Historic Redcliffe - Queensland's First European Settlement
Drive 40 minutes north of Brisbane, cross over the 3km long Houghton Highway bridge, and you will discover South East Queensland’s “Brigadoon”.
The Redcliffe Peninsula is an anachronism. It retains much of its pre World War II charm and ingenuity, consisting of a string of small seaside villages, overlooking glorious golden sanded beaches, with the “city” of Redcliffe being the jewel in the centre.
This was the site of the first European settlement in Queensland. The explorer John Oxley sailed into the calm waters of Moreton Bay in September 1824 to found a northern convict colony to take pressure off the overcrowded prisons of Sydney and Port Arthur. An encampment was established on the banks of a small creek, now known as “Humpybong”, meaning empty houses. The Aboriginal inhabitants, who had lived in the area for unknown generations, named the creek from the deserted buildings left behind by the colonials when they relocated to the banks of the Brisbane River, a year later, to find a more reliable fresh water source. The name of Redcliffe originates from the ochre red cliffs which are prevalent in the region. They so impressed Captain Cook in his first voyage to the bay in 1780 that he inscribed the name in the first known chart of Moreton Bay.
The Redcliffe area was opened up for farming in the 1860s, to meet the demand for the growing population of Brisbane. Redcliffe gained an early reputation as a holiday resort 20 years later when the affluent city dwellers started building beachside holiday homes on the golden sands of the bay and a steam ferry service commenced catering for the increasing number of tourists.
The area, being a peninsula cut off from Brisbane by shallow wetlands, grow slowly until the opening of the Hornibrook bridge in 1935. This halved the transit time between the two centres and led to a steady growth in the population of the peninsula.
The early 1940s heralded a major expansion in Redcliffe as it became a premier rest and recreation area for the Allied Pacific troops. Nightclubs, dance halls, bars, cinemas and restaurants evolved to meet the demand. Stroll along Redcliffe Parade today and you can be transported back to the 1940’s – but don’t wait too long, already there are ambitious plans to drag the Jewel of the Peninsula into the 21st century.
Clontarf is the first village on the peninsula as you complete the bumpy crossing over the Houghton Bridge. It is famous for its almost tame pelicans, which have a bayside park named after them. (You will first encounter the pelicans precariously perched (for motorists!) on the top of streetlamps lining the bridge). As in all the peninsula’s beachside parks, there is a multitude of shaded picnic tables along the seafront, complete with council funded electric barbeques. Bell’s Beach at Clontarf, has been designated as a jet boat zone, so it is not recommended for swimming. Pelican Park is the home of the local kite flyers and there is an annual kite flying festival that attracts entrants from all over the Pacific – very colourful!
The next suburb is named Woody Point. Today the woods are rather scarce, but they have been replaced by some excellent restaurants, cafes and hotels, art galleries and antique shops, strung along the waterfront and a new jetty is nearing completion. The old jetty, constructed in 1881, used to service the ferry from Sandgate and Brisbane, and was a favourite fishing spot for the locals. Further along the shoreline is the hulk of the former Queensland warship “Gayundah”.
The village of Margate has possibly the best sandy beach on the peninsula. Margate and Suttons beaches stretches for 3 kms and are surrounded by parklands with barbeques and sheltered picnic spots. There is a beachfront restaurant and café and you can usually find other food and ice cream vendors on any summer’s day. This is a popular venue for fetes and festivals often attracting hundreds of market stalls.
Just north of Sutton’s Beach lies Redcliffe’s Settlement Cove Lagoon – a water wonderland for children of all ages. Surrounded by palm trees, waterfalls and picnic areas, this safe swimming area is a favourite destination on the hot days of summer. There are children’s playgrounds complete with swings, slides, fortresses and train rides.
The scenic Redcliffe Jetty is located opposite the main shopping and restaurant precinct and is the departure point for tours to Moreton Island and for whale watching excursions.
Heading north from Redcliffe you will find Queens Beach which is also popular for swimming and fishing. This beach offers two good boat ramps and is again surrounded by barbeques and picnic tables.
Scarborough beach to the north, is backed by high sand dunes and cliffs that provide wind shelter and privacy for swimmers and sun bathers. The village of Scarborough retains a lot of the simplicity of the past combined with modern high rise resorts. There are some excellent restaurants and cafes and a beachside hotel overlooking the bay.
When you round the headland at the northern tip of the peninsula you will find the Scarborough Motor Boat club and the boat harbour and marina. Here you can buy fresh seafood just unloaded from the Moreton Bay fishing fleet or enjoy the catch of the day cooked to perfection in Morgans Seafood Restaurant.
One of the delightful features of the peninsula waterfront is the extensive cycle and walkways that follow the coastline from Clontarf to Scarborough.