The white, wavy lines in three of the six quarters of the flag may represent the river, which brought much commerce and prosperity to the city in the early days of British settlement.

An alternative explanation is that the wavy lines represent white clouds, parting to allow the blue sky to be seen behind them.

The remaining three quarters each depict two Stafford knots and a star, with the stars representing the achievements in astronomy of Sir Thomas Brisbane, for whom the city is named,[2][3] and the knots representing the 38th Foot (Staffordshire Regiment), which Brisbane served in prior to being named governor of the colony of New South Wales.

[4] The abundance of maritime symbols on the flag reflects Brisbane's early role as a river port.

A giant image of the flag was also projected onto the William Jolly Bridge in Brisbane as a part of Queensland's 150th anniversary celebrations.