Brisbane

Brisbane is the capital city of the state of Queensland, Australia. With a population of 1,800,000, it is the third-largest Australian city. The Brisbane River runs through the city, dividing it into the "Northside" and "Southside" in local idiom.

The city has a relatively dry climate, similar to that of Sydney. It is specifically a humid climate with hot and rainy summers and mild and dry winters. The average annual temperature is around 23 Celsius.[1] As with the rest of the country, the majority of residents are Protestant however fewer than 20% regularly attend church and almost 36% profess no religious affiliation.[2]

In January 2011, suburbs near the Brisbane River, including the CBD, experienced major flooding as a result of Toowoomba floodwaters flowing through the Lockyer valley and into the Wivenhoe Dam and into the city itself.[3]

## Sports[edit]

Brisbane is home to the Brisbane Lions Australian Rules Football team as well as teams in the National Rugby League competition and the Queensland Reds Super Rugby (Union) franchise. There is a tennis court named after Pat Rafter in Brisbane.

## Further reading[edit]

* Queensland & the Great Barrier Reef by Alan Murphy (2008) excerpt and text search

## References[edit]

1. ↑ Bureau of meteorology statistics, 2003
2. ↑ Census data, 2007
3. ↑ http://www.qld.gov.au/floods/news.html