BCL started in the 1990s as a guide to everyday Brisbane (as Brisbane City Life) and then Australia as BCL.com.au. We provided local information and free listings for community events and organisations supported by some paid tours and activities, accommodation and online shopping guides.
Since then, the internet has changed a lot. First search engines (we started long before Google) changed the tendency to follow links from site to site. Then the move to social media meant many community groups abandoned their websites and transferred the promotion of their events to the social sites.
brisbanecitylife.com.au is now the home to my gardening blog.
BCL.com.au has struggled along for some years and just as I was wondering whether it was time to put it to rest, the internet is shifting again.
Search engines are full of sponsored links and the gloss has gone from social media. Once again directories have a place building connections between sites and between people.
It’s time to rebuild.
The new BCL.com.au, launched in January 2024, retains the event listings and the emphasis on being a fast and useful website that is part of a bigger world. It’s not trying to trap you into endless scrolling. It also doesn’t track you or build profiles.
The directory is focussed on sustainability and connection people and ideas for collaborating on the big issues we face. It ties in with my work on the Shady Lanes Project.
If you’d like to connect with me, the best way is via Linkedin.
You can also follow the Facebook page which I’ll be reactivating.
I’m using the Substack platform for the BCL newsletter (much less clunky than the email newsletter platforms) and if you subscribe, you’ll also be able to make comments and join discussions there.
Welcome back.