the county town. The town is located in East Anglia about away from the mouth of the River Orwell and the North Sea. Ipswich is both on the Great Eastern Main Line r ...
.
The Albert Bridge was the first railway crossing of the Brisbane River, opened in 1876. It was destroyed in the 1893 flood and replaced by a 2 span design that is flood tolerant. A second bridge was built adjacent to it, opened in 1957 in conjunction with the quadruplication of the railway between Roma Street and
Corinda
Corinda is a suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the , Corinda had a population of 5,064 people.
History
The suburb takes its name from the Corinda railway station, which in turn was likely named after a local cattle stat ...
. The
Merivale Bridge
The Merivale Bridge is a double track railway bridge crossing the Brisbane River. It crosses the Milton Reach of the river, slightly to the west of the William Jolly Bridge. Exclusively a railway crossing, it is located between the stations of ...
, opened in 1978, connects the South Brisbane railway system to the City.
Four bridges have been built that cater for pedestrians and bicycles, being the
Goodwill Bridge
The Goodwill Bridge is a pedestrian and cyclist bridge which spans the Brisbane River in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The bridge connects the South Bank Parklands in South Brisbane to Gardens Point in the Brisbane CBD.
The Goodwill Br ...
and
Kurilpa Bridge
The Kurilpa Bridge (originally known as the Tank Street Bridge) is a 63 million pedestrian and bicycle bridge over the Brisbane River in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The bridge connects Kurilpa Point in South Brisbane to Tank Street in th ...
in the City area, the
Eleanor Schonell Bridge
The Eleanor Schonell Bridge, better known as the Green Bridge, is a 390-metre (1,280 ft)-long cable-stayed bridge which crosses the Brisbane River between Dutton Park and the University of Queensland's St Lucia campus, connecting the U ...
between
Dutton Park
Dutton Park is an inner southern suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the , Dutton Park had a population of 2,024 people.
Geography
Dutton Park is located about south of the Brisbane CBD. It is bounded to the north-east ...
and
St Lucia
Saint Lucia ( acf, Sent Lisi, french: Sainte-Lucie) is an island country of the West Indies in the eastern Caribbean. The island was previously called Iouanalao and later Hewanorra, names given by the native Arawaks and Caribs, two Amerindia ...
(which also caters for public buses to the
University of Queensland
, mottoeng = By means of knowledge and hard work
, established =
, endowment = A$224.3 million
, budget = A$2.1 billion
, type = Public research university
, chancellor = Peter Varghese
, vice_chancellor = Deborah Terry
, city = B ...
St Lucia campus), and the
Jack Pesch Bridge
The Jack Pesch Bridge is a bridge for pedestrians and cyclists which crosses the Brisbane River. The bridge is named in honour of Jack Pesch ( 1917 – 2002), a cycling champion during the 1930s. He subsequently ran a bicycle shop in Petrie Terra ...
between
Indooroopilly
Indooroopilly is a riverside suburb 7km west of the Brisbane CBD, Queensland, Australia. In the , Indooroopilly had a population of 12,242 people.
Geography
Indooroopilly is bounded to the south and south-east by the median of the Brisbane Riv ...
Brisbane City Council
Brisbane City Council (BCC) is the democratic executive local government authority for the City of Brisbane, the capital city of the state of Queensland, Australia. The largest City Council in Australia by population and area, BCC's jurisd ...
has announced plans for a pedestrian and cycle only bridge between Kangaroo Point and the city.
Brisbane Riverwalk
The Brisbane City Council has developed a network of riverwalk pavements along the banks of the Brisbane River. The Riverwalk runs along much of the Brisbane River foreshore throughout the inner-city area, with the longest span running between Newstead and
Toowong
Toowong is a riverside suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the , Toowong had a population of 10,830 people.
Geography
Toowong is situated between Mount Coot-tha and the Brisbane River and is made up of rolling hills w ...
