History of Queensland in Timeline

Queensland, located in northeastern Australia, is the second-largest and third-most populous state. Bordered by several territories and the Coral Sea/Pacific Ocean, its northern edge is separated from Papua New Guinea by the Torres Strait. Queensland's diverse geography includes rainforests, coral reefs, mountain ranges, sandy beaches, deserts, and savanna due to its significant size (1,723,030 sq km). This makes it the world's sixth-largest subdivision of any country.

January 1901: Federation of Australia

On January 1901, Queensland became one of the six founding states of Australia with Federation.

January 1901: Queensland Becomes a Federated State

Since 1 January 1901, Queensland has been a federated state subject to the Australian Constitution.

1901: Implementation of the White Australia policy

Following Federation, in 1901, the White Australia policy was implemented, leading to the deportation of many foreign workers, including Pacific Islanders, under the Pacific Island Labourers Act 1901.

1901: Mention of Bladensburg massacre

In 1901, the Skull Hole, Bladensburg, or Mistake Creek massacre on Bladensburg Station near Winton was said to have taken up to 200 Aboriginal lives.

1905: Women Gain Voting Rights

In 1905, women in Queensland voted in state elections for the first time.

1908: End of Blackbirding

In 1908, the trade known as blackbirding, which involved the forced or coerced indenture of South Sea Islanders on Australian plantations, came to an end after operating since 1863.

1909: Establishment of the University of Queensland

In 1909, the University of Queensland, the state's oldest university, was established.

1911: Pioneering of Polio Treatments

In 1911, alternative treatments for polio were pioneered in Queensland.

1920: Founding of Qantas

In 1920, Qantas (Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services), Australia's first major airline, was founded in Winton to serve outback Queensland.

1922: Abolishment of Legislative Council

In 1922 the Queensland Parliament became unicameral due to abolishment of the Legislative Council.

1922: Abolition of Queensland Legislative Council

In 1922, Queensland abolished the Queensland Legislative Council, becoming the only Australian state with a unicameral parliament.

1935: Introduction of cane toads

In 1935, cane toads were deliberately introduced to Queensland from Hawaii to reduce the number of French's cane and greyback cane beetles destroying sugar cane plants.

1942: The Battle of Brisbane

In 1942, during World War II, Brisbane was the site of the "Battle of Brisbane", a violent clash between US military personnel and Australian servicemen and civilians.

August 1944: MacArthur's Headquarters Moved

In August 1944, General Douglas MacArthur's headquarters for the South West Pacific were moved from Brisbane to Hollandia during World War II.

1956: Melbourne Olympics

In 1956, Melbourne hosted the Olympic Games. This is mentioned in comparison to the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.

1959: Cooktown orchid named floral emblem

In 1959, the Cooktown orchid became known as Queensland's floral emblem during celebrations to mark the state's centenary.

June 1961: Lowest Minimum Temperature Recorded

On 23 June 1961, the lowest recorded minimum temperature in Queensland was −10.6 °C at Stanthorpe.

1962: First Commercial Oil Production

In 1962, the first commercial production of oil in Queensland and Australia began at Moonie.

July 1965: Lowest Minimum Temperature Recorded

On 12 July 1965, the lowest recorded minimum temperature in Queensland was −10.6 °C at The Hermitage (near Warwick).

1966: Lyndon B. Johnson's Visit

In 1966, Lyndon B. Johnson became the first U.S. president to visit Queensland, meeting with Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt.

1971: Koala named faunal emblem

In 1971, the koala was officially named the animal or faunal emblem of Queensland.

December 1972: Highest Maximum Temperature Recorded

On 24 December 1972, the highest official maximum temperature recorded in Queensland was 49.5 °C at Birdsville Police Station.

1973: End of White Australia Policy

In 1973, the White Australia policy ended, initiating a wave of immigration from around the world, prominently from Asia.

1977: Supporting animals granted to Coat of Arms

In 1977, Queen Elizabeth II granted the supporting animals, the brolga and the red deer, to the Queensland Coat of Arms.

1979: Gold Coast Marathon

Since 1979, the Gold Coast Marathon athletics event has been a recurring major sporting event hosted in Queensland.

