Heritage
Trail
Brisbane's grand colonial architecture is reflected in the mirror glass
of today's modern towers. Discover the highlights on a City Sights Tour,
on guided walks or at your own pace on the Heritage Trail.
Brisbane is Australia's third largest city. Its climate is subtropical with an annual rainfall of 1,090 millimetres (most of which falls between December and March), an average of over seven hours of sunshine each day, a humidity level which hovers around 50% for all of the year, and a temperature range from 10 degrees Celsius in winter to 30 degrees Celsius in summer.
There are nearly 200 parks and reserves within 97,200 hectares administered by the Brisbane City Council.
Brisbane has long had a tradition of newness and consequently, unlike Sydney or Melbourne, it has few old buildings of importance. This can partly be explained by the city's long history of building in timber and the fact
that in 1864 a fire destroyed many of the city's finest early buildings.
Of interest, however, are the Old Government Houses (built in 1862 when the population was a mere 6,000 people), the Parliament House on the corner of George
and Alice Streets (built in 1868 it is a fine example of French Renaissance architecture), St. Stephen's Church in Elizabeth Street (the city's oldest church, it was built in 1850) and St. John's Cathedral and The Deanery in Ann Street.
Picture: Old style Brisbane architecture (DFAT).
CITY
PRECINCTS:
City Centre - Queen Street Mall Australia’s most successful shopping precinct, Queen Street Mall, has undergone
a transformation. Striking new architectural forms make a counterpoint to the
Mall’s open spaces and heritage facades. The precinct’s contemporary design themes reflect its status as a focus for fashion
with designer boutiques, fashion houses and major department stores amongst the hundreds of shops. With the Treasury Casino plus dozens of dining options, Queen Street Mall offers more than great shopping – it’s the hub of activity in the city centre.
City South - South Bank
South Bank is the cultural and leisure precinct of the city. Situated on the South Bank of the Brisbane River, here you’ll find the Queensland Cultural Centre, the Queensland Art Gallery, Queensland Museum, State Library, Performing Arts Centre and the Queensland Conservatorium of Music. Adjacent is South Bank Parklands with riverside promenades, rainforest gardens, dining precincts, weekend craft markets, the Grand Arbour plus Breaka Beach and lagoons - one of the city’s favourite summer havens. Attractions include the Maritime Museum and Nepalese Pagoda. Grey Street is a new focus for South Bank with landscaped gardens, cafes and IMAX Brisbane with both IMAX and conventional cinemas.
City East - Riverside
Walkways line the river through the City Botanic Gardens with its majestic trees and palms, along the length of the Town Reach to near the Story Bridge. Touring yachts moor off the Garden’s banks and the promenade continues beside some of the city’s most prominent hotels and office towers. Eagle Street Pier, crowned with a series of white domes, houses a range of restaurants and clubs. Like the neighbouring Riverside Centre it is a popular dining spot and on Sundays forms the venue for a vast market. Customs House is a stately reminder of the riverside precinct’s history, its sandstone walls now housing a gallery and brasserie.
Brisbane is Australia's third largest city. Its climate is subtropical with an annual rainfall of 1,090 millimetres (most of which falls between December and March), an average of over seven hours of sunshine each day, a humidity level which hovers around 50% for all of the year, and a temperature range from 10 degrees Celsius in winter to 30 degrees Celsius in summer. 
South Bank is the cultural and leisure precinct of the city. Situated on the South Bank of the Brisbane River, here you’ll find the Queensland Cultural Centre, the Queensland Art Gallery, Queensland Museum, State Library, Performing Arts Centre and the Queensland Conservatorium of Music. Adjacent is South Bank Parklands with riverside promenades, rainforest gardens, dining precincts, weekend craft markets, the Grand Arbour plus Breaka Beach and lagoons - one of the city’s favourite summer havens. Attractions include the Maritime Museum and Nepalese Pagoda. Grey Street is a new focus for South Bank with landscaped gardens, cafes and IMAX Brisbane with both IMAX and conventional cinemas.