The Brown Snake: the Brisbane River over the decades

Queensland University of Technology (QUT) acknowledges the Turrbal and Yugara as the First Nations owners of the lands where QUT now stands. We pay respect to their Elders, lores, customs and creation spirits. We recognise that these lands have always been places of teaching, research and learning. QUT acknowledges the important role Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people play within the QUT community. 

Different sections of the Brisbane River were known by various names within the local Indigenous communities. 
Meanjin: Refers to the area around what is now known as the city of Brisbane. It is the Turrbal word for the area and has cultural significance.
Maiwar: Another name for the Brisbane River, used by the Yugera people, who also had a presence in the region.
Toowong: this name was used for a section of the river, which may have been associated with the Indigenous communities living there.

From water for drinking and bathing and food supply for the early convicts and settlers to bustling water transport the Brisbane River has always been a focal point of the city, although through the many floods it has also brought regular devastation to homes, businesses and other construction such as bridges.

Over time, as European settlers arrived, they brought their own names and divisions for different sections of the river. This included the creation of "reaches," which are stretches of the river with specific names. One of these reaches is Town Reach.
This section of the river runs through the city center, historically significant for early settlement.   From the main port of Brisbane to one of the main restaurant and leisure sites along the Brisbane River Town Reach has changed a lot.

Although cross river ferries, larger sail and steam boats and public transport via trams, trains and buses were more common in the 19th and 20th century with the proliferation of cars there has been an increase in bridges and replacements to bridges across the Brisbane River. The following images are some but not all bridges and the list of pedestrian, rail and vehicular bridges are growing all the time.