Our move towards statehood took place in 1851 with a public meeting to consider separating from NSW.
Queen Victoria was approached to consider creating a separate colony based in Moreton Bay. The Queen gave her approval and signed the Letters Patent on 6 June 1859 – the first ever QLD Day. Unsurprisingly, she favoured our current name over lesser suggestions such as Cooksland.
Queensland – the best state in Australia – was born!
Always keen for a community event, the ship Clarence sailed into Brisbane on 10 July – the word Separation painted vibrantly across its hull – to the jubilant sounds of an eager crowd. They welcomed Clarence with a 14-gun salute, a ‘blue light’ display and fireworks.
QLD hasn’t looked back, putting our own stamp on things ever since. That’s why QLD Day is the perfect time to celebrate everything that makes us the best state – from our iconic landscapes, magnificent food, incredible culture, rich heritage, vibrant communities, innovative industries, and all-round legendary people.
Timeline of Queensland’s historic moments
As we near our state’s 167th anniversary on 6 June, let’s recap the major moments that have inspired us, challenged us, taught us, and made us the Queensland we are today.
1859
On 6 June, Queen Victoria signs the Letters Patent, approving Queensland becoming a separate colony to New South Wales, with its own representative government.
On 10 December, Queensland’s first Governor, Sir George Ferguson Bowen, and his wife Lady Diamantina, arrive in Brisbane. The proclamation establishing the Colony of Queensland is read from the balcony of Government House (now the Deanery of St John’s Cathedral).
Photo credit: Queensland State Archives.
Extract of Proclamation to establish Queensland as a separate colony and appoint Sir George Bowen as the first Governor of Queensland, published in the Queensland Government Gazette, 10 December 1859.
1860
Queensland Parliament sits for the first time.
Photo credit: Queensland Parliament.
1864
The first Queensland versus New South Wales cricket match is played.
Photo credit: MCC Collection.
Members of Queensland’s cricket team, 1864.
1865
Queensland’s first rail line opens between Ipswich and Grandchester.
Photo credit: The State Library of Queensland.
Railway workers posing with one of four original A10 clan locomotives, the Lady Bowen locomotive in 1865.
1868
The new Parliament House in George Street is used for the first time.
Photo credit: The State Library of Queensland.
1870
Free primary education is introduced in Queensland, a first in Australia.
Photo credit: The State Library of Queensland.
West Ipswich State School, 1870.
1876
The first Ekka is held in Brisbane.
Photo credit: Brisbane John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland.
The Queensland flag is officially adopted.
1889
The first barrel of Bundaberg Rum rolls off the production line.
Photo credit: The State Library of Queensland.
View of the Bundaberg Rum Distillery in 1928.
1891
January 1891 marked the start of one of Australia’s most famous (or infamous) industrial disputes, the Shearers’ Strike.
Photo credit: Queensland State Archives.
Wool bales at the railway station goods shed along Oak Street, Barcaldine, Queensland, surrounding the Tree of Knowledge.
Photo credit: State Library of Queensland
1893
Queen Victoria grants the Queensland Coat of Arms, the oldest State Arms in Australia, to the colony of Queensland.
Photo credit: Queensland State Archives.
1895
‘Waltzing Matilda’ is performed for the first time in the North Gregory Hotel at Winton.
Photo credit: Google Images.
1901
The colony of Queensland becomes a state of the new Commonwealth of Australia on 1 January.
Photo credit: Bonzle Digital Atlas.
His Excellency the Governor reading the Queen’s proclamation on the balcony of the Treasury Building in Brisbane, 1901.
1905
Queensland women are granted the right to vote.
Photo credit: Rosie.
1908
Witches Falls at Mount Tamborine is proclaimed Queensland’s first national park.
Photo credit: Tourism and Events Queensland.
1911
The University of Queensland opens its doors to students.
Photo credit: The State Library of Queensland.
Inauguration procession at The University of Queensland in 1911.
1918
The largest earthquake in Queensland history at a magnitude of 6 was recorded just off Lady Elliot Island, with the worst affected areas Rockhampton and Bundaberg.
Photo credit: Google Images.
1920
Qantas, Australia’s first airline, is established on 16 November at Winton by four First World War veterans.
Photo credit: The State Library of Queensland.
1922
The Queensland Legislative Council was abolished, making Queensland the only Australian state without a bicameral legislature.
Photo credit: Queensland Parliament.
