1. Places of the Redlands: southern suburbs 2. Places of the Redlands: Coochiemudlo Island 3. Places of the Redlands: Mt Cotton 4. Places of the Redlands: Redland Bay 5. Places of the Redlands: Victoria Point 6. Places of the Redlands: Wellington Point
Local History in the Redlands Number 4
2001
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Redland Bay - a brief history
The Aboriginal name for the Redland Bay region was Talwalpin after the cottonwood tree which was widespread in the area. The first land grant to European settlers in Redland Bay was to Henry Scott and Frederick Foster Campbell in 1865, for the purpose of cultivating cotton. At the time there was a shortage of cotton for the mills of England due to the American Civil War. However cotton did not prove to be a successful crop and the plantation owners soon turned to sugar. Redland Bay Plantation changed owners quite regularly and the land was subdivided into one acre lots in 1866. William and Richard Newton were credited with starting the first sugar mill on the estate in the early 1870s. In 1881 the mill and estate was transferred to William Dart, who had run a sugar mill on the river at St Lucia, where the University boat sheds now stand. Families who worked at this mill came to Redland Bay. They included William Fielding and James Moore. (Fielding started the first store in the district in 1884. In 1881 he established the Primitive Methodist Sunday School and in 1904 established the Baptist Sunday School.) Dart used kanaka labour extensively on the estate. In 1882 he was employing 9 white men and 20 kanakas.
Redland Bay farmlands, School of Arts Hall in Queen Street.
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A sawmill was installed on the estate in 1884. At that time the Redland Bay Land Investment Company was formed with a number of directors who involved themselves in land speculation generally in and around Brisbane. One of these partners, William Alexander Wilson, eventually settled in Redland Bay, and built himself a fine timber home. The land was subdivided into smaller housing lots and offered for sale in November 1884, with the promise of a railway to the estate. During the mid 1880s planning was underway for a railway to Cleveland. There was speculation that the line could be extended to Redland Bay and Mt Cotton. Not surprisingly, residents from Coorparoo, through Capalaba, Cleveland and Redland Bay were advocating a route which roughly followed Old Cleveland Road. However the government was keen to open up agricultural land and eventually the coastal route was chosen. The railway to Cleveland was completed in 1889. The original Redland Bay Hotel was built on the site of Richard Newton’s house which was situated overlooking the bay. The hotel was built by merchant Lawrence Cusak, one of the partners in the Redland Bay Land Investment Company. It was most likely built around 1885 and was probably built in stages. William Lingley was the manager for many years and eventually bought the hotel in 1894. His hospitality was legendary, with the hotel compared to the finest anywhere in Queensland.
Redland Bay Hotel was destroyed by fire in 1926.
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Many farmers had moved to the area during the 1870s and 1880s. William Muller was the first to grow bananas, which he experimented with from about 1872. After the demise of the sugar industry in the late 1880s, many others in the district turned to bananas as well as tropical and citrus fruits and other small crops. Muller late employed newcomers Alex and Jemima Kidd. Alex later purchased his own property and members of the family still live in the area. Other significant families in the district included the Collins, Bloomers, Smiths, Doigs, Slawsons, Days, Outridges, Gordons, Bloomers, Schmidts Smiths and Strachans. Daniel James Collins came to Redland Bay from Bunya in 1881 and his father, James Daniel, came in 1884. They bought land on either end of the road that is now called Collins Street. Both Collins families started growing sugar and had kanakas working for them. Daniel was a successful exhibitor in many agricultural shows in South East Queensland. By 1889 there was a thriving community in Redland Bay with 30 farming families, two stores run by William Day and William Fielding, a Methodist minister Rev. John Peart, teacher William Nuttall and William Lingley running the hotel. The post office at that time was run from William Day’s store. The Redland Bay School of Arts was built in 1889. It was designed by architect Victor Carandini and built by W Patterson. The official opening ceremony was held on July 12. The hall, which was situated on the corner of Queen Street and School of Arts Road, was used for local community functions and also housed a library of over 500 books.
Redland Bay School of Arts, built 1889. (Les Collins)
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The St George’s Church of England was also built around 1889. It was designed by architect John Buckeridge. In 1913 it was moved to Wellington Point and re-named St James’. In April 1890 five acres of land along Serpentine Creek was designated as a cemetery. It was run by a board of trustees made up of locals including Friedrich Muller, James Collins, Eduard Heinemann, James Moor and Daniel Collins. Another cemetery was gazetted in 1909 on land donated by P P Outridge on the main Redland Bay Road opposite Gordon Street. The first Redland Bay State School was established at Point Halloran in 1877 and was run jointly with the Mt Cotton School to service the entire district. It was re-named the Victoria Point School in 1880. A school was run briefly in Redland Bay in Mr Dart’s home in 1881, but it wasn’t until 1886 that a full time school was established in Redland Bay. New families came to the district in the early 20th century and new business ventures were started. Minister Francis White established the Mt Carmel Orchard in 1913 after marrying William Fielding’s daughter Jane. White was the first person to grow the fuert avocados commercially. Another new industry was the growing and milling of arrowroot. The mill was situated on the site of the Weinam Creek marina. It commenced operation in 1915 and ran until the 1930s. A co-operative sawmill was established by local farmers in 1913, chiefly to make case timber for their fruit crops, but housing timber was also milled.
Redland Bay sawmill, picnic day. (May Tucker)
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A golf club was established in Queen Street Redland Bay in 1919 and ran on that site until 1934. A new location on the waterfront was acquired in 1932 and club members spent the next two years laying out the nine hole course. It was completed as an 18 hole course in 1980. The Redland Bay Hotel burnt down under suspicious circumstances in April 1926. It was rebuilt and remains on the site today. Other new industries in the 1920s included the establishment of Christoffel’s butchery, Strachan’s store, Bloomer’s blacksmith and coach building shop and Johnston’s carrying business. Electricity was connected to Redland Bay in 1932. Wartime bought new restraints locally. Many farmers served in the armed services and the Australian Women’s Land Army girls came to work the farms while the men were away. They were stationed at Outridge’s property and Wilsons further south. The main crops grown during this time were citrus fruits, custard apples, pineapples, bananas, tomatoes, beans, beetroot, carrots and other small crops. A flying boat base was established in Redland Bay during 1953 to service Qantas routes to New Guinea and the South Pacific Islands. By 1955 it was used by Ansett for services between Sydney and Hayman Island. The base was closed in 1972. The Weinam Creek Marina was opened in March 1978 and provided new ferry terminals for the southern bay islands, as well as permanent moorings for 40 vessels.
Qantas flying boat, Redland Bay, 1953. (Courier Mail)
