Where is Brisbane ? How big is Brisbane ?
Many times I have had ‘discussions’ with people about the size of Brisbane, and what Towns or Suburbs are actually in Brisbane, and some of these ‘discussions’ have been interesting…
Some people consider Brisbane to be only that small part of the City of Brisbane, and will argue that they are correct, no matter what anyone says.
However, others will consider Brisbane to cover an area from the Gold Coast, in the South, all the way up to the Whitsundays, in the North, and out to Toowoomba in the West. I do feel that may be stretching it, but unfortunately some people who have never been here and rely on what they read on the Internet, may truly believe it.
This brings me to my reason for this post today.
I was checking travel sites for Brisbane Hotel accommodation, and came across these options:
- Scarborough Beach Resort (North Brisbane)
- Metro Hotel Ipswich (Ipswich)
- Mount Cotton Guesthouse (35 kms south east of Brisbane)
- Tangalooma Island Resort (Moreton Island, 90 minutes by ferry from Brisbane)
Things like this will give visitors and new arrivals the impression that Brisbane covers a rather large area. Even I consider that I live in Brisbane (just about) although it is a 45 minute drive to get to the edge of the City centre. I also recall someone moving to Brisbane, but on asking exactly where, they replied Cairns… And for those who don’t know: Cairns, although still in Queensland, is about 1,700 kms ( just over 1,000 miles) away from Brisbane by car. Most people would fly between the two, not drive.
Officially there are a few Brisbane ‘areas’:
- Brisbane City Council area
- Brisbane Local Government Area
- Brisbane Statistical area
There are 189 suburbs of the municipality of Brisbane, and these can be seen here:
The most outlying locations in the Brisbane City Council appear to be: Brighton (N), England Creek (NW), Chuwar (SW), Forest Lake (S), Wynnum/Manly (E) and Burbank/Rochedale (SE).
Maps of the Brisbane area from the Electoral Commission Queensland: