Brisbane

Brisbane (/ˈbrɪzbən/ ^ⓘ BRIZ-bən; Turrbal/Yagara: Meanjin, Meaanjin, Maganjin or Magandjin) is the capital and largest city of the state of Queensland and the third-most populous city in Australia, with a population of approximately 2.8 million. Brisbane lies at the centre of South East Queensland, an urban agglomeration with a population of over 4 million. The central business district is situated within a peninsula of the Brisbane River about 15 km (9 mi) from its mouth at Moreton Bay. Brisbane's metropolitan area sprawls over the hilly floodplain of the Brisbane River Valley between Moreton Bay and the Taylor and D'Aguilar mountain ranges, encompassing several local government areas, most centrally the City of Brisbane. The demonym of Brisbane is Brisbanite or Brisbaner.

The Moreton Bay penal settlement was founded in 1824 at Redcliffe as a place for secondary offenders from the Sydney colony, but in May 1825 moved to North Quay on the banks of the Brisbane River, so named for the Governor of New South Wales Sir Thomas Brisbane. German Lutherans established the first free settlement of Zion Hill at Nundah in 1838, and in 1859 Brisbane was chosen as Queensland's capital when the state separated from New South Wales. During World War II, the Allied command in the South West Pacific was based in the city, along with the headquarters for General Douglas MacArthur of the United States Army.

Brisbane is a global centre for research and innovation and is a transportation hub, being served by large rail, bus and ferry networks, as well as Brisbane Airport and the Port of Brisbane, Australia's third-busiest airport and seaport. A diverse city with over 36% of its metropolitan population being foreign-born, Brisbane is frequently ranked highly in lists of the most liveable cities. Brisbane has hosted major events including the 1982 Commonwealth Games, World Expo 88 and the 2014 G20 summit, and will host the 2032 Summer Olympics.

Brisbane is one of Australia's most popular tourist destinations and is Australia's most biodiverse and greenest city. The city is known for its cultural heritage, architecture, museums and galleries, festivals and public art, food, music, sports and active lifestyle, and its numerous parks and gardens. South Bank and its extensive parklands, is Queensland’s most visited destination attracting over 14 million visitors annually.

The surrounding region includes the Gondwana Rainforests; (including Main Range, Lamington, and Springbrook) as part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Bunya Mountains National Park, the Glass House Mountains, and Moreton Bay alongside the islands of Moreton, Bribie and North Stradbroke Island, and the historic islands of Peel and St Helena Island National Park.

Brisbane is named after the Brisbane River, which in turn was named after Sir Thomas Brisbane, the governor of New South Wales from 1821 to 1825. The name is possibly derived from the Scottish Gaelic bris, meaning 'to break or smash' and the Old English word ban meaning 'bone'. Alternatively, the name could be derived from either "Braesbane" indicating white hills or "Braesburn" meaning a small rivulet from the hillside. Popular nicknames for Brisbane include Brissie (pronounced "Brizzie"), Brisvegas, and the River City.

Brisbane is also known as Meanjin, Magandjin and other spellings, the Indigenous name likely originally for Gardens Point. There is a difference of opinion between local traditional owners over the spelling, provenance and pronunciation of indigenous names for Brisbane. The daughter of early colonist Tom Petrie recorded that the name "Mi-an-jin" or "Me-an-jin" referred to the area that Brisbane CBD now straddles. Some sources state that the name means 'place shaped as a spike' or 'the spearhead' referencing the shape of the Brisbane River along the area of the Brisbane CBD. A contemporary Turrbal organisation has also suggested it means 'the place of the blue water lilies'. Local Elder Gaja Kerry Charlton posits that Meanjin is based on a European understanding of 'spike', and that the phonetically similar Yagara name Magandjin — after the native tulipwood trees (magan) at Gardens Point — is a more accurate and appropriate Aboriginal name for Brisbane.

Aboriginal groups claiming traditional ownership of the area include the Yagara, Turrbal and Quandamooka peoples. Brisbane is home to the land of a number of Aboriginal language groups, primarily the Yagara language group which includes the Turrbal language. Aboriginal Australians have lived in coastal South East Queensland for at least 22,000 years, with an estimated population between 6,000 and 10,000 individuals before European settlement in the 1820s. Aboriginal groups claiming traditional ownership of the area include the Yagara, Turrbal and Quandamooka peoples. A website representing a Turrbal culture organisation claims that historical documents suggest that the Turrbal peoples were the only traditional owners of Brisbane when British settlers first arrived.