. Another popular stretch runs beneath the
Kangaroo Point Cliffs
The Kangaroo Point Cliffs are heritage-listed cliffs located at Kangaroo Point just across the Brisbane River from the Brisbane CBD in Queensland, Australia. A popular recreation spot, especially for climbing and running, they are convenientl ...
between
South Brisbane
South Brisbane is an inner southern suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the , South Brisbane had a population of 7,196 people.
Geography
The suburb is on the southern bank of the Brisbane River, bounded to the north-west, ...
and Kangaroo Point. Several spans of the Riverwalk are built out over the Brisbane River.
An interesting section is the floating walkway between the
Story Bridge
The Story Bridge is a heritage-listed steel cantilever bridge spanning the Brisbane River that carries vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic between the northern and the southern suburbs of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is the long ...
and Merthyr Road
New Farm
New Farm is an inner northern riverside suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the , New Farm had a population of 12,542 people.
Geography
The suburb is located 2 kilometres east of the Brisbane CBD on a large bend of the ...
. Brisbane City planners require many developers of formerly private riverfront blocks to create new sections of the Brisbane Riverwalk that are accessible to the public.
During the 2011 floods, the Lord Mayor of Brisbane,
Campbell Newman
Campbell Kevin Thomas Newman (born 12 August 1963) is a former Australian politician who served as the 38th Premier of Queensland from 26 March 2012 to 14 February 2015. He served as the member for Ashgrove in the Legislative Assembly of Quee ...
authorised the destruction of the Brisbane Riverwalk to prevent it floating away and becoming a hazard downstream. The proposed demolition of the Riverwalk was later cancelled.
Early in the morning of 13 January 2011 a several hundred metre long section of the Riverwalk broke away from the main structure and floated downstream. Queensland Police temporarily closed the
Sir Leo Hielscher Bridges
The Sir Leo Hielscher Bridges are a side-by-side pair of road bridges on the Gateway Motorway (M1), which skirts the eastern suburbs of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The western bridge carries traffic to the north and the eastern bridge car ...
(commonly known as the Gateway Bridge) several times as there were fears that sections of Riverwalk could collide with and damage the bridge. The largest part of the floating boardwalk was safely guided under the bridge by a
tugboat
A tugboat or tug is a marine vessel that manoeuvres other vessels by pushing or pulling them, with direct contact or a tow line. These boats typically tug ships in circumstances where they cannot or should not move under their own power, su ...
and past other
infrastructure
Infrastructure is the set of facilities and systems that serve a country, city, or other area, and encompasses the services and facilities necessary for its economy, households and firms to function. Infrastructure is composed of public and priv ...
before being safely secured. Other tugs and Water Police guided other Riverwalk sections under the bridge. The damaged Riverwalk was rebuilt as a fixed structure by the Brisbane City Council. The 18-month construction commenced in early 2013 and was completed in September 2014.
Cross river tunnel
The
Clem Jones Tunnel
The M7 Clem Jones Tunnel (CLEM7), known during its development as the North-South Bypass Tunnel (NSBT), is a A$3.2 billion motorway grade toll road under the Brisbane River, between Woolloongabba and Bowen Hills in Brisbane, Queensland. T ...
is currently the only cross river tunnel built in Brisbane. It opened on 16 March 2010. The
Cross River Rail
Cross River Rail is an underground railway project through central Brisbane, which is, , under construction. Cross River Rail will see the development of a new rail line underneath Brisbane River, and the redevelopment of a number of stations ...
tunnel is currently under construction and is expected to be complete in 2024.
Environmental concerns
During the 19th century and early 20th century, the river's surface was periodically choked by large swathes of the noxious weed known as
water hyacinth
''Pontederia crassipes'' (formerly ''Eichhornia crassipes''), commonly known as common water hyacinth is an aquatic plant native to South America, naturalized throughout the world, and often invasive outside its native range.
Environmentally, the river is in a poor condition and has been so for many years. In 2000, the Brisbane River estuary did not meet the national guidelines for environmental standards. The lower reaches received a very poor rating in the 2008 Healthy Waterways report, an annual assessment of river water quality. The major causes of
pollution
Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause adverse change. Pollution can take the form of any substance (solid, liquid, or gas) or energy (such as radioactivity, heat, sound, or light). Pollutants, the ...
are excess nutrients,
hydrocarbons
In organic chemistry, a hydrocarbon is an organic compound consisting entirely of hydrogen and carbon. Hydrocarbons are examples of group 14 hydrides. Hydrocarbons are generally colourless and hydrophobic, and their odors are usually weak or ex ...
