Brisbane central business district
Encyclopedia
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
(CBD), sometimes referred to as the city, is a suburb
Suburbs and localities (Australia)
Suburbs and localities are the names of geographic subdivisions in Australia, mainly for address purposes. The name locality is used in rural areas, while the equivalent in urban areas are suburbs. Sometimes locality is used to refer to both localities and suburbs, and they are also called address...
of Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and is located on a point on the northern bank of the Brisbane River
Brisbane River
The Brisbane River is the longest river in south east Queensland, Australia, and flows through the city of Brisbane, before emptying into Moreton Bay. John Oxley was the first European to explore the river who named it after the Governor of New South Wales, Thomas Brisbane in 1823...
. The triangular shaped area is bounded by the Brisbane River to the east, south and west. The point, known at its tip as Gardens Point
Gardens Point, Brisbane
Gardens Point is a point on the northern bank of the Brisbane River. The Brisbane CBD extends northwards of the point.Located here are Queensland's Parliament House, the Gardens Point campus of the Queensland University of Technology, the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens and Queensland's Old...
, slopes upward to the north-west where the city is bounded by parkland and the inner city suburb of Spring Hill
Spring Hill, Queensland
Spring Hill is an inner suburb of Brisbane, Australia located 2 km north of the central business district. Parts of Spring Hill can be considered to be extensions of the Brisbane CBD.-Schools:Spring Hill is serviced by a number of schools...
to the north. The CBD is bounded to the north-east by the suburb of Fortitude Valley. To the west the CBD is bounded by Petrie Terrace, which in 2010 was reinstated as a suburb (after being made a locality of Brisbane City in the 1970s).
Geography
Skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...
s and other buildings, interspersed by several parks such as Roma Street Parklands, City Botanic Gardens and Wickham Park
Wickham Park
Wickham Park is a nonprofit, private foundation in Manchester and a small part of East Hartford, Connecticut. The park contains of gardens, open fields, woodlands, ponds, picnic areas and sports facilities, among other attractions.-History:...
. The City is laid out according to a grid pattern surveyed during the city's early colonial days, a feature typical of most Australian street patterns. As a general rule, the streets aligned northwest-south east are named after male members of the House of Hanover
House of Hanover
The House of Hanover is a deposed German royal dynasty which has ruled the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg , the Kingdom of Hanover, the Kingdom of Great Britain, the Kingdom of Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
, while the northeast-south west aligned streets are named after female members. Queen Street
Queen Street, Brisbane
Queen Street in Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, Australia, is one of the city's major streets. It is the city's central road, partly covered by a pedestrian mall called the Queen Street Mall. Queen Street ends at the Victoria Bridge and is bounded by two of the Brisbane River's central reaches...
was the central roadway, that was turned into a pedestrian mall
Pedestrian mall
Pedestrian malls in the United States are also known as pedestrian streets and are the most common form of pedestrian zone in large cities in the United States. It is a street lined with storefronts and closed off to most automobile traffic...
. It forms the pivotal axis for the grid of roads within the district.
The Brisbane central business district was built on a spur of the Taylor Range
Taylor Range (Queensland)
The Taylor Range or Herbert Taylor Range is a mountain range on the western edge of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was first named The Glenmorrison Range by John Oxley during his exploration of the area in January 1824....
with the highest spot in the suburb being Wickham Terrace. North Quay
North Quay, Brisbane
North Quay is a location in the Brisbane central business district and the name of street in the same area, running along the Brisbane River from an intersection near Makerston Street to the top of the Queen Street.-Location:...
is an area in the CBD that was a landing point during the first European exploration of the Brisbane River.
Petries Bight
Petries Bight, also known as Petrie Bight, is a small pocket of land centered on the area under the Story Bridge's northern point, around the Brisbane River to Admiralty Towers II. The location was originally known as Petrie Gardens and was an early settlement farm, one of two that provided food for the colony. The site was named after Andrew Petrie and has been the base for water police and in earlier times wharves. The location of Customs HouseCustoms House, Brisbane
Customs House is a building located on Queen Street by the Brisbane River in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was originally used for the collection of customs duty and was both completed and opened in 1889, when Queensland was a British colony, replacing the original Customs House located at...
and the preference for wharves was due to site being directly downstream from the central business district.
