Discover 35 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Brisbane (Australia). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Gallery of Modern Art, QAGOMA, and Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. Also, be sure to include South Bank Parklands in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Brisbane (Queensland).
Table of Contents
Gallery of Modern Art
Museum. The Gallery of Modern Art is an art museum located within the Queensland Cultural Centre in the South Bank precinct of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The gallery is part of QAGOMA.
GOMA, which opened on 2 December 2006, is the largest gallery of modern and contemporary art in Australia, and houses Australia's first purpose-built cinematheque. The gallery is situated on Kurilpa Point next to the Queensland Art Gallery (QAG) building and the State Library of Queensland, and faces the Brisbane River and the CBD. The Gallery of Modern Art has a total floor area over 25,000 square metres (270,000 sq ft) and the largest exhibition gallery is 1,100 square metres (12,000 sq ft). The building was designed by Sydney architecture firm Architectus.[1]
Address: Stanley Pl, 4101 South Brisbane
QAGOMA
The Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art, colloquially known as QAGOMA is an art museum in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It consists of the Queensland Art Gallery, which is the main building, and a second gallery, the Gallery of Modern Art, situated 150 m away. Both are located within the Queensland Cultural Centre in South Bank. QAGOMA has a large collection of Australian art and is a leading institution in the Asia-Pacific.[2]
Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary
Naturally landscaped koala sanctuary. Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary is an 18-hectare koala sanctuary in the Brisbane suburb of Fig Tree Pocket in Queensland, Australia.
Founded in 1927, it is the oldest and largest koala sanctuary in the world.[3]
Address: 708 Jesmond Rd, 4069 Fig Tree Pocket
South Bank Parklands
Park in South Brisbane, Australia. The South Bank Parklands are located at South Bank within the suburb of South Brisbane in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The parkland, on the transformed site of Brisbane's World Expo 88, was officially opened to the public on 20 June 1992.
The South Bank Parklands are located on the southern bank of the Brisbane River, at South Bank, directly opposite the City. The parklands are connected to the City by the Victoria Bridge at the northern end, and to Gardens Point by the Goodwill Bridge at the southern end.
The parklands consist of a mixture of rainforest, water, grassed areas and plazas as well as features such as the riverfront promenade, the Streets Beach, the Grand Arbour, the Courier Mail Piazza, the Nepalese Peace Pagoda, the Wheel of Brisbane, restaurants, shops and fountains. The parklands are also home to the Queensland Conservatorium.
South Bank and its parklands are one of Brisbane's most important cultural precincts and they regularly host large scale festivals and events. Approximately 11,000,000 people visit South Bank Parklands each year.[4]
Address: South Bank, 4101 Brisbane
Brisbane Arcade
Arcade in the Brisbane central business district, Australia. Brisbane Arcade is a heritage-listed shopping arcade at 160 Queen Street through to Adelaide Street in the Brisbane CBD, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Richard Gailey, Junior and built in 1923 to 1924 by J & E L Rees and Forsyth & Speering. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.[5]
Address: Brisbane Arcade 160 Queen St, 4000 Brisbane
Queensland Museum
Museum. The Queensland Museum is the state museum of Queensland, dedicated to natural history, cultural heritage, science and human achievement. The museum currently operates from its headquarters and general museum in South Brisbane with specialist museums located in North Ipswich in Ipswich, East Toowoomba in Toowoomba, and in Townsville City in Townsville.
The museum is funded by the Queensland Government.[6]
Address: Corner of Grey & Melbourne Streets, 4101 Brisbane
City Botanic Gardens
Riverside oasis for plants and recreation. The City Botanic Gardens is a heritage-listed botanic garden on Alice Street, Brisbane City, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was also known as Queen's Park. It is located on Gardens Point in the Brisbane CBD and is bordered by the Brisbane River, Alice Street, George Street, Parliament House and Queensland University of Technology's Gardens Point campus. It was established in 1825 as a farm for the Moreton Bay penal settlement.
The Gardens include Brisbane's most mature gardens, with many rare and unusual botanic species. In particular the Gardens feature a special collection of cycads, palms, figs and bamboo.