,
pesticides
Pesticides are substances that are meant to control pests. This includes herbicide, insecticide, nematicide, molluscicide, piscicide, avicide, rodenticide, bactericide, insect repellent, animal repellent, microbicide, fungicide, and lampric ...
and
bacteria
Bacteria (; singular: bacterium) are ubiquitous, mostly free-living organisms often consisting of one biological cell. They constitute a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria were among ...
which become concentrated in the river and its
sediment
Sediment is a naturally occurring material that is broken down by processes of weathering and erosion, and is subsequently transported by the action of wind, water, or ice or by the force of gravity acting on the particles. For example, sand an ...
after flowing off surrounding lands. The river is also considered too murky and it is not recommended to swim in its waters.
Beginning in the 1950s, the river was dredged for the purpose of extracting sand and gravel. The considerable impacts of that activity include increased turbidity and bank erosion. The effect of the artificial sediment load in Moreton Bay grew to concern environmentalists worried that sediment was choking sea grass paddocks which were grazing territory for
dugong
The dugong (; ''Dugong dugon'') is a marine mammal. It is one of four living species of the order Sirenia, which also includes three species of manatees. It is the only living representative of the once-diverse family Dugongidae; its closest m ...
. Public outcry led to all commercial dredging being stopped by 1998.
Non-extractive dredging continues in the Brisbane River in order to maintain its navigability.
In 2018, the water quality in the Brisbane River failed to meet many Queensland Government standards. Nitrogen and phosphorus exceeded the maximum levels in all tests conducted in the mid-Brisbane River catchment. Results in the lower- and upper- catchments found maximum levels exceeded for the majority of tests for nitrogen and nearly all tests for phosphorus. Nitrogen and phosphorus primarily enter the river as they are washed in from agriculture areas on the banks upstream.
In 2019, research at the University of Queensland indicated that the river’s turbidity cycle (and murky brown colour) is principally driven by exchanges of mud between the channel and mudbanks. However, by planting
Crinum pedunculatum
''Crinum pedunculatum'' also known as the swamp lily, river lily or mangrove lily, is a bulbous perennial found in stream and tidal areas of the Northern Territory, Queensland and New South Wales, Australia as well as New Guinea and some Pacifi ...
in a line parallel to the channel and below the mean water level, the turbidity would reduce to such a degree that the river would appear clear and blue. To date, this has not been attempted
by Brisbane City Council.
Flora
The river has several important ecological areas where remnant populations of
mangrove
A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows in coastal saline water, saline or brackish water. The term is also used for tropical coastal vegetation consisting of such species. Mangroves are taxonomically diverse, as a result of convergent evoluti ...
s exist; these include areas around drainage culverts, in Breakfast Creek,
New Farm
New Farm is an inner northern riverside suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the , New Farm had a population of 12,542 people.
Geography
The suburb is located 2 kilometres east of the Brisbane CBD on a large bend of the ...
, a small preserve at the city bend, near the
Queensland University of Technology
Queensland University of Technology (QUT) is a public research university located in the urban coastal city of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. QUT is located on two campuses in the Brisbane area viz. Gardens Point and Kelvin Grove. The univ ...
and around the shipping terminals at the river's terminus into Moreton Bay. These mangroves have recently become classified as protected
nature reserve
A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...
s. The noxious water hyacinth weed is still growing in stretches between Fernvale and the
Mount Crosby Weir
The Mount Crosby Weir is a heritage-listed weir on the Brisbane River at Mount Crosby and Chuwar, both in City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The project was instigated by John Petrie at the end of the 19th century. The town of Brisbane wa ...
but only poses a minimal risk to drinking water supplies.
