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Published: August 6th 2007
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Secluded lagoon?
no - rocky part of Steets Beach Southbank
Random thoughts from many trips to Southbank
What to do when your 3 year old wakes up at 6:30am and asks "when are we going swimming mummy?" You head to Southbank of course.
Did someone say "A beach in the city?" Yes... Brisbane is lucky enough to have a man made beach near the Centre of Brisbane and our family loves it!! So being within walking distance we head off and are at the beach bright and early before it gets hot.
I find the beginning of the week is less busy then the end of the week. You can almost have the place to yourself. But being summer there are plenty of people trying to get their swim in before it heats up too much.
Southbank is also popular with tourist groups. I find this very interesting as our family is often photographed by Asian tourists. I have absolutely no problem with this but due to their lack of english skills and my complete lack of any asian language skills .. basically a lot of smiling takes place and many "Thank you's" from them and "Enjoy Brisbane" from
juxtaposition
artwork, citycat, bridge me.
On Travelblog we see many photos of children from say Africa or Asia taken by travellers.
....I wonder if there are similar travelsites in these contries that feature caucasian children as my children must be in atleast 200 peoples photo albums. One time I was the centre of much delight while changing my chubby baby into her swimmers and had our photo snapped atleast 20 times.. I can only laugh and be glad that I will never see those most unflattering photos of me in my swimming costume.
This week the girls went to the Movies at southbank. A family friend offered to take them for a girls day out (and a rest for mummy!) After the movies they caught one of the River Lizards that was trying to run into the cinema. I arrived to pick them up in the car and they are holding a baby lizard!! We couldn't leave it on the road so they bought it in the car!! I said "hold on tight to it" I was so scared they would let it go and it would jump on me while I was driving and we would crash or something!! We
Hidden City
view of the city during our walk (trek) to Southbank let the lizard go so hopefully it is in a happy place somewhere!
Some history on Southbank for those who are interested.
South Bank was originally a meeting place for the traditional landowners, the Turrbal and Yuggera people. In the early 1840s it became the central focus point of early European settlement. Achieving numerous milestones throughout its history, the South Bank Precinct is now the centrepiece of Brisbane's cultural, educational, retail, leisure and entertainment landscape.
From 1850, the South Bank Precinct quickly established itself as the business heart of Brisbane, the fledgling city. However, this all changed in 1893, when floods forced the central business district to move to higher ground on the north side of the river. What followed for the precinct was a near-century of ebb and flow, which saw it establish itself as a bustling port and industrial zone that by the 1930s buzzed with markets, wharves, dance halls and theatres.
Following World War II, South Bank went into decline and not even the decision in 1977 by the Queensland Government to establish a world class architecturally impressive Performing Arts Centre, on the riverfront alongside Victoria Bridge, was able to drag the
Pelicans in the City
Scrap Sculpture in the Brisbane River created by Christopher Trotter. The girls love the pelicans and we stop to look at them every time area out of the quagmire it had become.
The staging of World Expo 88 was to prove an inspired one and the prime catalyst for the resurrection of South Bank and the emergence of Brisbane as a vibrant, major city. In 1988 the eyes of the world were focused on South Bank when it became the site for the hugely successful Brisbane World Exposition showcasing an almost continuous programme of entertainment and events that sparked new life into the city and the South Bank Precinct. By the time it all came to a close in October of that year, more than 18 million people had experienced Expo 88 on the South Bank.
Following Expo 88 the Government's intention was to sell the site for development by commercial interests. However, South Bank had become so popular that a public campaign successfully lobbied for the site to be developed as parkland for the enjoyment of the people of Brisbane.
In 1989, South Bank Corporation, a Queensland Government statutory body was established to oversee the development and management of a new South Bank.
The South Bank Parklands opened in 1992 and consisted of a unique man-made beach and
lagoon,
Arbour
Architectural Pathway that weaves through Southbank for 1km covered with Bougainvillea rainforest and garden walks, more than 20 restaurants and cafes, free picnic and barbecue areas and some paid tourist attractions.
More than 6.3 million people visited the Parklands in the first year, double the initial projections.
Over the next three years the South Bank Precinct and surrounding areas underwent ongoing urban renewal. Construction commenced and was completed on Rydges South Bank Hotel, Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University, Park Avenue residential apartments and the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre.
And now we have the Southbank we enjoy today!
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