1927
Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary opens in Brisbane’s western suburbs and is the world’s first koala sanctuary and the first to breed captive koalas.
Photo credit: Miss Abroad.
1928
The first Royal Flying Doctor Service took flight from Cloncurry on 17 May.
Photo credit: The State Library of Queensland.
Sir Charles Kingsford Smith lands in Brisbane after completing the first trans-Pacific flight.
Photo credit: State Library of Queensland.
1935
Cane toads are introduced in Queensland to control pests on sugar cane crops.
Photo credit: Queensland Government.
1940
The Story Bridge, Brisbane’s most iconic bridge, opens and is named after John Douglas Story—a senior and influential public servant who had advocated strongly for the bridge’s construction.
Photo credit: The State Library of Queensland.
1951
The School of the Air commences, giving children in remote areas access to education via radio.
Photo credit: The State Library of Queensland.
1959
Queensland celebrates the first Centenary of Separation in December. Highlights of the celebrations include the presentation of Miss Queensland to the Deputy Premier and re-enactments of Governor Bowen’s arrival at the Botanical Gardens.
Photo credit: Queensland State Archives.
The Cooktown orchid becomes Queensland’s floral emblem.
Photo credit: Queensland Government.
1962
Rockhampton-born Rod ‘Rocket’ Laver wins the tennis Grand Slam (the only man to win it twice—winning again in 1969).
Photo credit: Tennis Australia.
The Bruce Highway linking Brisbane and Cairns is completed.
Photo credit: State of Queensland, Department of Transport and Main Roads.
1972
Queenslander Neville Bonner becomes the first Indigenous person to be elected to Federal Parliament as a Senator for Queensland.
Photo credit: Parliament of Australia.
1973
Surf clothing company Billabong is founded on the Gold Coast by surfer and surfboard shaper Gordon Merchant and his partner Rena.
Photo credit: Forbes.
1974
The Brisbane flood—the worst flood since 1893-leads to major flood mitigation works. The Wivenhoe Dam is built.
Photo credit: Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
1980
Queensland beats New South Wales 20–10 in the first State of Origin game in front of a packed Lang Park (now Suncorp Stadium).
Photo credit: Youtube.
1981
The Great Barrier Reef is World Heritage listed.
Photo credit: Mike McCoy/Australian Geographic.
1982
The Commonwealth Games come to Brisbane, the largest major sporting event held in Queensland. Australia wins the overall gold medal tally.
Photo credit: Culture Trip.
1988
Queen Elizabeth II officially opens World Expo ’88 as a central feature of the national bicentennial celebrations.
Photo credit: Tourism and Events Queensland.
Photo credit: Tourism and Events Queensland.
The Daintree Rainforest is World Heritage listed.
Photo credit: Tourism and Events Queensland.
1991
Warner Bros. Movie World opens at Oxenford.
Photo credit: Tourism and Events Queensland.
1992
Mabo and others v Queensland (No 2) (1992) decision is made by the High Court of Australia, recognising native title in Australia for the first time.
Photo credit: Eddie Mabo Indigenous Land Rights.
South Bank Parklands opens in Brisbane.
Photo credit: The State Library of Queensland.
1994
The first Woodford Folk Festival is held.
Photo credit: The State Library of Queensland.
1995
Queensland wins the Sheffield Shield for the first time—68 years after joining the national cricket competition.
Photo credit: Youtube.
1996
Queensland-born and educated immunologist Professor Peter Doherty shares the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with his Swiss colleague Professor Rolf Zinkernagel for discovery of how the immune system recognises virus-infected cells.
The first high speed CityCat service begins in Brisbane.
Photo credit: https://www.campervanfinder.com.au/city-cat/
1997
The first electric Tilt Train service runs from Brisbane to Rockhampton. With a top speed of 165km/h, and the ability to tilt five degrees in each direction, the Tilt Train is the fastest train in Australia.
Photo credit: Tourism and Events Queensland.
2001
The first Queensland Greats are announced.
Photo credit: Queensland Government.
2003
The Governor in Council officially names maroon as Queensland’s State colour.
Photo credit: Queensland Government.
2005
Queensland population hits four million.
Photo credit: Multicultural Youth Queensland.
2006
Brisbane-based medical researchers Professor Ian Frazer and Dr Jian Zhou develop Gardasil, the world’s first anti-cancer vaccine.
Photo credit: Queensland Government.
2008
Former Queensland Governor Quentin Bryce becomes the first female Australian Governor-General.
Photo credit: Queensland Government.
