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Brisbane is the capital city of the state of Queensland and the third largest city of Australia.
At the moment the city has almost 1,850,000 inhabitants.
Brisbane's history goes back as far as 40,000 years,
when aboriginals occupated spaces at the river banks that is now called Brisbane.
Surveyor General John Oxley discovered the river in 1823 and named it
after the Governor of New South Wales at the time, Thomas Brisbane.
From 1824 until 1842, Brisbane was a new penal settlement.
After 1842, free settlement was possible and it was from then on that the city started to grow.
The population grew from 829 in 1846 to almost 6,000 by 1859,
when Brisbane became capital of the self-governing colony of Queensland.
By the time of the federation in 1901, Queensland was the fastest growing state in the new nation
and Brisbane was its economic center.
Two city administrations, six towns, 12 shires and four other authorities amalgamated
to form Brisbane City Council on 1 October 1925 (Brisbane Day).
Important dates in recent Brisbane history are 1982 and 1988,
when the commonwealth games and the World Expo were hosted in the city.
A black page in recent history is the flood of January 1974, caused by Cyclone Wanda.
14,000 homes had to be evacuated, and all air, road and rail communication with the outside world was cut off.
That Saturday 26th was the wettest day in Brisbane since 1887.

These days, Brisbane is still thriving and although in third spot behind Sydney and Melbourne,
the city now has a thriving arts scene and is responsible for some of the best live music and bands in Australia.
Brisbane is a vibrant, yet laid-back city, with a nice subtropical climate,
which means year-round good weather, and a wealth of green spaces, and outdoor activities.




Above: day and night skyline view of Brisbane from the South and the Northeast.




Above: brisbane's tallest since 2006: Aurora (207m/679f, 69 stories).
The pictures were taken (April 2006) when the building was in the last stages of completion.
Aurora is a residential tower comprising four floors of 18 penthouses,
54 skyhomes (two storey luxury apartments) and 408 apartments.






Above: Riparian Plaza (200m/657f, 53 stories, 2005).
This office/residential tower was Brisbane's tallest for one year.
The height is NOT including the almost 70m/230f tall spire on top.
With spire, Riparian Plaza's height is 250m/850f.
Why this spire is NOT included in its height
(while in my opinion the mast looks like a architectural part of the building)
while others are (look at Melbourne for instance, BlueScope Steel Centre or 101 Collins Street),
I cannot really answer. Normally, the total height is including spires and mast on top
that are architectural parts of the building (part of the design).




Above: Central Plaza One (174m/571f, 44 stories, 1988).
Brisbane's (and Queensland's) tallest for 17 years. It was surpassed by Riparian Plaza in 2005.
The building is part of the Central Plaza complex,
which also consists of the smaller Central Plaza Two (110m/361f, 30 stories, 1990).
You can see the smaller building on the third and last picture.


Above: five pictures of Waterfront Place (162m/531f, 40 stories, 1989).


Above: Still under construction on the pictures (April 2006)
but already the city's fifth tallest skyscraper: Brisbane Square (151m/495f, 38 stories).
The building was due to be completed later in 2006.


Above: 111 George Street (145m/476f, 30 stories, 1993).
The height here is including the spire structure on top.


Above: five pictures of Riverside Centre (142m/466f, 40 stories, 1986).


Above: AMP Centre (135m/443f , 35 stories, 1978), seen from a few angles.
The building was Brisbane's tallest skyscraper from 1977-1988.


Above: Comalco Place (134m/440f, 35 stories, 1983).


Above: State Law Building (128m/420f, 30 stories, 1977).
The height is including the structure on top.
This was added in 1995, after a refurbishment of the tower,
changing the height from 110m/361f to the current 128m/420f.


Above left: Felix Tower (131m/430f, 40 stories, 2004).
When completed it became the city's tallest all-residential tower;
but it was surpassed by Aurora in 2006.
Above middle and right: in the second part of 2006, this tower will enter the Top 10 of tallest building of Brisbane:
Festival Towers (135m/443f, 42 floors).
The first picture shows the under construction status in April of 2006;
the second picture is a photograph of a drawing of the completed tower
which could be found at the building site.
Festival Towers is another tall residential tower;
in 2007, another residential tower, Charlotte Towers, will enter the Top 10.
This tower will be 3 metres taller (138m/453f, 44 stories) than Festival Towers.
Above far right: a billboard of Vision.
This residential tower is due to be completed in 2010 (construction was due to start mid-2006).
It then will be Brisbane's tallest building (283m/928f, 80 stories).
The building will have an observation deck as well (60/61 level; 201/205 metres).
Vision will also have some office and retail floors.


Above left and right: two skyline views from Southbank towards the CBD area of Brisbane.
Above middle: skyline view of Brisbane from the train platform at the international airport of Brisbane.



Click here to go to page 2 of Brisbane


Brisbane's 10 tallest skyscrapers:
1. AURORA 207m/679f, 69 stories, 2006
2. RIPARIAN PLAZA 200m/657f, 53 stories, 2005
3. CENTRAL PLAZA ONE 174m/571f, 44 stories, 1988
4. WATERFRONT PLACE 162m/531f, 40 stories, 1989
5. BRISBANE SQUARE 151m/495f, 38 stories, 2006
6. 111 GEORGE STREET 145m/476f, 30 stories, 1993
7. RIVERSIDE CENTRE 142m/466f, 40 stories, 1986
8. AMP CENTRE 135m/443f, 35 stories, 1978
9. COMALCO PLACE 134m/440f, 35 stories, 1983
10. FELIX TOWER 131m/430fm, 40 stories, 2004

The building data and some of the building information are courtesy of
EMPORIS.COM, one of the world's leading architectural resources on tall buildings.

All pictures copyright (c) 2006 Patrick Beckers. All Rights Reserved.
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