Moving to Brisbane

Resources & energy

BHP, Anglo American, Glencore, Santos, Stanwell

Brisbane is the corporate head for Queensland coal, gas and critical minerals. The mines are hundreds of kilometres away; the offices, engineering and trading desks are on Ann and Eagle Streets.

Aviation & defence

Virgin Australia, Boeing Defence Australia, Rheinmetall, Airbus Australia Pacific

Virgin's head office and Boeing's largest operation outside the United States are both here, alongside armoured vehicle manufacturing at Redbank.

Construction & major infrastructure

Cross River Rail, Queen's Wharf, Brisbane 2032 venues, Lendlease, Multiplex

The 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games have locked in a decade-long pipeline of transport and venue work, which is visible in demand for engineers, planners and project managers.

Biotech & medical research

UQ, QIMR Berghofer, Vaxxas, Mater Research, Sanofi

UQ's vaccine and molecular clamp research put Brisbane on the map, and the Herston and Translational Research Institute precincts anchor the clinical side.

Higher education & international students

University of Queensland, QUT, Griffith University, TAFE Queensland

Education is one of the state's largest service exports, and the St Lucia, Gardens Point and Nathan campuses are substantial employers in their own right.

Tourism & events

Queensland Airports, Brisbane Airport Corporation, Star Entertainment, Tourism and Events Queensland

Brisbane functions as the gateway to the Sunshine Coast, the Gold Coast and the Great Barrier Reef, which sustains a large aviation, hospitality and events workforce.

Nature · South Brisbane

A former World Expo site turned riverside park, with a free lagoon beach, a rainforest walk and the state's cultural institutions along one edge.

Local tip: Streets Beach is free, chlorinated, patrolled and open year-round. Go before 9am on a weekend — by 11 in summer it is a wall of people and there is no shade left.

Landmark · Kangaroo Point

Volcanic cliffs above the river with abseiling, climbing routes and the best skyline view in the city, now linked by a green bridge to the CBD.

Local tip: Walk up at dusk on a weeknight rather than sunset on a Saturday. The cliffs face the CBD, so the light hits the buildings, not you, and the riverside path back is lit the whole way.

Neighborhood · Inner south

Boundary Street's Greek, Vietnamese and Middle Eastern strip, a Saturday farmers' market, and Brisbane's most stubbornly independent shopping.

Local tip: The Davies Park market on Saturday morning under the fig trees is the real one — cheaper and better than anything in the CBD. Come by CityCat to West End terminal and walk up.

Nature · Toowong

The forested ridge west of the city with the lookout everyone photographs, plus a large subtropical botanic garden and planetarium at its base.

Local tip: Skip the lookout car park and walk the Simpson Falls or Kokoda track from the gardens instead. Same ridge, no tour buses, and you finish at a café rather than a souvenir shop.

Nightlife · Inner north

Brisbane's designated entertainment precinct — live music rooms, Chinatown, and the small-bar laneways around Winn Lane and Bakery Lane.

Local tip: The Brunswick Street mall end is the tourist strip. The good live venues sit along Ann Street and in the laneways off Wickham — The Zoo, The Triffid and the Fortitude Music Hall are the rooms locals actually book.

Food · Southern suburbs

Where Brisbane's produce actually arrives — the Brisbane Markets, the Sunday farmers' market, and a strip of unglamorous but excellent South Asian and Pacific grocers.

Local tip: The Sunday Brisbane Markets farmers' market is the cheapest fresh produce in the city by a wide margin, and almost no visitor ever goes. Bring cash and a cooler bag, and get there before 8am.