BRISBANE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19039, 8 December 1923, Page 15

BRISBANE.

APPROACHING CENTENARY. (From Our Own Correspondent.), SYDNEY, November 29. In a few days Brisbane celebrates its centenary, and already many New Zealanderr will have received invitations to the ceremonies. It is really 124 years since Captain Matthew Flinders set cut to explore the Brisbane River, which Captain Cook had believed existed by the formation of the hill* around; but it is just on a hundiet years since the free settlement of Moreton Bay began. Brisbane differs essentially from tlie capitals of the other Australian States in scenery to begin with. It has not flu lovely harbour of Sydney nor the snow-clac mountains of Hobart to back it up i but i> has a winding river, as wide as the Thame* at London, and, below it, far deeper. H has—what Sydney and Melbourne and Lor don have not —picturesque timbered hills from 200 fl to 1000 ft high within a radius of a few miles. It is only 10 miles from the sea in nlace of 50, as London is, and from its hills there is a far-reaching view (hat neither London nor the other places mentioned cau show —eastward and northward quite 50 miles, southward about 80 westward 70. One can see to the east the river, sea, and distant islands; westward to the giant warder mountains, vnclosing the Harling Downs country; south, to the peaks which border New South Wales; north, te the ranges which are neighbours unto those overlooking the head waters of several watens—Truly a (Crotch of country tha? would blot out all Wales or Tasmania, to to seen from the hill summits of Brisbane and a combination of river and mountain, sea and city, farm and forest, garden and steeple, that would make up a notable land *cape anywhere. The beautiful estuary of tho Derwent is here missing, as are tlm tock capes and miniature bays of Port Jackson ; but there is the 109 ft _ wide river from 25ft to 100 ft deep, on which the 6000on steamers, which loom quite Large at the Circular quay, and are not familiar igh's ; n the other cities, appear dwarfed by the great natural features around this sunny city of hotels, clean streets, great possibilities, and warm handshakes.