The City Botanic Gardens was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 3 February 1997. The Queensland Heritage Register describes the Gardens as "the most significant, non-Aboriginal cultural landscape in Queensland, having a continuous horticultural history since 1828, without any significant loss of land area or change in use over that time. It remains the premier public park and recreational facility for the capital of Queensland, which role it has performed since the early 1840s."[7]
Address: Alice Street, 4000 Brisbane
Roma Street Parkland
Park in the Brisbane central business district, Australia. Roma Street Parkland covers 11 hectares in the centre of Brisbane, Australia. The Roma Street Parkland is adjacent to Brisbane Transit Centre and the Roma Street railway station from which it takes its name There is pedestrian access to the Roma Street Parkland from the Roma Street railway station, as well as from Albert Street, and from the section of the Parkland which used to be called Albert Park, in Wickham Terrace.
There is also a car park area, with road access from the intersection between Wickham Terrace, College Road and Gregory Terrace. Roma Street Parkland is the world's largest subtropical garden in a city centre. The parkland features a variety of themed gardens and recreational areas, with a web of pathways and boardwalks traversing cascading waterways and rocky outcrops, and also in situ artworks by 16 local artists.[8]
Address: 1 Parkland Bvd, 4000 Brisbane
Fortitude Valley
City in Australia. Fortitude Valley is an inner suburb of the City of Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, Fortitude Valley had a population of 6,978 people. The suburb features two pedestrian malls at Brunswick Street Mall and Chinatown.[9]
Queensland Maritime Museum
Museum in South Brisbane, Australia. The Queensland Maritime Museum is located on the southern bank of the Brisbane River just south of the South Bank Parklands and Queensland Cultural Centre precinct of Brisbane, and close to the Goodwill Bridge.
The museum was founded in 1971 and contains a two-level exhibition building presenting historic sailing ship models together with merchant shipping from early cargo ships to modern container ships, tankers and cruise liners. It is housed in the building used for the “Pavilion of Promise” at World Expo 88, and the South Brisbane Dry Dock which was built in the 1870s and was 313 feet (95 m) long and 60 feet (18 m) wide. In 1887 the dock was extended to 430 feet (131 m) due to the increasing size of vessels.
The museum also includes a library that stocks documents, pictures and other relevant artifacts relating to maritime history. There are several maps that show how early navigators created accurate charts.
Information is also provided about some of the 1,500 plus shipwrecks that have occurred along the Queensland coast including the Great Barrier Reef.[10]
Address: 412 Stanley St, 4101 South Brisbane
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 conveniently close to the city and the South Bank Parklands. It can be reached by the Pacific Motorway, South East Busway or a ferry to Thornton Street ferry wharf. The cliffs were formed after stone was quarried from the site and used in the construction of a number of local structures in the Moreton Bay penal settlement.[11]
Address: Lower River Terrace, 4169 Kangaroo Point
Anzac Square
War memorial in the Brisbane central business district, Australia. ANZAC Square is a heritage-listed town square and war memorial located between Ann Street and Adelaide Street, in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is a state memorial to the men and women who participated in overseas armed service and is named in honour of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. ANZAC Square is adjacent to ANZAC Square Arcade.
ANZAC Square was opened on Armistice Day, 1930. It is also known as 9th Battalion Memorial and Queensland Women's War Memorial. ANZAC Square was registered on the (now inactive) Register of the National Estate in 1980 and added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.
ANZAC Square contains the Shrine of Remembrance and the 'Eternal Flame of Remembrance' held in a continuously lit bronze urn, dedicated on Tuesday, 11 November 1930.
There is also the World War II Shrine of Memories. Daphne Mayo sculptured the Women's War Memorial that forms part of the memorial's wall.
The external wall of the Shrine of Memories is dedicated to the 60,000 Queenslanders who fought in World War I. There are also war-related statues, for various wars, including memorial statues for the Queensland soldiers who fought during the Second Boer War (1899–1902), as well as World War II, the Vietnam War and campaigns in Korea, Borneo and New Guinea.
On 25 April, every year, a Dawn Service is held at the Shrine of Remembrance and ANZAC Square.[12]
Address: Between Ann & Adelaide Streets, 2004 Brisbane
Brisbane City Hall
Building in the Brisbane central business district, Australia. 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 building design is based on a combination of the Roman Pantheon, and St Mark's Campanile in Venice and is considered one of Brisbane's finest buildings. It was listed on the Register of the National Estate in 1978 and on the Queensland Heritage Register in 1992. It is also iconic for its Westminster chimes which sound on the quarter-hour.
