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Brisbane owes most of its beauty and the praises of the tourists to the long flowing Brisbane River that stretches for 344 kilometers and is situated in southeast Queensland, Australia. The river flows through Brisbane before finally meeting the Moreton Bay. History. It was John Oxley who first discovered The Brisbane River on 2 nd December 1823 though a few European navigators had visited the Moreton Bay before him. It was Oxley who named the river after Sir Thomas Brisbane, the Governor of South Wales. Facts about the river: - The river served as the only route through which communication and trade was maintained between Brisbane and Ipswich before the railway line was built in 1875
- The original structure of the river has been manipulated and much widening work has been done through the years to facilitate the passage of larger vessels.
- Ferries were the only mode of crossing the river in early days and steam ferries succeeded.
- The first bridge built across the river was the Victoria Bridge was later ruined by flood.
- The Brisbane River flooded at frequent intervals and has caused severe damage to the neighboring places till the Wivenhoe Dam was built on the upper reaches of the river. The most notable flood occurred in 1974.
- The increasing pollution level of the river has forbids people to swim in its waters.
- The prolonged dredging of the riverbeds done to make the river navigable has resulted in increased turbidity and bank erosion.
- The river has several significant ecological areas where the remaining populations of mangroves still do exist. These mangroves have recently been declared as protected natural reserves.
- Brisbane River Code was a unique species of fish that were found in the freshwater reaches of the Brisbane River, unfortunately, this fish type has ceased to exist since 1950 due to habitat degradation and overfishing.
Important tributaries of the Brisbane River: • Breakfast creek • Moggill Creek • Norman Creek • Bulimba Creek • Oxley Creek • Bermer River • Cubberla Creek • Lockeyer Creek • Stanley River The Brisbane River Festival: this annual festival creates a festive mood on the banks of the Brisbane River and you can enjoy music, food, art exhibitions and the spectacular “riverfire”. Also, the festival makes the visitors aware of the present condition of the river health. In the year 2007, the River Festival will be held from 31 st august to the 9 th of September. Traveling on the Brisbane River : Several companies offer cruises on the Brisbane River. For regular and necessary traveling, you may use the City Cat ferry service. For a close exploration of the Brisbane River, avail the excellent cruises. The beauty of the River despite its present degraded health will still succeed in mesmerizing you.
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