Buildings and precincts
Up until 1964, a Brisbane City Council regulation limited building heights to 132 ft (40.2 m). Some of the first skyscrapers built in the CBD include the SGIO building (now Suncorp PlazaSuncorp Metway Plaza
Suncorp Plaza is a high-rise building in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.Suncorp Plaza is located on the intersection of Albert and Turbot Streets. The building is opposite the Brisbane Dental Hospital . Suncorp Plaza is 118 metres tall and consists of 26 floors, dedicated to office space...
) in 1970 and AMP Place
AMP Place, Brisbane
Officially named the AMP Centre, the AMP Place is a gold-coloured skyscraper located in the heart of Brisbane's central business district, in Queensland, Australia. It can be seen from most parts of the city and is known locally as 'The Gold Tower'....
in 1977.
In the last few decades the number of apartment buildings that have been constructed has increased substantially.
Brisbane is home to several of Australia's tallest buildings. Brisbane's tallest buildings are Soleil at 243 metres, Aurora Tower
Aurora Tower
Aurora Tower is a skyscraper in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. At 207 metres height, it is Brisbane's second tallest building, and tallest building if measured to roof height, soon to be overtaken by currently under construction Soleil and Infinity. Aurora has 69 storeys comprising four floors of...
at 207 metres, Riparian Plaza at 200 metres, One One One Eagle Street
One One One Eagle Street
One One One Eagle Street is to become the tallest office building in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. With 6 star Green Star office design rating, the building will be part of the CBD's 'Golden Triangle' district. Its location is the site of the old Indigo House building, which was demolished over...
at 195 metres, and Infinity
Infinity Tower (Brisbane)
The Infinity Tower is a skyscraper under construction at 43 Herschel Street Brisbane, Australia. Excavation began in November 2009 after Meriton purchased the site, which was formerly a ground level carpark, for AU$25 million...
, at 249 metres, which is currently under construction.
The Brisbane CBD is one of the major business hubs in Australia. The City contains many tall office buildings occupied by organisations, businesses and all three levels of government that have emerged into a number of precincts. The areas around the Queen Street Mall
Queen Street Mall, Brisbane
The Queen Street Mall is a pedestrian mall on Queen Street in the centre of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.It is Brisbane's predominant retail district, featuring shopping centres, hotels, restaurant and coffee shops, cinemas, clothing, music, jewellery and book stores, newsagencies, and banks...
and Adelaide Street is primarily a retail precinct. A legal precinct exists around the various court buildings located around the intersections of George Street
George Street, Brisbane
George Street is a main street located in the Brisbane CBD in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. A major thoroughfare, George Street connects to the Queensland University of Technology as well as the state Botanical Gardens, to the commercial centre of Brisbane, Queen Street and Queen Street Mall.The...
and Adelaide
Adelaide Street, Brisbane
Adelaide Street, which is a major thoroughfare in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, runs parallel to Queen Street and Ann Street.Notable buildings and parks along Adelaide Street include Brisbane City Hall, King George Square, ANZAC Square with the Shrine of Remembrance , ANZAC Square Arcade, Law...
and Ann
Ann Street, Brisbane
Ann Street runs parallel to Adelaide Street and is the northern-most street in the Brisbane CBD in Queensland, Australia. It is a major thoroughfare, running straight through the city and linking the suburb of Fortitude Valley with the Riverside Expressway....
Streets.
The government precinct is an area centered around the Executive Building that includes a many Queensland Government
Government of Queensland
The Government of Queensland is commonly known as the "Queensland Government".The form of the Government of Queensland is prescribed in its Constitution, which dates from 1859, although it has been amended many times since then...
offices. 111 George Street
111 George Street
111 George Street is a building on George Street in the Brisbane central business district, Australia which was completed in 1993. It is currently the eighth tallest building in the city and fully occupied by the Queensland State Government. With its repetitive grill pattern, it is sometimes...
, Mineral House, Education House and the Neville Bonner building in William Street
William Street, Brisbane
William Street is a small, relatively quiet road in the uptown part of the Brisbane central business district. The street is historical significant to the city's early development as a penal colony...
are also located here.
The Brisbane CBD has only one third the number of premium hotel rooms that either Sydney or Melbourne's central business districts have.
Schools
The city is serviced by a number of schools in the surrounding suburbs including the Petrie Terrace State School in Paddington and The Albert Park Flexi School in Petrie Terrace.Rental prices
Like most other Australian capital cities Brisbane has experienced dramatic rises in rental prices for residential and office space before the global financial crisis. At the beginning of 2008, the Brisbane central business district contained 1.7 million square metres of office space.High demand in the office market had pushed vacancy rates in the Brisbane CBD to 0.7% by January 2008, the lowest in Australia. Premium grade office space was even less vacant with an occupancy rate of 99.9%. By the end of 2009 the situation had reversed. Brisbane now has the highest CBD vacancy rate for office space in the country.
