Queensland is Australia’s fastest growing State and an ideal place to start a family, start a business or retire.

A relaxed lifestyle, affordable homes and easy commuting make Queensland one of Australia’s most attractive places to live and work. With up-to-date technology and services, low taxes and plenty of space to develop and expand, Queensland is the preferred location for many new businesses.

The State is Australia’s second largest covering an area of 1.7 million square kilometres, which is the same size as Britain and Western Europe combined, and is four times the size of Japan.

Our people

In December 2005 the population of Queensland officially reached 4 million making it the fastest growing State in Australia, with over 1500 people moving to the State every week. Predictions have been made that by 2051 Queensland will become Australia’s second most populous State behind New South Wales.

Queenslanders enjoy an outdoor lifestyle with world-class beaches and waterways, national parks, rainforests and tropical reefs. Queensland is governed by a democratically elected Government with a vision of making the State one where innovation, creativity and knowledge flourish – a Smart State.

The major proportion of the population lives in the south-east corner of the State, which encompasses its capital Brisbane, the beach-side city of the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast district to Brisbane’s north. This region is Australia’s fastest growing, attracting on average 55,000 new residents each year over the past two decades. It is also experiencing rapid employment growth and is emerging as a significant economic hub with national and international recognition.

Our pleasant climate (average summer temperatures of 25 degrees Celsius, average winter temperatures of 15 degrees Celsius) means that Queenslanders enjoy more winter sunshine and warmth than most other Australian states.

Queensland’s enviable lifestyle ensures that its population continues to grow and prosper.

Our culture

The State is rich in cultural facilities, particularly in Brisbane and includes the Queensland Performing Arts Centre, the Queensland Art Gallery, Queensland Museum, Sciencentre, State Library and the new Queensland Gallery of Modern Art which opened in late 2006. We have a multicultural society with more than 30% of the State being either immigrants or first generation Australians.

On the sporting field, many Queenslanders passionately follow their teams competing in sports such as rugby league, Australian rules football, cricket, rugby union, soccer, basketball and netball. The State also features internationally renowned sporting facilities such as the Gabba Cricket Ground and Suncorp Stadium.

All Queensland state education operates as a partnership between schools and their communities. All state schools are coeducational (meaning boys and girls attend together).

Children may begin their education with Prep in 2007. By law, children must attend school between the ages of 6 and 15. Primary school is the first compulsory stage and covers Years 1 to 7. After that, children attend secondary or high school from Years 8 to 10. On completing Year 10, students have the option of continuing to Years 11 and 12 or leaving school.

For more information visit www.education.qld.gov.au