Flowing through the heart of Brisbane, the river has been admired and used in many different ways.

The river is believed to have been carved out by Moodagurra, or Rainbow Serpent, in many Yuggarrapul, Turrabul and Yaggera Dreaming stories.

The river is witness to ancient tales and testament to the lores of Aboriginal Ancestors and descendant clan groups. It was once a much clearer green, with visibility reportedly up to three metres deep. Dredging and industry have altered the water colour to the opaque brown we now know, but some scientists are hopeful it could return to its earlier clarity with enough care and rehabilitation.

Through artworks that depict the river, we can see how its role has changed over time. For much of Brisbane’s development, the river’s primary function was for industry. From the 1870s, Brisbane was a maritime city with wharves dotted along the riverfront, particularly around Kangaroo Point, South Brisbane, and Petrie Bight, until most of that industry relocated to the Port of Brisbane in the 1960s. Many of us now associate the river with leisure and dining. This shift in attitude was partly due to World Expo 88, which encouraged Brisbane residents to relax in the centre of the city instead of the outskirts, transforming how they viewed and used urban spaces. Architecture such as Harry Seidler’s Riverside Centre also transformed previous dock sites into publicly accessible spaces facing the river. Today the river is lined with bars and restaurants. Leisurely kayakers and party boats cruise its length, while the CityCat and smaller KittyCat ferries that travel up and down are an iconic form of public transport.

Howard Smith Wharves, visible in Roy Paget’s painting Kangaroo Point and the Story Bridge, exemplify how the river’s function has changed over time. The site was used as a place to corral kangaroos during hunting drives, and occasionally as a corroboree ground and pullen pullen (fighting ground) by local Aboriginal people. The wharves were built during the 1930s and in 1941 five air raid shelters were constructed on the site, responding to the perceived threat of invasion during the Second World War. The wharves then lay dormant from the 1960s until 2018, when the original wharf buildings were transformed into a bustling dining and events precinct.

As well as being dependent on the river for industry and leisure, Brisbane has also been subject to its many floods. The major recorded flooding events since settlement have been in 1890, 1893, 1974, 2011 and 2022 with devastating effects. Judy Watson’s painting water dragon (2011) and William Torrance’s drawings Brisbane Floods 1974 (c1974) show different viewpoints of the devastating impact of these events.