Entry
| Council | City of Brisbane, City of Gold Coast, Somerset Region, Sunshine Coast Region, City of Moreton Bay, Redland City, Logan City, Shire of Noosa, Scenic Rim Region, City of Ipswich, Lockyer Valley Region, Toowoomba Region |
|---|---|
| State | Queensland |
01The first peoples of the region
Prior to British occupation, the region was home to around 20,000 Aboriginal people. The Yugarapul held the Central Brisbane area. The Yugambeh's country took in land from the Logan River south to the Tweed and west to the McPherson Ranges. The Quandamooka held the Moreton Bay islands, the mouth of the Brisbane River and Tingalpa, with country running south to the Logan River. The Gubbi Gubbi's country was known to exist north of the Pine River, extending to the Burrum River and west to the Conondale Range.
History researchers record that the Aboriginal population fell to around 10,000 across the following 60 years. From 1843 to 1855, the region was the scene of war against a coalition of Aboriginal groups.
02Exploration and early settlement
Europeans explored and settled this part of Queensland earlier than anywhere else in the state. Early explorers in the area included Matthew Flinders and John Oxley, as well as Allan Cunningham and Patrick Logan. From around 1839, European settlers could move into the region. Settlements grew up in the Brisbane and Ipswich areas, and activity spread out from there in all directions.
Timber cutting and farming were among the industries that grew quickly across the region from the 1840s, and logging came first. In 1865 a railway between Grandchester and Ipswich became the first built in Queensland, laid on a narrow 1067 mm gauge. The region's varied terrain has shaped how its transport links run.
Prior to British occupation, the region was home to around 20,000 Aboriginal people.
03Floods, drought and a cyclone
Major floods came to the region in 1893, 1974, 2011 and 2022. South East Queensland is flood-prone, and several large dams have been built here for water supply and to reduce flooding. To counter drought, the region added the SEQ Water Grid, the Western Corridor Recycled Water Scheme and the Gold Coast Desalination Plant. In 2005 the region had its worst drought in recorded history, and in March 2025 a rare tropical cyclone, Alfred, threatened it.
04Cities and growth
Farming, manufacturing, commerce and tourism all feature in the region's economy. An integrated public transport system, Translink, serves the region, and grazing uses just over half the region's land.
Brisbane is the capital and largest city of Queensland, with the Gold Coast to its south and the Sunshine Coast to its north. Ipswich, in the south-west, is an industrial centre and holds the state's oldest provincial city. Logan is largely residential and light industrial, Moreton Bay is a largely residential area to the north that includes the Redcliffe Peninsula, and Redland City takes in coastal residential and acreage land.
Inland, Toowoomba carries the nickname "The Garden City", and among the country's inland cities only the national capital has more people. New development is under way at Springfield, Ecco Ripley, Yarrabilba and Flagstone, and some geographers suggest more planned communities will be needed to meet expected population growth.
Timeline
- 1824The region was founded in 1824.
- 1839Around 1839, European settlers could move into the region.
- 1843 to 1855War against a coalition of Aboriginal groups.
- 1865First railway in Queensland, from Grandchester to Ipswich.
- 1893Major floods in the region.
- 1974Major floods again.
- 2005Worst drought in the region's recorded history.
- 2011Major floods across the region.
- 2022Further major floods.
- 2025In March, a rare tropical cyclone threatened the region.
05Living in South East Queensland
South East Queensland takes in 11 local government areas in full and part of the Toowoomba Region, and covers 35,248 square kilometres. It stretches 240 kilometres, from Noosa at its northern end to the Gold Coast and the New South Wales border in the south, and 140 kilometres west to Toowoomba. By population it ranks third among Australia's urban areas.
The region is mountainous. The McPherson, Teviot, D'Aguilar, Little Liverpool and Blackall ranges cross it, along with the Springbrook and Tamborine Mountain plateaus, and isolated volcanic peaks stand at Moogerah Peaks and the Glass House Mountains. Mount Superbus, the fifth highest peak in Queensland, lies in the south. Bribie, Moreton and North Stradbroke islands sit along the coast, with many smaller islands in Moreton Bay, and the coastal dunes form one of the oldest and largest continuous dune systems in the world.
06Questions people ask
- How many local government areas are in South East Queensland?
- South East Queensland includes 11 local government areas in full and part of the Toowoomba Region. Its councils include the City of Brisbane, the City of Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast Region, the City of Moreton Bay, Redland City and Logan City, among others.
- Which cities are in South East Queensland?
- The cities of the region include Brisbane, the state capital and largest city, along with the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast and Toowoomba.
- Where is South East Queensland?
- It lies in the south-east of Queensland. From Noosa at its northern end it reaches 240 kilometres south to the Gold Coast and the New South Wales border, and 140 kilometres west to Toowoomba.
- What is the history of South East Queensland?
- The region was home to around 20,000 Aboriginal people before British occupation, and from 1843 to 1855 it was the scene of war against a coalition of Aboriginal groups. Europeans explored and settled this part of Queensland earlier than anywhere else in the state, and settlers could move in from around 1839.
- What is the landscape of South East Queensland like?
- The region is mountainous, with several ranges and plateaus, isolated volcanic peaks at Moogerah Peaks and the Glass House Mountains, and islands along the coast including Bribie, Moreton and North Stradbroke islands.