Brisbane Any Day: City of Public Art and Koalas

Have you ever wondered why there are so many public art installations in Brisbane?

That was the first question I had while walking in the downtown. Statues stand on the ground and some art even float in the sky in a form of wire. Or sometimes it’s hanging from the ceiling of a building, or covering a sky rise like a jacket. Art is in Brisbane’s day to day life. How exquisite is this?

The Art Built-in policy came into effect in July 1999. The basis of the Art Built-in program was allocated funding of 2% for public art within all Queensland State Government capital works building budgets over A$250,000. The Government required that this 2% should be allocated to integrated art and design. Thanks to the Art Built-in policy, Brisbane became one of the most interesting city for public arts with its variety of ideas.

Not just because of the public art, but for some unexplainable reason I felt home in Brisbane instantly. Maybe because of the freshness after spending several months in a small city in Borneo. Maybe because I enjoyed the cool autumn temperature. Or because of the river and laid-back and active lifestyle of locals. Whatever the reason was, I knew I would come back here sometime soon.

I started exploring Brisbane by visiting the Koalas at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. What a perfect introduction. I was jetlaged and tired from a red eye flight, but koala can cure everything. A true story. For next two days, I explored major sites of the city, including climbing up to the top of Story Bridge. It was a very liberating experience. One afternoon, I walked around the town with a nice people of Brisbane Greeters. It’s a free service open to everyone – locals, students, or visitors. Brisbane Greeters are locals who love living in Brisbane so much that they are enthusiastic about introducing you to their city, and sharing their intimate knowledge. If you see people wearing bright red t-shirt and hat, you know they are the Greeters. I spent an afternoon with a lovely lady named Vivian, and she showed me some of the most amazing places in Brisbane, including museums. We both were lovers of museums and aboriginal arts.

It was a short two-day visit, but Brisbane easily became one of my favorite cities. I think you will love it too. Here are some photos from my time in this exquisite city.