78 Facts About Queensland That Will Leave You In Awe Of The State

Whether you go there to see the Great Barrier Reef or the Scenic Rim National Parks, Queensland will show you a great time!

Eastern and Northern Queensland are bounded by the Coral Sea. Additionally, it shares borders with New South Wales in the south, with South Australia in the south-west, and with the Northern Territory to the west.

This state is not only the largest in Eastern Australia and a great spot for spending a vacation, but also has a rich cultural heritage as well as history. Previously a colonized land, Queensland is loved by all people who have been fortunate enough to spend some time there.

You may know that the state was named after Queen Victoria, but did you know that the idea of naming it Cooksland after James Cook was also suggested? Keep reading for more facts about Queensland!

Queensland Facts For Kids

Queensland, the second-largest state in Australia and undeniably one of the best places for you to spend a vacation, is located in the northeastern part of the country.

There are many facts about Queensland that should make you want to go there for a vacation, including the perpetually sunny and beautiful climate, as well as the hospitable and friendly people.

The capital city of the state is Brisbane, and it is a large metropolitan city.

Although, one of the rather surprising facts about Brisbane is that in spite of the spectacular standards of living and the many amenities and facilities that come with such a large metropolitan city, only about one-third of the population of Queensland lives in this city.

The things that make this state special are the large area, which also allows for a wide array of landscapes to be present. There are beaches, plains, mountain chains, and many other scenic beauties for you to indulge in and have a great time with family and friends.

If you are looking for fascinating facts about Queensland, we must note that it is so huge that it can measure up to seven times the size of Great Britain and around five times the size of Japan.

Needless to say, the size is a huge factor when it comes to the climate and the plains that we see in this beautiful state.

Queensland is popularly known as the Sunshine State for obvious reasons. This state gets over 200 days of sunshine in a year, which, as you can tell, is great if you have been wanting to escape the gloomy winter days.

It might also be an interesting experience to be in Queensland for Christmas and celebrate the holiday season in summers for once!

As is the case with any other part of the world that has previously been colonized, many features of the Sunshine State have to do with the colonizers and their terminology. In fact, Queensland came to be known as a separate state much later.

The separation of the state took place in the year 1901, while the state was declared as a self-governing colony on June 6, 1859. This day is still celebrated as Queensland Day in the state.

Queensland's economy is known to have been on a rise since 1867 when James Nash discovered gold near a town named Gympie. There was a gold rush at the time.

In present times, the economy of the state is based purely on resources. The lush plains and varied climatic conditions throughout the stretch of the state allow the cultivation of many types of agricultural produce.

The Queensland government celebrates the establishment of the state as an independent colony and state. Although, it has only been a little over 150 years since that happened. Before Europeans settled in the state, Australian aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders were the protectors of the land. It is believed that they inhabited the land for more than 40,000 years.

To have one World Heritage-listed site in the state is great in itself but the Sunshine State has five! There are a total of 19 World Heritage-listed sites in Australia.

Clearly, Australians have a lot to be proud of Queensland for! The sites are the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia (that includes the Scenic Rim National Parks), Riversleigh Fossil Fields, the Wet Tropics, Fraser Island, and the Great Barrier Reef.

Fraser Island is the world's largest sand island. The Daintree National Park is one of the World Heritage sites in the state and is included in the wet tropics.

Weather In Queensland

On average, the climate in the state of Queensland can be said to be tropical in nature.

North Queensland has a tropical monsoon kind of climate. The precipitation in these areas is very high, which is substantiated by the fact that Mount Bellenden Ker, which is in North Queensland, receives the most annual rainfall in the whole of Australia.

Northern Queensland receives such huge amounts of rain due to the southwest winds that blow through the region. These areas have hot and humid summers and the winters are short and mild or warm in terms of temperature. Snowfall is particularly rare in Queensland.

Southeast Queensland is the urban region of the state, with the capital city of Brisbane located within it. Popular tourist destinations such as Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast are also located in the elevated south-eastern areas. The weather conditions are somewhat similar in these areas, although the precipitation is lesser.

Famous Celebrities From Queensland

Many celebrities and notable figures hail from Queensland. One of them is Stephanie Rice. She is a competitive swimmer who won three gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics! She was even awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in the year 2009, however, she retired shortly afterward.

Kristy Hinze's is another popular face that you may have seen on television. She is a model and a celebrity host for multiple shows. Celebrity environmentalist Mimi Macpherson also hails from the Sunshine State.

History Of Queensland State

It is believed that during the Ice Age, the land was arid and largely uninhabitable. However, the warming of the area brought large amounts of rainfall along the eastern coast, which helped in the growth of the state's rainforests. Understandably, the rainforests have shrunk since then but still add to the charm of the land nonetheless.

Queensland was discovered by the Europeans in the 1600s. Although, this was not when we should start thinking of the state as colonial Queensland.

Dutch explorers stumbled upon the Gulf of Carpentaria and the Cape York Peninsula and did not colonize the land. It was James Cook who made his entry on the eastern coast of Queensland in the year 1770 and started the colonization process. Brisbane was the location for the establishment of a penal settlement in the year 1825.

One of the little-known facts is that before 1859, Queensland was a part of New South Wales along with other independent states that we see in Australia today.

The Pacific Island Labourers Act, passed in 1901, was the reason why the state saw a very rapid decrease in the Pacific Islander population.

The Queensland Rail and Pacific National may serve to be your best options for commuting. The Gold Coast Airport is also very accessible in case you just want to visit Queensland and not explore the rest of Australia.

In the first Queensland election, Robert Herbert was appointed as the first Premier of the state of Queensland.

The Queensland government is a representative democracy.

Queensland is an expansive state with a total area of 715,309 sq mi (1,852,642 sq km ). One prominent aspect of Queensland's coastline is the Great Barrier Reef, which is located in the Coral Sea. The Great Barrier Reef is the largest living thing on Earth and Queenslanders can proudly say that they live near it!