1981: Great Barrier Reef Declared UNESCO World Heritage Site

In 1981, the Great Barrier Reef off Queensland's northeast coast was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

August 1985: Sapphire named state gem

In August 1985, the sapphire was named the official state gem for Queensland.

January 1986: Brolga announced bird emblem

In January 1986, the brolga was announced as the official bird emblem of Queensland.

November 1992: Strongest Tornado Recorded

In November 1992, the strongest tornado ever recorded in Australia occurred in Queensland near Bundaberg.

1994: Gold Coast 600

Since 1994, the Gold Coast 600 motorsport event has been a recurring major sporting event hosted in Queensland.

2000: Sydney Olympics

In 2000, Sydney hosted the Olympic Games. This is mentioned in comparison to the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.

November 2003: Maroon named state colour

In November 2003, maroon was officially named Queensland's state colour.

2003: Maroon Adopted as Official State Colour

In 2003, Queensland officially adopted maroon as the state's colour due to its informal tradition in sporting events.

March 2005: Barrier Reef Anemone Fish named aquatic emblem

In March 2005, the Barrier Reef Anemone Fish was officially named as Queensland's aquatic emblem.

2005: Emblems of Queensland Act

In 2005, the official state emblems of Queensland were prescribed in the Emblems of Queensland Act 2005.

2009: Local Government Act

Local government areas can manage their own affairs under the Local Government Act 2009.

2009: Townsville 400

Since 2009, the Townsville 400 motorsport event has been a recurring major sporting event hosted in Queensland.

2010: Major Floods

In late 2010, Queensland was impacted by major floods causing extensive damage and disruption across the state.

2010: NRL All Stars Game

Since 2010, the NRL All Stars Game rugby league event has been a recurring major sporting event hosted in Queensland.

2011: Queensland Firebirds undefeated season

In 2011, the Queensland Firebirds netball team achieved an undefeated season, culminating in a Grand Final victory.

2011: Deadly and Damaging Floods

In early 2011, Queensland experienced one of the deadliest and most damaging floods in its history.

2011: Major Floods

In early 2011, Queensland was impacted by major floods causing extensive damage and disruption across the state.

2016: Languages Spoken at Home

At the 2016 census, 81.2% of inhabitants spoke only English at home, with the next most common languages being Mandarin (1.5%), Vietnamese (0.6%), Cantonese (0.5%), Spanish (0.4%) and Italian (0.4%).

2016: Religious Affiliations

At the 2016 census, the most commonly cited religious affiliations were 'No religion' (29.2%), Catholicism (21.7%) and Anglicanism (15.3%).

2016: Most Commonly Nominated Ancestries

The 2016 census included the most commonly nominated ancestries.

2016: Overseas Born Inhabitants

The 2016 census showed that 28.9% of Queensland's inhabitants were born overseas.

2018: International Student Enrollment

In 2018, 134,312 international students were enrolled in Queensland, with most concentrated in Brisbane.

2019: Gross State Product

In 2019, Queensland had a gross state product of A$357,044 million, the third-highest in Australia.

2019: Location of ten of Australia's thirty largest cities

In 2019, ten of Australia's thirty largest cities are located in Queensland.

2019: Human Rights Act

The Queensland Human Rights Act 2019 serves as a statutory charter of rights.

March 2020: Social Distancing and Border Closure

From March 2020, Queensland implemented social distancing requirements, including the closure of the state borders, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

April 2020: Decline in COVID-19 Cases

Despite a low number and abrupt decline in COVID-19 cases from April 2020 onward, social distancing requirements were still implemented.

December 2021: Estimated Population

In December 2021, Queensland had an estimated population of 5,265,043, with approximately half living in Brisbane.

2021: Religious Affiliations

According to the 2021 census, 45.7% of the population follows Christianity, and 41.2% identified as having No religion.

2021: Languages Spoken at Home

At the 2021 census, 80.5% of inhabitants spoke only English at home, with the next most common languages being Mandarin (1.6%), Vietnamese (0.6%), Punjabi (0.6%) and Spanish (0.6%).