The building has been used for royal receptions, pageants, orchestral concerts, the Lord Mayor's Seniors Christmas Concerts, civic greetings, flower shows, school graduations and political meetings. In 2008, it was discovered that the building had severe structural problems. After a three-year restoration, it re-opened on 6 April 2013.[13]
Story Bridge
Iconic bridge popular for city scenery. 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 longest cantilever bridge in Australia.
The road across the bridge is named Bradfield Highway. The bridge connects Fortitude Valley to Kangaroo Point. The Story Bridge opened in 1940 and was tolled until 1947. It is named after prominent public servant John Douglas Story.[14]
Queensland Art Gallery
Museum in South Brisbane, Australia. The Queensland Art Gallery is an art museum located in South Bank, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The gallery is part of QAGOMA. It complements the Gallery of Modern Art building, situated only 150 metres away.
The Queensland Art Gallery is owned and operated by the Government of Queensland, which created the institution in 1895 as the Queensland National Art Gallery.[15]
Address: Stanley Pl, 4101 South Brisbane
Toowong Cemetery
Cemetery in Toowong, Australia. Toowong Cemetery is a heritage-listed cemetery on the corner of Frederick Street and Mt Coot-tha Road, Toowong, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was established in 1866 and formally opened in 1875. It is Queensland's largest cemetery and is located on forty-four hectares of land at the corner of Frederick Street and Mount Coot-tha Road approximately four and a half kilometres west of Brisbane. It was previously known as Brisbane General Cemetery. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 31 December 2002.
Although still used as a cemetery, it is a popular place for joggers and dog walkers, with its over-hanging fig trees and winding pathways. The Friends of Toowong Cemetery conduct tours through the cemetery as well as providing a series of self-guided themed walks through the cemetery.[16]
Address: 304 Birdwood Terrace, Brisbane
The Barracks
Victoria Barracks is an Australian Army base in the Brisbane suburb of Petrie Terrace in Queensland.[17]
Address: 61 Petrie Terrace, 4000 Brisbane City
Brisbane Botanic Gardens
Garden in Mount Coot-tha, Queensland, Australia. The Brisbane Botanic Gardens are located 7 kilometres from the Brisbane CBD at the foot of Brisbane's tallest mountain, Mount Coot-tha in the suburb of Mount Coot-tha, Queensland, Australia.[18]
Address: Mt Coot-tha Rd, Brisbane
Griffith University Art Museum
The Queensland College of Art is a specialist arts and design college located in South Bank, Brisbane, and Southport, on the Gold Coast of Queensland in Australia. Founded in 1881, the college is the oldest arts institution in Australia. It has been part of Griffith University since 1991, co-located with the Queensland Conservatorium, the Griffith Film School and Griffith Graduate Centre. The Griffith University Art Museum, formerly known as Griffith University Art Gallery, as well as a collection of galleries known as the QCA Galleries, are also located on the campus.[19]
Victoria Bridge Abutment
Bridge in South Brisbane, Australia. Victoria Bridge Abutment is a heritage-listed road bridge remnant at 74 Stanley Street, South Brisbane, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Alfred Barton Brady and built in 1896 by Arthur Midson. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 August 1992.[20]
Address: 74 Stanley Street, 4000 Brisbane
Kurilpa Bridge
Pedestrian bridge in the Brisbane central business district, Australia. The Kurilpa Bridge is a 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 the Brisbane central business district. In 2011, the bridge was judged World Transport Building of the Year at the World Architecture Festival.
Baulderstone built the bridge and the company's design team included Cox Rayner Architects and Arup Engineers.
A sod turning ceremony was held at Kurilpa Park, South Brisbane on 12 December 2007. The bridge was opened on 4 October 2009 by Queensland Premier Anna Bligh.[21]
Address: Tank St., 4000 Brisbane
Eagle Farm Racecourse
Sports venue in Ascot, Australia. Eagle Farm Racecourse is a heritage-listed horse racing venue in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is located at the northern end of Racecourse Road in the suburb of Ascot, 7 kilometres from the Brisbane central business district.
