Collection: “Meanjin” Brisbane River & Skyline

Meanjin is the traditional Aboriginal name for the area now known as central Brisbane. It comes from the language of the Turrbal people (and is also associated with the Yuggera language group), who are the Traditional Custodians of the land. 1&2 The word is commonly understood to mean “place shaped like a spike”, referring to the shape of the land and the bend of the Brisbane River around what is now the CBD area. 3 More broadly, Meanjin represents a place of deep cultural significance and gathering for Aboriginal peoples for thousands of years before European settlement. 2

Reference list 

• Turrbal - Wikipedia, 2026. Turrbal. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turrbal 1

• Meanjin (Brisbane) | Always Will Be, n.d. Meanjin (Brisbane). Available at: https://www.alwayswillbe.com/place/brisbane 2

• StudyCountry, n.d. Why was Brisbane known as Meanjin?. Available at: https://www.studycountry.com/wiki/why-was-brisbane-known-to-the-early-aboriginal-people-as-meanjin-which-means-place-shaped-like-a-spike 3