Life in Brisbane has always been based around the river. It started in the early 1800's when the Moreton Bay penal colony was started. Later the capital as we know it now was moved further up the river because of the more reliable water supply and the bends in the river providing protection.

Queensland was declared a seperate colony in 1859 and from here Brisbane began to thrive as a commercial river port. With fruit and vegetable markets being set up near the river and an increase in trade coming from Moreton Bay and other nearby islands.

In the mid 1970's the city was devastated by a cyclone causing large areas to be flooded. This caused dams to be increased to prevent any further flooding in the future. Because of this, the population of Brisbane has increased greatly as it is now seen as a safe city to live in.

Many of the old buildings are still standing in Brisbane, especially some of the older houses that are built on stilts. These are called "Queenslanders" or "Colonials" and were built on stilts so the breeze would pass under them and keep the house cool in the hot summers.