The turf track is 28 metres (92 ft) wide, with a circumference of 2,027 metres (6,650 ft) and a home straight of 434 metres (1,424 ft). Races are run in a clockwise direction.
Doomben Racecourse is located nearby in the same suburb.[22]
Address: Lancaster Road, 2004 Brisbane
Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium
Planetarium in Mount Coot-tha, Queensland, Australia. The Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium is located on the grounds of the Brisbane Botanic Gardens in the suburb of Mount Coot-tha, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The Planetarium was officially opened on 24 May 1978.
The Planetarium is named after Sir Thomas Brisbane, governor of the colony of New South Wales (1821 - 1825) and well known Scottish astronomer who established the first significant observatory at Parramatta, Australia, in 1822 for mapping the southern skies. The Planetarium is located about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) from the Central Business District, and is administered by the Brisbane City Council.
The Planetarium features the 12.5m diameter Cosmic Skydome (hemispherical planetarium theatre) with a maximum concentric seating capacity of 130. Extensive space exploration and astronomy displays in the Planetarium's Foyer and Gallery include the 1969 Apollo 11 Moon landing with a replica of Neil Armstrong's space suit and a 1/48th-scale Saturn V rocket, meteorites, and numerous models of spacecraft, rockets, and astronomical instruments. In 2018, a major permanent exhibit - Skylore: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Astronomy - was installed in the Gallery. The original Zeiss star projector was removed from the Cosmic Skydome during the upgrade in 2010 and was placed on display in the foyer in early 2012. A replacement optical star projector by Ohira Tech was installed in the Cosmic Skydome in early 2013. A mini-theatre usually features a regularly updated Space Telescope Science Institute web feed. An observatory contains a permanently mounted Zeiss 15 cm refractor and a Meade 25.4 cm "Go To" Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope.
The Planetarium runs more than 1,300 regular shows per year in the Cosmic Skydome for public and school groups, and observing sessions in the observatory. During Financial Year 2017/2018, the Planetarium had more than 155,000 visitors with nearly 80,000 attending sessions in the Cosmic Skydome.
A major upgrade for the Planetarium was completed in June 2019 with a new digital projection system installed. Adding to the new Skylore Story a world first, The exhibit features some of Australia's leading Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders sharing their star knowledge for the first time. The content within this exhibition was sourced and curated by Dr Duane Hamacher, an astronomer and academic working closely with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
Access to the display areas and mini theatre is free. Admission charges apply for the Cosmic Skydome and the observatory. The Planetarium is closed on Mondays (except during most Queensland school holiday periods) and is usually closed for up to two weeks for servicing work following the December/January school holidays.
Outside exhibits adjacent to the Planetarium include a statue of Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, the Father of Cosmonautics and a large sundial in the Sundial Courtyard.[23]
Address: Mount Coot Tha Rd, 4066 Toowong
King George Square
Event venue in the Brisbane central business district, Australia. King George Square is a public square located between Adelaide Street and Ann Street in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Brisbane City Hall is adjacent to the square.
On 1 January 2004, King George Square was listed on the Brisbane Heritage Register.[24]
Address: Ann Street, 4000 Brisbane
Old Museum Building
Museum in Bowen Hills, Australia. The Old Museum Building is a heritage-listed former exhibition building, former museum and now performance venue in Bowen Hills, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is made from 1.3 million red bricks and bordered by Gregory Terrace and the Exhibition Grounds.[25]
Address: Brisbane, Cnr Gregory Terrace and Bowen Bridge Road, Bowen Hills, Brisbane, Queensland
Thomas Park Bougainvillea Gardens
Park in Indooroopilly, Australia. Thomas Park Bougainvillea Gardens is a heritage-listed former private garden and now public park at 151 Harts Road, Indooroopilly, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Henry Thomas and built from 1914 to 1918. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 10 October 2014.[26]
Cremorne Theatre
Theatre in South Brisbane, Australia. The Cremorne Theatre was a theatre in South Brisbane, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia that operated, with interruptions, from 1911 to 1954. Although nothing remains of it today, the general location retains its cultural significance from the first half of the twentieth century as a theatre precinct, thanks to the nearby construction of Queensland Performing Arts Centre in 1985. Its name lives on in the new Cremorne Theatre, one of the venues within QPAC.[27]
Address: Brisbane, Stanley Street, South Brisbane
Suncorp Stadium
Stadium for rugby, soccer and concerts. Lang Park, also known as Brisbane Football Stadium, by the sponsored name Suncorp Stadium, and nicknamed: 'The Cauldron', is a multi-purpose stadium in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, located in the suburb of Milton. The current facility comprises a three-tiered rectangular sporting stadium with a capacity of 52,500 people. It is primarily used for rugby league and rugby union, with a rectangular playing field of 136 by 82 metres. The stadium’s major tenants are the Brisbane Broncos, Queensland Reds and the Australian Wallabies.
Lang Park was established in 1914, on the site of the former North Brisbane Cemetery, and in its early days was home to a number of different sports, including cycling, athletics, and soccer. The lease of the park was taken over by the Brisbane Rugby League in 1957 and it became the home of the game in Queensland (remaining so to this day). It has also been the home ground of major rugby union and soccer matches in Queensland since its modern redevelopment, including the Queensland Reds and the Brisbane Roar, and some Wallabies and Socceroos matches. It hosted the 2008 and 2017 Rugby League World Cup Finals, and the 2021 NRL Grand Final. In addition to this, the ground hosted Rugby World Cup quarter finals and two Super Rugby Grand Finals, with the Queensland Reds winning on both occasions. The venue will host several matches for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup including the third-place match as well as the football tournament at the 2032 Summer Olympics, including the gold medal matches in both the men's and women's events.[28]
Address: 40 Castlemaine St, 4064 Brisbane
Goodwill Bridge
Arch 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 Bridge was opened on 21 October 2001 and takes its name from the Goodwill Games, which were held in Brisbane that year. The bridge does not carry any motorised traffic — it is shared by pedestrians, cyclists and inline skaters.[29]
Address: Goodwill Bridge, 4000 Brisbane
Parliament House
Grand 19th-century legislative building. Parliament House in Brisbane is the meeting place of the Parliament of Queensland, housing its only chamber, the Legislative Assembly. The building was the site of the world's first socialist government in history. It is located on the corner of George Street and Alice Street at Gardens Point in the CBD, and is next to the Queensland University of Technology and City Botanic Gardens.[30]
Address: Brisbane, Cnr George Street and Alice Street, Brisbane City, Queensland
Queensland Police Museum
Queensland Police Museum collects and exhibits items related to the Queensland Police Service and the history of policing in Queensland, Australia. It was originally established in 1893 as a collection of items for study by police for technical purposes. It was not until 20 May 1979 that it became a museum open to the public. It is currently located at Queensland Police Headquarters at 200 Roma Street, Brisbane.[31]
Fort Lytton National Park
Fort Lytton is a heritage-listed 19th century coastal fort in the suburb of Lytton in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The name “Fort Lytton” is also used to describe the 1 square mile military base that surrounded the fort. Fort Lytton was built in 1880–1882, and operated until 1965. The historic fort is now contained in Fort Lytton National Park. The park is open to the public on most Sundays and public holidays. Guided tours are provided by Fort Lytton Historical Association, a non-profit volunteer organisation.[32]
Address: Lytton Road, 4178 Brisbane
New Farm
City in Australia. New Farm is an inner northern riverside suburb of the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, New Farm had a population of 12,542 people.[33]
Queensland Performing Arts Centre
Performing arts centre in South Brisbane, Australia. The Queensland Performing Arts Centre is part of the Queensland Cultural Centre and is located on the corner of Melbourne Street and Grey Street in Brisbane's South Bank precinct. Opened in 1985, it includes the Lyric Theatre, Concert Hall, Playhouse and Cremorne Theatre.[34]
Address: Cnr Grey and Melbourne Street, 4101 Brisbane
Albert Street Uniting Church
Church in the Brisbane central business district, Australia. Albert Street Uniting Church is a heritage-listed church at 319 Albert Street, Brisbane City, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by George Henry Male Addison and built from 1888 to 1889 by Thomas Pearson & Sons. It was originally known as Albert Street Methodist Church and Central Methodist Mission. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.[35]
Address: 319 Albert St, 4000 Brisbane City