About Queensland

 

Australia is a diverse and prosperous economy. The political, social, religious and economic landscape is multi-faceted and stable. The economy has benefited from the current mining boom as well our rich cultural heritage which sees millions of tourists arrive each year.

With an area of 1,727,000 square kilometres, Queensland is the second largest state in Australia.
  • Queensland has 5 of Australia's 11 World Natural Heritage areas. These include the Scenic Rim National Parks, Fraser Island, Riversleigh Fossil Fields, the Wet Tropics (including Daintree National Park), and 1 of the Wonders of the World—the Great Barrier Reef.
  • About 1/3 of Queenslanders are migrants or the children of migrants. Most settlers in Queensland during the 19th century were from Britain and Europe. In recent years there has been an increasing number of new settlers from South-East Asia.
  • Queensland is home to more than 4 million people.
  • The average maximum and minimum temperatures for Brisbane are 25.3C and 15.7C. Variations in other centres include: Stanthorpe 21.6C and 8.8C, Mount Isa 32.4C and 18.3C, and Cairns 31.8C and 22.7C.
  • The vast majority of Queensland receives an average of between 8 and 9 hours of sunshine every day.
  • Queensland has more than 1000 species of native vertebrates, many of them unique to the region.
  • The Royal Flying Doctor Service started operating on 17 May 1928, when pilot Arthur Affleck flew the first flying doctor, Dr Kenyon St Vincent Welch, on the first official flight from Cloncurry to Julia Creek in response to an emergency call.
  • The international airline Qantas (Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services) was established in Longreach, Queensland, in 1920.
  • 2008 was the 20th anniversary of World Expo 88—a landmark event in the history of Brisbane that launched an exciting period of growth and development.
  • There are over 200 national parks in Queensland, covering 6.5 million hectares.
  • Four Queenslanders have been Prime Minister of Australia—Andrew Fisher (3 times: 1908–1909, 1910–1913 and 1914–1915), Arthur Fadden (1941), Francis Forde (1945) and Kevin Rudd (2007–2010).
  • Free education was implemented in Queensland in 1870.
  • The first Queensland railway opened in July 1865, from Ipswich to Grandchester.
  • XXXX beer is one of Queensland's well-known products and was established back in 1877.
  • On 18 May 1907, women voted for the first time in a Queensland state election.
  • Brisbane-born pioneer aviator Charles Kingsford Smith and his colleagues completed the first air crossing of the Pacific, from San Francisco to Brisbane, in 1928.
  • Queensland has the only State Parliament in Australia with 1 House, the Legislative Assembly. The Legislative Council (Upper House) was abolished in 1922.