queensland

queensland — noun

1. one of the six main political areas that make up Australia, located in the north

1.nounB1
Definition

one of the six main political areas that make up Australia, located in the north-eastern part of the country, with Brisbane as its capital city

Example

Inês learned that Queensland is one of Australia’s six states.

proper noun as a political/administrative entity

Faisal’s map showed that Queensland covers over 1.7 million square kilometres in north-eastern Australia.

collocation: covers [area] + in [location]

Common collocations
  • the government of Queensland
  • the capital of Queensland
  • the population of Queensland
  • north-eastern Queensland
  • the state of Queensland
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

Queensland as a singular proper noun

Usage Note

Always capitalized as a proper noun. Frequently takes 'the' only when followed by 'of' in a prepositional phrase (e.g., 'the government of Queensland'), not when standing alone.

Common Mistakes

Brisbane is the largest city in Queensland, and it is also the name of the state.
Brisbane is the largest city in Queensland, and it is also the capital of the state.
Queensland is the state’s name; Brisbane is its capital city, not an alternative name for the state.

queensland — noun

1. a large region in north-eastern Australia that attracts many visitors because of

1.nounB1
Definition

a large region in north-eastern Australia that attracts many visitors because of its warm climate, sandy beaches, rainforests, and the Great Barrier Reef

Example

Obi and his family spent two weeks travelling around Queensland during their summer holiday.

collocation: travelling around Queensland

Rin took many photos of the beautiful beaches and rainforests in Queensland.

collocation: beaches in Queensland

Common collocations
  • in Queensland
  • to Queensland
  • from Queensland
  • the beaches of Queensland
  • the coast of Queensland
  • travel to Queensland
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

Queensland as a place name

Usage Note

Common in travel contexts. Unlike most common nouns, Queensland does not take an article ('the') except in phrases like 'the coast of Queensland' or 'the people of Queensland'.

Common Mistakes

I am going to Queensland state next year.
I am going to Queensland next year.
Queensland already means 'the state of Queensland', so adding 'state' is redundant.

Word family

  • Queenslander
    nounB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Queensland is the official name of the state and is appropriate in all contexts, from formal government documents to casual conversation. The Sunshine State is an informal nickname used mainly in tourism marketing and media headlines; it carries a positive, welcoming feel but is too casual for official or academic writing. North Queensland refers specifically to the northern part of the state, not the whole territory — a traveller might say 'I am visiting North Queensland' to mean the area around Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef, which is a subset of Queensland. Use Queensland for general reference, the Sunshine State for promotional or informal contexts, and North Queensland only when you mean the northern region specifically.

Queensland ↗the Sunshine StateNorth Queensland

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • the state of Queensland
  • the capital of Queensland
  • off the coast of Queensland

Prepositions

Etymology

English (named after Queen Victoria)English

The name Queensland was created in 1859 when the area was made a separate colony from New South Wales. It was named in honour of Queen Victoria, who was the British monarch at that time. The word is formed from 'Queen' (referring to Queen Victoria) plus 'land' (meaning 'territory').