Fauna
Queensland lungfish
In 1895–1896, the
Queensland lungfish
The Australian lungfish (''Neoceratodus forsteri''), also known as the Queensland lungfish, Burnett salmon and barramunda, is the only surviving member of the family Neoceratodontidae. It is one of only six extant lungfish species in the world. ...
was only found in the Mary and Burnett river systems. Concerned about the species survival, it was introduced into other Queensland waterways with varying success. Self-sustaining populations of lungfish were successfully established in the Brisbane River, the Enoggera Reservoir and the
North Pine River
The North Pine River is a minor river located in South East Queensland, Australia.
Location and features
The North Pine River rises in the D'Aguilar Range in the Mount Mee State Forest, approximately northwest of Brisbane, and flows generally ...
.
Brisbane River cod
The freshwater reaches of the Brisbane River once supported a unique species of cod, the
Brisbane River cod
The Brisbane River cod was a unique form of ''Maccullochella'' cod that occurred naturally in the Brisbane River system, an east coast river system in south east Queensland, Australia. The Brisbane River Cod was known as the Bumgur (meaning blu ...
, which was similar to Murray cod and closely related to
eastern freshwater cod
The eastern freshwater cod (''Maccullochella ikei''), also known as the eastern cod or Clarence River cod, is a large predatory freshwater fish of the genus ''Maccullochella'' and the family Percichthyidae, that occur in the coastal Clarence Rive ...
and
Mary River cod
The Mary River cod (''Maccullochella mariensis'') is a species of temperate perch native to the coastal Mary River (Queensland), Mary River system of southern Queensland, Australia. Mary River cod are one of Australia's most endangered freshwa ...
. Unfortunately this unique native fish became extinct somewhere between the 1930s and 1950s due to habitat degradation and overfishing. The river has been restocked with cod from the Mary River.
Bull sharks
The Brisbane River is home to a very large population of
bull sharks
The bull shark (''Carcharhinus leucas''), also known as the Zambezi shark (informally zambi) in Africa and Lake Nicaragua shark in Nicaragua, is a species of requiem shark commonly found worldwide in warm, shallow waters along coasts and in riv ...
, thus swimming is not advised due to the dangers imposed by this predator. Ipswich City Council warns against swimming as far up as
Colleges Crossing
College's Crossing (also known as Colleges Crossing) is a low level bridge that crosses Brisbane River at Chuwar, a suburb of Ipswich in South East Queensland, Australia.
The road across the bridge is Mount Crosby Road. During major floods or ...
. There have been four recorded shark attack deaths in the river (1862, 1880, 1901 and 1921), and numerous other fatal attacks in surrounding rivers and estuaries. There have also been numerous attacks on family pets, such as dogs. Bull sharks can be aggressive, grow up to between 7–11.5 feet (2.1–3.5 m) in length and are unusual for a shark species because they can inhabit
brackish water
Brackish water, sometimes termed brack water, is water occurring in a natural environment that has more salinity than freshwater, but not as much as seawater. It may result from mixing seawater (salt water) and fresh water together, as in estua ...
(containing less than 50% seawater).
Water Transport
The river is traversed by
CityCat
RiverCity Ferries is a public transport company which commenced operating ferry services in Brisbane on 4 November 2020. It is a subsidiary of the Kelsian Group.
RiverCity Ferries operates 32 vessels serving 21 wharves on the Brisbane River un ...
s and other ferries in Brisbane, as it winds its way through the city centre.
Events
The Brisbane River hosts numerous events including the
Brisbane Festival
Brisbane Festival is one of Australia's leading international arts festivals, and is held each September in Brisbane, Australia.
Its presence dominates the city for three weeks in September and its line-up of classical and contemporary music, ...
, Riverfire, and the Brisbane River Classic fishing competition. Many schools and clubs use the river to conduct
rowing
Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically atta ...
regattas on Milton Reach. Sailing regattas are also held on this reach as well as the Hamilton reach.
