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Brisbane (Australia)
Brisbane is Australia"s third largest city and the state capital of
Queensland(昆士兰州). Not so long ago, the rest of Australia considered it little
more than an overgrown country town, but it has shirked off this unwelcome
reputation to become one of the country"s most progressive centres. Since
playing host to a string of major international events in the "80s, including
the 1982 Commonwealth Games(英联邦运动会)and Expo "88(1988 年世界博览会), Brisbane has
developed into a lively, cosmopolitan city with several interesting districts, a
good street cafe scene, a great riverside park, a busy cultural calendar and
decent nightlife.
Queensland"s growing tourism industry has brought an influx of visitors to
the capital, and with its near-perfect climate year-round, Brisbane comes as a
pleasant surprise to most visitors. The city is also surrounded by some of the
state"s major tourist destinations, and there are plenty of options for
daytrips.
Located in the southeastern corner of Queensland, Brisbane is a river city,
situated 25km upstream from the mouth of the Brisbane River. The compact city
centre is built along and between the looping(多圈的)meanders(曲流)of the river,
making it easy to explore on foot.
Brisbane has plenty of backpackers" (背包客)hostels and there are also quite a
few well-priced hotels, motels and self-contained apartments within a few blocks
of the city centre. Most of the action, however, happens in the inner suburbs.
Brisbane"s restaurant and cafe scene has blossomed in recent years and you"ll
find there"s no shortage of good eateries(餐馆). Many of these places have taken
advantage of the balmy climate and provide outdoor eating areas.
Brisbane was established when Sydney and the colony of New South Wales
needed a better place to store its more recalcitrant "cons"(反抗者). The tropical
country further north seemed a good place to put them and in 1824 a penal
settlement was established at Redcliffe Point(红岩石岬)on Moreton Bay(摩顿海湾). This
location was soon abandoned in favour of the riverside site to the south where
Brisbane"s business district now stands. The penal settlement was abandoned in
1839 and the area was thrown open to free settlers in 1842. As Queensland"s huge
agricultural and mineral resources were developed, Brisbane grew into a
prosperous city, and in 1859 the state of Queensland separated from the colony
of New South Wales, and Brisbane was declared its capital.
Queensland"s early white settlers indulged in one of the greatest land
grabs of all time and encountered fierce Aboriginal opposition. At the time of
white settlement, Queensland was the most densely populated area of Australia,
supporting over 100,000 Aboriginal people in around 200 tribal groups - it is
probable that Aboriginal people had been in the country for at least 50,000
years before the arrival of Europeans. For much of the 19th century, what
amounted to a guerrilla war took place along the frontiers of the white advance.
By the turn of the century, the Aboriginal people of Queensland had been
comprehensively run off their lands, and the white authorities had set up
reserves for the survivors. In the 1980s control of the reserves was handed over
to the residents, subject to rights of access for prospecting(探矿), exploration
or mining.
By the 1860s Brisbane had shed(摆脱)its convict background and developed into
a handsome provincial centre, although it wasn"t until the 1880s that the
central business district was transformed by the construction of many fine
public and commercial buildings. Despite a country-wide climate of jingoism and
giving it all for the motherland, WWI saw Queensland vote in an
anti-conscription Labor government. Labor hung on to government until 1957,
introducing a series of social and industrial reforms including compulsory
voting and workers" compensation.
During WWII, large areas of the state were transformed into military camps,
with thousands of Americans being garrisoned(驻守)throughout Queensland as
Australia and the USA fought against Japan throughout the Pacific. The war
resulted in Australia shifting its allegiance from the UK to the USA, as the
north of the country, in particular, realised how vulnerable it was to invasion.
In the post-war years Queensland shifted from a rural to an industrial economy
and Labor was replaced by a conservative Liberal-Country Party coalition.
Brisbane"s more recent history is dominated by the right-wing Joh
Bjelke-Peterson regime which lasted from the early 1970s to the late 1980s,
thanks to a bit of sleight-of-hand with electoral boundaries. Queensland
suffered a government which was at odds with(和…… 不一致)the rest of the country in
matters such as human rights, rainforest conservation, Aboriginal land rights
and even the availability of condoms. Corruption was rife and since the defeat
of the National Party in 1989, it seems everyone from the former Commissioner of
Police to Joh himself has appeared in court on charges relating to some sort of
shady deal.
Brisbane"s rapid economic growth, its favourable climate and Joh"s 1977
decision to abolish death duties have all attracted a massive wave of internal
migration. Since 1980 over half a million Australians from other states have
packed up and moved to Queensland. |
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发表于 2016-7-9 23:19:37