Queensland

G'day and welcome to my Queensland information page. Here you will find some information about Queensland, some sights from around the state as well as links to other related sites.

Queensland is Australia's second largest state, covering 1 722 000 km² and the third most populous with more than 3 000 000 - 17 per cent of the Australian population. It occupies 22.5 per cent of the continent in the north-east and has boundaries with New South Wales, South Australia and the Northern Territory. It is bounded by the Gulf of Carpentaria, Torres Strait and the Coral Sea in the north, and the South Pacific Ocean in the east. The total coastline is 7400 km.

Queensland is essentially a state of great plains which merge into high country of sharper relief to the east and north-west. To the north, the country falls gradually to meet the coastal plain which reaches the Gulf of Carpentaria as a broad tract of salt flats. The far north-west is occupied by a rugged uplands region, rich in minerals. Eastward, the country rises towards the Great Dividing Range which runs from the southern border to the northern tip of the state and is the main watershed between the coastal and inland rivers.

More than half of Queensland’s population lives outside the greater metropolitan area of Brisbane - a large proportion compared with the rest of highly urbanised Australia. Distance plays a part in the strength of regional influences in Queensland. The Torres Strait islands are 2000 km north of Brisbane. Cairns, the major city of the far north, is further from Brisbane than Melbourne, the capital of Victoria on the southern coast of the continent.

Brisbane, the capital, is in the south-eastern corner of the State with a population of about 1, 450, 000. The south-east corner of Queensland is the most densely populated part of the State.

Largest Cities

Queensland is known as Australia's "sunshine state" although weather conditions vary greatly between the coastal plain and the inland.

Brisbane averages 7.1 hours of sunshine a day in winter. Inland, the days are warm and sunny and the nights cold and frosty, particularly in the south. Queensland's wet season is from December to March, when the northwest monsoons sweep down from Asia and cyclones are most prevalent.

Annual rainfall can exceed 4000 mm in the north. In the north-west, Mount Isa averages less than 400 mm a year and the average dwindles to about 200 mm in the south-west corner. Brisbane averages 1200 mm.

Mining, tourism and agriculture, are the three major industries. Queensland accounts for 24 per cent of the total Australian mining production, 37 per cent of Australia's beef production, and almost all of Australia's sugar production.

Rural Production

Sugar is the main export crop. Other important crops are wheat, sorghum, maize, cotton, tobacco and peanuts. Tropical fruits grow extensively along the coast. Beef cattle and sheep dominate the livestock industries.

Minerals

Coal is the most important mineral followed by copper, lead, bauxite and zinc. There are major developments of bauxite near Weipa; copper, silver-lead-zinc and phosphate rock in the north- west, centred on Mount Isa; coal in the Bowen Basin of central Queensland and the Moreton Basin of the south-east; nickel at Greenvale, north-west of Townsville; natural gas and oil in the southern inland; and mineral sands along the southern beaches.

Tourism

Queensland contains a number of Australia's top international destinations such as Cairns, the Great Barrier Reef, the Gold Coast and the Whitsundays and tourism injects approximately $6.7 billion into the State's economy per year.

Queensland offers a great diversity of holiday and touring opportunities, with the Great Barrier Reef, tropical islands, rainforest and wilderness, open sandy beaches, and the vast outback, as well as the sophisticated attractions of Brisbane and major towns.

International tourist numbers are expected to escalate from 1.5 million at present to 3-4.5 million by the year 2000. It is expected that many visitors to Australia during the year 2000 Olympics may extend their holidays to include Queensland as a holiday destination.

Transport

Queensland has modern transport and communication systems. The State's 10, 011 km rail network is growing each year under a continuing development program. In 1991-92 the railways carried nearly 41 million passengers and more than 90 million tonnes of minerals and other freight. Queensland has three international airports: Brisbane, Cairns and Townsville. More than 130 regional airports and aerodromes complement three international airports.

Nineteen major ports dot the coast, the businest being the Port of Brisbane. On the average, approximately 120 million tonnes of cargo are handled by all ports during the year.

The flag of Queensland is a British Blue Ensign defaced with the state badge. The badge depicts a light blue Maltese cross with a St Edwards Crown in the centre of the cross, all on a white disc. The original badge was designed by the then Queensland Colonial Secretary and Treasurer William Hemmant.

No one knows why the Maltese cross was chosen. The common assumption is that the badge was inspired by Britain's most famous award for bravery, the Victoria Cross, but this has not been proven.

The design of the Royal Crown in the state badge is altered whenever there is a change in the style of crown chosen by the reigning Monarch. The last change occurred in 1953 after Queen Elizabeth II adopted the St Edwards Crown upon her Coronation in 1952.

The Queensland coat of arms was granted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1977. It consists of a shield with pictures representing the pastoral, mining and agricultural industries. This is supported by a red deer and the brolga (a crane). The motto means 'Bold but Faithful too'.

Page maintained by Grant Schmarr,
Copyright © 1997-99 Grant Schmarr.
Created: 29th September 1997. Updated: 24th November 1999