Riverfire, which began in 1998, was a festival held in September each year at
South Bank Parklands
The South Bank Parklands are located at South Bank within the suburb of South Brisbane in Brisbane
Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list ...
and surrounding areas (including the
Victoria Bridge Victoria Bridge may be a reference to:
Bridges
;Australia
* Victoria Bridge, Brisbane, a road bridge across the Brisbane River in Brisbane
* Victoria Bridge, Devonport a road ridge across the Mersey River in Devonport, Tasmania
* Victoria Bridge, M ...
), to celebrate the Brisbane River. In 2009, the festival merged with
Brisbane Festival
Brisbane Festival is one of Australia's leading international arts festivals, and is held each September in Brisbane, Australia.
Its presence dominates the city for three weeks in September and its line-up of classical and contemporary music, ...
. Riverfire, which was held at the end of the Brisbane Festival until 2022 when it will be held at the start of the festival, includes a fireworks display. The final dump-and-burn of Riverfire 2010 was able to be seen as far as the
Gold Coast
Gold Coast may refer to:
Places Africa
* Gold Coast (region), in West Africa, which was made up of the following colonies, before being established as the independent nation of Ghana:
** Portuguese Gold Coast (Portuguese, 1482–1642)
** Dutch G ...
and
Toowoomba
Toowoomba ( , nicknamed 'The Garden City' and 'T-Bar') is a city in the Toowoomba Region of the Darling Downs, Queensland, Australia. It is west of Queensland's capital city Brisbane by road. The urban population of Toowoomba as of the 2021 C ...
as the F-111 climbed from to a higher altitude of about . The 20th Riverfire attracted nearly 500,000 people to the river.
In 2009 as part of the
Q150
Q150 was the sesquicentenary (150th anniversary) of the Separation of Queensland from New South Wales in 1859. Separation established the Colony of Queensland which became the State of Queensland in 1901 as part of the Federation of Australia. Q15 ...
celebrations, Riverfire was announced as one of the
Q150 Icons
The Queensland's Q150 Icons list of cultural icons was compiled as part of Q150 celebrations in 2009 by the Government of Queensland, Australia. It represented the people, places and events that were significant to Queensland's first 150 years. ...
of Queensland for its role as an "Events and festivals".
Named in its honour
The
electoral district of Maiwar
Maiwar is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Queensland, incorporating the inner western suburbs of Brisbane. It was created in the 2017 redistribution, and was first contested at the 2017 Queensland ...
created in the 2017 Queensland state electoral redistribution was named after the river's indigenous name.
See also
*
Bridges over the Brisbane River
A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...
*
Riverstage
Riverstage is an outdoor entertainment venue in Brisbane, Australia. The venue occupies a 2 ha site within the City Botanic Gardens and has a capacity of 9,500. The Brisbane Festival makes regularly use of the venue. Riverstage regularly feat ...
*
List of Brisbane ferry wharves
Transdev Brisbane Ferries, formerly Metrolink Queensland and TransdevTSL Brisbane Ferries, was the operator of the CityCat, CityHopper, and Cross River ferry networks on the Brisbane River in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia from November 2003 ...
*
List of rivers of Queensland
This is a list of rivers of Australia. Rivers are ordered alphabetically, by state. The same river may be found in more than one state as many rivers cross state borders.
Longest rivers nationally
Longest river by state or territory
Althoug ...
References
Citations
Sources
* Department of Harbours and Marine (1986). "Harbours and Marine" ''Port and Harbour Development in Queensland from 1824 to 1985'', p. 25.
Queensland Government
The Queensland Government is the democratic administrative authority of the Australian state of Queensland. The Government of Queensland, a parliamentary constitutional monarchy was formed in 1859 as prescribed in its Constitution, as amended fr ...
Department of Harbours and Marine.
*
Further reading
* — Report (97 pages) and accompanying maps and diagrams (16 pages)
Bureau of Meteorology
The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM or BoM) is an executive agency of the Australian Government responsible for providing weather services to Australia and surrounding areas. It was established in 1906 under the Meteorology Act, and brought together ...
Boats of Humbug Reach, Brisbane River
A boat is a watercraft of a large range of types and sizes, but generally smaller than a ship, which is distinguished by its larger size, shape, cargo or passenger capacity, or its ability to carry boats.
Small boats are typically found on inl ...