See, Many of the Placeblogs are by one person. What I'm trying for is to get as many people as possible blogging on the Brisbane blog, by emailing into me. Don't worry - I'm not one to pinch ideas - All I'll be doing is copying and pasting your writings here, with full author credit.
You can Get your stories Published by e-mailing them to thebrisbaneblog@gmail.com.
You don't even have to be a native of Brisbane - everyone is welcome, even those who have only visited. Share your experiences, your thoughts, and your favourite and most hated things about the city.
After all, Being a bartender, I know the night life, where to eat, where to party, and just what in general is going on. But I know nothing of other parts of Brisbane. What's playing at the Twelfth night theatre? Who is the best busker in the mall? I've got no bloody idea. The only ones I know are the blind guy with the saxophone and this dude who does fire-twirling near the bridge.
What is in store for this blog? Well, Place-bloggish sort of stuff. News, events, Tales, photos. Might even throw in just a little news from outside Brisbane, here and again.
Now, I'll quit the preamble, and get on with the actual talking - Though, for this post, I'm going to pinch some content from around the net about Brisbane, as when one makes a spur of the moment decision to start a blog, one does not get much research time.
For the first part of this first post, I'll tell you a little about My fair City.
Now, back in the times before Brisbane was Brisbane, It was inhabited by the Turrbul and Jagera people whose ancestors came from across the Torres Straight. The area we know as Brisbane, they know as Mian-jin, which means 'place shaped like a spike'.
In 1823, John Oxley explored Moreton Bay and Travelled the Brisbane River as far as Goodna, which is about 20 kilometres away from where the city centre currently is.
The first established community was actually a penal colony, about 40 kilometres away in what is now the city of Redcliffe. Meanwhile, John Oxley and Allan Cunningham explored up the Brisbane river in search of water, and ended up at the city's present location.
(I actually for quite a while dated a girl from Redcliffe. Fantastic girl, she's a fully qualified, and particularly exceptional masseuse. Would have been a longer relationship, but it turns out her Fiancé took a very dim view of it. But hey, if you need a massage, I'll send you her way.)
Relationships aside, a year later the colony was moved south to a peninsula on the Brisbane river, to the area which as previously discussed was called Mian-jin by its inhabitants.
The British colonials, however, thought this was a stupid name, and concurrently renamed the settlement "Edenglassie"
The Settlement was rapidly Renamed "Brisbane", however, when the settlers realised that "Edenglassie" was possibly the most embarrassing name for anything, anywhere, ever.
Yes, even more embarrassing than when you tried to nickname yourself in the fifth grade.
The official population of Brisbane at the end of 1825 was "45 males and 2 females", thus earning it a rating of "1 of 5 stars" for the Night life.
The Colony - having been established to hold prisoners who had re-offended during their sentances - Very quickly gained a reputation as the hardest penal colony in the land.
For our next lesson, we shall skip forward a few years to the time of Patrick Mayne.
Now, on to a topic I am better versed in - the current times in which we live.
Recently, a Woman was violently sexually assaulted on the Brisbane bikeway - the 35th in the past year.
Now, What astounds me is not the story - Though it is no less important, and you can read it in more detail Here (Via Courier Mail) - What I find very strange is the comments about the story.
Things were going fine, Your usual Barely-punctuated rant about how if it was a politician, this wouldn't happen, Some obvious advice (Stay off the bikeway alone at night, ladies!), another barely punctuated rant about how the Police are "obviously" doing nothing, and a few conspiracy theorists.
And then, with the power of a cairns cyclone and out of nowhere like David Hasselhoff, comes the mighty hero Graeme Gibson, of Sylvania NSW 2224, Reminding us that the attacks are because of a "plague of pornography" and because the world has walked away from the will of god and Begun to worship Idols.
But after valiant efforts from Danyelle Elson of Brisbane (and later Mal WATT of Currimundi), Like my local parish, its all just porn, Jesus and Kyle Sandilands.
35 women get sexually assaulted on a bikeway, and we're taking about a long dead middle eastern dude, pictures of naked people, and a some guy who happens to be a loudmouth wanker.
Speaking of Loudmouth Wankers, Bono bought his band to town a short while ago. I, however, refuse to talk about it until he stops trying to be the next Jesus, and puts out another decent U2 Album.
Now, for new years, Brisbane brought out the usual fireworks displays and parties (Courier mail, Here) - I assume that There was also a Dump and burn with an F-111 fighter jet. Frankly because I cannot imagine a fireworks display on the river where they don't have one, and act like this is the first dump and burn the world has ever seen. From one of my mates who was working the event, apparently the 007 Ball in City hall was a Raging Success.
(Amusingly, our Christian Hero Graeme Gibson also weighs in on this topic, suggesting some readings from the bible, generally warning of the soon coming apocalypse, and of course telling us that Jesus is always there. Even when you're taking the call of nature. God, Jesus is a pervert.)
And so it is that I end this first post in the Brisbane blog. Thanks for reading, and here's to many more in the future.
(Now, we leave you with a picture of the Brisbane CBD at night, Courtesy of Wikipedia)
