World Expo 88
| 1988 Brisbane | |
|---|---|
Queen Elizabeth II opening Expo 88 Aerial view of the Expo 88 site | |
| Overview | |
| BIE-class | Specialised exposition |
| Name | World Expo 88 |
| Motto | "Leisure in the Age of Technology" |
| Area | 40 hectares (99 acres) |
| Visitors | 18,574,476 |
| Mascot | Expo Oz |
| Participant(s) | |
| Countries | 41 |
| Location | |
| Country | Australia |
| City | Brisbane |
| Venue | South Brisbane |
| Coordinates | 27°28′35.9″S 153°1′18″E / 27.476639°S 153.02167°E |
| Timeline | |
| Awarded | 5 December 1983 |
| Opening | 30 April 1988 |
| Closure | 30 October 1988 |
| Specialised expositions | |
| Previous | Expo 86 in Vancouver |
| Next | Expo 91 in Plovdiv |
| Universal expositions | |
| Previous | Expo '70 in Osaka |
| Next | Seville Expo '92 in Seville |
| Horticultural expositions | |
| Previous | Glasgow Garden Festival in Glasgow |
| Next | Gateshead Garden Festival in Newcastle Upon Tyne |
| Internet | |
| Website | Celebrate 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.
The A$625 million fair was the largest event of the 1988 Bicentennial celebrations of the arrival of the First Fleet in Sydney Harbour. Expo 88 attracted more than 15,760,000 visitors who bought tickets worth A$175 million. 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. The core feature of the site were the international pavilions. 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.