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Stradbroke Islands - Cities, Towns and Localities |
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Located just 30 km south-east of
Brisbane are the islands of North and South
Stradbroke Islands. Once a single island, they were separated by a storm in 1896
with access by ferry. North Stradbroke Island is approximately 38 km long and
11 km wide, with South Stradbroke Island being the smaller at only 22 km long
and about 2.5 km wide. Originally sighted by Captain James Cook and Matthew
Flinders, it wasn't until 1827 that the island was named after the then Earl of
Stradbroke by his son Captain H J Rous, whilst commander of the HMS Rainbow.
For additional information visit the tourist information centre: |
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| North Stradbroke Island |
Another one of the many island
paradises in Australia, North Stradbroke has long, white beaches on its
eastern coastline and a rich diversity of flora as can be found in the
Blue Lake National Park. It is a sand island formed by the same forces
that created South Stradbroke, Bribie, Moreton and Fraser Islands. There
is a vehicular ferry and water taxi service that operate daily from
Cleveland, just 30 minutes away from Brisbane. A 4WD for is required for
the beach and you must obtain a permit from Redlands Tourism or
Stradbroke Island Tourism.
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Dunwich
The shallow waters in
Moreton Bay made mooring and shipping goods up the Brisbane River
difficult. There was a proposal to move the convict settlement in
Moreton Bay out onto Stradbroke Island. This saw the construction of the
now historic township of Dunwich on the western side of the now North
Stradbroke Island in 1827 with a convict store and depot. Ships would off-load their supplies at
Dunwich, which would see the goods ferried across to the mainland and up
the Brisbane River in vessels with shallow draughts. The difficulty of
unloading supplies in rough weather, the hostilities of the local
Aborigines and unsatisfactory water supplies saw the convict outstation abandoned
in 1831. Other European settlements in Dunwich include Catholic Mission
1843-1847, Quarantine Station 1850-1865, and Benevolent Institution
1867-1947.
Today, it is still possible to see the old stone wall of the
original jetty on the northern side of the modern barge ramp. Other
areas of interest include the National Trust listed cemetery with graves
that date from pre 1850. It is also the burial site of 42 typhus
victims who had arrived aboard the Emigrant in 1849 and were quarantined
on the island. Many Aboriginal descendants are also buried there. All
together with inmates in unmarked graves, there are over 8,400.
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Amity Point
Amity Point is North Stradbroke
northern tip. It was here when the first settlement in 1825 built a
pilot station to help shipping into Moreton Bay and the Brisbane River.
By the 1950s Amity Point was the main access to the island, with
visitors arriving and then making their way to Point Lookout.
Due to
the location Amity Point is vulnerable to tidal action which has caused
considerable beach erosion.
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Our Shop - Impeei Goompi
Rouse
St and Stradbroke Place, DUNWICH QLD 4183 Ph: 07 3409 9926
An outlet for the local Aboriginal community to display and sell
products and to promote Aboriginal awareness in the Moreton Bay region.
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Flora and Fauna
There is a wide variety of flora and fauna. Bird life
abound including Azure Kingfisher, Forest Kingfisher, Sacred Kingfisher,
Red-backed Kingfisher, White-bellied Sea Eagle, Tawny Frogmouth,
Whistling Kite, Little Penguin, Great Cormorant, Black Swan, etc. Over
253 species of birdlife have been documented. Other fauna include swamp
wallabies, skinks, mottled tree frog and the rare golden wallabies.
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Point Lookout
Queensland most easterly
point, Point Lookout spreads out around the island's single rock
headland, overlooking a number of beaches. Point Lookout with its steep
cliffs has become a popular vantage point between June and September
when the Humpback whales make their way past the island on their way to
the northern breeding grounds.
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Twenty-Two Mile Beach
Located south of Point
Lookout, there are extensive Aboriginal middens where long before the
arrival of Europeans, the Aborigines feasted on the molluscs collected
in the area.
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Blue Lake National Park
The 445 ha Blue Lake National Park protects coastal wallum and a
freshwater lake of special significance to the local Quandamooka people.
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Brown Lake
Brown Lake or Bumeira with
Eighteen Mile Swamp and freshwater swimming is home to a variety of
native fauna. Only five minutes from Dunwich, it can be reached by
taking a short gravel road which turns off the main Trans-Island Road.
There are walking trails around the edge of the lake and picnic and BBQ
facilities.
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| South Stradbroke Island |
Accessible by ferry that departs
from Runaway Bay Marina in Surfers Paradise, the ferry takes passengers
direct to a campsite. There are of course a number of resorts on the
island offering guided tours and other daily trippers. You can also
travel to the island via a number charters or water taxis. Click here for
South
Stradbroke Island Campgrounds.
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