Redland Bay, Queensland

Infobox Australian Place | type = suburb
name = Redland Bay
city = Redland City Council
state = qld


caption =
fedgov = Division of Bowman
stategov = Electoral district of Redlands
lga = Redland Shire Council
postcode = 4165
pop = 10,889 (2006 census)
dist1 = 36
location1= Brisbane GPO
near-nw = Victoria Point
near-n = Victoria Point
near-ne =
near-w = Mount Cotton
near-e =
near-sw = Carbrook
near-s = Carbrook
near-se =

Sub-tropical Redland Bay forms part of larger Moreton Bay, 40 kilometers via road, east of Brisbane, the capital city of the Australian State of Queensland.

Since the first settlers arrived in the mid-1800’s, Redland Bay has remained a farming and fishing-based area until the mid 20th century when some of the farms were subdivided and improved transport infrastructure made it possible for residents to commute the 40 kilometers into Brisbane.

The township has long been the port for vessels plying the bay islands. These islands include Russell Island, Macleay Island, Karragarra Island, Lamb Island and North Stradbroke Island, home to several thousand residents enjoying an idyllic, sub-tropical lifestyle 'far from the madding crowd'.

Redland Bay township was established in the 19th century by settlers attracted to the fertile volcanic soil and pleasant climate. ["Seeing South-East Queensland (2nd ed.)". RACQ. 1980. p 31. ISBN 0-909518-07-6] The rich soil contrasts with the relatively poor soil of much of the rest of Australia, particularly in the arid central regions of the outback. The redness of Redland Bay soil derives from iron oxides present in lava from a volcano that erupted (millions of years ago) in northern New South Wales, some 100 kilometres to the south.

In Barry Kidd’s 1979 Redland illustrated History he writes ‘Redland Bay is arguably the most unchanged and fertile land within the entire Redlands area. The suburban sprawl has managed only scant inroads to a few pockets of land, but the remaining farmers have stubbornly resisted even the juiciest of offers from land developers, preferring a continuation of their inherited lifestyle.’

In the two decades that followed, the decision was made by the Redland Shire Council to permit suburban development in and around Redland Bay. With land zoning changing from rural to residential, and the corresponding steep rise in rates (local government land tax), Redland Bay’s farmers found they could no longer compete with other farming areas not as close to a major metropolitan area. One by one the farms were sold to land development companies, and Redland Bay, by the year 2002 farming had all but ceased.

The changes in Redland Bay are emblematic of the continuing demographic trend in Australia for people to move from the colder southern regions to the warmer north.

History

In the 1860s, settlers from England, Germany and Scandinavia began filtering into and along the Logan River and surrounding districts. They found dense forests growing from generally good soil. Particularly rich was the soil of the Redland Bay District which is said to have had lush rainforest complete with prized red cedar.

The labour of clearing the forest was long and arduous. One man with an axe might labour for years to clear an area of land that could support a viable farm. The felled timber would then milled to provide building material for the first houses. Locally milled cedar was used for doors, architraves and other feature work on the early houses, such as the original farmhouse on what was to become Mt Carmel Orchard. The character of the red soil was such that over time, it infiltrated itself into and on farm buildings, giving them a characteristic red tinge.

One early settler was Arnold Friedrich Muller who took up fifty acres of coastal forest north of what is now Point Talburpin. Muller’s farmhouse was removed in the 1990’s to make way for a stage of the Orchard Beach estate, but its site is still marked by a pair of mature fig trees, planted around 1905, at the top of School of Arts road where it meets Collins Street. While these trees were likely to have been planted for the practical purposes of shading the house from the intense afternoon sun and cold winter westerly winds, they also stand as a symbol of the enduring husband and wife farming partnerships that helped to define the character of Redland Bay.

Arnold’s eldest son William was born around 1879, the first white man to be born in the district. He lived to the ripe old age of 99, dying in 1978.

The early farms produced sugar cane, pineapples and citrus. The produce was taken to market by horse-drawn wagon at first, then by the steamboats Pearl, Eucalypta, Louisa and Porpoise, operated by one Captain John Burke.

The viability of these crops was reduced as larger farms to the north at Thornside, Cleveland and Ormiston gained a competitive advantage over Redland Bay, possibly due to access to rail transport. Redland Bay farmers moved towards producing tomatoes, cabbage, cauliflower and passionfruit. These crops continued until farming finally gave way to suburban development around the year 2000.

From 2000, Redland Bay has been increasingly populated. Most farms have been replaced by housing, and has its own set of shops. It is relatively close to Victoria Point, and is only a ferry ride away from the bay islands, such as Russell and Macleay.

ee also

*Redland Shire
*South East Queensland

References

External links

* [http://www.redland.qld.gov.au/corp/ Redland Shire Council Homepage]
* [http://www.redlandstourism.com/ Redlands Tourism]