ATTRACTIONS SOUTH BRISBANE QLD

Join us at the theatre in 2009 and celebrate the joy of facing life in all its wondrous extremes through great entertainment. Our season of nine plays, from the latest Australian and international works to grand theatre classics, provides blazingly honest and beautifully intense observations on the way we live.

And excitingly, you’ll see a whole lot more actors than usual in our 2009 season – with some big cast shows starring some of the best performers in the country on stage in Brisbane.

Welcome to 2009 – a season of truth, beauty and courage.

The area now known as Musgrave Park was, and continues to be, a meeting place for a number of Indigenous groups of South-East Queensland, offering a neutral site for holding feasts, ceremonies and the resolution of disputes. The Cultural Centre provides a focal point for Aboriginal community and for the preservation, promotion and presentation of Aboriginal culture and heritage.

While Centre development is being undertaken, Musgrave Park Cultural Centre operates from the Jagera Arts Centre.

Looking for a river cruise experience that is uniquely Australian? We offer the most relaxed, interesting and enjoyable way to the largest Koala Sanctuary in the world!

Aquativity is a fun, interactive water-play park right in the heart of Brisbane's South Bank. It is especially designed to encourage families and children to come together and enjoy the outdoors. It celebrates Brisbane's close relationship with the Brisbane River.

Aquativity features educational play elements referencing the river, and helps create an early understanding of the water cycle and its preservation.

Aquativity also highlights the native fish and mammal species of mullet and dugong, the interesting pattern of the river catchments and the importance of indigenous, environmental and urban elements of relationships to the river.

From its people to its natural environment, Queensland Museum explores the cultural, geological and biological history of the state and holds in trust a collection of natural and cultural specimens and objects that tell our unique story. The Museum also welcomes stories from the rest of Australia and around the world, bringing to Queensland incredible experiences covering a diverse range of subjects including ancient Egypt, Brisbane fashion in the 1960s and the fight for Indigenous civil rights from 1920 - 1970. The Museum building also houses the Sciencentre, which provides hands-on, interactive experiences for people of all ages. The Sciencentre encourages a fun approach to science and enhances our understanding of the world around us by educating through experience. Queensland Museum and Sciencentre are within walking distance of Brisbane's Central Business District, and are part of the Cultural Centre that embraces the Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art, the Queensland Performing Arts Centre and State Library of Queensland. This precinct sits alongside South Bank, a vibrant mix of parkland, recreational and commercial space on the Brisbane River.

The Tony Gould Gallery offers an insight into Brisbane's theatrical history, providing entertaining, theatrically-designed exhibitions curated by the Queensland Performing Arts Centre Museum. The Gallery is located at the Performing Arts Centre, (access via the Cremorne Theatre entrance) within easy walking distance to Queensland Art Gallery and Museum, State Library of Queensland and South Bank Parklands. Backstage and special interest tours are available by prior arrangement for interested groups.

A sandstone bridge abutment adjacent to Victoria Bridge in the South Bank Precinct became a WWI memorial because of a 1918 home-coming tragedy. Greek Australian 11-year-old Hector Vasyli was in the crowd cheering returning soldiers when he was struck and killed by a car in the parade. A marble memorial tablet was unveiled on 8 December 1918. It featured a bronze relief portrait of Hector, by sculptor Daphne Mayo. When a decision was made to build a new bridge, it was decided to retain one abutment on the south side of the 1897 structure-the only bridge at that point able to withstand Brisbane River in flood. Leaving the neoclassical-styled remnant also fulfilled the Brisbane Greek community's wish to maintain the memorial plaque for Hector. During the 1969 demolition, the marble tablet was held by the Greek community. The bronze portrait was lost and replaced. The memorial was reinstated prior to ANZAC Day 1971. A memorial service is held at this site on ANZAC Day.

The Queensland Maritime Museum was established in 1971 and is a fantastic visitor experience. The museum features the historic warship Diamantina, the 1925 steam tug Forceful, the heritage listed South Brisbane Dry Dock, and a large collection of exhibits such as Jessica's Pink Lady. Visitors can board the Diamantina at her berth in the dry dock and access throughout the vessel is visitor friendly. She is especially popular with younger visitors. The Diamantina has been restored to her 1945 condition and she is the only one of her kind left in the world. Completed in 1881 the South Brisbane Dry Dock housing the Diamantina and a lightship is the centrepiece of the Museum. Visitors can gain easy access to the dry dock and marvel at its construction and the large warship above them. Lighthouses are popular exhibits and the Museum has a very special presentation of lighthouse technology. Their volunteer workforce are only too pleased to welcome visitors.

Queensland's premier visual arts institution, the Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA), connects people and art through a dynamic program of Australian and international exhibitions that showcase works from a diverse range of historical and contemporary artists. Enriching the cultural life of Brisbane, these two vibrant and accessible galleries, the Queensland Art Gallery (QAG) and the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA), offer distinct, yet complementary experiences. QAGOMA's highly acclaimed Children's Art Centre presents engaging and interactive exhibitions and events for visitors of all ages and the cinemas at GOMA features films by influential and popular film makers and artists. The Gallery's cafes and restaurant have options to suit every visit - from breakfast by the river to elegant contemporary dining. The QAGOMA Store features a broad selection of books on art and design, including QAGOMA publications; jewellery, design objects and art merchandise.

Energex Playasaurus Place is a fun hands-on space to explore energy in your world. We use energy to move, to work and to play. We plug in appliances at home and eat food to get energy for our bodies. We even talk about energy; how to reduce how much we use and how to make energy cost less. T-rex and Triceratops will start your adventure, as they welcome you to Energex Playasaurus Place. Step back in time to discover how dinosaurs lived and moved and find out what these huge dinosaurs ate to get energy for their bodies. T-rex's teeth will give you a clue! From the past to the present, put yourself in the energy picture. Choose food for energy and explore how simple home appliances are energy hungry. Make choices to balance your home energy and challenge your friends on the energy bikes. Under the hungry eyes of T-rex, think about the future and commit at the Energy Action Wall to make choices to live more sustainably. Discover the all new Energex Playasaurus Place.

The Wheel of Brisbane offers a spectacular 360 degree panoramic view of Brisbane City from the heart of Brisbane's cultural, lifestyle and entertainment precinct, The Parklands, South Bank. Unrivalled for its view, a ride on the Wheel of Brisbane is an uplifting experience that will take you almost 60 metres above the ground in the safety and comfort of a fully enclosed air conditioned gondola. You will be inspired with the breathtaking views across the iconic Brisbane River. This must see attraction provides something for everyone, young or old, tourist or local and is a "must do" for anyone in Brisbane. The wheel experience includes four full revolutions and lasts approximately 12 minutes. It also includes a magical stop right at the top, and comes complete with an audio tour pointing out popular Brisbane landmarks. This audio tour is not only a fantastic educational experience, but also an invaluable orientation tool. Make sure you check out your photo memories when exiting the Wheel, for something to take home with you! Enjoy the view, and explore the Brisbane area from one of the best vantage points in the city.