2009
Queensland celebrates its 150th anniversary with a statewide program of special events and celebrations.
Photo credit: Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
2010
A series of floods hits Queensland, beginning in November 2010 and continuing through to January 2011. The floods force the evacuation of thousands of people from towns and cities, with at least 90 towns and more than 200,000 people affected.
Photo credit: The University of Queensland.
2011
Cyclone Yasi makes landfall in northern Queensland and causes an estimated 3.6 billion in damages, making it the most costly in Australian history.
Photo credit: Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience.
2012
Brisbane Roar FC become the first team in the A-League to win back-to-back championships.
Photo credit: Brisbane Roar FC.
2013
The Queensland Maroons make history by winning their eighth State of Origin title in a row.
Photo credit: NRL Photos.
2014
Queensland hosts the G20 summit on 15 and 16 November, bringing 5300 delegates and 2300 international media to the state.
Photo credit: Tourism and Events Queensland.
In March, the drought, covering more than 80 per cent of the state, is declared as the worst on record.
Photo credit: Tourism and Events Queensland.
2015
In the first all-Queensland team National Rugby League Grand Final, the North Queensland Cowboys were triumphant over the Brisbane Broncos, winning their first Premiership.
Photo credit: NRL Photos.
2016
A new dinosaur type is found in Winton, later named the Savannasaurus elliottorum after the Elliot family who found the bones on their farm.
Photo credit: Tourism and Events Queensland.
2018
The Gold Coast plays host to the 16th Commonwealth Games from 4–15 April.
Photo credit: Getty Images.
Broncos women’s team win the inaugural NRL Women’s Premiership.
Photo credit: NRL Photos/Gregg Porteous.
2019
The 2019 Townsville flood was one of the worst natural disasters to ever impact the region.
Photo credit: Queensland Government.
2020
Ash Barty was named the 2020 Young Australian of the Year and in 2019 became the first Queenslander (second Australian) to be number one in the Women’s Tennis Association singles ranking.
Photo credit: National Australia Day Council.
The 2020 Toyota Australian Football League (AFL) Grand Final was held at the Gabba, Brisbane. This was the first time a Grand Final was held outside Victoria in 123 years.
2021
Dr Jeannette Young appointed the state’s 27th Governor of Queensland.
Photo credit: AAP: Jono Searle.
Brisbane announced to host the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Photo credit: International Olympic Committee/Greg Martin.
2022
A ‘rain bomb’ hits South East Queensland, impacting nearly 20,000 residences and causing widespread disruption in towns and cities.
Photo credit: Bradley Richardson/Australian Defence Force/AFP/Getty Images.
Ash Barty pulls off a remarkable win to claim her first Australian Open title and announces a shock retirement two months later.
Photo credit: Hamish Blair/AP.
The Commonwealth celebrated another historic milestone—the Platinum Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second. Her Majesty is the first British Monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years of service to the people of the United Kingdom, the Realms and the Commonwealth.
Photo credit: Australian Government.
2023
Brisbane was the home ground for the Matildas’ campaign and played host to the unforgettable Quarter Final win over France on 12 August 2023.
Brisbane hosted eight matches during the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 with almost 357,000 fans attending.
There were nearly 100,000 visits to the FIFA Fan Festival site at South Bank, and Brisbane welcomed more than 52,600 visitors from outside Queensland.
Photo credit: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images.
The Muttaburrasaurus langdoni was officially recognised as Queensland’s fossil emblem in December 2023.
Photo credit: Queensland Museum, Peter Waddington.
2024
The Women’s State of Origin was expanded to a three-game series for the first time.
Photo credit: Scott Davis and NRL Images.
The iconic Bluey’s World opens in Brisbane early November.
Photo credit: Bluey’s World
Brisbane takes centre stage on Netflix’s Boy Swallows Universe.
Photo credit: Rotten Tomatoes and Netflix
2025
Tropical Cyclone Alfred is downgraded from a Category 2 system to a tropical low, crossing the south-east Queensland coast, and impacting more than 500,000 homes and businesses – the largest number of properties ever affected by a natural disaster in Queensland’s history.
Photo credit: Queensland Government.
Queenslanders beamed with pride after four of our teams claimed back-to-back grand final victories across two football codes. The mighty Maroons took out the State of Origin series, while the Brisbane Broncos won the NRL and NRLW Grand Finals, and the Brisbane Lions took home the AFL Premiership win.
Photo credit: Queensland Government.
until QLD Day