Dating in Brisbane, Australia - How to Meet Eligible Single Girls and Guys

Apart from being the third most populous city in Australia, Brisbane is an important business center and a cultural hub of the country. The huge range of options in professional and social networking that Brisbane provides makes it one of the best places to live and love in Australia.

Brisbane is the capital city of the Australian province of Queensland where the first European settlement was a penal colony in 1824. The state began allowing free settlers from 1842 onwards and upon the separation of Queensland from New South Wales in 1859, Brisbane was chosen as the capital city of the former province. During the Second World War, Brisbane played an important role in the Allied attack, serving as the South West Pacific headquarters under General Douglas MacArthur. Post World War II, the city embarked on a major reconstruction drive which was punctuated by temporary setbacks like the 1974 Brisbane floods. However in the 1980s, the city hosted some of the most high-profile events in Australia like the 1982 Commonwealth Games as well as the 1988 World Expo. Since 1990, Brisbane’s population growth has exceeded the national average and has risen at the rate of 2.2% every year.

Brisbane takes its name from the river which courses along the city and which in turn had been named after the Governor of New South Wales from 1821 to 1825, Sir Thomas Brisbane. The eastern suburbs of the city are bordered by the shores of the Moreton Bay while many parts of the central city are situated on the spurs of the Herbert Taylor Range. This wide variety of topographical features makes Brisbane a nature lover’s delight. The city has several parks and gardens which not only make romantic dating venues but ideal places to meet people who are similarly interested in the outdoors. Some of the best known natural locations in the city are the South Bank Parklands, the Roma Street Parkland, the City Botanic Gardens and the Brisbane Forest Park. In the suburb of Mount Coot-tha, popular destinations are the state forest, the Brisbane Botanic Garden as well as a Japanese-style garden. The Alma Park Zoo as well as the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary are other places of natural interest, the last being the oldest koala sanctuary in the world. Among other recreational options in natural surroundings are boating and fishing expeditions on the River Brisbane and the Moreton Bay.

Residents of Brisbane are also kept busy by the vast number of cultural attractions the city has to offer. Some of the most anticipated events in Brisbane’s cultural calendar are the Ekka or Royal Queensland Show held every August, the Riverfest held each September on the South Bank Parklands, the biennial Brisbane Festival and the Brisbane International Film Festival which showcases films from around the world. The three-day Valley Fiesta featuring live free music, commercial stalls and local culinary fare as well as the annual Bridge to Brisbane fun run are other popular draws among young Brisbanites looking for ways to meet new and interesting people.

Together with annual events, Brisbane is also home to a wide range of institutions which draws lovers of art and culture from across the metropolitan area. The city has a vibrant live music scene ranging from classical to contemporary. The Queensland Ballet, Opera Queensland, the Queensland Orchestra are some of the major music groups playing in the classical genre. Brisbane in fact is home to perhaps the largest community choral scene in the country with its churches like the Cathedral of St Stephen and St John’s Cathedral being the most popular venues for choral performances. Theater aficionados can choose from the vast number of professional as well as amateur productions hosted at various performance centers in the city like the Queensland Performing Arts Center, the Brisbane Powerhouse in New Farm as well as the Judith Wright Center for Contemporary Arts. Along with performing arts like theater, music and dance, these venues also host numerous exhibitions, workshops as well as festivals.  Some of the best known art galleries in Brisbane are the Queensland Gallery as well as the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art which is believed to be the largest of its kind in whole of Australia. People interested in art and culture can not only enjoy being by themselves at these venues but even discover co-enthusiasts which in turn can turn out to the basis of abiding relationships.

Like all other major Australian cities, Brisbane too has a hectic sporting calendar. The city can boast of teams in all major interstate competitions like the Rugby League, Association Football, Cricket, Australian Rules Football, Netball and Rugby Union with perhaps the sole exception of National Basketball League. All these tournaments provide excellent opportunities for sports fans to interact with each other and even perhaps pick up a date or two. Among the most popular sporting venues in Brisbane are the Brisbane Cricket Ground, the Sleeman Center, the Ballymore Stadium, the Suncorp Stadium, the State Tennis Center besides the viewing facilities of the Queensland Sports and Athletics Center in Nathan.

Today Brisbane is a growing hub of popular entertainment in Australia. Having shed off its ‘big country town’ image of the mid-twentieth century, the city is now alive with the music and rhythms of its many bars, pubs and nightclubs which are mainly located in the CBD area or the Fortitude Valley. Some of the best known names in the city area are the Queen Street Mall, Strike Bowling, Jade Buddha or the more conventional Victory Bar. The West End in the suburbs of the CBD is yet another fashionable entertainment address which draws young people looking to have a good time over drinks, dance and music. In fact in 2007, Billboard nominated Brisbane as one of the Top Five International Music Hotspots along with Beijing, Berlin, Birmingham and Marseille. The Conrad Treasury Casino in the CBD is also a popular draw among people looking for a fun way to spend an evening. All these venues provide exciting dating opportunities for singles of the city.

Brisbane is rapidly emerging as one of the most livable places in Australia. Though still not as popular a destination as Sydney or Melbourne, Brisbane with its combination of a business hub and thriving cultural scene is undoubtedly one of the best places to have an active social life Down Under.