List of people from Brisbane
This listing includes notable people who were born in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia — as well as notable people who are working in Brisbane, or who began their careers in Brisbane (please see the individual articles for references).
Aviators
Notable Brisbane-born aviators include:
- Sir Charles Kingsford Smith, pioneer aviator, who, with his crew, made the first flight across the Pacific in his aircraft, the "Southern Cross", from San Francisco, California, USA to Brisbane, Queensland, Australia in 1928. The 1928 trans-Pacific flight was the first flight from one side of the ocean to the other.
The aircraft is currently preserved and on display in the Kingsford Smith Memorial, a special a climate-controlled sealed glass building near the International terminal at Brisbane Airport
Government, politics and law
Notable Brisbane-born people in this section include:
- Lord Atkin, judge of the English High Court
- Bill Hayden, former Governor-General of Australia
- Emma Miller, pioneer labour activist and suffragist
- Sir William Webb, High Court of Australia Judge and President of the Military Tribunal in the Far East (which tried Japanese war criminals)
Researchers
Notable Brisbane-born people in research include:
- Peter C. Doherty, medical researcher and Nobel Prize winner
Sculptors
- Daphne Mayo, sculptures include the tympanum above the King George Square entrance to Brisbane City Hall, sculptures at the Queensland Art Gallery
- Leonard and Kathleen Shillam, sculptures include the Pelican sculptures at the Queensland Art Gallery
- Christopher Trotter, sculptures include the Brisbane City Roos, kangaroo sculptures in George Street, Brisbane
Singers, dancers, musicians and composers
Notable Brisbane-born people
- Courtney Act, singer and popular drag performer
- Jason Barry-Smith, opera singer
- Jeffrey Black, opera singer
- Judi Connelli, singer and actress
- Diana Doherty, classical musician
- Lisa Gasteen, opera singer and winner of Cardiff Singer of the World competition in 1991
- Darren Hayes, Lead (Vocalist) singer of Savage Garden 1993 — 2001 (Currently Solo Artist)
- Kate Miller-Heidke, classically trained opera singer
- Katie Noonan, new age singer, soprano
- Patricia Petersen, singer, pianist and actress
- S3RL, DJ, record producer
- Donald Shanks, opera singer
- Garth Welch, principal dancer
- Christopher Wrench, organist
- Patrick Thomas, conductor, poet, author
Brisbane is also the home of the following people
- Stewart Cameron, New Zealand-born opera singer
- Li Cunxin, ballet dancer, subject of Mao's Last Dancer
- Robert Davidson, composer
- Edward Guglielmino, composer
- Gordon Hamilton, composer
- Luke Kennedy, singer
- Stephen Leek, composer
- Liza Lim, composer
- Kate Miller-Heidke, opera singer, composer
- Everett True, composer
Music bands with Brisbane origins
- Dune Rats, music group
- The Go-Betweens, music group
- The Grates, music group
- Gung Ho, music group
- The Jungle Giants, music group
- Last Dinosaurs, music group
- Powderfinger, music group
- The Riptides, music group
- The Saints, music group
- Savage Garden, music group
- The Screaming Tribesmen, music group
- Brad Shepherd, musician, Hoodoo Gurus
- Sheppard, music group
- The Veronicas, music group, twin duo
- Violent Soho, music group
- The Thin Kids, music group
Sportspeople
Brisbane is also the home of:
- Erika Geisen, German-born, IFBB professional bodybuilder
Stage and screen
Brisbane-born actors, actresses, producers, playwrights and comedians include:
- Ray Barrett, actor
- Diane Cilento, actress
- Barry Creyton, actor
- Janet Fielding, actress
- Claire Holt, actress
- Lincoln Lewis, actor
- George Miller, director
- Barry Otto, actor
- Miranda Otto, actress
- Patricia Petersen, actress, playwright, director, producer
- Bruce Redman, film producer
- John Stanton, actor
- Leonard Teale, actor
- Josh Thomas, comedian
- Rowena Wallace, actress
Actors, actresses and playwrights who began their careers in Brisbane, or live in Brisbane, include:
- Bille Brown, actor, has a studio named after him at the home of the Queensland Theatre Company
- Carol Burns, actress
- Diane Cilento, actress
- Penny Downie
- Judith McGrath
- Sigrid Thornton, actress
Writers and journalists
Writers and journalists who live in Brisbane include:
- Thea Astley
- Melissa Downes
- Nick Earls
- Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw
- Benjamin Law
- Hugh Lunn
- David Malouf
- Andrew McGahan
- George Negus, journalist, television presenter and radio host
- Oodgeroo Noonuccal
- Judith Wright