World Expo 88

1988 Brisbane
Queen Elizabeth II officially opening Expo 88
Queen Elizabeth II opening Expo 88
Aerial view of the Expo 88 site
Aerial view of the Expo 88 site
Overview
BIE-classSpecialised exposition
NameWorld Expo 88
Motto"Leisure in the Age of Technology"
Area40 hectares (99 acres)
Visitors18,574,476
MascotExpo Oz
Participant(s)
Countries41
Location
CountryAustralia
CityBrisbane
VenueSouth Brisbane
Coordinates27°28′35.9″S 153°1′18″E / 27.476639°S 153.02167°E / -27.476639; 153.02167 (World Expo 88)
Timeline
Awarded5 December 1983
Opening30 April 1988 (1988-04-30)
Closure30 October 1988 (1988-10-30)
Specialised expositions
PreviousExpo 86 in Vancouver
NextExpo 91 in Plovdiv
Universal expositions
PreviousExpo '70 in Osaka
NextSeville Expo '92 in Seville
Horticultural expositions
PreviousInternational Garden Festival in Liverpool
NextExpo '90 in Osaka
Internet
WebsiteCelebrate 88!

World Expo 88, also known as Expo 88, was a specialised Expo held in Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland, Australia, during a six-month period between Saturday, 30 April 1988 and Sunday, 30 October 1988, inclusive. The theme of the Expo was "Leisure in the Age of Technology", and the mascot for the Expo was an Australian platypus named Expo Oz.[1]

The A$625 million fair was the largest event of the 1988 Bicentennial celebrations of the arrival of the First Fleet in Sydney Harbour.[2][3][4] Expo 88 attracted more than 15,760,000 visitors who bought tickets worth A$175 million.[5] The event achieved both its economic aims and very good attendances, was successfully used to promote Queensland as a tourist destination and it spurred a major re-development at the South Brisbane site.[6] The core feature of the site were the international pavilions.[5] Many of the exposition's sculptures and buildings were retained by various entities around the state and are still in use or on display today.[7]

  1. ^ "About Expo". Celebrate 88. Archived from the original on 30 May 2023. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  2. ^ "EXPLORE THE HARVEST OF ENDURANCE SCROLL -- Towards the future". National Museum Australia. Archived from the original on 9 February 2024. Retrieved 25 June 2019.
  3. ^ PIORKO, JANET (9 August 1987). "A Guide to the Bicentennial". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 4 November 2017. Retrieved 25 June 2019.
  4. ^ McGregor, John. "About World Expo '88". Celebrate 88!. Archived from the original on 24 December 2013. Retrieved 23 February 2008.
  5. ^ a b McBride, Frank; et al. (2009). Brisbane 150 Stories. Brisbane City Council Publication. pp. 286–287. ISBN 978-1-876091-60-6.
  6. ^ McKay, Judith (2004). Showing off: Queensland at World Expositions 1862 to 1988. Rockhampton, Queensland: Central Queensland University Press and the Queensland Museum. pp. 101–109. ISBN 1-876780-37-1.
  7. ^ "World Expo '88 Public Art Trail - 30th anniversary". Brisbane City Council. Archived from the original on 20 August 2022. Retrieved 20 August 2022.