Attractions
In the CBD there many attractions; Queensland's Parliament HouseParliament House, Brisbane
Parliament House in Brisbane is the home of the Parliament of Queensland, housing the Legislative Assembly. It is situated on the corner of George Street and Alice Street...
, The Pancake Manor
The Pancake Manor
The Pancake Manor, formerly St. Luke's Anglican Church, is a privately owned restaurant found in Charlotte Street in the Brisbane CBD of Queensland, Australia. A heritage listed building, over a hundred years old, houses the restaurant has been famous for its pancakes for almost 30 years, and its...
, The Masonic Memorial Centre, the Queensland University of Technology
Queensland University of Technology
Queensland University of Technology is an Australian university with an applied emphasis in courses and research. Based in Brisbane, it has 40,000 students, including 6,000 international students, over 4,000 staff members, and an annual budget of more than A$750 million.QUT is marketed as "A...
Gardens Point Campus and the Brisbane City Hall
Brisbane City Hall
Brisbane City Hall, in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, is the seat of the Brisbane City Council. It is located adjacent to King George Square, where the rectangular City Hall has its main entrance. The City Hall also has frontages and entrances in both Ann Street and Adelaide Street...
. The Queens Gardens
Queens Gardens, Brisbane
Queens Gardens is located on a city block between George Street, Elizabeth Street and William Street in the Brisbane central business district...
, Post Office Square
Post Office Square, Brisbane
Post Office Square is a public square which is built over a collection of shops. The square is situated between Queen Street and Adelaide Street, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.Post Office Square was opened on 5 April 1984....
, King George Square
King George Square, Brisbane
King George Square is a public square, located between Adelaide Street and Ann Street , in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Adjacent to King George Square is Brisbane City Hall...
and Brisbane City Botanic Gardens
Brisbane City Botanic Gardens
The City Botanic Gardens is located on a point known as Gardens Point on the Brisbane River adjacent to the central business district of the city of Brisbane...
are open public spaces located here.
Transport
By road, four road bridges connect the CBD with the southern bank of the Brisbane River: the Captain Cook BridgeCaptain Cook Bridge, Brisbane
The Captain Cook Bridge is a motorway bridge over the Brisbane River in Brisbane, Australia. It was built exclusively for vehicular traffic and was opened in 1972. The bridge crosses at the South Brisbane Reach of the river, linking Gardens Point to Woolloongabba.Captain Cook Bridge actually...
, the Victoria Bridge
Victoria Bridge, Brisbane
The Victoria Bridge is a vehicular and pedestrian bridge over the Brisbane River. The current bridge, opened in 1969, is the third permanent crossing erected at this location...
, the William Jolly Bridge and the Go Between Bridge
Go Between Bridge
The Go Between Bridge, formerly known as the Hale Street Link, is a toll bridge for vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists over the Brisbane River in innercity Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The bridge connects Merivale and Cordelia Streets in West End to Hale Street and the Inner City Bypass at...
. The Story Bridge connects Fortitude Valley with Kangaroo Point
Kangaroo Point, Queensland
Kangaroo Point is a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia located directly east across the Brisbane River from the Brisbane central business district.- Geography :...
and provides access to the city from the southern bank. The Captain Cook Bridge connects the Pacific Motorway
Pacific Motorway
The Pacific Motorway is a 100 km long motorway in Australia between Brisbane, Queensland, and the New South Wales-Queensland border at Tweed Heads. The motorway starts at Coronation Drive at Milton in Brisbane, and from 2008 links the Tweed Heads bypass in New South Wales...
, south of the river, with the Riverside Expressway
Riverside Expressway
The Riverside Expressway is part of the Pacific Motorway that runs through Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is located on the western side of the Brisbane CBD and is made up of various bridges and overpasses...
which runs along the south western edge of the city. Heading under and bypassing the CBD is the Clem Jones Tunnel.
By bicycle and foot, the Goodwill Bridge allows cross river access to South Bank.
