Headline Stories

Green and gold welcome for Olympic athletes

The CBD was transformed into a sea of green and gold as fans lined the streets to catch a glimpse of Australia’s Olympic athletes after their return from London. Crowds in their thousands filled Queen Street Mall at midday on Friday to see about 80 athletes for the official Brisbane welcome home parade. Excited Olympians […]


Angry fire fighters and ambos march on Parliament

Boots were thrown at Parliament House during a lunchtime demonstration on Tuesday by hundreds of fire fighters and ambulance officers protesting against altered work conditions. Frontline emergency workers challenged Premier Campbell Newman to walk in their boots before his government implemented any changes. The protesters gathered at Southbank before heading to Parliament House to protest […]


Prado masterpieces bring the heart of Spain to Brisbane

The masterpieces of Prado take their audience on a journey of religion, mythology and sainthood in the Queensland Art Gallery exhibition “Portrait of Spain”. As you step into the largest most significant international loan undertaken by Madrid’s museum, Museo Nacional del Prado, you feel as though you are stepping through the corridors of Madrid. Dr […]


Ministers grilled on disaster aid

Disaster relief and toxic waste were among issues fielded by Australian ministers at yesterday’s community cabinet meeting in Ipswich. Prime Minister Julia Gillard said the establishment of a natural disaster fund was debated at the time of the Queensland floods -“in economic terms, the most costly natural disaster we had ever seen”. At the time, […]


Endeavour sails rough seas for historic Transit viewing

In a tribute to Captain Cook’s famous 18th century voyage to observe the Transit of Venus, the Endeavour replica sailed to Lord Howe Island in rough seas for the 2012 transit. The expedition by the national maritime museum and Sydney Observatory commemorated transit observations by the NSW government at Lord Howe in 1882 as well […]


A date with history as Venus transits the sun

It’s a date! On Wednesday 6 June 2012, the silhouette of Venus will transit across the sun for the last time this century. School children around Australia will be citizen scientists for a day as they repeat the same scientific experiment conducted by Captain Cook and astronomer Charles Green that led to the discovery of […]


Indigenous soldiers ‘created first steps to reconciliation’

Indigenous men who served in the First World War alongside white comrades created the stepping-stones to reconciliation, an Aboriginal war veteran said today. Speaking at the Indigenous Veterans Ceremony at the Shine of Remembrance in Brisbane, George Bostock said World War I was a special chapter in history for indigenous and non-indigenous relations and should […]


1400 pairs of shoes tell the sorrow of lives lost on the roads

In a stark reminder of the lives lost on Australian roads each year, more than 1400 pairs of shoes lined Brisbane Square today for Fatality Free Friday. Superintendent Andy Morrow of the State Traffic Safety Branch told Newsbytes younger drivers were disproportionately represented in road toll figures. He said the most critical factor of fatal […]


Tent embassy protesters surround police watchhouse

Sovereign tent embassy protesters brought CBD traffic to a standstill today when they marched from Parliament to Roma Street watchhouse after their eviction from Musgrave Park. The Aboriginal elders and supporters took over the streets, causing chaos to lunchtime traffic. Around 200 people walked the route yelling slogans and waving signs. “One two three, sovereignty, […]


Anger as Queensland Rail pulls the plug on water fountains

Commuters in need of water are being forced to go thirsty following the removal of water fountains across the Queensland Rail network. Bubblers that were standard at stations are being quietly dismantled with no consultation with rail users. Thirsty travellers and an advocacy group have blasted the secret policy. Catherine Stokes (pictured left), a commuter […]


Union movement celebrates as Labor apologises

The Labor Party used today’s Labor Day march in Brisbane to apologise for the defeated state government’s privatisation policies. Queensland opposition leader Anastacia Palasczuk told marchers she would return the party to its traditional values. Ms Palasczuk apologized for privatisation under the Labor Government and promised she would “bring back the old values”. She received […]


Vietnamese community remembers 1975

The Brisbane Vietnamese community and their Australian allies marked “the day of mourning” – the anniversary of the fall of Saigon which ended the Vietnamese war on 30th April, 1975. Before the twilight service in Anzac Square yesterday, a grieving man thumped the memorial wall of pictures depicting stages of the Vietnam War, while another, […]


Sea of red as thousands rally for the disabled

Rallies were held around the country today to raise awareness of the financial difficulties facing people with disabilities and their carers and to promote the National Disability Insurance Scheme. About a thousand people including many with disabilities, Paralympians, carers and representatives of various disability groups including Endeavour, Cerebal Palsy League and Spinal Injuries Association of […]


Brisbane candidates battle for keys to City Hall

Three of Brisbane’s five Lord Mayoral candidates faced off in a live forum and debate at the ABC Brisbane studios yesterday. Independent candidate Chris Carlton arrived late and Australian Sex Party Rory Killen failed to show. Pictured left to right: Andrew Bartlett (Greens), Ray Smith (Labor), Graham Quirk (LNP). ABC drive presenter Tim Cox questioned […]


Tens of thousands cheer city Anzac Day parade

Tens of thousands of people lined the streets of Brisbane to view the 2012 Anzac Day parade and applaud the marching veterans. Along every street of the parade all vantage points were taken. In places people were packed six-deep and bus seats turned into sought-after high ground for photographers. “Every year you see a thickening […]


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