Queensland Facts

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Australia's “Sunshine State”, Queensland, is a region that features a huge amount of diverse natural beauty, home to stunning beaches, lush tropical rainforest and – perhaps most famous of all – the natural wonder of the Great Barrier Reef.

Here are some quick facts about Queensland – including its nature, people, history and more – that you may not already know, useful for both adults and kids.

• Queensland is the second-largest state in Australia after Western Australia
• Queensland became a separate state from New South Wales back in 1859 after Queen Victoria's approval
• Residents of Queensland are often nicknamed “Banana Benders” by those from other states due to the large number of tropical areas of the state where bananas are grown
• Over 60% of Queensland's population live along the east coast
• The world-famous Great Barrier Reef sits off the east coast of Queensland and stretches for about 2000 kilometres in total

• The two animals found on the Queensland Coat of Arms are the brolga (one of QLD's largest native birds) and the red deer (which was introduced from England)
• Want proof of the state's natural beauty? Queensland is home to five of the eleven existing natural World Heritage areas in Australia. The list? The Riversleigh Fossil Fields, the Daintree National Park, the Scenic Rim National Parks, Fraser Island – and of course, the Great Barrier Reef.
• Queensland's nickname of the “Sunshine State” comes from the fact that the state receives an average of 261 days of sunshine per year
• Queensland is the only state in Australia with 1 house of parliament instead of 2
• Queensland's most famous beer, XXXX (pronounced “four-X”) was founded in 1877
• Over 200 separate national parks can be found in Queensland, more than any other state
• Australia's most famous airline, QANTAS, was founded in Queensland in the year 1920
• Of the 28 Prime Ministers Australia has had since its federation in 1901, four of them have come from Queensland – Andrew Fisher, Arthur Fadden, Francis Forde and Kevin Rudd
• Queensland's tip is the northernmost point in Australia at the Cape York Peninsula, which points towards New Guinea
• The Gold Coast, which can be found in Queensland's south-east, is home to the tallest residential building in the southern hemisphere, measuring 322 metres high
• Queensland is home to some of the oldest dinosaur tracks still remaining on Earth

If you're looking for things to do in Queensland and its surrounding areas, check out our separate sections on the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Cairns, Port Douglas and more!