The Brisbane central business district is the central hub for all public transport services in Brisbane. Bus services are centred on the Queen Street Bus Station
Queen Street Bus Station, Brisbane
Queen Street Bus Station is the Brisbane CBD's primary bus terminus. It is underneath The Myer Centre and Queen Street Mall. It is in Zone 1 of the TransLink integrated public transport system....
and King George Square bus station
King George Square Busway Station, Brisbane
King George Square is a busway station located underneath King George Square in the heart of Brisbane CBD; it also marks the start of the TransLink's Northern Busway. The station has twelve stops on two platforms; access to these platforms is via an underground concourse which can be accessed from...
. Suburban train services pass through Central railway station
Central railway station, Brisbane
Central railway station is, as the name suggests, the central railway station for the Queensland Rail City network in the Brisbane central business district, the state capital of Queensland, Australia...
, and Roma Street railway station
Roma Street railway station, Brisbane
Roma Street railway station is a major railway station in the Brisbane central business district, the state capital of Queensland, Australia. It was Brisbane's first railway station, opening in 1876...
. Roma Street also serves as the terminus for long distance and country services. The central business district is served by various city ferries. Brisbane's CityCat high speed ferry service, popular with tourists and commuters, operates services along the Brisbane River
Brisbane River
The Brisbane River is the longest river in south east Queensland, Australia, and flows through the city of Brisbane, before emptying into Moreton Bay. John Oxley was the first European to explore the river who named it after the Governor of New South Wales, Thomas Brisbane in 1823...
between the University of Queensland
University of Queensland
The University of Queensland, also known as UQ, is a public university located in state of Queensland, Australia. Founded in 1909, it is the oldest and largest university in Queensland and the fifth oldest in the nation...
and Brett's Wharf, stopping at several CBD wharves.
The Brisbane Riverwalk, a pedestrian
Pedestrian
A pedestrian is a person traveling on foot, whether walking or running. In some communities, those traveling using roller skates or skateboards are also considered to be pedestrians. In modern times, the term mostly refers to someone walking on a road or footpath, but this was not the case...
and cyclist pathway adjoins the central business district along the river bank.
In popular culture
The Brisbane CBD has featured in a number of films, including:- Inspector Gadget 2Inspector Gadget 2Inspector Gadget 2 is a live-action comedy film, released directly to VHS and DVD in March 2003. It was based upon the cartoon series created by DiC Entertainment and is a direct-to-video sequel to the 1999 Walt Disney Pictures film Inspector Gadget and also released by DIC Entertainment...
, the sequel to Inspector GadgetInspector GadgetInspector Gadget is an animated television series that revolves around the adventures of a clumsy, simple-witted cyborg detective named Inspector Gadget – a human being with various bionic gadgets built into his body. Gadget's arch-nemesis is Dr...
, featured many scenes showing the Brisbane CBD, South Bank and Kangaroo Point. - The MarineThe MarineThe Marine is a 2006 American action film starring wrestler John Cena. The film was directed by John Bonito, written by Michelle Gallagher and Alan B...
, a film featuring John CenaJohn CenaJohn Felix Anthony Cena is an American professional wrestler, actor, rapper, and television personality. He is currently signed to WWE as a member of its WWE Raw brand....
, featured the Golden Triangle district of the CBD, during a scene in which an explosion occurred. - Fool's GoldFool's Gold (2008 film)Fool's Gold is an 2008 American adventure/romance film from Warner Bros. Pictures about a married couple who rekindle their romantic life while searching for a lost treasure. The film was directed by Andy Tennant and reunites the How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days stars Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson...
, a 2008 film featured the CBD primarily the Botanic Gardens throughout the beginning of the film. - One of Jackie ChanJackie ChanJackie Chan, SBS, MBE is a Hong Kong actor, action choreographer, comedian, director, producer, martial artist, screenwriter, entrepreneur, singer and stunt performer. In his movies, he is known for his acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, use of improvised weapons, and innovative stunts...
's films, Jackie Chan's First Strike, featured the city in many scenes to the end of the film from Fortitude Valley, east of the CBD. - The Brisbane CBD was used in Powerfinger's 2009 music video "All of the Dreamers".
- The 2009 vampire film DaybreakersDaybreakersDaybreakers is a 2009 science-fiction horror film written and directed by Australian filmmakers Michael and Peter Spierig. The film takes place in 2019, where a plague has turned most of the planet's human population into vampires. A vampiric corporation sets out to capture and farm the remaining...
was filmed in Brisbane.
Further reading
- Petrie-Terrace Brisbane 1858-1988 - Its ups and downs, R. Fisher, Boolarong, 1988 ISBN 0-86439-050-5