Q150 Heritage Plaque - 3 of 16 - Campbell's Store
The Bribie Island Heritage Plaques Waterfront Walk Bongaree consists of 16 bronze plaques located on the "Heritage Walk" along the walking path beside the Bongaree beach from the southern point of South Esplanade and finishes just north of Kangaroo Avenue.
These 16 bronze plaques set on a white concrete square record various aspects of the history of Bribie Island: Record Rainfall, South Esplanade, Campbell's Store, Camping Grounds, Bribie Island heritage quote from A. Meston, Ian Fairweather, First Shop, Bribie Island Heritage quote from Stan Tutt, First Avenue, Fishing Records, Welsby Parade, Bribie Island Wartime, First Car, Shirley Creek, Castaway Convicts and Fish Cannery.
The following excerpt is from the 2009 booklet produced prior to the plaques placement. The Heritage Plaques Waterfront Walk Bongaree project was a Q150 Community Funded Program, initiated by the Rotary Club of Bribie Island and supported by Moreton Bay Regional Council in conjunction with Bribie Island U3A and Bribie Island Historical Society.
A copy of the map for the Bongaree Waterfront Walk can be found at
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CAMPBELL’S STORE
In the 1890’s Joe Campbell was an Oysterman in the Passage. In the 1930’s his son Reg had a General Store & Boat Shed by this creek, when it was much larger and used as a boat harbour by campers and Dugong fishermen.
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| Campbell's Store and Boatshed |
Campbell’s Store & Boatshed
¨ Campbell’s Boat Shed was established in the early 1920’s.
¨ Reg Campbell hired, maintained, repaired, and stored many boats for visitors.
¨ Campbell’s Store catered for the needs of the many visitors and campers.
¨ The Store remained in operation until the 1960’s and Reg and Vera Campbell were trusted and well respected members of the community.
The Campbell Family
¨ Reg Campbell was the son of oysterman Joe Campbell. He had grown up around Bribie Island and married a local long term resident, Vera Huet.
¨ After World War I, as “excursion” visitors increased, Reg and his family opened a boat shed and then a general store on the Southern bank of this creek, catering for the fishermen and general needs of the visiting campers and boatmen.
¨ Campbell’s Creek,as it was known for many years, but later renamed William’s Creek, was much larger at that time and formed a natural boat harbour holding water at all tides.
¨ Bribie Island was one of the most popular fishing and camping holiday destinations in Australia, with up to 5,000 visitors a week.
Brief History of the Campbell Family
¨ The Campbell family arrived in the area in 1905 and took up residence at Ningi Creek on the Pumicestone Passage. At that time only four families were resident on Bribie Island.
¨ The introduction of regular excursion boats by the Brisbane Tug and Steamship Co., brought many visitors to the Island, and this was enhanced in 1911 by the addition of the purpose built luxurious SS Koopa to their ferry fleet, carrying over 1200 passengers.
¨ The visitors initially camped all along the foreshore of the island at Bongaree.
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| Vera Campbell in car in front of their Store. |
¨ Recognising opportunity, the Campbells moved across the passage and took up residence on “Campbell’s Creek” (now known as William Creek). They built a Boat Shed to cater for the fishing, boating and camping needs of the many visitors.
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| Reg Campbell in doorway of his Boatshed. 1920. |
¨ After Reg and Vera married they expanded and built the general store. Their store and boatshed was accessed by crossing the “old rickety bridge”.
¨ They both worked very hard and operated the business successfully until 1963. Reg was a very good fisherman and his knowledge of tackle, bait and tides was given freely to all his customers. They also operated a popular “Oyster Bar” at the jetty.
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| Campbell's Oyster Kiosk at Bongaree Jetty |
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